Morning Shimmer

Yuki brushed a strand of pink hair from her face as she unlocked the salon door. The morning sun caught her scissors-shaped earrings, making them sparkle like tiny diamonds. Her pink heels clicked against the polished floor as she flipped on the lights.

"Another beautiful day in Nakaibito," she said, adjusting her hair accessories shaped like miniature scissors. The sparkling pink dress swished around her knees as she moved between the styling chairs.

Maki burst through the door, her purple hair bouncing with each step. "Yuki! Did you hear? There's trouble brewing."

Yuko followed close behind, tucking a blue strand behind her ear. "Five boys in town refuse to get haircuts. Their parents are furious."

"Refuse?" Yuki's pink eyes widened. "But everyone loves our salon."

"Not these boys," Maki said grimly. "Ren, Riku, Haruto, Kenji, and Hiroto. They run whenever they see scissors."

Yuki touched her scissors earrings thoughtfully. "That's strange. Hair always looks better with proper care."

The Desperate Arrival

Yuko pulled out her phone and showed the screen to her friends. "Look what Mrs. Tanaka posted in the town group chat."

The photo showed five boys with hair so long and tangled it covered their faces completely. Yuki squinted at the screen. "Are those really boys?"

"That's the problem," Maki said. "People keep mistaking them for girls. Their parents are furious."

A commotion outside caught their attention. Through the salon window, they watched a woman with short hair dragging a struggling boy by his wrist. The boy's shaggy hair bounced as he kicked and screamed.

"No! I won't go in there!" the boy shouted. "Please, Mom!"

Two more parents appeared, each pulling a reluctant child toward the salon. The boys' hair was so overgrown it hung past their shoulders like curtains.

"That must be them," Yuki whispered.

The woman with short hair banged on the salon door. "Open up! These boys need haircuts right now!"

One boy broke free and ran toward the town square. "Help me!" he called out. "They want to use scissors!"

Maki grabbed Yuki's arm. "They're terrified of our tools."

"But why?" Yuki asked, watching the chaos unfold outside.