On a cold morning, Erika Sakura was getting ready. Just out of the shower, she dried her body, put on her big round glasses and a big sweater and spent two hour taking care of her hair. She'd usually take way less time, but today, her hair was being annoying. She had to redo her part like 10 times because she couldn't get it straight, and some locks on the back of her head seemed like they didn't want to stay in place.
She had beautiful and straight black hair down to her mid-back. While this length might not seem impressive for people used to long hair, it was for her the longest it has ever been in her entire life. She always remembered loving long hair; but her mom would always cut it to a short bob with big bangs up until she was eight. After a lot of crying and protest from Sakura every time one of these cuts would happen, Sakura's mom finally allowed her to have it long.
Sakura was now fifteen and she loved her hair, and couldn't wait for the day it'll be waist length.
Asahina Chisato was Sakura's cousin. She was 20 and works as a beautician in Katsumi's beauty in Shinjuku. Since Sakura's mom was on a trip, she was in charge of watching Sakura during her absence. Chisato was a very talkative person, she always had a story to tell. She could speak for hours. Sakura, always really shy, was quite intimidated by her cousin.
The two girls were chilling at the house, Chisato telling every details of what happened at her last party. She suddenly stopped talking and looked at Sakura
"You're always so silent! I'm sure lots of stuff is happening to you too. Don't you have something to say ?"
Sakura really didn't have anything to say. She had the typical life of a shy 15 years old. To fill the silence, she started to complain
"It's so cold outside, ugh. I wish it could be summer again. And i don't know what's up with my hair today but it's really acting up…"
She couldn't finish her sentence that Chisato started talking again. "Oh my God ! Katsumi Onee-chan can help you, she's my boss at work ! I have to take you see her !" .
Sakura, afraid to go to the hairdresser and having her hair cut, wanted to stop as she said
"No, it's not worth it, it's just a bad day but it'll be nice again tomorrow…".
But Chisato wasn't listening at all: she was instead already getting ready. Sakura, realizing she had no choice, sighed as she sat on Chisato's scooter to go to the salon. During the drive, Chisato was talking, as usual, and Sakura was imagining her haircut. She wanted to keep her hair as long as possible. She was only going to ask for a small trim.
Once they arrived at the salon, Chisato's boss Katsumi Kejoro, took care of Sakura immediately. unlike her cousin, she was quite and was focused on her work. She started by washing the hair, then brushing it and getting it ready for the cut. During every step, Chisato was there, standing next to her client and chatting with her.
It was finally the moment of the cut. Katsumi looked at Sakura and asked her how much she should take off. Sakura didn't even had the time to open her mouth: Chisato immediately started talking again, saying how Sakura couldn't stand her hair, that she was so annoyed by it and that it was unmanageable.
"understood" simply replied Katsumi, as she started making sections at the back of Sakura's head. She made her put down her glasses, so that it wouldn't disturb during the cut.
Sakura's heart was pounding, as she had no idea of how much was going to be cut. Without her glasses, she couldn't see anything, and with her big sweater she couldn't even feel what was happening on her back. She was severely regretting opening up to Chisato: she just told that she was having a bad hair day and now she was here, in the hairdresser chair. Sitting here and having no idea of how much hair Katsumi was cutting, she was stressing so much that she started to get really hot under her big sweater. She really wanted to ask the lady about the length, but since her cousin was distracting, she wasn't having the courage to talk.
Katsumi had been cutting Sakura's hair for a while now. Suddenly, After her client left,Chisato's phone rang. She got out of the salon to answer. Sakura was now alone with Katsumi. She took her chance and finally started to talk:
"Please, leave it on the longer side, don't cut too much."
"Oh, I'm cutting all the length. I'm going for a bob."
A bob ! Sakura's heart was racing.
"A bob is quite short… Could you please leave a bit more length ?"
"It's all cut already, you don't have a single hair passing your shoulders. I'm just finishing the ends now."
Sakura felt terrible. She really thought she was going to faint right now. A bob ! Like her mom always gave her ! All the hair she had been growing, it's gone ! Not hearing any scissors sounds anymore, she reached for her glasses, thinking it was finally over.
Katsumi stopped her: "Oh no, don't put on your glasses yet, i'm going to do a little more details.".
As Chisato came back in the salon, Sakura felt the hairdresser making what seemed to be a small ponytail at the base of her neck. Suddenly, she heard clippers being turned on. Her heart started to beat really fast again. Clippers ! What for ? Since Chisato was back, she couldn't speak anymore. She had once again no idea what was happening. She then suddenly felt cold metal against her skin. As Chisato spoke louder to cover the noises of the clippers, Sakura could feel Katsumi chopping the ponytail. All the cutting sounds were now much closer to her ears. Sakura was slowly realizing that all her long hair was gone, since all she had left was a bob and apparently, she was getting an undercut. Tears came to her eyes thinking about her long hair she cared so much for.
Katsumi passed over the clippers on the base of her neck multiples times. She then applied some kind of cream, and Sakura understood that she was being completely shaved, for the first time in her life. And she was even being shaved smooth ! She felt the blade on her skin. She was on the verge of tears, but at the same time, weirdly aroused.
"Finally we have Finished!" exclaimed Katsumi. Sakura finally put on her glasses and looked at herself. She couldn't believe it. It looked nothing like the shy girl she was less than one hour ago. She started to complain again:
"It's so short!
"You couldn't stand your old hair" replied Chisato.
"No, I was just having a bad hair day, i loved my hair!"
"Well, it's not here anymore. And the bob looks way better!" .
It was true, Sakura looked way more mature, confident, and she appeared older. She also had the nerve to talk back. Did being shaved gave her this self confidence ?
When she came back home, Sakura looked at pictures of her old hair. She missed her long hair for sure, but she had to admit the bob looked way better. She then started to explore a bit more her undercut, and to her surprise, she discovered how high the bald part went. Way higher than what she expected of an undercut ! She slowly caressed her smooth bald head, really turned on.
On this day, a new Sakura was born. And on this night, when she touched herself for the first time, Sakura understood that she was never going to dream of long hair again.