The Ambiguous Hairdresser's Deadly Questions
"Answer."
Target: Applying (1%)... Please wait a moment.
My mind went blank for a second.
Oh yeah... the Cute Girl Mod activates on contact...
I let out a short sigh.
The fact that it was triggered by contact, not a punch, was something I'd figured out during Moon's Fall. Still, up until now, only things that touched my hands had turned into cute girls.
...But it activates just from touching hair?
Hair is part of the body, sure, but... isn't the range and judgment for "contact" way too generous?
I felt like sighing.
...Whatever, shake it off.
Even if it wasn't the hair, I must've touched her scalp at some point. During the haircut, my skin would've brushed against it at least once.
In other words, the Cute Girl Mod was bound to activate anyway... let's just go with that.
The important thing was one: keeping the power of my Cute Girl Mod hidden from the two remaining cultists.
Target: Applying (2%)... Please wait a moment.
...Luckily, the application speed is slow.
Thinking about it, the Cute Girl Mod had never applied quickly. In Taemi's case, the percentage jumped suddenly once, but that was after lingering at 0% for a long time before exploding all at once.
The slow application speed had put me in crisis after crisis...
I'd run like a madman to escape the King of Flies, snuck around the shop to fool the Carnival Chef, and put on every show imaginable to hold out against the Fox that Swallows Nightmares.
But this time, the slow speed was actually helping with this anomaly.
It takes about 20-40 minutes to cut hair... The cultists probably won't notice the Cute Girl Mod kicking in.
"Then I'll start cutting, ma'am."
The hairdresser said that.
If the entity omits a subject or object, do NOT reply with "yes." For example, if it says "Then I'll cut, ma'am," it means it will cut your body.
It's best to always respond. If you don't, it will say "Then I'll cut however I want" and slice your body.
"Please cut my hair nicely..."
I replied like that, and the hairdresser grabbed my hair and started snipping the ends.
Snip, snip, snip.
The crisp sound of salon scissors rang out as hair fell to the floor.
Very delicate touch. I could tell just from how it felt against my hair.
This monster... she's a seriously skilled hairdresser.
The uneven lengths evened out neatly. I was already the universe's top cutie, but as the hair was cut, I could feel myself getting even prettier.
At this rate, I'd surpass the universe and become the dimension's number one cutie.
"Your hair's in great condition, ma'am. Pretty color too. Do you dye it?"
If the entity asks about dyeing, refuse. If you allow it, it will wring out your blood and dye your whole body red.
"No dyeing... My hair's always been this color..."
"Better not if you can avoid it. The dye smells strong anyway."
Snip, snip, snip.
When the conversation with the monster paused, the scissors filled the silence again.
If you ignored the fact that a monster ran the place, it really felt like a normal salon.
And the monster didn't look that scary. With her bangs covering her face, she just gave off an eerie vibe.
My scalp tingled pleasantly. In this drowsy atmosphere, the monster spoke up again.
"How is it, ma'am? Like your hair now?"
If the entity asks if you like your hair, say yes. If you say no, it will cut off your head and swap it with another.
"You cut my hair so nicely... You're really skilled, hairdresser..."
"Thanks for the praise. It's shaped up enough, so I'll check on another customer."
The hairdresser lightly tousled my hair, then stepped away.
I breathed a sigh of relief.
...Fewer questions than I expected.
It felt a bit easier than when I'd played this in the game before.
...But it wasn't over yet. No room for complacency till the end.
There were still those tricky trap questions left, and the cultists getting haircuts with me were alive.
I stayed tense and glanced at the hairdresser.
She was handling the cultist on the far left.
"I've done the initial trim, ma'am. Any discomfort?"
"No discomfort."
"Your side hair covers your ears right now. Shall I trim around them?"
"No. The sides are fine as is."
If the entity mentions side hair and offers to trim ears, refuse. It will bring a spoon and scoop out your ear whole.
...He's handling it well.
Maybe unavoidable.
The Ambiguous Hairdresser was a monster you could dodge just by watching ambiguous phrasing.
Simple once you knew, and later slots had a structural advantage for survival.
So the guy navigated smoothly, until...
"Got it. Shall we shampoo then?"
"Yes, shampoo please."
He slipped at the end.
-Stab!
The hairdresser's scissors plunged into the man's neck.
