Pink Morning

Yuki adjusted her scissors earrings and smoothed her pink dress as she walked down the cobblestone path toward the village salon. The morning sun painted Nakaibito's wooden houses in golden hues, but her purple eyes were fixed on the salon's bright pink sign.

"Another day of making people beautiful," she whispered to herself, touching the scissor-shaped hairpins that held her elaborate pink curls in place.

Inside the salon, Maki was already arranging her thinning shears while Yuko polished her clippers. The three magical hairdressers had worked together for months, transforming messy hair into works of art with their enchanted tools.

"Did you hear?" Maki's voice carried a worried tone. "Five boys are being dragged here today. Their parents are furious because people keep mistaking them for girls."

Yuki's pink nails tapped nervously against the counter. She had heard whispers around the village about boys with hair so long and unkempt that shopkeepers couldn't tell their gender.

"They'll probably fight us," Yuko added quietly.

The Storm Arrives

The salon door burst open with such force that Yuki's scissors clattered to the floor. Five boys stumbled inside, dragged by a woman with short gray hair and determined eyes.

"These are my nephews," the woman announced, her grip firm on two boys' arms. "Their parents asked me to bring them since I'm the only one strong enough."

The boys looked terrified. The tallest one, maybe thirteen, had greasy black hair hanging past his shoulders. Another boy clutched his long brown hair protectively, while the smallest whimpered behind tangled blonde locks that covered most of his face.

"We won't cut it!" the tallest boy shouted. "You can't make us!"

Yuki picked up her scissors, noticing how the boys flinched at the sound. Their fear was real and deep.

"Please don't hurt us," whispered the blonde boy.

Maki stepped forward with her thinning shears, but all five boys pressed against the wall. One started crying.

"We just want to help," Yuko said softly, holding her clippers behind her back.

The woman frowned. "They've been like this for months. Something has to be done."