Volume 1 - CH 3.2

3

Now then, the first place Sandai was brought to was a beauty parlor.

Although so far Sandai hadn’t particularly cared about his hairstyle, he thought that it should be within the normal scope, but… this seemed to be a no-no. The gyarus had looked up for beauty parlors on their phones, begun to indiscriminately call them to see if a same day appointment was possible, and chosen a place that seemed to be fashionable from among the hits.

Although feeling timid to be in a fashionable beauty parlor which he had never come to one before, Sandai sat down in the chair he was led to. The hairdresser to be in charge of him came shortly, but that cheeks of hers cramped up after seeing the bizarre sight of a plain-looking boy surrounded by five gyarus.

“H-How do you want to look today? If you haven’t decided on anything in particular, you can choose one from this…”

But, despite being clearly bewildered, the hairdresser never did mention the gyarus around him. Seemingly good in reading the mood perhaps due to her line of work, she ignored them and gave Sandai the hairstyle catalog despite feeling bothered.

For the time being, Sandai opened the catalog to read it, but…

“Dibs!”

“Wha, hey!”

“Alright alright, just wait there.”

“Right~, we’ll choose for you.”

…The catalog was snatched away by the gyarus, apparently not going to give the right to choose the hairstyle to Sandai.

“M-My opinion is…”

“You can’t know what hairstyle gonna look good on yourself, you know?”

“Leave it to us!”

“She said it, this is our turn to shine.”

The gyarus rattled on and began to have a discussion while ignoring Sandai, the concerned party who would have his hairstyle changed.

“Nnn what’s gonna be good, I wonder? How about something like this manly undercut with shaved sides?”

“Nope~. Fujiwara is better with this prince bob cut than with that. It’s cuter and all.”

“Eeh? I sure think it’s better with this foreign guy-ish shaved head than with stuff like that.”

“Ugh, there it is, the baldy lover. I mean, you might be all happy with baldness, but Shino sure is gonna get mad. Probably. …I think this is good. Don’t you think this mullet with perm is good? I sure do love stuff like this.”

“Nuh-uh, nothing old fashioned.”

“Eeh, then which is good?”

“Let’s see… Isn’t middle parted hair that got both fashion and charm good? Don’t know if it’s gonna look good, but the proof is in the pudding like they say.”

Somehow it seemed turning into him being made into a toy.

Having a hunch that this would go to an unpleasant outcome at this rate, Sandai appealed with his eyes telling them, ‘Please stop making the decision for fun.’

The gyarus surprisingly noticed Sandai’s complaint quickly, but they didn’t take any attitude of feeling sorry at all.

“Well, I guess the most important thing is whether Shino will be happy with it.”

“I guess in the end it comes to that.”

“Nn.”

“No objection.”

“Sorry for saying as we please, Fujiwara.”

It was a light reflection and apology that didn’t seem to come from the heart at all, but it was all good since at least having his hairstyle changed for a strange reason had been avoided.

“But Shino’s taste… taste… what she likes, I wonder? Anyone know?”

“Dunno. I mean, Shino just always runs away when it comes to talking about what kinda man she likes, right?”

“Shino tends to run away from talking about men, so who knows what she likes. I think she can’t just keep on saying she’s not good with men this, not good with men that forever, though… Wait, she got a boyfriend, so I wonder if her not-goodness with men also decreased. Well anyway, she chose someone like Fujiwara, so doesn’t she like plain-feel then? If we ask for a fresh and cool look, then we can have him get finished up to look good.”

“The heck, that’s very so-so.”

“I mean we can only ask for that, right? Earlier we just got glared at by Fujiwara, too. If it were my boyfriend, I’m gonna turn him into a guinea pig no questions asked, though.”

“I guess that’s true… actually, isn’t saying if it’s your own boyfriend it’s okay to make him a guinea pig just the same awful thinking? I feel bad for the men who will date you, actually, don’t you think that’s why men won’t approach you?”

