I Died and Was Reincarnated as a Goth Femboy

The faint, cloying scent of expensive perfume and shattered ego hung in the air of the boutique. Hikaru Aoi was gone, but the tension he'd left behind was a palpable thing. Bombom stood there, the red handprint on his cheek slowly fading, his mind still reeling from the bizarre confrontation.

"What a strange Lily," he muttered, more to himself than to anyone else.

Gluteus Maximus let out a small, metallic sigh, the sound like the shifting of tectonic plates. "Bombom," he began, his deep voice rumbling with a gentle, paternal wisdom. "All the Lilies you will encounter are not... strong... as you are. They dedicate their lives to the pursuit of beauty and charisma. To them, strength is a crude thing, a tool for brutes and barbarians. So, when they see you, a Lily of unparalleled aesthetic, wielding the power they associate with the lowest classes, they may get defensive."

Bombom just scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "So what if I'm a brute? What are they gonna do? Nothing." He let out a sharp "humpf," the sound full of his old, familiar arrogance.

The store worker, who had been watching the entire exchange with his mouth agape, finally seemed to reboot. He smoothed down his immaculate black suit, his professional composure returning, though his eyes still held a look of profound awe as he gazed at Bombom. "So, Monsieur Bombom, is that right?" he said, his French accent returning. "I will show you some of our finest clothes. But, as I said, I am afraid we do not have many with... strength attributes."

Bombom sighed, the fight draining out of him. "It's okay," he said, a strange, new idea beginning to form in his mind. "After being affected by that weird power, I wanna try it out." He turned to the worker, his entire demeanor shifting. His angry, tsundere pout melted away, replaced by a soft, enchanting smile. He struck a series of cute, playful poses, his movements surprisingly fluid. "Oooh~" he cooed, his voice a melodic purr he didn't know he was capable of. "You are looking so cute today. All your hard work is really paying off~"

The effect was instantaneous. The worker's professional mask shattered. His pupils dilated, transforming into two, perfect pink hearts. A blush that could rival Bombom's own spread across his face. "Y-yes, my love," he stammered, his voice trembling. "Anything for you. Please, follow me."

Bombom smirked, a wicked, triumphant glint in his red eyes. He looked over at Gluteus, who was staring at him with the exact same love-hearts in his eyes. "Bombom, my love," the giant knight rumbled, his voice thick with adoration.

Kenjiro jumped, reaching up as high as he could to bonk the massive knight on his helmeted head. "Wake up, you giant dumb thing!"

Gluteus shook his head, the heart-pupils vanishing as he blinked rapidly. "Oooh, Bombom," he said, a hint of confusion in his voice. "Your charisma... it affected me."

A slow, dangerous grin spread across Bombom's face. I've discovered a new power, he thought to himself. This is so embarrassing... but it works. He could almost hear the faint, disapproving 'humpf' of his muscular shadow in the back of his mind.

He turned to his hover-drone. "What do you think, chat? Did my charm work?"

The comments, which had been a flurry of confusion and excitement, immediately shifted to a resounding, unified "YES."

Bombom's smirk widened. He struck another, even cuter pose, this one focusing on his body, a hand on his hip, his head tilted just so. "Oh~~" he purred into the camera. "So, if you guys like me... you should donate more~"

In the same instant, the donation alerts began to flood his screen at a rate he'd never seen before. He had discovered a new power, a new weapon in his arsenal. And he was going to abuse every single second of it. Even if he hated himself for it.

He and Gluteus followed the still-enamored store worker through the pristine aisles of the boutique. Bombom began to try on clothes, turning the shopping trip into an impromptu fashion show for his livestream.

"What do you think, chat?" he asked, emerging from the dressing room in his first new outfit: a simple black t-shirt and a pair of tight, form-fitting jeans that did wonders for his figure.

"You look good, Bombom!"

"Never knew Bombom would look this good in normal clothes!"

"Bombom looks good in everything."

He blushed, reading the comments, before disappearing back into the dressing room. He emerged a moment later in a full secretary uniform: a crisp white professional shirt, a tight black pencil skirt, and a pair of smart-looking glasses perched on his nose.

"Does my esteemed audience appreciate the sartorial direction in which I am currently trending?" he asked, his voice suddenly more articulate, his posture more refined. He gasped, realizing his language had changed. He looked at the price tag, which also listed the item's effects. 'Intelligence +10. Set Effect: Makes the user sound intelligent.'

The chat absolutely loved it. One donation with a voice message immediately got his attention.

"I would love to be the boss right now."

The rest of the chat immediately made fun of the comment, knowing exactly what the user was implying. Bombom just sighed, not even having the energy to get angry at them for now. The store worker, meanwhile, looked like he was on the verge of fainting, his jaw on the floor as he watched the living embodiment of perfection model his wares.

Finally, Bombom came out in his last outfit. It was the same as his usual one: a black shirt, his combat boots, and a pleated purple skirt. "Oh, I like this one," he declared.

"You're wearing the same clothing as usual," the chat pointed out.

Bombom stuck his tongue out at the drone. "Don't worry," he said, holding up a large shopping bag. "I bought some of the others, too." He paused, a new thought occurring to him. "Hm. Gluteus, let's check out that Lily Fighting Club. Is that some kind of tournament?"

Gluteus nodded. "Yes, and no, my lady. It is a competition, but not of physical strength. Two Lilies face off, and they must use their skills to win the favor of the judges, who score them on a scale of one to ten. The winner is promoted throughout the city for three days, their image displayed on every billboard."

Bombom's face fell with disappointment. "So, no fighting?"

"Remember that Kiss Barrage?" Gluteus asked, his voice serious. Bombom nodded. "Most Lilies have moves based on their Charisma. It is a different kind of battle."

Bombom gulped, but a competitive fire lit in his eyes. "So, let's go. It will be a good challenge." He turned and started to walk out of the store without paying, his mind already on the next conquest. The effect of his charm on the worker, however, had apparently worn off.

The man came rushing after him, his face a mask of polite panic. "Oh, my dear mademoiselle! You have forgotten to pay!"

Bombom shrugged, trying to play it cool. "Oh, how dumb of me." He turned and blew a kiss at the worker, which materialized and floated toward him. "That can be for our friendship, right?"

"No," the worker said flatly, the kiss dissipating harmlessly against his cheek. "You must pay."

In the end, Bombom had to pay for the mountain of clothes he had purchased. As they walked out of the store, he looked at Gluteus, annoyed. "Why didn't it work?"

Gluteus smiled, a rare, genuine laugh rumbling in his chest. "Oh, Bombom. Your Charisma is a powerful new weapon, but it is not strong enough to land a critical hit one hundred percent of the time."

Bombom stomped his feet. "H-hey, stop laughing!" he pouted, as they started walking toward the Lily Fighting Club, a new, and deeply embarrassing, challenge awaiting them.