"──Hey, Umi."
"Hm~? What's up?"
"Today's the last day of spring break, huh?"
"Yeah. School starts again tomorrow, so I can't be a sleepyhead like today, y'know."
"...Don't you wish we had just one more day?"
"I get it. But even if we did get an extra day, I bet we'd just say the same thing tomorrow."
"...True."
With April here and the new school year just a day away, we were lazing around as usual, warm and cozy under the kotatsu.
A kotatsu in spring── I know it's sloppy and we really ought to put it away, but the mornings are still chilly, and on some days the temperature even drops to single digits, so neither Umi nor I have been able to resist its allure.
Huddled shoulder-to-shoulder with the person I love in a warm kotatsu, dozing off for about an hour and just relaxing──having enjoyed such bliss nearly every day of the break, I really don't want to go back to my usual routine tomorrow.
…Well, I can't keep whining like a kid forever. When morning comes, I'll just have to get dressed in my uniform and head to school.
"That aside, Maki, the new school year starts tomorrow. You all ready? Your uniform, your appearance, and all that. Speaking of which, isn't your hair getting a little too long? Your bangs look kinda annoying."
"Wow, talk about specific… But yeah, my hair has gotten a little long."
"You're not gonna cut it?"
"Umm…"
The last time I got my hair cut was around February──I remember it was right before I started my part-time job, so that means I've let it grow out for about two months. I'm always wearing a hat at work, and I tuck my bangs inside it, so Emi-senpai and the manager have never said anything, but if I leave it like this, it'll probably violate the school dress code. My high school's rules are relatively lax for girls, but they're stricter for guys, so I probably need to keep it just short enough to avoid a warning.
"But still… it's long, but only to the point where it's a little annoying. I don't really feel like going to a salon just for that."
"? Why not?"
"Well, y'know, it feels like a waste to go just for a little trim."
"Money-wise?"
"…Yeah, basically. Well, it's not like there aren't other reasons, though."
It's only natural, but at a salon, they charge a flat fee regardless of how much hair you get cut. Aside from special cases like thousand-yen cuts, the average price at a regular salon is probably around three to four thousand yen, which means I have to consult my wallet. Having started a part-time job, I can spend a little more freely than before, but my hours are short. At the same time, I've stopped taking an allowance from my parents, so I've only had a net gain of a few thousand yen. And most of that few thousand yen goes toward games and manga to enjoy with Umi, and our occasional dates──my funds are usually depleted right before payday.
I know I need to pay at least some attention to my appearance as Umi's boyfriend, but…
"The price isn't proportional to the amount of hair you get cut, huh… That's such a Maki thing to say."
"…Sorry for being such a cheapskate."
"Oh, come on. Well, I've known you were that kind of guy for a while now, so I'm used to it. It's fine. So, what are the other reasons?"
"Well… there's also the fact that I just don't like strangers touching my hair that much. I think you know this, Umi, but I'm pretty ticklish."
Maybe it's because I've put up too many walls with people, but I have this habit where my body overreacts when someone touches sensitive spots like my hair, the back of my neck, or under my arms. It's not a problem with people I've known for a long time and can trust, like my parents or Umi… but I've never really had a 'regular' salon. So on the rare occasions I endure a haircut, I always end up bothering the stylist, and they've even laughed at me sometimes… To be honest, I'm not a fan.
"I see, I think I get the gist of it. But personally, I still think you should get your hair cleaned up, y'know? I think you'd look cooler that way, too."
"Ugh…"
"Aah~ I wanna see it~ My boyfriend getting a makeover and looking super cool~ I might just fall for you even more~"
When Umi, the girlfriend I love more than anything, says that to me, even I have my weaknesses. I usually prioritize cost-effectiveness, but that all fades away before Umi's smile and a single "You look cool."
…Honestly, I'm such a simple guy.
I checked my wallet to assess the situation. One five-thousand-yen bill and two one-thousand-yen bills──I spent a good bit on Umi's birthday present the other day, but it's not like my entire paycheck went up in smoke, so I should be able to cover a haircut.
"Umi, could you recommend a good salon, if you don't mind?"
"Mhm, sure. I know the perfect place for you, Maki."
And so, we made a sudden change of plans, and I was on my way to get a haircut with Umi as my guide.
However, the place Umi led me to was, for some reason, a very familiar one.
"──Hey, Umi."
"Yes, how can I help you, sir?"
"This is the 'perfect place' for me?"
"Yup."
"...This is the Asanagi residence, right?"
"It is. Have you already forgotten what your girlfriend's house looks like?"
"No, I haven't forgotten that, but…"
The black minivan parked in the garage, and beyond it, the small vegetable patch in the yard with its cherry tomatoes and other veggies. This is the place where they took care of me when I got sick at the end of last year, so much so that I could never thank them enough. But why are we here now, when I'm about to get my hair cut?
…I've got a bad feeling about this.
"Umi, could it be that, um-"
"Right this way sir~"
"Ah, she's resorting to physical force."
Apparently, I'd hit the nail on the head. Umi cut off my question, gave me a shove on the back, and pushed me into the house. It seems I'm about to get my hair cut here, at the Asanagi residence.
"! Oh, welcome, Maki-kun. I've got the haircutting tools ready, so come on over whenever you're ready."
"Do I really need to be that prepared just to get my ends trimmed a little…?"
