The Morning Sparkle

Yuki adjusted her scissor hairpins and checked her reflection in the salon's glittery mirror. Her pink curls bounced as she turned her head, and her purple eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Another beautiful day at Nakaibito: Enchanted Hair Haven!" she said, spinning around in her pink dress. Her scissor earrings jingled softly.

The magical salon gleamed with rainbow-colored bottles lining the shelves. Golden scissors hung from silk ribbons, and the air smelled like strawberry shampoo and magic dust.

Maki burst through the front door, her own magical outfit shimmering. "Yuki! You won't believe what I just heard in town!"

"What is it?" Yuki asked, polishing her pink nails.

"Five boys are coming here today. Their parents are dragging them because their hair is so long and messy that everyone mistakes them for girls!"

Yuko appeared from the back room, shaking her head. "They're terrified of haircuts. This won't be easy."

Yuki's scissors necklace caught the morning light as she smiled confidently.

The Cricket's Secret

The salon doors burst open with a loud bang. Five boys stumbled inside, dragged by their frustrated parents.

"We're not getting haircuts!" shouted the tallest boy, his long black hair covering half his face.

"Ren, you look like a girl!" his mother scolded. "People keep asking me about my daughter!"

The other boys huddled together behind Ren. Their hair hung down past their shoulders in tangled, greasy clumps. One boy's bangs completely covered his eyes.

"Please don't make us!" whimpered a smaller boy with brown hair. "Last time the barber cut my ear!"

Yuki stepped forward, her pink heels clicking on the floor. "Don't worry. We're magical hairdressers. We won't hurt you."

"Magic makes it worse!" cried another boy, backing toward the door.

Just then, a small cricket hopped through the open door and landed on Yuki's shoulder. It chirped once and whispered something in her ear.

"Wait," Yuki said, her purple eyes brightening. "The cricket says you boys know something about hair that we don't."

The parents looked confused. The boys stopped trying to escape and stared at the tiny green insect on Yuki's dress.