As Short As Possible. Part 2.

This story is a direct continuation of Part 1. If you haven’t read it yet, I strongly recommend starting there.

Evelyn agreed to take part in an experimental AI study designed to influence people’s choices through subtle changes in their environment. What began as an innocent haircut gradually transformed into something much deeper.

Now, with nothing left to lose, Evelyn is about to discover just how far the experiment has changed her.

Chapter 4

But equally dramatic changes were happening in Evelyn’s sex life.

She discovered a fetish for short hair.

And fell into it completely.

She watched videos, read stories, imagined herself in the place of both the women and the stylists.

It excited her far more than the men she had spent years sleeping with for career advancement.

Her fantasies demanded shorter hair.

And they didn’t have to wait long.

As promised, she didn’t go back to Sue.

She found a barber online.

Though found hardly felt like the right word.

He posted videos of his cuts on YouTube.

She had already been watching them for quite some time.

They planned it carefully.

Even though Evelyn had started obsessively fantasizing about a perfectly smooth shaved head, the haircut still had to remain within the boundaries of what society considered acceptable.

They settled on a very short pixie.

The sides and back clipped with the shortest guard.

Texture left on top.

A few inches remaining.

The moment the clippers touched the back of her neck, the sensation hit harder than any vibrator ever had.

She closed her eyes.

By the time she opened them again, only a small amount of hair remained on top.

She said goodbye quickly and hurried home.

She couldn’t stand the arousal any longer.

The next day, she found herself touching herself while replaying videos of her haircut.

A few days later, she was summoned to Mr. Johnson’s office again.

As she stepped out of the elevator, she nearly collided with a young blonde intern with long hair adjusting her clothes.

Everything became clear immediately.

“Evelyn, there have been too many disagreements between us. Because of resentment, you’ve started lying to me. I can’t trust you the way I used to. We need to end this.”

There was no hurt in her voice.

“Yes, Mr. Johnson.”

“And since I can’t trust you, we’ll be eliminating your role as vice president’s advisor. You’ll work another two weeks, and then HR will process your departure. You’re well regarded in the company, though. I’m sure they’ll find something else for you.”

“I’ll manage.”

Nothing was stopping Evelyn anymore.

That same day, she booked an appointment with a barber.

Chapter 5

When he removed the guard from the clippers and began running them down the center of her head, Evelyn’s fantasies burst into vivid motion. She imagined the barber. Imagined pulling him closer. Touching him. Imagined him taking her again and again, right there in the chair.

When the shaving foam touched her skin, she imagined him doing this every night before some wild, sleepless intimacy.

When the straight razor touched her scalp, her thoughts turned darker—punishment, surrender, humiliation, something intense enough to overwhelm her completely.

She only came back to herself when the sting of aftershave touched her head.

Her scalp was smooth. Perfectly smooth. Reflecting the light. She had never felt more attractive in her life.

He filmed the whole process. When it was over, they hugged goodbye and exchanged a quick kiss on the cheek.

That night became the wildest of Evelyn’s life.

Despite the fact that she was completely alone.

The next morning, she shaved her head again herself. Not a trace of regrowth could remain. Only absolute smoothness.

Her scalp caught the morning light as she walked into the office carrying her usual cup of coffee.

On time.

Frank began.

“So. Six months later, we’re reconvening with the Context Generator project team to review the preliminary results.”

People glanced at Evelyn. They had already seen her with short hair. Some had even seen her bald. But it still felt deeply unusual.

Steve stood beside an actual presentation this time.

“Sorry, Steve—I don’t mean to sound insensitive, and I’m sure you’ll manage, but… your colleague who usually handled presentations still hasn’t recovered?”

“He passed away. The cancer had progressed too far. Since our funding remained minimal, we decided not to replace him and redirected the budget toward additional compute.”

“So. Over the last six months, we’ve managed to optimize performance slightly, reducing required resources by twenty-three percent. We still don’t understand the mechanism behind the model’s actions, but we’ve established a correlation between engagement with information streams and speed of outcome.”

“We had five subjects.”

“Instead of trying to sell metaphorical bicycles, we mostly attempted to formulate some form of benefit that the agent could translate into the subjects’ lives.”

“So. Slides.”

“Hannah. Thirty-eight. Prior to the experiment, she struggled with obesity and serious health problems. As a result of the intervention, she lost forty kilograms and is now preparing to run a marathon.”

“Jack. Forty-two. Alcoholism, multiple addictions, severe health issues. He overcame the addictions. He’s rebuilding his health.”

“Will. Thirty-three. Combat veteran. Severe concussion, amputated leg, PTSD, panic disorder. Difficulty accepting reality. Refused prosthetics and therapy. After intervention, his condition improved significantly. He underwent prosthetic fitting, found work, and resumed his relationship with his fiancée. Psychiatrists describe the progress as extraordinary, though they attribute it to therapy, despite previous treatment producing no meaningful results.”

“Billy. Twenty-three. Painfully shy. Couldn’t talk to women.”

Steve hesitated.

“Unfortunately, we encountered another ethical issue. At the moment, he has three simultaneous relationships.”

“Overall, the agent is already showing unprecedented promise as a psychotherapeutic tool. But the model still needs refinement. We need resources. And funding.”

“Frank, are you still recommending maximum funding?”

“Absolutely, Miss Price.”

“Steve… what happened to me? I think it’s time to open the envelope.”

“Before that, I guess I should ask an insensitive question. After Steve’s funeral, it feels difficult to even bring this up, but… your hairstyle. Is it chemotherapy? Are you sick?”

“No. This was my choice. I genuinely love it.”

“Then… open it.”

Evelyn tore open the envelope they had sealed six months earlier.

Inside was a single sentence:

Cut your hair as short as possible.

Evelyn stared at the paper. The others kept glancing between the note and her shaved head. Steve looked down at the floor.

“I approve maximum funding. And please leave Steve and me alone.”

Everyone left.

“You know, Steve…” she said quietly, “I think the agent did more than just convince me to shave my head. I genuinely feel better. I’m leaving the investment department. I’m not interested in it anymore. You’ve got funding now. You’ll need to expand the team. And I’m a walking success story. I’m sure I could be useful.”

“Our team is… kind of strange. And the salaries aren’t great.”

“I don’t care. As long as it’s interesting.”

“Well… then of course. But I do have one request.”

“Go ahead.”

“Would it be okay if I touched your head? I’ve never touched a bald woman’s scalp before.”

“Go ahead.”

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