Daily Life (3)
I hummed a cheerful tune as I entered the room. It was evening now, so I stripped off my clothes and slipped into my dinosaur pajamas. Since the pajamas and I were one and the same, I never took them off—whether I was sleeping or waking up in the morning. And these were no ordinary dinosaur pajamas. They glowed with a soft, ethereal light in the darkness, making my appearance dazzlingly beautiful. It was far more vibrant and enchanting than any previous set I had owned.
The sight was so captivating that I almost wanted to capture it on camera. Of course, any photo I took would only show the glowing patterns on the pajamas themselves, since my actual form was hidden in the shadows. I bounded over to the TV and switched it on. Perfect timing—Little Magician Rumi had just begun her episode.
I felt myself being drawn into the screen, mesmerized by the heroine’s every move. Rumi was always in the right. My greatest dream was to become just like her. She had been an internet broadcaster once, but dreams were fluid and changed in real time. Just as elementary-school dreams of becoming a scientist or president gave way to more realistic aspirations like civil servant or office worker as I grew older, so too was my path shifting.
“Transform!”
I raised my magic wand and shouted the line exactly as Rumi did on screen. Unfortunately, nothing magical happened. The Rumi on TV simply changed her outfit and gripped her sparkling weapon, but my imitation produced no effect.
“Hmm…”
I sensed a presence behind me and turned around. Rumi was filming my appearance with her phone, capturing every glowing detail. Embarrassed, I set the magic wand down on the bed. Then I dashed over to her.
“Don’t take photos, Rumi!”
I clung to her legs like a cicada, refusing to let go. Normally it didn’t matter if I was caught on camera, but when I was in Rumi’s form, I wanted nothing of the sort. I had seen how embarrassing it was to be recorded acting like a child, and the memory still stung. In the phone’s screen, my appearance looked far too childish.
“Hana’s too cute, so how could I resist taking a picture…”
Rumi spoke with obvious reluctance and finally lowered the phone. I exhaled in relief. It had been fortunate.
“Eh?”
Rumi slipped her hand under my armpit and lifted me effortlessly into the air. My feet dangled, floating freely. As she raised me higher, our eyes met. In Rumi’s pupils, my glowing dinosaur-pajama form was clearly reflected.
“Hana, who do you take after to be this adorable?”
She smiled and pressed her cheek against mine, rubbing them together in a gentle caress. If it had been a man, the faint stubble would have been noticeable, but Rumi was a woman, and her soft, warm touch was delightful. Skin-to-skin contact with such a beautiful woman was hardly a bad thing. In fact, it felt wonderful.
After a few moments of playful rubbing, Rumi seemed to regain her composure. She set me gently on the floor and said, “Hana, want to take a bath together?”
Rumi looked genuinely eager. She slipped out of her outer coat and changed into something lighter and more casual.
“Ah!”
It was eight o’clock—an awkward hour. Bathing with an adult woman was simply too embarrassing. My face burned crimson. Of course, the idea of bathing together had its appeal, but the thought was far too perverted for me to voice it aloud. I protested loudly instead.
“I… I can bathe alone, Rumi!”
“Really? Can’t we try it together for once?”
Rumi’s words were tempting, but I shook my head firmly from side to side. This was a matter of principle.
“Hana is an adult now, so I can bathe alone just fine!”
Determined, I watched Rumi’s expression fall. She nodded dejectedly and agreed. I gently removed the dinosaur pajamas and tossed them onto the bed. Wearing nothing but my panties, I headed straight for the bathroom.
“If you need help, just say so, Hana!”
I ignored Rumi’s offer behind me and turned on the shower. Since I wasn’t an ordinary child, bathing alone was perfectly manageable.
“Haa~a~”
I stepped out of the steamy bathroom, the air refreshed by the running exhaust fan. Rumi sat on the edge of the bed, eyes sparkling with anticipation.
“Haa~n~a~”
“Uh… uh…?”
“Come here. Let’s curl your hair!”
“Got it, Rumi.”
Rumi sounded exactly like a mother. Her affection for me overflowed like an aunt watching over her favorite nephew. Sometimes that warmth felt almost too much, but it was never unwelcome. Being loved by someone was a comforting, pleasant feeling.
“Yah!”
I planted myself on Rumi’s thighs with a firm shout. Rumi grinned brightly and switched on the hair dryer.
Bwooong
Hot air swirled around me, gently curling every strand of my hair. The temperature was perfectly adjusted, leaving me feeling wonderfully relaxed. After several minutes of gentle styling, I finally slipped free from her embrace.
By the time everything was done, the clock had already passed nine. This was the most important part of the day. Rumi set me on the bed and vanished into another room.
A few minutes later she returned, holding a small box in one hand and scissors in the other. It was time to cut my hair.
“Hana, don’t move?”
Rumi carefully gathered my hair and raised the scissors. She didn’t shave it into a buzz cut. Instead, she slowly trimmed the long strands that reached my waist.
Sssak… sssak…
The soft sound of my hair falling filled the room. Rumi worked with utmost care, refusing to let even a single strand escape, and she cut with deliberate, agonizing slowness. Still, the process wasn’t overly long.
“Rumi, can’t you just cut it in the morning?”
Honestly, a short bob was far more practical for daily activity than long hair. I voiced my opinion. Rumi shook her head vigorously.
“No! Girls’ hair must be long! Besides, the lab policy says it should be cut before bed, so it would be difficult, Hana…”
“Really? Then there’s no choice.”
Actually, my hair was already managed by Rumi and Bora, so it wasn’t uncomfortable. Even if I tied it in a ponytail, the length reaching my waist didn’t interfere with movement much.
After about ten minutes, I had a neat short bob. Of course, when I woke up again it would grow back to waist length. It was strange. Without any special treatment, my hair simply lengthened overnight.
“Hana, you worked hard.”
Rumi handled the box containing my hair with the reverence usually reserved for treasure. After all, those strands alone were worth hundreds of billions. Losing them would be a disaster. Fortunately, there was a separate storage for backups.
“Rumi worked hard too!”
“Hana, when it’s time, should you sleep with your eyes closed? If you watch TV too late, you won’t grow tall!”
“Hic!”
At Rumi’s words, I quickly pretended to drift off. I lay on the bed and pulled the blanket up to my chin. Rumi smiled with quiet delight at the sight. Then, as she backed away, she switched off the light and slipped out of the room. I pricked up my ears.
Rumi’s footsteps faded down the hallway. I allowed myself a small, victorious smile. When the footsteps finally disappeared, I quickly sat up and turned on the TV. I hadn’t gone to bed yet. Tonight I would burn the midnight oil.
Since Little Magician Rumi wasn’t airing at this hour, I planned to watch a movie I had wanted to see for a long time. Watching just one film and then sleeping would be perfect.
To turn my room into a makeshift cinema, I pulled a bag of snacks from beneath the bed. At ten o’clock? That was ridiculous. The old me had been a thorough night owl, only falling asleep when dawn broke.
“Hmm…”
Yet after a short while, drowsiness overtook me. I hadn’t even opened the snacks. This fragile body clearly needed sleep. I could have tried coffee or cold drinks to stay awake, but I wasn’t that desperate to watch the movie.
As interest waned, I turned off the TV and lay back down. The fluffy blanket felt like heaven itself. A pleasant fragrance rose gently from it.
Today had been wonderfully fulfilling. With the certainty that tomorrow would be the same, I slipped into sleep.
A day like any other day passed by.