snipartist
The tedious few days of exams were finally over, and it was the start of summer holidays. After saying her goodbyes to friends, Ruri started walking towards her home thinking about all the things she would do during summer. She was one of the brightest kid in the class but moreover, she was very pretty. Her waist length hair flowed gracefully complimenting her school dress, a white shirt, blue skirt and a red bow tie.
She was not even halfway home when the hot, humid climate started to irritate her. She tied her hair into a high ponytail trying to keep her cool. Stopping at a 7-Eleven, she bought a raspberry popsicle. Feeling a little better, she started walking back.The humidity was making the heat much worse. As she finished her treat, she came across a familiar sign. A pole with red and blue stripes. Every morning on her way to school, she saw men and boys getting their haircuts there. Occasionally, there were women as well.
At that moment she had a crazy idea. She stood on the sidewalk, bringing the ponytail to the front. She had kept her hair long ever since Mom gave her permission to grow it if she took care of it. “Maybe it’s time to try a new hairstyle. I even have all summer to grow it if I don’t like it. Maybe a bob.”, she thought inspecting the length of her hair. She had always wondered how it would feel to get a haircut in the barbershop. Today was the day to fulfil her fantasy.
As she opened the door, she was hit by the distinct smell of cologne. Although it was surprisingly pleasant and calming.
The place was empty, thankfully. Three red chairs stood in the centre facing a big mirror, and wooden benches behind serving as the waiting area. As she looked around, a barber came out from the back room.
“Can I help you miss?”
“l want a haircut. Something to keep me cool all Summer.”
“Ok. Take a seat”
The barber gestured her towards the first chair. She sat on the chair, excited about the change. The barber then took a tissue strip and tied it around her neck. He put her hair up with a clip and caped her with a white cape.
“Let’s start then”
Without waiting for her suggestions, the barber pulled the scrunchie down a little. Although she could not see how high it was, she decided to trust the barber. Ruri tried to relax as the barber picked the scissors in his hand. Holding her ponytail firmly, he gently pushed her head forward. She held her breath as she felt first crunch. She liked the sound that the scissors made as they cut through her hair.
As the seconds rolled by, she felt hair brush her left cheek. She gulped nervously as the barber continued his work. She desperately wanted to see how it looked but when she tried to to look up, the barber pushed her head down again and told her to lay still. With a final snip, she felt her head had gotten a lot lighter. She looked in the mirror, her hair was just past her chin. She liked the way it looked. She swayed the hair around freely, letting out a giggle. Enjoying the bounce in the freshly cut hair.
Miyaki was strolling on the street, unable to find anything to kill time. As she walked past the barber shop, she casually took a look inside. The girl in the chair looked a bit familiar. Her mouth dropped as she recognised her best friend. Ruri and Miyaki had been best friends since the start of middle school. Both had long hair they adorned and quickly bonded over it. The were literally called two Rapunzels of the class.
Miyaki practically burst into the shop with shock evident on her face.
“Ruri! What are you doing!?”
“Miyaki! What are you doing here?”
“Well I was just strolling by when I saw you. What is all this?”
“I was just fed up with the heat and decided to change it up.”
“Just like that! Didn’t you say you would never cut it!”
Ruri laughed. “That was true but the past few days have been horrific. I just couldn’t bear it anymore. I just had enough today and now that the holidays are here, I can grow it a bit if I hate it. Anyways, want to watch?”
“Yes”
Miyaki sat on the bench, watching her friend keenly. The barber who had watched the scene unfold got back to work. With some clips, he separated and clipped Ruri’s crown hair.
With a scissor over comb technique, he started to cut even more hair. Both girls gasped as swathes of hair rained down the cape. Miyaki saw Ruri’s ear come into view. Her eyes had started more prominent. The barber reduced the hair at the sides and back, as short as the boys at her school. With her ears and neck exposed, Ruri looked so pretty. Looking at her friend, Miyaki thought about her own hair. It was past her waist and lately she was not getting time to tend to it. As she was preparing for her college entrance exam, her schedule was packed with studies and classes. Miyaki had thought about getting a haircut many times but never followed through.
