Only the princess of the school notices me, who almost does not exist - EP13. Princess gets a haircut
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- Only the princess of the school notices me, who almost does not exist
- EP13. Princess gets a haircut
During this cold day, I, Ebato Ren, went out to get a haircut.
To tell you the truth, my hair was long for a boy… though it wasn’t exactly long. I was originally too lazy to cut my hair, so after a few months… I now can’t see in front of me.
So I went to this hair salon near my apartment.
… But here, a problem immediately arose.
The automatic door didn’t open…
Usually, other people opened the door and I entered after them. But unluckily, right now, there was no one going in or out of the hair salon.
So, right now, I was standing in front of the store, trying to figure out what to do.
“… Hm? Isn’t that Ebato-san?”
Then, Shirakawa Sayo, who for some reason had been in contact with me a little more often, appeared. After turning my head, “Yo” – I greeted her lazily, and she returned a polite “Hello.”
“What happened?”
“My bangs became long. That’s why I came to the hair salon… but the automatic door doesn’t open.”
I sighed after pointing and embellishing my rant with abusive language aimed at the automatic door.
I don’t even know how many times I have to be sad about my constitution in front of this girl.
Then Sayo’s eyes widened and she smiled, “what a coincidence.”
Coincidence… perhaps.
“I was about to get my bangs done at this hair salon, too.”
“Oh… you don’t cut the hair in the back?”
Sayo had blond hair that reached below her shoulder blades, and it looked fairly long. They had a sheen to it that made them look very well cared for.
“Well, this is the length I prefer.”
“Don’t you ever get tired of taking care of your hair…?”
Accidentally, I said exactly what I was thinking as my gaze was absorbed by the blonde hair.
I knew how hard it was to maintain long hair because I had long hair myself.
But since hers was much longer than mine, I was sure the maintenance difficulty was accordingly higher.
Thereupon, Sayo stroked her hair with a troubled smile.
“I have to do at least this much if it’s for my appearance.”
… She is upright, and it is this kind of personality that makes her popular.
“Anyway, I’m so glad you’re wearing the scarf and glove I gifted you.”
As I was thinking, Sayo shifted her gaze from my face to my neck and then to my hands, and smiled.
Her smile was warmer than usual, and I couldn’t help but feel that she was happy.
Feeling itchy, I had no choice but to answer, even though it made me a little grumpy.
“I didn’t have any winter clothes so… Thank you for the gift.”
“Well, then it was a perfect gift.”
“Thanks… By the way, can you help me get into the hair salon?”
Wee had been off topic for a long time, but it was cold standing here in the middle of winter.
I looked at Sayo with that in mind, and she let out an “Ah-” sound.
“Sorry, let’s go inside then.”
“Please…”
Sayo took the lead, and the automatic door opened. I envy those who can open automatic doors… I can’t open them and have to always struggle.
Following Sayo’s entrance, the bell rang overhead, signaling the arrival of a customer. Then, a female clerk immediately came up to Sayo.
“Welcome, how can I help you?”
“I came to get my hair done.”
“Understood. Then, please take a seat over there.”
The clerk guided Sayo to her seat.
… Hey, maybe she didn’t notice me, right?
“Um! Excuse me!”
I felt sad again and shouted from the bottom of my heart… just kidding. After that, the female clerk from earlier noticed me and turned around.
“Hm?… Ah! I am so sorry! How can I help you?”
As expected… When the female clerk noticed me, she rushed to me.
“I am here to get my hair done too…”
“Understood. Then, please come right this way.”
The clerk, with a big smile on her face, led me to my seat. I was seated next to Sayo, which I didn’t expect.
“Difficult, isn’t it?…”
Sayo, who must have been watching the whole thing, lowered her eyebrows and spoke from next to me.
“I’ve been doing this for 16 years now, so I’m used to it, but it still makes me sad…”
After a little while of talking about these things, a sales clerk came over to Sayo. They put on a hairdresser’s cape and started on her bangs.
I had been waiting for a while with the sounds from Sayo’s side as background music, but there was no sign of a clerk coming my way.
… Maybe, just maybe…
“… Um, Shirakawa. Listen.”
“What is it? Ebato-san.”
“Um… no one at the store has noticed me, right?”