“Can you stop with the super fast straight ball?”

“It’s a direct hit LOL.”

“Asking for a fight, aren’t cha?”

“Alright, okay okay, slow down slow down, we’re almost leaving Fujiwara behind again. I’m going back to topic, okay? So, about the fresh and cool look, well, I’ve got a feeling it’s got a high chance of satisfying Shino. So you okay with that too, Fujiwara?”

That seemed to be the safest bet, and above all, Sandai also didn’t want it to turn into him being made into a toy again, so he immediately approved it, “A fresh and cool look,” and at the same time gave the request to the hairdresser. 

“…I see. Understood.” The hairdresser nodded with a wry smile and began to deftly get to work.

His freshness and stylishness were upped in a flash, turning Sandai into a clearly different self than before despite not that much change in just the silhouette.

A mild and nice smell drifted from his head from the use of a hairdressing product as the finishing touch; thanks to that, his air or perhaps vibe was becoming much better.

“It’s all done. I’m adding an undercut to trim up the thickness, but just enough that you can’t tell it unless you’re forcibly showing it off. It is simply just to curb the thickness. And then it doesn’t mean the current state is correct, I’m also leaving enough for you to play around with it and work it out on your own. It’s that kind of hairstyle. Next is… I used DEUXER 3 for the wax, but I’m also making sure it can look like that even without making yourself use it, okay? A student probably doesn’t have much money anyway. …How’s this look? I think it’s right on the money on the coolness and freshness, though.”

Sandai apparently had gotten various minute work done, but most of the thing said was lost on him.

But it didn’t seem to be a problem even without much maintenance, so not understanding it seemed problem free.

“Tha-Thank you very much.”

“I’m glad you liked it. So you have a pretty plain face, that said it’s not that bad and looks good you know? It doesn’t seem like it would look out of place in a catalog or something either—that’s right, do come back here if you feel like it, I’ll make a haircut model.”

Even if it was a mere flattery, being complimented made Sandai happy, so he scratched his cheek and got up while feeling bashful.

And then his eyes met with the gyarus who was grinning for some reason.

“Wha-What’s with that face you’re all making? It’s not like it’s weird, right?”

“Eh? Aaah… well it’s not weird.”

“Rather than weird… this is… right?”

“Could it be Shino knew this?”

“She’s not the type to think that far and you know it.”

“Guess so. I think Shino totally didn’t know this. She sure got good intuition~.”

The gyarus were acting weird for some reason, but Sandai couldn’t ask for the reason. After all, he would hate it if it was out of reason like: because there were parts to criticize.

Sandai quickly went outside ahead of them.

“Haahh…” A sigh spontaneously came out of him.

He had just been sitting there, yet was strangely worn out. He would love to quickly go home, but… this wasn’t the end of the makeover.

Even thereafter, Sandai was being dragged around by the gyarus to pick out clothes and shoes, only to find it was halfway through eight in the evening already. It had taken a very long time, but it was also thanks to that that on a glance Sandai had become to look like he could be in some magazine.

“Alright! Makeover done!”

“Hmmm~. He’s gotten to actually look cool, huh.”

“Personally I like it a bit more flashy, though…”

“That’s just your taste. Even so, it’s gotten to the level of making me want to betray Shino a bit. Fujiwara is… the type who seems to be everywhere, but rather hard to find when it comes to searching for him, isn’t it? And his personality doesn’t seem bad either.”

“I get how you feel, but as a person, let’s just drop it.”

Each of the gyarus was giving their final evaluation, but Sandai was beginning to be more concerned about Shino.

Time wise, Shino would be on her way to his apartment after her part-time job. In summary, Sandai would immediately debut his current self to Shino were he to return home.

I… changed not in a bad way, right? And will Shino be happy?

