Antique Shop?BEAR? - Chapter 46
Chapter 46 – Luring Scissors
“Good morning.”
“Mornin’. It’s the day before your cutting debut! Good luck for tomorrow.” The manager spoke to her enthusiastically.
“Yes.”
Until Kyoko arrived, she conducted her standard duties, and at last, 9:00 p.m. was approaching. Since the store closed at 8:00 p.m., the manager went home first and left the key with Akari. Nervous and elated, Akari stood alone before the mirror, polishing that pair of scissors and grinning.
“Good evening.”
Kyoko appeared from the entrance wearing a smile. Her long black hair was the same as it was a couple of months ago.
“Good evening.” Akari smiled, almost drooling. “I have been expecting you.”
It was beyond closing time, therefore Akari shut the entrance door and turned the sign to closed. After taking care of her luggage, she headed straight for the shampoo table.
“The shampoo smells so good?!” Kyoko seemed delighted. “They use good quality shampoo at beauty salons, I bet.”
“It is sold in the store as well.”
After finishing the shampoo, she led her to the seat and switched on the hairdryer.
“What kind of hairstyle do you prefer?”
“I’m going for a bob today.”
“What? That’s unexpectedly short!”
“I figured it’s good for once in a while. I’d like color and treatment next time.”
Akari replied with a broad smile. “I look forward to your next visit.”
Pinning her hair up, she sprayed it with water spray and drew out her scissors. These scissors had been meticulously polished after being stained with blood yesterday.
“Wow… those are such adorable scissors.”
“I purchased them because they’re made of stainless steel and they’re very sharp and rust-resistant. So the length of the back… is about this long?” She pressed her fingers past her shoulders.
“Wouldn’t that make it bounce?”
“Slightly below the shoulder, then.”
“Please.”
Snip. At the exact moment the scissors landed, Akari’s consciousness was unified with them.
“I’m so happy. Akari, you’ve been saying you wished to be a hairdresser since elementary school. For you to fulfill your dream… It’s amazing.”
“Being a piano teacher is impressive too.”
“I’ve given up on being a professional.”
“Yeah… if you had worked hard in college, you might have been able to become a professional.”
Kyoko’s face stiffened from her sarcastic tone.
“Are you mad? About your ex-boyfriend.”
Through the mirror, Akari stared at Kyoko’s face, which was still facing the front and not raising up.
“I’m not mad. It was right before we broke up.”
“He was a jerk… I was fooled, too.”
I’m not mad. I’m not mad. I’m not mad. I’m not mad. I’m not mad.
The sound of scissors resonated through the beauty salon. At that point, Kyoko cried out, “Ouch!”. Behind her ear was a small cut and blood was streaming out.
“I’m sorry! Are you okay?” She hurriedly restrained it with a towel.
“It hurts! With this, there’s no way you can make your haircut debut tomorrow, right? Akari, were you concentrating? You have to watch the hair while you talk or else it’s dangerous! Are you listening? Are you alright? Be careful!”
“I’m not mad.”
“Huh?”
“I’m not mad at you for taking away my ex-boyfriend.”
“I already heard that!”
“I’m not mad at Kyoko. I’m not mad.”
“Ha?”
“I’m not mad. I’m not mad.”
The second Kyoko turned pale and tried to rise from her position, something pierced her cheek. In the mirror, the image of a pair of scissors plunging through her cheek and into her mouth was reflected.
“I’m not mad. I’m not mad.”
Akari stood smiling, holding a pair of scissors. Kyoko stumbled but scrambled up from all fours and darted to the entrance of the store.
“I’m not mad. I’m not mad.”
The entrance was locked. Despair engulfed Kyoko. She wanted to scream for help, but the pain of the cut on her face and her fear rendered her unable to voice out. When she turned around, Akari was standing there with a pair of scissors in her hand, laughing. Kyoko immediately dashed for her bag. Her own branded bag was hanging on a shelf behind the reception desk.
“I’m not mad. I’m not mad.”
Akari slowly made her way over to Kyoko. Right when Kyoko pulled out her phone from her bag, the scissors penetrated her hand and the blade of the scissors struck her phone.
“Ha… ahhh!”
A hoarse shriek escaped from the pit of her stomach due to the intense pressure. Dropping the phone from her hand, Kyoko collapsed to the floor again. Fear, pain, and panic kept her from breaking out in tears. Glancing up, she noticed that Akari was smiling and repeating.
I’m not mad. I’m not mad. I’m not mad. I’m not mad. I’m not mad. I’m not mad… I’m not.. mad… I’m… not mad…
?????????
The next day, the tragedy at the beauty salon was reported on the national news.
“Eh! I know this place! Isn’t it the hair salon near Hosho Station?” Aoi addressed Kouki excitable.
“Oh.. yes. It’s the beauty salon at the end of the bridge.”
“Murder with scissors…? Terrifying. Didn’t that happen last month, by the way? The homicide with scissors.”
“Ah… the murder where the wife stabbed her husband to death with a pair of scissors.”
“A copycat? But with scissors… Too horrifying.”
“It’s not a copycat, is it? Last month, the wife was a collector of scissors.”
“A collector of scissors?”
“Antique scissors are highly sought after, and there are collectors.”
“You know a lot about them.”
“I have antique scissors in my shop. They are new antique rabbit scissors. I would never sell them to you, though.”