When My Stylist Has a Case of “Baby Brain” Chapter 1

With the holidays fast approaching, I went to the salon for a haircut.

My usual stylist, Marco, had gone home to visit family, so his new apprentice took me.

Halfway through the cut, the girl behind me let out a little giggle.

I glanced up at the mirror and saw it: a huge, choppy chunk was missing from the top of my head. It looked like a dog had chewed on it.

“What are you doing?!” I snapped.

Her bottom lip trembled, and her eyes instantly welled up. “I… I’m just a newbie!”

Just then, a series of semi-transparent comments flickered into my vision, hovering in the air before me:

【OMG, this guy is so mean! The baby was just a little nervous!】

【Our Kiki only messes up a haircut when she’s in front of someone she likes! It’s her subconscious trying to get his attention!】

【Girls, screenshot this! This part is so sweet!!】

Kiki? Likes?

Like hell! Who shows they “like” someone by butchering their hair?

And besides, I’m a goddamn woman!

* * *

“What’s wrong? What’s happened?!”

The commotion brought the salon owner running.

He hurried over, his eyes landed on my head, and his words died in his throat.

“Kiki!”

The owner’s eyes were wide with horror. “What have you done? Look what you’ve done to the client’s hair!”

He turned to me, bowing repeatedly. “I am so sorry! Terribly sorry, sir! This girl is new, she’s still a bit clumsy. I’ll just…”

“Of course, there’s no charge for today. My deepest apologies!”

A vein pulsed in my temple.

At least the owner seemed like a normal person who knew who was at fault. If Marco hadn’t been out of town, I would never have let this “baby” touch a single strand of my hair.

Kiki shrank back, muttering under her breath, “It’s… it’s art!”

“It’s a groundbreaking… layered look! I didn’t realize you wouldn’t like it, sir…”

Art?

Layered look?

I stared at the gleaming patch of my scalp, struggling to contain my rage. “Sir, this isn’t about the money. I have an important family dinner to get to.”

Kiki peeked at my thunderous expression and said meekly, “How about this? I can fix it for you. I promise you’ll be satisfied!”

The owner quickly chimed in, his tone almost pleading, “Sir, please, why not let Kiki try again? We’re completely booked up for the holidays. There’s really no one else free right now…”

“She can just shorten it a bit, cover up the mistake. It’ll be better than how it is now… Again, I am so, so sorry!”

The pop-up comments continued to float by:

【The boss is playing matchmaker! Give our baby a chance!】

【This guy is seriously so aggressive!】

【It’s okay, girlies~ This is a strong-female-lead story! There’s no fixed male lead! These are all just flings!】

【Our baby knows her mistake and wants to fix it herself! I’m totally shipping this!】

Thinking of the family reunion I had to be at in an hour, my temple throbbed.

“…Fine. I’ll trust you one more time.”

Kiki’s tears vanished, replaced by a brilliant smile. She grabbed her scissors and comb, looking ready for a major undertaking.

I stared her down, enunciating every word. “Just. Trim it. Fix the short parts, cut the long parts. That’s it.”

She nodded vigorously, her expression suddenly serious. “Yes, yes! Don’t worry! I’ll get it right this time!”

The buzz of the clippers started again, and the snip of the scissors sounded much more deliberate. The owner stood by, whispering instructions. “A little more here… Hey, be gentle… Watch the layers, don’t make another bald spot…”

The minutes ticked by.

“O-Okay! It’s done!”

I opened my eyes and looked in the mirror.

My hair was now brutally short, with some of the previous unevenness still visible. But the worst part, the absolute killer, was the lightning-bolt-shaped shave line now etched into the left side of my head.

This wasn’t just a bad haircut anymore.

I was shaking with rage.

Before I could speak, Kiki pointed proudly at the lightning bolt. “See! I designed that part myself! Shorter, with more personality! Isn’t it so much better than before? It’s super cool now!”

The on-screen comments exploded:

【OMG a lightning bolt! Our baby is so talented!】

【It’s her special mark! A symbol of her love!】

【Come on, hero, just say you like it! I’m getting angry for you!】

“What the hell is wrong with you people?!”

My voice shot up, laced with an anger I could no longer suppress.

“It’s the holidays! Are you trying to ruin them for me?!”

“Butchering my hair wasn’t enough the first time, you had to do it again? What is this? This is deliberate!”