Ch.157Chapter 157

The bangs that had grown too long and were poking my eyes had been cut short, just enough to cover my eyebrows.

They would grow back quickly and start poking my eyes again soon enough, but for now, I was pleased with the trim that maintained a sense of familiarity.

That wasn’t all. My hair, which had grown too long and been neglected, now had a neat appearance.

The flyaways were reduced. Plus, the split ends had all been cut off, maintaining a clean line. Someone had even applied something that made my hair feel silky and shiny.

Standing in front of the mirror, I moved both hands to embrace my hair. The hair flowing over my shoulders was voluminous enough to feel full.

“…Ooh.”

“Do you like it?”

“Yes.”

The staff member who was tidying up approached and asked.

When I nodded and answered, a smile spread across the face of the kind employee. They seemed like a wonderful person who found fulfillment in this work.

As I was quietly looking in the mirror, I heard Ouro’s voice and turned my head.

Seeing that she was still sitting in the chair, it seemed her session wasn’t finished yet.

With the same body type and same hair as me, I wondered why she was making such a fuss. She really was impossible to deal with.

I shook my head weakly and approached. There was Ouro, frowning and groaning.

The hair brushing was already done, but it seemed she didn’t particularly enjoy the sensation of the brush running through her hair. On top of that, she probably didn’t like the scissors cutting her hair.

“This person is pulling out my hair…”

“Your hair already looks pretty.”

When Ouro mumbled her complaints, the Professor beside her spoke as if telling her to calm down.

Ouro, who had become sensitive to the feeling of her hair being pulled, perked up her ears at the Professor’s words and then promptly shut her mouth. It seemed she intended to endure it.

I watched from the side, then stood where she could see me from the corner of her eye and shook my hair to show her.

“Look at this. Isn’t it pretty?”

“…Yeah.”

“Just hang in there a little longer.”

“Okay.”

I was amazed at how quickly she became docile, whether it was due to the Professor’s influence or not.

Time passed, and Ouro finally finished her hair styling. Though there were some difficulties, the Professor and I helped her endure by offering praise and encouragement.

The hairstylist had a bit of trouble too, but smiled with satisfaction after finishing.

Ouro stood in front of the mirror and placed her hand on her hair. There were no split ends, and her bangs were naturally long enough. They no longer covered her eyes.

She tilted her head left and right as if checking whether she liked it. All the while, she never took her eyes off her hair.

“Do you like it?”

“Yes.”

Nodding at the Professor’s question, Ouro glanced up at the Professor who had guided her here. Then, as if showing off, she grabbed her hair with both hands and slightly lifted it up.

“I like it.”

“That’s good.”

Now that her hair was neat, I thought she could go about her business without worry.

“You need to maintain your hair regularly. You should come in about once a month to tidy up and trim your bangs to keep it looking pretty.”

“What, once a month…?”

I couldn’t help but be alarmed.

In the nearly two years I’d been here, I’d never once visited a hair salon, and suddenly being told to come once a month made me feel like my to-do list had just grown.

I took a hesitant step back. The Professor placed a hand on my back to prevent me from retreating further. Unable to back away any more, as if a wall had appeared, I glanced at the Professor and then at Ouro standing beside me.

Ouro also swallowed hard when she heard we needed to come once a month.

“My hair…”

She furrowed her brow, apparently liking how pretty her hair looked but not wanting to frequently experience the sensation of having it pulled.

“Then we’ll come back when the kids are agreeable.”

“Yes, yes. You should come when the kids are okay with it, otherwise it’s difficult.”

The Professor and the employee finished their conversation with laughter.

Watching their exchange quietly, I closed my eyes and pondered.

Would I ever want to come to a hair salon again? That was the question.

They say you just have to entrust your hair to them and they’ll take care of everything, but the problem was having nothing to do. It was so boring and tedious that I felt restless.

I wondered if I could endure that time of patience again.

With that doubt lingering, I found it difficult to say I would come again next time.

It was late November. A time that could now be called winter.

