My Childhood Friend, a Vtuber, Treated Me Like TrashโIโm Never Producing For Her Again
I walked into a hair salon in the mall.
It seemed there had been a last-minute cancellation, so I was shown to a seat without having to wait.
Mizuta was sitting stiffly in the styling chair, her body tense as a board.
Behind her, the stylist and I stood side by side.
โWhat would you like to do today?โ
โUh, uhโฆ? Ah, umโฆ I donโt know anything about this, so Iโll leave it to Komachi-sanโฆโ
โKomachi-san? Oh, is that your boyfriend?โ
โB-boyfriend!? N-no, not at allโฆ!โ
The stylist looked confused, glancing back and forth between me and Mizuta-san in the mirror.
โUh, well. With wavy hair like this, is it better to straighten it with a flat iron every day?โ
โAh, yes. If you want to straighten it nicely, thatโs the way to go.โ
โBy the way, do you have any flat irons youโd recommend? Something thatโs easy for a beginner to use, gets the job done quickly, and causes minimal damage.โ
โLet me seeโฆ If youโre looking for something that meets all those criteria, Iโd have to say the Air Straight.โ
โHow much does it cost?โ
โI think itโs probably around 40,000 yen.โ
Thatโs expensiveโฆ
It seemed I wasnโt the only one who thought soโMizutaโs eyes widened as well.
โUh, umโฆ isnโt there anything a little cheaperโฆ?โ
โThere are. But with cheaper models, it inevitably takes a bit more effort.โ
โMore effortโฆ?โ
The stylist carefully explained, step by step, how to straighten my hair while minimizing damage.
As expectedโor rather, as Iโd fearedโMizuta-san started zoning out halfway through.
Well, sheโs pretty dexterous, so Iโm sure sheโll get the hang of it with a little practice.
โDo I have to do that every time after I wash my hairโฆ?โ
โYes. If you want to keep your hair straight all the time, that is.โ
โYikesโฆ That sounds like a huge hassleโฆโ
Maybe Mizuta-san is the type who doesnโt expend any energy on things sheโs not interested in.
Thatโs probably why she didnโt even know hair straighteners existed.
After all, even coming to the salon like this right now is, in a sense, part of her VTuber activities.
โIn that case, why donโt you try a hair straightening treatment?โ
โA h-hair straightening treatmentโฆ?โ
โYes. Itโs a treatment where we use a chemical solution to soften the curls, then straighten them with a flat iron. In your case, itโll last about four months after just one treatment.โ
โSo, if I do that, I wonโt have to go through that hassle every day?โ
โYes, thatโs the biggest benefit. In terms of damage, itโs also gentler on your hair than continuously using a flat iron every day and letting the damage accumulate.โ
Iโd expected this to some extent, but I guess thatโs where itโs going to end up after all.
Well, itโs probably the most reasonable decision.
Carefully straightening her hair with a flat iron every day after streaming late into the night and being completely exhausted is just too much of a burden for Mizuta-san.
So, I asked the stylist.
โHow much does a hair straightening treatment cost?โ
โItโll be 23,000 yen.โ
โGot it. In that case, please give her a nice all-over trim and do the straightening treatment as well.โ
Mizutaโs eyes widened in surprise.
โHuh? B-but I donโt have that much moneyโฆ I wonโt have any left to buy clothesโฆโ
โIn that case, Iโll cover the cost of the straightening treatment for you.โ
โHuh? I-is that okay?โ
โYeah. Just pay me back when you get your allowance.โ
To be honest, rather than just covering the cost, I intended to treat her.
I still had quite a bit left over from the allowance my dad gave me, as well as the 10% cut from Yueโs earnings.
That said, I had no intention of paying for it without any conditions.
โIn exchange, thereโs just one condition.โ
โW-what is itโฆ?โ
โFrom now on, when you come to school, make an effort to look a little more put-together. Okay?โ
It just seemed such a waste to me that a beauty like Mizuta-san wasnโt being properly appreciated by those around her.
That was undoubtedly the reason she lacked confidence and had such low self-esteem.
The hairstylist smiled brightly and said,
โWow, your boyfriend is so kind.โ
โTh-th-thatโs why, Komachi isnโt my boyfriend or anythingโฆ!โ
โOh, right. My apologies.โ
Somehow, I got the feeling the stylist was watching the exchange between Mizuta-san and me with a warm smile.
Well, young men and women who come to the salon together on the weekend are bound to be mistaken for a couple.
Still, even though weโre not actually dating, being denied so vehemently like that was a little hurtful.
It seems girls really donโt see me as that kind of person at all.
โHow would you like the hair cut?โ
This time, the stylist looked directly at me and asked.
โฆI wonder if she realized early on that asking Mizuta-san would be pointless.
I took out my phone and showed her a photo.
โCould you make it look something like this?โ
What I showed her was a photo of an idol whose trademark was her long black hair.
After glancing at the photo once, the stylist said,
โExcuse me for a moment,โ
and gently lifted Mizuta-sanโs long bangs to check the contours of her face.
โOh, boyfriend san. He has great taste. This style would really suit you perfectly.โ
โI-I said heโs not my boyfriendโฆ Ughโฆโ
Mizutaโs face turned bright red, and she continued in a voice so soft it was barely audible.
โI-If someone like me were to become Komachi-sanโs girlfriend, Iโd feel so sorry for Komachi-sanโฆโ
โโHuh?โโ
The reason was so unexpected that both the stylist and I let out a gasp.
ใโ
About four hours later.
I was sitting on the sofa in the waiting area, reading an e-book stored on my smartphone as I waited patiently.
I guess having long hair really does take a long time.
Thatโs exactly what I was thinking when it happened.
โAll right, all right, maโam. Go ahead and show your boyfriend.โ
โU-umโฆ I-itโs so embarrassingโฆโ
โThereโs absolutely no need to be embarrassed! Honestly, even I was surprised when I saw it. Come on, be confident.โ
The stylist gently placed a hand on Mizuta-sanโs shoulder and urged her toward me.
This stylist has incredible social skills.
Thinking that, I turned my gaze toward Mizuta-san.
โU-um, does it look goodโฆ?โ
She lifted her face just a little, but shyly looked away.
I couldnโt help but widen my eyes.
There was no trace left of that once-shaggy hair.
Her carefully styled, lustrous black hair softly framed her face.
โWowโฆโ
A sincere exclamation of admiration slipped out before I knew it.
She seemed much more refined than the idol model sheโd shown me earlier.
Even someone who knew the original Mizuta-san probably wouldnโt recognize her right away.
At this point, even my baggy, all-black casual outfit started to look like a deliberate fashion choice.
โW-well, the hairstylistโs skills were definitely amazingโฆโ
โNo, no, of course the hairstylistโs skills are great. But thatโs not what I meant just now.โ
I scratched my cheek.
It felt strangely embarrassing to actually say it to her face.
โI just meant that youโve gotten so much cuter, Mizuta-san.โ
โHuh?โ
Her eyes widened.
โN-no way. Thereโs no wayโฆโ
โCome on, have I ever lied to you?โ
โNo, you havenโtโฆโ
โIโm absolutely sure. Mizuta, youโre really cute right now. Look, everyone around us is glancing your way.โ
Iโd meant to tell her just how charming she looked right now.
But then, she flinched and shrugged her shouldersโ
โEekโฆ!โ
She hid behind my back.
โฆEven if her appearance has changed, this lack of confidence doesnโt seem like itโll change anytime soon.