Antique Shop?BEAR? - Chapter 45
Chapter 45 – Luring Scissors
Two days later, on Wednesday, it was a closed day for the store. The idea of finally getting Kyoko to model for her haircut tomorrow gave Akari a nervous jolt.
After a good night’s sleep, she spent the afternoon going shopping. There she bought a one-piece dress and some new clothes for work. All of her work clothes were her own, but since they get stained easily by hair dye and shampoo, she made sure to choose cheap and stylish clothes.
On her way home, she stopped at Hosho Station and dropped in at an old-fashioned restaurant. As Akari was leaving the restaurant after enjoying a pizza, craft beer, and salad, she was called from behind.
“Kawaguchi?”
When she turned around, she saw her classmate from elementary and middle school, Hada Kouji, standing there.
“Huh? Hada?”
“Thank you for coming to the store. I’m the owner of this place now.”
“Eh! Is that so?”
In middle school, the athletic-type Haneda was hardly the sort of person who would become a restaurant owner.
“Please come again.”
“It was delicious. I’ll be back.”
When Akari looked inside her bag to take out her phone, she was shocked. That pair of scissors was in there. Akari reached into her bag and grabbed the scissors.
That’s right. This guy had been tormenting Akari throughout elementary and middle school. He called her ugly and fat, yet at the reunion, he drunkenly hugged her shoulder and said, “You’ve become beautiful”. When she raised up, Hada was walking towards the store.
“Hada!”
“Hmm?”
“Are you available today? I’m looking for a haircut model.”
Hada’s eyes widened for a moment, but he quickly nodded with a smile. “Ah. I haven’t been able to have a haircut in a while, so that helps a lot.”
He had a humble smile. They exchanged contact information on the spot, and after sending her address, he readily agreed to drive her to the apartment. Akari smiled, “I’m glad”.
A little after 11:00 p.m., Hada showed up at her house.
“Thanks for coming even though it’s late.” Akari greeted Haneda, smiling.
“No problem. Please give me a haircut.”
Akari led Hada to a seat in front of the mirror table by the bed. She draped a towel over him and checked the style and length of his hair.
On the mirror stand, that pair of scissors was placed. Akari confirmed what kind of hairstyle he would like.
“Just don’t make it too short.”
His hair was long all over now, and his bangs were parted to the side and swept away.
His hair was dyed a lovely dark brown, and it was obvious that he went to a beauty salon every month to keep up his appearance. Smooth hair, no hair conditioner applied, unlikely shampoo needed.
“I understand.”
Parting his hair and pinning it up, Akari applied water spray.
“Akari is a hairdresser’s rookie, right?”
“Yes, indeed. I attended a vocational school and obtained a license. But I didn’t become a beautician right away. I worked as an esthetician at first, and after gaining knowledge about beauty in general, I came back to be a beautician. Why did you become a restaurant owner, Hada?” Holding the scissors in her hand, Akari began to cut.
“I graduated from a culinary school and worked in a few restaurants. The restaurant I’m running now was up for sale at a discount, so I took the plunge and started my own business.”
“That’s amazing.”
She proceeded to cut while still maintaining the conversation.
“Do you have a boyfriend, Akari?”
“Nope.”
“I was amazed the day I met you at the coming-of-age ceremony. You became so beautiful…”
Akari thrust the scissors with all her force into Hada’s ear.
“Aaah!”
When Hada let out an unforeseen scream, Akari jabbed the scissors into his mouth drastically and opened and closed the tip of the blade. The tip of the blade, which had stopped at the back of his throat, opened and closed, tearing through something. Akari was dismayed by the deafening scream.
“Shut up.”
Withdrawing the scissors, she pierced them into his throat. The instant she ripped it out of his throat, a clean splash of blood splattered onto the mirror stand mirror and Hada fell forward. Blood dripped from the mirror stand and Hada rolled off the chair, convulsing with the whites of his eyes. He jerked and convulsed on the floor for a long time, before ceasing his movement. Akari let out an inarticulate screech as the scissors slipped from her hands, and she crumpled to the spot, raising her bloody hands up.
… I’ve killed him!
While excited by the abnormal situation, half of her mind was occupied with thoughts of Kyoko’s haircut tomorrow.
… Tomorrow’s haircut… I have to make the haircut debut tomorrow… Then I’ll make my debut as a hairdresser…!
Akari promptly showered and changed her clothes and went to bed, leaving Hada’s corpse untouched without cleaning it up.
The next morning, she was awakened by the horrendous smell of blood and corpse. Taking a shower, she covered up the smell that had penetrated her clothes and body before setting off for work.