[Ono]
by ladyseishou
Expectations
It was a salon Akari had never been to before. Mitani-kun wrote the address on paper torn out of his notebook: Go Salon, Shinjuku station, 3-F.
A woman sitting behind the front counter greeted her with a friendly smile.
"I have an appointment," Akari said, blushing, school girl shy.
"You're a little early, Fujisaki-chan. May I take your bag?"
Akari fumbled with the straps and handed it over with an awkward bump. Several dog-eared fashion magazines slid out, as well the Weekly Go with his picture.
Still smiling, the woman tucked Akari’s bag out of sight behind the desk. "Is this your first time here?" she asked.
Akari nodded, nervous, wondering if he was here.
The woman leaned closer as if to share a secret with her. "There's nothing to be afraid of, Fujisaki-chan. Touya-kun's very gentle with beginners."
Akari's blush deepened. "Yes… no…. Touya-san is… I've heard he's…"
…people were definitely looking now…
"…very good," she finished meekly. "A friend says that he's the best." No, that didn't sound right. "I'm sure my friend meant Touya-san. The best," she added to be sure.
Several patrons came out of a back room then, exchanging grumpy complaints.
"They're at it again, Ichikawa-san," one reported. The woman sighed, coming out from behind the counter.
"Fujisaki-chan, I believe that Touya-kun is free now."
Oh! But she wasn't ready for this! It had seemed like a good plan before. But now… "Please don't bother Touya-san about me," she said as the woman ushered her through the salon. "I'll come back. I…"
But before she could say more, she heard him.
"Touya! That cut's too high!"
It's true then, Akari thought. He's here.
"So you've said. Several times."
"Yeah, and do you listen?"
"I listen when you have something intelligent to say."
"Man, I must be crazy to keep coming here!"
“You can always leave.”
"Your best suggestion, Touya! Ever! I'm going."
Hikaru stormed out from the back of the salon, hair damp and standing out in dark spikes giving him the look of an angry sea urchin. He yanked a purple smock off over his head and blinded, ran into Akari, knocking her down on the floor.
"Oh dear," the woman said.
"Akari!" he said, dropping the smock. "What're you doing here?"
Akari was studying the salon’s name embroidered on the smock, interlocking letters, G and O, wondering if she was more embarrassed by Hikaru's behavior or mad.
She went with mad.
"Gee, Hikaru, I seem to be sitting here on the floor. Oh don't bother to apologize."
"Are you alright?" a young man asked, offering Akari a slim hand.
"Fujisaki-san is your next appointment, Touya-kun," the woman said by way of introductions.
Akari stood and straightened her skirt before fixing a murderous glare on Hikaru, who oblivious, was staring off into the distance.
"You told me you died your hair at home," she said, betrayed. "When Mitani-kun told me that he'd seen you, here, I told him it wasn't possible. That if you had the money for an expensive salon like this..."
"Yeah," Hikaru admitted sheepishly. "I'll pay you back. Soon, right? But I told you, Touya's the…" He paused, seeming to reconsider his words. "Touya's okay."
"Well I'm going to have my hair bleached too," she announced, jabbing a finger into Hikaru's chest. "And guess who's paying!"
end
Expectations
It was a salon Akari had never been to before. Mitani-kun wrote the address on paper torn out of his notebook: Go Salon, Shinjuku station, 3-F.
A woman sitting behind the front counter greeted her with a friendly smile.
"I have an appointment," Akari said, blushing, school girl shy.
"You're a little early, Fujisaki-chan. May I take your bag?"
Akari fumbled with the straps and handed it over with an awkward bump. Several dog-eared fashion magazines slid out, as well the Weekly Go with his picture.
Still smiling, the woman tucked Akari’s bag out of sight behind the desk. "Is this your first time here?" she asked.
Akari nodded, nervous, wondering if he was here.
The woman leaned closer as if to share a secret with her. "There's nothing to be afraid of, Fujisaki-chan. Touya-kun's very gentle with beginners."
Akari's blush deepened. "Yes… no…. Touya-san is… I've heard he's…"
…people were definitely looking now…
"…very good," she finished meekly. "A friend says that he's the best." No, that didn't sound right. "I'm sure my friend meant Touya-san. The best," she added to be sure.
Several patrons came out of a back room then, exchanging grumpy complaints.
"They're at it again, Ichikawa-san," one reported. The woman sighed, coming out from behind the counter.
"Fujisaki-chan, I believe that Touya-kun is free now."
Oh! But she wasn't ready for this! It had seemed like a good plan before. But now… "Please don't bother Touya-san about me," she said as the woman ushered her through the salon. "I'll come back. I…"
But before she could say more, she heard him.
"Touya! That cut's too high!"
It's true then, Akari thought. He's here.
"So you've said. Several times."
"Yeah, and do you listen?"
"I listen when you have something intelligent to say."
"Man, I must be crazy to keep coming here!"
“You can always leave.”
"Your best suggestion, Touya! Ever! I'm going."
Hikaru stormed out from the back of the salon, hair damp and standing out in dark spikes giving him the look of an angry sea urchin. He yanked a purple smock off over his head and blinded, ran into Akari, knocking her down on the floor.
"Oh dear," the woman said.
"Akari!" he said, dropping the smock. "What're you doing here?"
Akari was studying the salon’s name embroidered on the smock, interlocking letters, G and O, wondering if she was more embarrassed by Hikaru's behavior or mad.
She went with mad.
"Gee, Hikaru, I seem to be sitting here on the floor. Oh don't bother to apologize."
"Are you alright?" a young man asked, offering Akari a slim hand.
"Fujisaki-san is your next appointment, Touya-kun," the woman said by way of introductions.
Akari stood and straightened her skirt before fixing a murderous glare on Hikaru, who oblivious, was staring off into the distance.
"You told me you died your hair at home," she said, betrayed. "When Mitani-kun told me that he'd seen you, here, I told him it wasn't possible. That if you had the money for an expensive salon like this..."
"Yeah," Hikaru admitted sheepishly. "I'll pay you back. Soon, right? But I told you, Touya's the…" He paused, seeming to reconsider his words. "Touya's okay."
"Well I'm going to have my hair bleached too," she announced, jabbing a finger into Hikaru's chest. "And guess who's paying!"
end