Ruri felt her head vibrating as the barber ran clippers up her nape tiding up the edges. She felt the cool breeze of the AC on her neck and shivered. Letting down the hair at crown, all evidence of the undercut was gone. The barber sprayed her hair with mist and resumed cutting now with a razor. He cut swiftly, trimming them to their final form. After a few minutes of shaping and more trimming, the barber finally put down his tool. After blowdrying her hair, he held a mirror. Ruri’s looked intently at her new look. The hair on the sides were just enough to tuck behind her ears and the back was a bit shorter. Her hands reached out to feel the short sides and back. Soft and velvety. It was a big change but she loved it.With a smile she ran over to her friend and gave a big hug.
“So, how is it?”
“I think you look really cute!”
“I’m so glad I got it. But now it’s your turn.”
Miyaki gasped. “No way. I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“Come on, you have been complaining about it for so long.”
Ruri dragged her friend by the arm to the chair. Although reluctant, she did not put up a fight.
“She is too busy with her studies. Give her an easy to maintain haircut.”
“Are you sure?”, asked the barber to Miyaki but she just nodded silently.
The barber caped her, running his comb through the hair carefully detangling it. He separated the top part and clipped it. Lifting a lock over her left ear, popped on his clippers.
Miyaki felt her whole head vibrating as the clippers made a path through her hair. She gasped as she saw how short it was. Tears started to roll down her cheeks as reality set in. The barber made quick work of all the hair, reducing the sides and the back to bare skin. Ruri took out some tissues and wipes her friend’s face.
“It will look great ok! She gave Miyaki an assuring hug.
Miyaki tried to calm herself down, looking back at her friends haircut.
When she had calmed down, the barber decided to continue the cut. He took out the clips and her hair rolled down, giving a weird sensation on the bare skin. Her eyes were covered as the barber parted the hair. She felt cold metal on her forehead and then a snip. Then another one. 3 feet of hair slid on the cape as she saw the cut with her right eye. She was getting bangs. The barber cut along uncovering her left eye. Her eyes went wide as he just kept going, above her left ear, in the back and then the right.
Ruri watched as the barber cut, mesmerised as the hair fell to the floor. The barber had given her a mushroom cut. So cute! By the looks of it, Miyaki was hating the cut but Ruri knew it would grow on her.
Miyaki got out of the chair without saying a word. She stood silently as Ruri paid for their haircuts and thanked the barber. As soon as they were out of there, she started crying.
“I hate it. It’s so ugly!”
“No it’s not! It looks great.”
“I look like a 4 year old kid.”
“Don’t worry it will grow over summer break.”
Miyaki did not reply but kept crying. Ruri held her hand and took her back to the 7-Eleven and sat her down. She bought some ramen and strawberry milkshake and went to pay. The cashier recognised her.
“Hey! You are the girl from before. You got a haircut?”
“Yes at the barbershop. Was fed up with the heat. Feels much better now!”
“You look very pretty! I keep telling my Naomi but she just won’t listen”
“Thank you. I hope she changes her mind.”
She prepared the ramen and went back to the table.
“Here. Got your favourite strawberry milkshake.”
“Thanks”
Miyaki wiped a tear and both girls finished the food quickly. Miyaki was now feeling a lot better. For the first time she touched her nape, exploring the bare, rough skin.
“Can I touch it too?”
Miyaki nodded. Ruri loved the sandpapery feel and couldn’t stop touching it.
“Stop it”
Miyaki was a bit annoyed but also relieved. It wasn’t as bad as she thought at first. She was still getting used to not having her hair covering her arms and back but felt a lot cooler. Finally she had a smile on her face.
Both girls laughed and hugged each other. The went on their way drinking strawberry milkshakes, rapunzels no more.