As Sandai was suppressing his restlessness, “Heyo, Fujiwara. Actually we just contacted Shino earlier, like, ‘We gave your boyfriend a makeover.’ And looks like it’s just right when she’s done with her part-time, so she said she’s gonna be right over. …Look, here she comes.” Being let known by the gyarus they had called Shino out without him knowing, Sandai hurriedly looked around.

Then he saw Shino coming running while out of breath from a distance. Shino came right before Sandai’s eyes in a flash, and hugged him with full force. Then, with moist eyes, she for some reason ruffled Sandai’s head with all her might.

In the time he was unsure what was going on, the hairstyle he’d gone out of his way to get done by a hairdresser was becoming a mess.

“Shi-Shino…?”

“NOOOOO! DON’T GET COOOOOLER! OTHER GIRLS GONNA START APPROACHING YOU!!! DON’T WANNA!! AND EVERYONE DON’T JUST GIVE SOMEONE’S BOYFRIEND A MAKEOVER WITHOUT PERMISSION! LIKE BEFORE IS FINE!! JUST LIKE THAT IS FINE!!” Shino shouted with her lips quivering.

There wasn’t the slightest sign of her being happy at Sandai’s improved appearance; it was the opposite reaction instead.

She was angry, thinking more about the possibility of him catching the eyes of another woman.

Although little by little, it was still a makeover Sandai had accepted with the thought that it would make Shino happy, but… he got her on the verge of crying as well as ruined her mood.

That was the result, making this Sandai’s first blunder since they had started dating unexpectedly.

“H-Hey.”

Sandai quietly checked on Shino to see her state, to find her raising her brows in anger and biting her lower lip.

Not knowing what to do at a time like this, Sandai briefly raised a complaint to the gyarus with his eyes for help, but the gyarus averted their faces away, absolutely not making eye contact.

“Well… to think Shino would be like this.”

“It’s really just beyond expectations… that Shino is this much in love.”

“What to do?”

“No choice but to run away!”

““““Agree!””””

The gyarus tapped Sandai’s shoulder one by one going, “Take care of the rest, BF-kun,” and they all fled, slipping into the crowd. It was just a moment.

“H-How irresponsible… Wait!” Sandai hurriedly tried to chase after them, but Shino tightly grabbed his sleeve.

“…Where are you going?”

“W-Where…?”

“Are you leaving me?”

“That’s not what I… it’s just… I don’t know how to act towards you, Shino… that’s why I thought of asking them…”

“I don’t get it. Why can’t you just ask me? It’s not anyone else who knows best what I want, it’s me.”

The one who would know Shino’s heart best was Shino herself; that was an obvious thing. However, Sandai didn’t notice that due to him panicking.

“You’re my boyfriend, so have confidence and go ask what it is that I want. If you don’t… I’ll hate it.” Tears streaming down Shino’s cheeks fell and spilled on the ground. He ended up making her cry in earnest.

“Sorry…”

“Don’t apologize…”

“I understand. …What is it that you want, Shino?” With his face hanging down at the ever growing feelings of guilt, Sandai decided to be upfront and ask Shino what she wanted. The person in question said she wanted it that way, so to do so would definitely be the right thing to do.

“…Squeeze me.”

“Eh? Squeeze?”

“It means hug me.”

“A-Aah, so that’s what you mean.”

Sandai hurriedly hugged Shino and gently patted her head as if soothing a small child.

“…You’re gonna ruin my hair if you do it like that.”

“So-Sorry. Then I’ll stop the patting.”

“No.”

“No, I mean, you said it’s gonna ruin your hair, right?”

“It’s not gonna break that easily. I mean, I didn’t tell you to stop, so don’t stop.”

This would mean telling him to understand the ‘feelings’ hidden behind the words, but what a very high level of demand.

Though, Sandai didn’t make a complaint towards such a demand.

One minute, two minute—as time went by, Shino gradually calmed down and stopped crying.

“…If another girl approaches you, absolutely don’t go to her, okay?”

What Shino laid bare was a clear possessiveness. It was a truly pure desire of wanting to protect her position as his lover.

