Change (1)

I'd thought it would be a day of nothing but hanging out. Then something I never could have imagined came to pass. I heard so many words, and I said just as many in return.

Could there ever be more change in a single lifetime than this? Ever since I'd been packed off here in middle school, my life had been a flat line on a graph. It wasn't as if I were some Bitcoin shooting to the moon — and yet, out of nowhere, it had gone vertical.

"Haa... that aside, what now?"

Getting together was all well and good. Far from getting down on my knees and begging her to go out with me, I'd been the one receiving a confession. Who could have seen that coming?

But now that the relationship had changed, there were more things I had to be mindful of. The most obvious, as far as outward appearances went, was how I looked.

There was my face, of course, but first I ought to do something about the hair covering most of it.

I didn't mind getting insulted. But if she got insulted just for standing next to me, I'd feel so sorry that this relationship wouldn't last.

So I just had to change.

With that in mind, I went online and searched.

I hit search, clicked over to the images, and there were so many different styles I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had to wonder if these were even the same gender. I tapped through this photo and that, and all I could think was, I have no idea what any of this is......

The only haircut I'd ever gotten was going to the neighborhood salon and saying, "Just tidy it up, please." Looking at these, how was I supposed to know what was what? I didn't even go that often, at that. So to my clueless eyes, all that registered was, He's handsome.

At this rate, nothing's going to be any different from usual.

The best approach seemed to be picking a photo that would look decent on me and showing it to them, asking them to do the same. Checking how each one actually looked and choosing something that would suit me felt like the smarter move.

First, anything that exposes my forehead is out — I don't want to look at that. And a part doesn't seem like it'd suit me, so that's out too.

This one's the most appealing, I guess.

A perm with an overall wavy feel that still covered the forehead. Now that I'd decided on the look, I could just bring the photo and show it to them.

Alright. Time to find a salon.

Going to my usual place would have been fine, but I was doing all this to change. Might as well go somewhere even a little more skilled, right? With that thought, I searched — and around my house, there were only salons no different from the one I already went to.

Guess I'll have to go farther......

What a pain. But I couldn't just quit because it was annoying, so I widened the search a bit. Even the closest well-rated salons were a thirty-minute bus ride. I booked an appointment for after lunch with a stylist who looked experienced, at a place that took online reservations.

"Hwaa~ It's nothing special, but I'm exhausted."

Maybe because of everything that had happened, I was tired both mentally and physically. It was a bit early to sleep, but lying there looking at my phone, even just breathing made my body go heavy and languid. If I so much as closed my eyes, I felt like I'd drop right off.

"Going out all weekend really takes it out of you......"

Maybe because I'd changed my notification sound, a gentle strain of classical music drifted through the room like a lullaby, blending with the grogginess of morning. An ordinary person would have fallen right back asleep. But perhaps because years of living diligently had soaked the habit into my body, I could get up in the morning no matter what the sound was. Even if that sound was classical music.

I said I was just closing my eyes, and I went and fell asleep......

I got up to get ready for the salon, and when I turned off the alarm, I saw a huge number piled up next to the chat icon.

What's this?

Would there even be a reason for this many messages? Thinking maybe the others were talking about something in the group chat, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I opened it — and every single one was from Yeonhee. The most recent just said, Dummy.

This looks bad......

I moved my fingers at the speed of light and fired off a reply.

Even after quite some time had passed, the number still hadn't gone away.

Dumped two days into dating......?

The thought came unbidden.

I probably needed to soothe a sulking Yeonhee, but I'd already made a reservation, so I headed to the salon first. Rationalizing it, of course, as I'm putting in effort to be worthy of standing next to her — surely she'll forgive me if she sees that?

"Welcome. Do you have a reservation?"

"Yes."

"And the name?"

"I booked under Han Juyeong."

"Yes. Han Juyeong, right this way, please."

The woman at the counter guided me the moment I stepped through the door. This was probably the stylist I'd booked with. I followed her and sat in the chair, and she stood behind me.

"What style would you like?"

I pulled out my phone and showed her the photo I'd prepared.

"I'd like it like this, if that's possible?"

"Yes, that's perfectly doable."

"Then I'll leave it to you......"

I knew next to nothing, so all I could do was ask her to do a good job.

"Alright~ Then let's wash your hair first before we start."

I'd never had my hair washed before they started. Was that how they did it here, or was this just how expensive places were different? I had no idea. Anyway, I'd barely sat down before I was moving again, and I closed my eyes for a moment under the hands working through my hair.

Then the water shut off, and I thought she'd dry it next — but she only towel-dried the moisture and went straight for the scissors.

Snip, snip.

Hair falling away. After trimming it to a certain point, she applied perm solution and rolled my hair up. Then she covered my head with something, set a machine over it, and said,

"Just wait a little while."

"Okay."

How long would I have to wait? It took a long time to get an answer to that question. The heat-generating machine turned off once, I waited thirty minutes, the machine went back on, another thirty minutes of waiting. I had no idea how many hours this alone had taken.

And when she finally came over and removed the machine, I thought it was over — but then she sprayed neutralizer on my hair and I had to wait again, and I really nearly fell asleep.

Was getting a perm always this boring......?

And at last, after the neutralizer was done, after a final wash and dry, it was over.

"Wow, it looks amazing on you~"

"Thank you......"

I looked at my reflection in the mirror ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in front of me. Honestly, I couldn't tell if it suited me or not.

I'll know once I show Yeonhee later.

After that, I listened to the care instructions and the precautions, bought a bottle of hair essence she'd recommended, and went home.

I'd clearly left at lunchtime, but by the time I got home it was almost evening. In terms of time alone, including the trip there and back, it had taken a full five hours.

No way I'm doing that twice.

All I'd done was sit there getting a perm, and even that was apparently exhausting if it took five hours.

Let me rest a bit first......

I lay on the bed, figuring I'd kill time until dinner.

Ah. Come to think of it, what about Yeonhee?

The moment I went to turn on my phone, the morning's messages came to mind, so I checked. Fortunately, there had been some clemency — a reply was waiting.

The reply that came back was a pout packed full of cuteness. I could picture the face she'd made sending those messages, and I couldn't help but laugh. Grinning the whole time, I moved my fingers quickly.

I left that message and opened Neotube again. I'd been watching cooking recipe videos for a few minutes when, out of nowhere, Yeonhee called.

......What?

"Hello?"

A voice so full of anticipation I could tell even through the phone. I knew immediately what she meant, but curiosity about her reaction made the mischief well up.

"Hear what?"

"What's 'that'?"

"Ah, that? But I don't really know how I'm supposed to do it, so I was hoping you'd show me first."

From the other end of the phone came the sound of her sucking in a breath. She wanted to hear it, but saying it herself was embarrassing, huh. I could just say it now, but since we'd come this far, I might as well see it through to the end.

I waited for her to speak, and after a long while, a voice thick with shyness came through.

I never thought there'd come a day in my life when I'd hear someone say they loved me. Hearing it for the first time made it all the more thrilling.

But that was that, and a joke was a joke.

"Thanks."

Click. I hung up.

I didn't even wait a few seconds before the phone rang again.

"Hello?"

Was this how Yeonhee felt whenever she teased me? If I kept this up and grew a taste for it, wouldn't I turn into a sadist?

Before that happened, I should stop teasing and just say it.

This is all I can give you. So I'll try, so that I can do even one more thing.

So the burden you carry can become a little lighter, so you won't regret this even a little, so I can repay the love you give me—

"That's for the one I couldn't give you yesterday."

I'll change even more.