If you looked closely, you could even see that the clerk who was in charge of the customers passed me. Sayo seems to have noticed it too, and she looked down with a mysterious face.
“… Indeed, you are right. Um, excuse me.”
“Yes, how can I help?”
Sayo spoke to the clerk who was in charge of her, and the clerk responded.
“This person is my companion, but for some time now the clerk didn’t come to him…”
“Huh?… There’s no one at…”
I wasn’t recognized the whole time.
… Or rather, don’t call me a companion… We only came together, but our business is different… Well, maybe it was more convenient that way, so I didn’t argue with her though.
Well, anyway…
“Um! It’s me!”
“Huh?… Huh!? Um… How long have you… been there…?”
No, I’ve been here since the beginning, okay?
As if to express my feelings, Sayo raised her hand.
“From the beginning, we came in together.”
“I’m so sorry! Um, please wait a moment.”
With that, the clerk in charge of Sayo left. Most likely, left in search of another clerk.
I looked over at Sayo and said “Sorry.”
“No, this much is nothing… I’m sorry I took the liberty of calling you my companion.”
“… I don’t mind, but are you okay with that, Shirakawa? Are you okay with me being your companion?”
We were just neighbors, and I wondered if she minded having a guy like me along for the ride.
“I don’t mind.”
“Is that so?”
Well if she says it’s okay, it must be okay.
A little while later, the clerk who had been in charge of Sayo came back with another clerk.
“Um, excuse me. Where is the customer that was here a short while ago?”
They lost me again.
This constitution is so troublesome.
“Right there.”
“Huh?”
Sayo pointed at me so that the clerk could see me. That’s right, notice me, I’m too lazy to shout.
“… Um, there’s no one there…”
However, such a dream didn’t come true… I took a breath in resignation.
Do I have to scream again? I’ll scream.
“Um! I’m here.”
“Huh?… Huh!? I’m so sorry! Then, excuse me.”
The clerk that was brought in looked at me blankly. I guess this person hadn’t noticed me for a long time until I shouted at them…
Right away, the clerk made a calm face, put on a hairdresser’s coat, and stood behind me.
“Well then, excuse me. How do you want your hair?”
“A haircut. Like this…—”
I left her to cut my hair, mainly my bangs, and thought about what I was going to have for dinner.
After that, though, I had to shout every time the clerk went to get something.
I don’t know if I’ve ever had a more shadowy and damaging day in my life.
It was a really messy day…
——————
After we both got our haircuts, we came out of the hair salon. Today was such an all over the place and tiresome day…
“This cut gives you a pretty good vibe, doesn’t it, Ebato-san?”
Sayo looked at my bangs and gave her opinion. Well, I guess, even though they were still longer than most men’s, I had them cut it enough so they wouldn’t fall onto my eyes.
“No one will notice anyway. Though Shirakawa’s face became more visible, too.”
I muttered to myself, resigned to my constitution again, and replied to Sayo who had complimented me.
“You didn’t give me a compliment, did you?”
Sayo must have noticed this because she asked me with a wry smile.
I answered with a little smile.
“I don’t know anything about flattery. I’m not trying to be friends with you, okay?”
… I can’t help but feel like we’re already interacting in some way. But we’re just ”neighbors” …… and there should be nothing more or less than that!
Sayo tilted her head curiously when I told her this while I looked away.
“I think we’re already close enough, don’t you think? I think we’ve already reached the point of being friends, no?”
“Don’t make me your friend like that. We’re just neighbors.”
I gave Sayo a grand glare for taking the liberty of progressing our relationship. Sayo only smiled back at me and walked off towards her apartment without saying a word.
… What do you think you’re doing? Even though she said that our relationship had “reached the realm of friends.”
… I really wonder what the “Princess,” who is famous for keeping men at bay, is up to. That’s all I could think of.
… However, I still have no intention of becoming …… friends with Sayo.
The reason why I went to such lengths was because …… I have never had a good experience making friends before. In fact, because of my constitution, I only had bad experiences.
I had a feeling that, even though she could see me, Sayo was in the same situation. If we were to become friends, I didn’t think I would be able to find any benefits…
…I kept thinking this to myself as I looked at Sayo’s back.