If it were a man who would play with a woman’s heart, perhaps they would be proud for making a woman say such words, but Sandai was not of such personality; he simply and only felt sorry—that he had made Shino feel uneasy because of his rash move.

“You don’t have to worry about whether I would go to another woman or not.”

“Really…?”

“Yeah really. I mean, I’m a loner, alright? I’m not popular.”

“There’s absolutely women out there who won’t mind a loner.”

“It’s fine, really. As for me, I’m more worried about whether or not you would dump me than about whether or not a woman like that would show up, Shino.”

“…I’m not gonna dump you.” Shino nuzzled her face into Sandai’s chest. Perhaps completely reassured by doing so, Shino’s mood went back to normal.

Thank god… I wondered what would happen for a time, but she settled down somehow.

Feeling relieved, Sandai patted Shino’s head just one more time, and explained many of the various details of today. All of it.

“…As for me, I just wanted to make you happy, Shino. They’re also saying they would be the one paying and all, so yeah,” Sandai finished sharing the details, only for Shino to be astonished.

“I’m happy that you wanted to make me happy, but… try to think about it for a bit. For example, how would you feel if I begin saying things like, ‘I got forcibly kidnapped by your friends, Sandai, but I got into it in the middle♪. They were surprisingly nice to me and also paid for me, and I got cute thanks to that, too. So you’ll also be happy right?’ Somehow it makes you feel unpleasant, right? Feel disappointed, right? Uneasy, right?”

Completely as Shino said, and Sandai was at a loss for words.

Too much fooling around with the opposite sex—seeing it from the view of the one affected, it was an unpleasantness inducing act that looked like nothing but a betrayal.

“You’re right… If the same thing done to me, I think I’ll feel very unpleasant.”

“Right? That’s why stuff like that is now ‘nopenope’, okay?”

“Nopenope…”

“Not trying to be cute. Just now means: don’t fool around.”

“I know. I’m sorry…”

“Yeah… Also, I don’t know if it’s a gathering or dinner party or whatever, but I’m not gonna go, okay? I’ll refuse it.”

Shino sighed and roughly placed her phone to her ear. Apparently she would be directing her anger not to Sandai, but to her own friends.

When a third party of the opposite sex is involved with one’s lover, there will be a difference in how men and women react—such is one of the well-known say. It is said that many men would take out their anger on their girlfriend, and rather than towards their boyfriend, many women would direct their anger towards the same sex who tried to kidnap their boyfriend.

And Shino seemed to be no exception to this.

With each repeated ringing tone before the call connected, Shino was looking more and more furious. Sandai was worried whether he should soothe her, but if he opened his mouth now, it seemed like she would say, ‘Why are you defending other women?’ so he quit it.

He could read the mood that much.

“Shino, what’s wrong?”

“Looks like there’s some gathering or something whatever, but I’m absolutely not gonna go!”

“Oof, you sure seriously got so mad. You wanna convey your raw emotion, and so like you called?”

“I’m sure it’s just gonna get ignored anyway if I take out my anger in the groupchat! You’re toying with someone’s boyfriend, and used that as an excuse to lure me out to top it off, have you got no human heart? Go be sorry now!”

“That Fujiwara sure did tip us off…”

“Sandai did nothing wrong! You’re the one at fault! Don’t play games with me!”

“It’s not like we’re trying to…”

“BE – SORRY!”

“Ye-Yes.”

“Good grief.”

“…Well umm… we also want a BF, so you know…”

“Go put in an effort if you want a boyfriend. I also put in an effort here.”

“We do know that, though. Totally. Still, he made you put in effort, Fujiwara is pretty amazing, huh? Even though generally it’s the men who kneel.”

“…Don’t play with me. Then bye.”

“Nn.”

Shino roughly cut the call and tugged on Sandai’s sleeve.

“Wha-What’s wrong?”

“I want a mood lift.” Shino raised her face and closed her eyes, appealing for him to guess what she wanted even without putting it into words.

