Su Tong was trembling.
He was sitting in the barber’s chair, wrapped up in a cutting cape like a giant dumpling.
Su Tong, meanwhile, sat with Nia behind him, shamelessly watching the show and enjoying every minute of it.
The guy being watched wasn’t enjoying it nearly as much.
“Can’t I just not get a haircut? I only want to grow my hair out…”
Su Tong muttered under his breath.
“Young people should keep themselves looking neat and fresh.”
Tony gently ran his fingers through the freshly washed hair, studying its texture. “A short cut would look a lot better than this. You’ve got a good foundation, and with the right style, you could completely change your look. Become a whole new person, even?”
The older man made a little joke.
But the boy still wasn’t willing.
“I still want to grow it out.”
So Tony’s hand stopped.
He paused, let go of a lock of hair, then gave Su Tong a friendly pat on the shoulder.
“Everyone wants to look good, young man.”
“…Huh?”
Naturally, Su Tong had no idea where that completely out-of-the-blue comment had come from.
Only Su Tong understood.
She watched the older man and Su Tong from across the room, a glint lighting up her eyes.
“You really shouldn’t underestimate anyone.”
The girl stopped playing with her little maid’s silver hair and looked at the utterly confused Nia with an amused, knowing smile. “Nia, do you think people get more likely to turn into some kind of supernatural being as they get older?”
“Nia, do you think people get more likely to turn into some kind of supernatural being as they get older?”
The little maid hadn’t heard her clearly. She blinked and asked,
“What was that, miss?”
“Nothing.”
Su Tong smiled and shook her head, watching the boy and the older man with interest.
Still… it seemed there were some things she didn’t need to point out after all.
...
The older man had no idea what was going on behind him, and naturally had no clue he’d been used as a weapon.
He just smiled warmly.
“You could say it’s instinct. We’re all striving to be more beautiful, stronger, better. Once our basic needs are met, we start chasing beauty. Even the ugly duckling wants to become a swan. Even people with twisted taste move toward the kind of beauty they believe in… It’s an age-old need, buried in our human instincts—in the instincts of our souls.”
“So?”
The boy wasn’t convinced.
“So when everyone else is chasing beauty, and you suddenly show up going the wrong way, driving in reverse… either everyone else has a problem, or you do. And obviously everyone else can’t be the one with a problem, right?”
Tony said it casually, as if it had just occurred to him.
He didn’t finish what he was saying.
A true expert knows when to stop, and a clever person knows how to leave things unsaid. But his meaning was already crystal clear.
Su Tong frowned.
“So everyone else is right, and I’m the one who’s wrong?”
“I didn’t say that.”
Tony shrugged.
“Those are your words. If two cars on the same track are heading in opposite directions, then one of them is definitely moving away from the finish line. Though the Earth is round, so maybe if you keep going the wrong way long enough, you’ll circle around and reach the finish line after all?”
As he spoke, he picked up his scissors and gave them a cocky, stylish twirl. Then he stepped behind Su Tong and gently tucked the cutting cape around him.
“So, have you decided, dear customer? Are you getting a haircut or not?”
He whispered softly. The words sounded almost like a demon’s tempting murmur.
Su Tong just silently raised his head.
He stared blankly at his reflection in the mirror.
His hair had grown long enough to easily cover his eyes and even the tip of his nose. He’d never bothered to take care of it, just combed it any which way and called that a hairstyle. The ends were split, yellowed, dry, and tangled—a mess like a chicken’s nest.
A lot like his life.
It had been this way ever since his father died. Everything had become a tangled mess… There’d been a time when he’d lost all sense of day and night, staying in his room all day with his father’s photograph in his arms, his mind nothing but a vast, empty blank.
That had been a turning point.
The turning point between the first half of his life and the second.
He’d hated his own weakness. Hated that he was powerless. But even as resentment gnawed at him, all he could do was keep living in a numb haze.
Everyone suffered. There was no end to life’s hardships.
What could he do?
All he could do was live. Keep living, and…
Live.
For him, death might have been a generous kind of release.
“Cut it.”
He said it softly.
The older man behind him froze for a moment, then asked again,
“Are you sure?”
“…Yeah.”
The boy nodded, then seemed to think of something and asked quietly,
“But… you said yourself that some people have twisted taste. So why… why don’t you think I’m one of those weirdos who thinks the way I look now is perfect?”
Tony smiled and shook his head.
“That’s easy. I watched you when you came in, and I noticed you looking at the pictures on the little blackboard in my studio. They’re all my proudest work. Someone who can appreciate that kind of beauty isn’t some weirdo with twisted taste.”
“…Is that all?”
“Of course not.”
Tony snipped away, then added casually,
“It was just that your expression at the time, young man… You looked really envious.”
Su Tong froze.
“I really… looked envious…?”
Murmuring to himself, he lowered his eyes.
◆
The haircut turned out pretty great.
Su Tong, the little brat, had gone from [Little Brat v1.0] to [Little Brat v2.0]—a serious upgrade.
After getting a neat, fresh cut, his looks had improved by a whole lot. He still couldn’t compare to the little goddess beside him, who was beautiful enough to take the world by storm, but he was a pretty handsome guy now.
But the handsome guy had been acting strange ever since they left the studio.
Su Tong didn’t mind. With her hands behind her back, she led the little maid along in front, stopping now and then to look over the shops lining the street.
At last, they reached a men’s clothing store. The girl stopped and turned to ask,
“Want to buy a couple of things?”
“…No need.”
Su Tong kept his head down, not looking her in the eye. He sat in silence, dazed for a moment, then continued,
“I’ve already bought the books, and now I’ve had my hair cut. If there’s nothing else, I’ll head off first… Thanks for coming with me to get my hair cut, but I didn’t bring any money with me this time. I’ll pay you back in full once we’re back at school…”
He looked completely serious.
Su Tong listened with a smile and didn’t argue or object.
She knew the little brat was as stubborn as a mule. A few words from her wouldn’t change his mind.
So she might as well let him do what he wanted.
“…There’s a bus stop nearby. I can just take the bus back later, so you don’t have to go out of your way for me.”
At last, the boy finished.
“So, is it my turn now?”
Su Tong smoothly picked up the conversation.
“I don’t have any objections. Just be careful on your way back, Su Tong.”
“…Okay.”
The boy nodded, stiff and distant.
Then he finally turned and left—without even saying goodbye.
Su Tong didn’t mind at all. She just smiled with narrowed eyes, watching until the boy’s back disappeared around the intersection. Then she nodded thoughtfully.
“Mm… Test complete.”
[To be continued]
