The Pink Salon

Yuki adjusted her pink heels as she unlocked the door to her magical salon. The scissors on her earrings jingled softly while she flipped on the lights. Her elaborate pink curls bounced as she checked her reflection in the mirror. Everything looked perfect—her purple eyes sparkled, her pink nails gleamed, and her scissor-shaped hairpins held her hair in place.

"Another day, another chance to make everyone beautiful," she said, straightening her pink dress.

Outside, she could hear commotion in the village square. Loud voices and what sounded like crying echoed through the morning air. Yuki peeked through her salon window and gasped. Five boys with incredibly long, greasy hair were being dragged down the street by their angry parents. Their hair hung past their shoulders in tangled, unwashed strands.

"No! Please! Anywhere but the salon!" one boy screamed, biting his nails frantically.

The parents looked embarrassed and frustrated. "People keep mistaking you for girls!" one mother shouted.

The Sparrow's Warning

Yuki rushed outside as the boys were dragged past her salon. She had seen scared children before, but this was different. Their eyes held pure terror, and one boy was biting his nails so hard his fingers were bleeding.

"Wait!" Yuki called to the parents. "What's wrong with them?"

"Bad experiences at other salons," one father explained, struggling to hold his son. "Now they refuse any haircuts. People mistake them for girls because of this mess!"

The boys whimpered and tried to break free. Yuki noticed how their tangled hair covered their faces completely. A small sparrow landed on her shoulder and chirped urgently, as if trying to tell her something important.

"Don't worry," Yuki said confidently to the parents. "I'm a magical hairdresser. I can handle anything."

But as she approached the boys, they screamed louder. One boy bit his nails frantically while tears streamed down his face. "No scissors! Please, no scissors!" he sobbed.

Yuki paused. The sparrow chirped again, more insistently this time. Maybe this wouldn't be as simple as she thought. These boys weren't just being difficult—they were genuinely terrified.