He immediately knew the correct answer; he just had to kiss her. Shino was telling him that everything would be bygones then.

Sandai closed his eyes and put his lips on hers.

“…Nnh.”

Shino’s charming, sigh mixed voice was something he had heard many times, but it held a mysterious addiction that would make him want to hear it over and over again.

I want to hear this voice… just a bit more.

When their lips were in contact for long enough that counting the time becoming bothersome after Sandai succumbing to such desire, looking pained, Shino pushed his body in a jerk with both hands.

“I-I’m satisfied now! Sure with the mood it was me who asked for it, but does it normally take this long~?”

“…I can’t?”

“Not that you can’t, but there’s gotta be moderation.”

“Well about that, yeah, I’d say because it made me want to hear it.”

“…Made you want to hear it?”

“Your sigh is cute, so it just made me want to hear it again and again,” Sandai said while scratching the tip of his nose, making Shino’s face turn red immediately.

Sandai would seldomly face his own desire and put it into words; thanks to that, the brief remark just now seemed to have affected Shino unexpectedly.

“Even if you say that… Y-Yeah yeah! I understand what you’re trying to say! I hear you loud and clear~!” Shino said like howling and quickly began to walk, but not watching where she was going, she hit her head on a utility pole, “Gueh!” and let out un-girlish voice.

Sandai almost laughed at the way Shino was flustering, which was the kind he had never seen before, but enjoying it would be mean, so he immediately chased after her and held her hand instead of laughing.

“Wha-What?”

“Holding hands gotta be better. You were staggering there, alright? What are you gonna do if you get hit by a car or something?”

“…Hey.”

“Yeah?”

“I love you,” Shino said and turned around.

She had a radiant smile.

Although Sandai knew that Shino had an abundance of emotions and expressions, a surprised attack still got him startled.

“…”

“So what’s up with the sudden silence?”

“…It’s nothing.”

“Should I guess why you went silent~? …Maybe like, you got startled? ‘Cause I actually kinda aimed for it.”

The ‘I love you’ earlier seemed to be on purpose, and Sandai fell for it spectacularly.

There is the so-called ‘initiative’ in love, and it is the rein that everyone wants to grab; and in fact, Sandai also would love to have the initiative close at hand.

So it had been a good opportunity for having made Shino flustered, but… the situation immediately got turned upside down by her surprise attack.

That said, Sandai didn’t intend to fully give up, so he played the fool to suggest that the surprise attack just now wasn’t effective.

“Did you… say something just now? I couldn’t hear you clearly.”

“Eh? No I’m saying—”

“—Yeah? I can’t really hear you, though?”

“E-Eeh…?”

“Sorry, my bad I can’t hear you. I got bananas in my ears.”

“You sure are trying to snatch the pace so forcefully. Actually, what’s with ‘I got bananas in my ears’? Well, it’s not the first time you’re saying something weird, though. …By the way.”

“Yeah?”

“So tomorrow, do you have something to do right after school?”

“What now, that’s so sudden.”

“It’s the plan to spread the fact that we’re dating, right?”

“…Is something wrong with that?”

“Can you come to my workplace? If I introduce you at my workplace, I think it would spread from there, too. I actually thought of having those girls do it, but they’re just trying to mess around with someone’s boyfriend… It’s like, I’ve got a terrible feeling it will turn out awful if I ask them, so I don’t really want to ask them.”

In her own way, Shino should certainly have taken it out on her friends, but while that might be true, it apparently didn’t mean that she had forgotten all of her anger.

Well, setting that aside, making their dating relationship itself also known outside of school was also one of the reasons why Sandai had decided to listen to the gyarus. Thus he had no real reluctance to it.

“If that’s the case then.”

“Can I take that as an OK?”

“I don’t really mind.”

“Thanks! Then we’ll go there together. It’s tomorrow, okay?”

“I got it.”

Thus tomorrow Sandai would head to Shino’s workplace.