"Fufu, just kidding. We'll do it in the yard, so just leave your jacket on the sofa over there, okay?"
On the way here, Umi was contacting someone, and it seems this was her objective.
"Um, does this mean Sora-san is going to do it?"
"I'll be helping, too. Mom's used to cutting Dad's hair, and we're not taking that much off, so I figured it would be fine. She used to cut my brother's hair and mine sometimes, too. Though that was a really long time ago."
That must have been before they started elementary school, then.
On the lawn in the garden, bathed in the warm afternoon sunlight, Sora-san's gentle smile as she holds a pair of sharp, glinting haircutting scissors is actually a little scary right now.
"So, what do you wanna do? It won't cost you anything if you get it cut here. Besides, if we're the ones doing it, you can relax, right? It's no problem if you react strangely because you're ticklish. Of course, we're amateurs, so you might still be worried about how it'll turn out."
"Well, that's true."
That said, Umi's proposal was her way of taking my own thoughts into consideration as much as possible. I thought it might be a bother for Sora-san and Umi since this was so sudden, but seeing how they both seem enthusiastic, that doesn't look like an issue.
"So, what'll it be? Of course, if you change your mind now, I can take you to the place I always go to."
"Hmm… Well, since I have the chance, maybe I'll ask you two to do it this time. It's just a little trim, and I don't really care that much about my hairstyle anyway."
There's a chance it might not turn out well, but if that happens, I can just try to style it cleverly to cover it up. I can't do it alone, but I have a strong ally in Umi.
"Then it's settled. Mom, Maki says he's okay with it."
"Brrrrm."
"Sora-san, could you please not respond with the sound of hair clippers right now?"
"Oh, my apologies. It's just been a while since I've cut anyone's hair besides my husband's, so I got a little excited. Oh, and I just brought these out just in case, so don't worry."
Maybe I should just pay the money and get it done by a professional after all… but I've already been made to sit in a chair, so I have no choice but to give up. I'm still anxious, but I trust them both, so I'm sure it won't be a disaster.
"Alright, here we go."
"Yes, please. You too, Umi."
"Yup. Leave it to me."
Amidst the finally pleasant weather, the haircut by the Asanagi mother-daughter duo began. First, Sora-san checks my whole head while slowly putting the scissors to my hair. She's used to cutting Daichi-san's hair, so she trims the ends with a very practiced hand. Umi, it seems, will be in charge of the areas around my neck and ears, where I'm particularly sensitive.
"Sorry if this tickles a little, Maki."
"Yeah, it's fine."
While getting constant advice from Sora-san, Umi handles my hair with great care. She's standing right behind me, so I can't see her face, but I'm sure she's doing this with an incredibly serious expression. Just like on Valentine's Day, Umi is a really earnest girl at times like these. Knowing that, I don't feel all that ticklish even when Umi's hands touch my neck and ears.
…In fact, it actually feels a little nice.
"Umi, don't chop off too much at once. Use the comb, a little at a time."
"R-Right. I know."
For a while after that, the haircut proceeded smoothly in a quiet atmosphere filled only with the sound of scissors and Umi's faint breaths. I don't think they've cut much in terms of length, but my whole head feels lighter somehow.
"──Alright, I think that's about it. …Yeah, it's been a while, but it's not a bad job, don't you think? What do you think, Umi?"
"Mmm~ well, for my first time, I guess I did pretty well."
…That last comment was rather unsettling.
However, when I checked in the mirror, there was nothing particularly strange about it, so I guess it's all good in the end. After they've done such a thorough job, I have nothing to say but, "Thank you."
That said, from now on, I'll make a proper appointment and pay to have my hair cut.
"Well, now that Maki-kun's haircut is done, I should probably start getting dinner ready. Maki-kun, since you're already here, why don't you stay and eat? We're having yakiniku tonight."
"Ooh, that's a great idea, Mom. Maki, let's play games in my room until dinner. I'm gonna go sneak… I mean, borrow some interesting-looking ones from my big brother's room right now."
"…Just try not to make Riku-san too angry."
They're always so good to me whenever I visit the Asanagi residence, so I feel bad that I can't properly thank them. I hope to repay their kindness in some way. I don't know when that will be, but it feels like I'm going to have a long relationship with the Asanagi family from now on.
"Oh, right. …Hey, Maki."
"Yeah?"
"Let me whisper something in your ear."
As I was staring at the mirror, trying to figure out how I should style my hair from tomorrow onwards, I suddenly felt Umi lean her body against mine. My heart skipped a beat at the sweet scent that tickled my nose and the softness of her body pressing against me.
"…What is it?"
"Fufu, there's just something I only want to tell you, Maki."
Taking advantage of the moment while Sora-san was getting ready to go shopping, Umi secretly whispered in my ear so that only I could hear.
(──You look cool, Maki.)
"…"
"Ah, your heart just skipped a beat, didn't it?"
"N-No, it didn't, but…"
"Ehh? Liar, liar. Acting tough won't work on me, y'know~? I can already see right through you; you have a weakness for surprise attacks."
"…Sheesh, you're so unfair."
"Hehe. Well, I am your girlfriend, after all."
The more time we spend together as a couple, the more it feels like I'm being wrapped around Umi's little finger, but being played with like this isn't so bad either.
And so, my final day of spring break passes by in a lively fashion.