Pink Scissors and Morning Light

Yuki adjusted her scissors earrings and smoothed her pink curls as she walked through Nakaibito village. The morning sun caught her scissor hairpins, making them sparkle like tiny jewels. Her pink heels clicked against the cobblestone path leading to her magical hair salon.

"Good morning, Yuki!" called Mrs. Tanaka from her flower shop. "Ready for another busy day?"

Yuki waved with her pink-painted nails. "Always ready to help!"

She pushed open the salon door, where Maki and Yuko were already preparing their stations. Maki polished her thinning shears while Yuko tested her magical clippers.

"Did you hear?" Maki whispered, her eyes wide. "Five boys are supposed to come in today. Their parents are making them."

"Making them?" Yuki asked, setting down her wand-shaped scissors.

"They haven't had haircuts in months," Yuko explained. "Their hair is so long and messy that people keep mistaking them for girls. Their parents are furious."

Through the window, Yuki spotted five figures approaching. Even from a distance, she could see their shaggy, unkempt hair.

The Storm Before the Snip

The salon door burst open with such force that the bell above it cracked against the wall. Five boys stumbled inside, their parents pushing them forward like reluctant sheep.

"No! I won't do it!" shouted the tallest boy, his greasy black hair hanging past his shoulders. He grabbed the doorframe with both hands.

"Ren, you're going in whether you like it or not," his mother said firmly, prying his fingers loose.

The other boys huddled together. One had blonde hair so tangled it looked like a bird's nest. Another's brown hair was so long it covered his eyes completely.

Yuki stepped forward with her scissors wand, trying to smile. "Hello, I'm—"

"SCISSORS!" screamed the boy with the nest hair, pointing at her earrings. "She has scissors everywhere!"

All five boys pressed against the back wall, trembling. The smallest one started crying.

"Please," Yuki said gently. "We just want to help."

"You don't understand!" Ren shouted. "Last time someone cut our hair, they made us look like clowns! We're never cutting it again!"

The parents exchanged worried glances as their sons refused to budge from the wall.