Why?
Unable to scream, he just bulged his eyes.
The hairdresser forced him upright, then hugged him from behind—and squeezed with both arms.
"Agh, aaagh, aaaagh—!"
Gush, gush, gush!
As his body was wrung out, blood poured from the scissor wound.
The blood didn't hit the floor. A bucket had appeared, filling up.
Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze. Compress, compress, compress—until every drop of blood and flesh was extracted.
The remains were shoved into the bucket and discarded.
The resulting liquid was poured into a shampoo bottle.
"Your shampoo request accepted."
If the entity asks about shampoo, do NOT agree. You will become the shampoo.
Tired, I thought.
...Of course I was mentally exhausted.
Had to listen carefully to every word from the hairdresser and respond cautiously—and with cultists around too.
And I was alone.
...Wouldn't have changed much even with Ari or Lisa here.
I'd have to watch the cultists' eyes, so I couldn't use their powers. Might even be riskier.
I'm fine as a pure human, but Ari and Lisa are monsters at core.
Maybe one of the cultists would've spotted them.
...Good that it didn't happen.
I'd wondered why this anomaly forced solo entry—not the monster, but the cult.
Still... it'd be way more reassuring with familiar faces than alone.
I wanna go home... Just wanna see my Jotnyang...
"I'll wash your hair now, ma'am."
The hairdresser said that. I nearly zoned out but snapped my mouth open.
If asked about washing hair, say no. If you say yes, it will wind your head like a spring.
"Uh, please wash my hair!"
"Got it."
"And... could you use store-bought shampoo...?"
"Is that so? I have fresh-made shampoo, but if you prefer that, no choice."
The monster scooped fresh white shampoo cream onto her hands.
And washed my hair.
...Annoyingly, it felt super refreshing. Despite looking like a ghost.
Fluent speech, chatty too... I staggered up, totally drained.
Of course, she asked "Shall I dry your hair?" and I had to reply "Please remove the moisture from my hair..."
Finally, the whole process ended, and I was free from the haircut.
"Surviving to the end—such talent. Better kill you now."
I headed to the counter. The surviving female cultist stood there.
"...Huh?"
"Surviving an anomaly to the end isn't easy. Such rare talent. Shining bright, yet doomed to be crushed by inevitable apocalypse... Better die before that horror."
She said that. Mask hid her face, but... definitely a kind expression.
I stepped back.
"I don't wanna die..."
"Pity. Then join our Penance Cult? You can shine till the end times."
"Don't wanna..."
"Then better die. Your will to live is just base instinct. In the distant future, you'll see how cursed it is—you'll understand me."
She drew a dagger carefully, aiming at me.
Scary that she said it stone-cold sober.
...Scarier still: she genuinely wanted to kill me for my sake. Pure goodwill, no malice. True fanatic.
Most ironic: the Penance Cult, a cult, believed in no god.
So maybe not fanatic. They believed only in the apocalypse.
"Ma'am, shall we settle up?"
The blade neared—but luckily, no.
Haircut done, but this was a shop. Pay for service.
Hearing the hairdresser, the woman casually lowered her dagger and turned.
"I'll pay. How much?"
"900 million won."
"...Huh?"
"Will you pay 900 million won?"
Astounded by the absurd price, she paused, then continued.
"Too expensive."
"Is it? First visit discount—apply it?"
"Discount? Yes, apply it."
"Got it. Applying discount."
The hairdresser snipped.
Snip.
The woman's neck severed, head fell.
Snip. Wrists, hands off.
Snip. Shoulders, rest of arms off.
Snip. Knees, legs off.
Snip. Thighs, waist, chest, fingers—sliced apart.
Discount ().
"This one's settled. Shall we settle yours, ma'am?"
Hairdressing service fixed at 10,000 won. Check the price list at the counter.
Don't ask the price when it demands payment. It quotes absurd amounts, and non-payment traps you here forever.
"...I'll pay 10,000 won by debit."
"Discount?"
"Debit! 10,000 won!"
I handed over the card; she swiped it in the reader.
A text confirmed 10,000 won debited.
"Thank you, ma'am. Come again."
...Never.
Thinking that, I left the shop.
Cute Girl Mod applied to 'Ambiguous Hairdresser'!
[Quest completed message implied]
Hairdresser