Winter had already arrived some time ago, but it felt more real with winter break just around the corner. Plus, today was supposed to be the first snow of the season, which made it feel even more like winter.

Indeed, it seemed that seasons were felt not just through temperature but through weather as well.

“They say it’s going to snow today.”

I spoke to Ouro, who was sitting quietly and looking out the window.

On days when the Professor was busy, sitting in the research lab and looking out the window was our routine, and with the topic of snow, it was easy to start a conversation.

After I casually spoke to her, Ouro blinked and quietly opened her mouth.

“I’ve seen plenty of snow.”

“But you haven’t seen the first snow of this year, right?”

“It’s just weather anyway.”

“Really? I like the feeling that winter has begun.”

I liked winter. I especially loved the distinctive winter smell when snow was about to fall. If you closed your eyes and inhaled deeply, you could sense that snow was truly coming today.

You don’t need to have lived long to know this. Just as rain brings the smell of wet earth, winter has its own scent when snow is about to fall.

I opened the window and sniffed, and Ouro, who was watching from behind, spoke up.

“You’re like an animal.”

“No, it’s just that you can only smell this in this season, so it can’t be helped. In summer, the air gets stuffy and hard to breathe.”

You don’t understand.

I shook my head and chuckled, which Ouro didn’t seem to like as she glared at me.

Those red eyes that seemed to be staring me down. In the past, I might have felt intimidated by the atmosphere, but not now. Now that I knew what kind of person Ouro was, there was nothing to fear, nothing to be scared of.

I met Ouro’s piercing gaze equally.

“I don’t like snowy days.”

“…Huh, why?”

“It keeps falling, the trees get wet, and it even piles up and lasts a long time.”

“…Are you talking about when you were in the mountains?”

“I haven’t spent winter anywhere else.”

My mouth fell open when I heard that.

Come to think of it, Ouro had only started living properly since this summer. So naturally, her assessment of winter and snow could only be harsh.

Having never spent winter here, she must have only experienced the inconveniences and hardships.

Even if she wasn’t particularly sensitive to cold or heat, it would be a problem if her house collapsed or all the trees got wet. Having seen that shabby hut that could barely be called a house, I quickly understood.

I gave her a thumbs up, saying this snow would be different.

“This time will be different!”

“Different?”

“Well, the snow itself is the same… but at least you don’t have to worry about the ground getting wet…?”

The snow wouldn’t change. It wouldn’t suddenly become fancy or anything.

What changes is the heart of the person looking at it.

When you become more generous and relaxed, your perspective becomes more peaceful.

For someone anxious and uneasy, snow might go unnoticed or become another seed of anxiety, but if you can resolve that well, there’s hardly anything as beautiful as snow.

“What does it feel like?”

“You’ll know when you see it. How do I put it… it’s just amazing to watch it fall…”

“I’ve seen it hundreds of times.”

“I guess you have…”

I was at a loss for words.

Hundreds of times? Even seeing it once a year would add up to hundreds of times. If you start seeing it two or three times, wouldn’t that easily exceed a thousand?

“B-but it will be different. Seeing it from a place where you have shelter is different!”

“Hmm.”

I clenched my fist and exclaimed. I wanted to prove something to Ouro who was so certain it wouldn’t be different. It wasn’t absolutely necessary, but I wanted to show her that when your mindset changes, the world you see changes too.

Ouro stared at me intently while making a nasal sound.

I pressed my lips together and turned my head away sharply. As I turned toward the window, something flashed before my eyes.

“Huh?”

I barely came to my senses and rushed to the window. I instinctively followed what I had just seen. Though I missed it, I believed I could see it again and lifted my head.

Beyond the square-framed view, pure white snow began to sprinkle slowly, creating a cozy feeling.

Facing that, I opened my eyes wide.

“Ouro, it’s snowing.”

The window was cold. When I pressed my hand and cheek against it, a chilly sensation came through. Just watching it fall was enjoyable, and I could focus on it without noticing the time passing.

As I stood there in a daze, Ouro approached beside me, perhaps curious about my fascination.

“Snow.”

Ouro murmured softly.