Pink Scissors and Morning Mist

Yuki adjusted her scissor-shaped hairpins as morning sunlight streamed through her bedroom window in Nakaibito village. Her pink dress swished as she reached for her magical scissors, which sparkled with tiny stars along the blades.

"Another day at the salon," she said, admiring her reflection. Her purple eyes caught the light as she practiced a few snips in the air.

Outside, she could hear commotion near the village square. Loud voices echoed between the traditional houses, and something crashed against wooden shutters.

"No! We won't go!" a boy's voice shouted.

Yuki peered through her window and saw a group of boys with long, tangled hair running past her house. Their parents chased behind them, looking frustrated and tired.

"Ren, come back here!" a mother called.

The boys disappeared around a corner, their shaggy hair bouncing as they fled. Yuki frowned. She had never seen children so afraid of something as simple as a haircut.

Her scissors felt heavier in her hand as she wondered what could make them so terrified.

The Hair Emergency

Yuki hurried toward the village square, her scissor earrings jingling with each step. The shouting had grown louder, and she could see a crowd gathering near the fountain.

"Please, boys, just come home!" a woman called desperately.

When Yuki pushed through the crowd, she gasped. Five boys sat huddled together on top of the fountain's stone edge, their long hair hanging like curtains over their faces. They looked terrified.

"We won't cut it!" one boy shouted. "Never again!"

Yuki noticed their hair wasn't just long—it was matted and greasy, as if they hadn't washed it in weeks. People in the crowd whispered and pointed.

"Those boys look like girls," someone muttered.

"It's embarrassing," another parent said.

Suddenly, two other magical girls appeared beside Yuki. Maki had blue hair and carried thinning shears that sparkled like stars. Yuko had green hair and held magical clippers that hummed softly.

"The village called us," Maki whispered. "These boys haven't had haircuts in months."

The boys pressed closer together, trembling as they spotted the magical hair tools. One boy—Ren, she remembered from earlier—pointed at them with shaking fingers.

"They have scissors!" he cried.