A Young Male Hairdresser, Assigned To help Out At The Branch, Finds Himself Bothered By The Playful Antics Of A Lively High School Gal Model Who Seeks Attention. - Chapter 19: Overtime work (2).

Overtime work (2).

“You know, the hairstyle you recommended for me at that time is this one, Shuuto-kun.” Nonoka said with a somewhat embarrassed expression, and Shuuto kept blinking his eyes.

The fact that she hadn’t changed her chosen hairstyle even now meant that she liked that style. While wrapped in a pleasant feeling, Shuuto became even more perplexed about the reason for her indifferent attitude.

“…”

“…”

In the silence that followed, Shuuto’s expression clearly conveyed his thoughts. Nonoka understood that and decided to speak up.

“Um, Shuuto-kun, you must be angry about everything that has happened so far… I mean, being cold to you…”

“Ah, well…”

He listened attentively to the confession. In his mind, he added, 

(I guess it wasn’t a misunderstanding after all…)

“Well, I guess, rather than being angry, I was more curious. As you said, the attitude was different only towards me, so I wondered if I did something to upset you.”

“No, no, Shuuto-kun, you didn’t do anything wrong! It’s all my fault!”

“Huh?”

Being treated coldly for no apparent reason. Shuuto finally heard her confession.

“I kind of understood your perspective. But, I want to know why it turned out this way. It’s fine if you tell me while continuing with the haircut.”

“Yeah, right. Okay.”

Now, it was overtime, which was essentially a practice session. Prioritizing the task at hand was only natural. Spending this precious time justifying herself would be a waste.

Conscious of not applying pressure through words or attitudes, Shuuto encouraged her to continue working, and Nonoka resumed the haircut, bringing the conversation back.

“Um… it might sound like an excuse, and you might not believe me, but, it might be sudden, but… I… um, I really respect you, Shuuto-kun.”

“…”

“I really do!”

“!?”

It took some time for the information to process, and it was understandable. Those were quite shocking words.

“N-no, it’s not a lie! When I got my hair done for the first time and felt the effort put into it, I couldn’t compete… Especially since Shuto-kun is not only the youngest but also my junior!”

Nonoka continued her skillful cutting while being flustered, and her cheeks were clearly reflected in the mirror, dyed in a pink hue.

“A-and, it might be embarrassing to admit, but after getting my haircut by you, I immediately went to the branch to boast to everyone…”

“I-is that so…”

Shuuto was taken aback by the unexpected words, feeling a sense of embarrassment himself.

“S-so, because of that, not knowing how to deal with a respected hairstylist suddenly being assigned to the branch… And wanting to show impressive and reliable sides… I got confused. I even got scolded by the manager a while ago.”

She revealed everything in an uncharacteristic way. Her effort to explain, evident in her dialogue and expressions, aimed at gaining Shuuto’s belief.

“Ah, haha… So that’s why your scissors were trembling at first?”

“Y-yeah… Having a respected hairdresser watch your practice is really valuable, and it’s also a chance to be praised…”

“I never thought you were thinking like that…”

Connecting the dots one by one, the weight on his chest starts to ease.

“I-I thought everything was already exposed… You know? The owner knows everything.”

“Really!?”

“Yeah. I was reported by that manager for bragging at the branch…”

“I’m curious about why you used ‘reported’ instead of ‘contacted’.”

“It feels like ‘reported’ from my perspective.”

Nonoka voices her dissatisfaction. With her face still flushed, she seems to recall the past with a grim expression.

Despite this expression, she continues cutting at the same pace without pause, skillfully moving her hands while looking at the reference images displayed on the tablet. It’s remarkably dexterous.

“I caused trouble by bragging, but I got exposed to the owner without permission, you know? If there was a hole, I would have definitely crawled into it.”

“So, such an incident happened…”

It’s new information for Shuto.

“But you understood quite well, didn’t you? About being contacted.”

“I got a message directly from the owner.”

“Eh!?”

“Fufu, I had the same reaction.”

Since the owner had the contact information for all the staff, receiving a personal email was a rare occurrence.

“I still remember the content of the mesage… It was gratitude for what I boasted about and encouragement. Also, it was a request to keep it a secret so that you wouldn’t become conceited, Shuuto-kun.”

“Ah, I see. That sounds like something my dad would say.”

Given their long history together, it was easy to imagine.

And everything fell into place.

During the late-night phone call with his father, when Shuuto consulted about Nonoka, his father said in a cheerful tone:

“Hahaha! It’s definitely her!”

“Well, if it’s about her, you don’t need to worry. You’re the one at fault… that’s all.”

He spoke like this.

Given this reaction and learning that Nonoka was the staff he boasted about at the branch, it was reasonable to assert.

“Well, resolving this is probably just a matter of time. People have a way of adapting, even if it’s not easy.”

This was a meaningful comment from his father, following up on Nonoka. Considering the context of the contact incident, it made perfect sense.

Alone, Shuuto nodded slightly, acknowledging it all. When Nonoka approached and spoke to him, this time, she looked directly into his eyes, not through the mirror.

“Um, the conversation got pretty long, but did we clear up the misunderstanding?”

She stopped the scissors and asked hesitantly, tilting her white neck.

“Yes, thanks to you. I’m sorry for letting you tell difficult stories.”

“No, it’s my fault for sowing the seeds… More than that, I’m really sorry. It might not be something that can be forgiven even with an apology, but…”

“No, no, don’t worry about it.”

With all his worries resolved in a moment, Shuuto answered with a smile while waving one hand. It was undeniable that he had learned a lot about Nonoka.

The remaining overtime hours were spent in an unusually bright atmosphere. Shuuto gave advice to Nonoka, who had returned to her usual self, and the two spent fulfilling time thinking together.

And so, they welcomed the late night after the extended overtime.