Chapter 408

Even though Hiyori had changed into my shorts, she was still wearing her camisole.

I handed her the oversized cardigan I had mentioned earlier. She grumbled under her breath, but obediently slipped it on.

Once we got into the car, I looked over at Hiyori and mimed zipping up my chest.

"So conservative."

Hiyori grumbled, but still buttoned the cardigan up properly.

Even with the oversized fit, the curve of her upper chest was still visible, but it was much better than before. I spoke flatly.

"You're the one who's too liberal."

"What's wrong with being liberal?"

"I said too liberal. It's excessive."

"Isn't excessive still good?"

"What's good about it?"

"It's good for you, sunbae."

There she went again, acting aggressive just because I wasn't touching her.

She would completely freeze up if I so much as brushed against her pantyless hips, yet here she was acting tough.

I let out a chuckle at her cute nonsense, started the engine, and drove downtown.

"Where to first? The hair salon?"

Hiyori asked as we stepped out into the public parking lot.

I gave a silent nod.

"Sure."

"Do you have a regular place?"

"No, not really."

"Let's go to a salon I know, then. It's close by."

"Alright."

Hiyori beamed at my easy agreement, but then glanced down at her outfit and frowned.

A pair of cargo shorts dripping with pockets that looked like they belonged in a flea market, and a beige, oversized cardigan.

The colors and sizes clashed terribly. She clearly wasn't thrilled with the mismatch.

"My outfit looks so lame."

Hiyori thrust out her lower lip in a pout.

Displeasure dripped from her voice.

I gave her a light pat on the back.

"It's fine."

"Why?"

"No one is looking at you anyway."

"I highly doubt that."

Without missing a step, Hiyori cupped her chin in both hands.

She struck a blooming flower pose, a shameless display of her own beauty.

Her problem was that she knew exactly how pretty she was.

Flick.

I flicked her cowlick with a snap of my wrist, striking at her sky-high self-esteem. She stopped in her tracks and covered the top of her head, and I paused to look at her.

She gave me a whiny pout, but her antics were just as cute as her face.

Her vibrant energy stood out even more than usual today. I felt the gentle spring breeze in my heart blowing a little stronger.

At this rate, I was tempted to just take her to a love hotel today.

I fought off the temptation. Spotting a hair salon midway down the commercial block, I pointed at it.

"Is that it?"

"No. We have to go about two more blocks."

"That one looks perfectly fine to me."

"Maybe, but you have to go to your regular salon."

"Because of the stylist?"

"Yep. The stylist there knows my taste."

"But they don't know mine."

"I'll just have to instill mine into you."

Instilling her taste into me?

Hmm. Now that was a thought that stirred my lower half.

Hiyori really knew exactly how to turn a guy on.

"See that?"

We chatted as we walked, soon arriving at a stylish building. I could see the salon Hiyori had mentioned on the second floor.

"It's pretty big. Won't we have to wait without a reservation?"

"It's an odd hour, so we should be fine. If it's crowded, we can just wait a bit. Are you going to cut your bangs completely?"

"Yeah."

"Then I'll talk to the stylist. I have a specific look I want to try on you."

I scoffed. She was talking as if my hair belonged to her.

Still, I was curious about what she had in mind, so I decided to play along and let her have her way for now.

"Knock yourself out."

As soon as we walked into the salon, Hiyori received a warm welcome from the stylist.

"Welcome, Miss Asahina!"

It was normal to know a regular's last name, but seeing the genuine delight on the staff's faces made it clear they truly clicked.

Then again, Hiyori was the type of person anyone would adore.

"Hi there!"

Hiyori greeted them in a slightly higher pitch than usual, clearly in high spirits today, and glanced around the salon.

Noting that there were only a handful of customers in the spacious room, she asked a question.

"Can we get a cut right now?"

"Of course. My next appointment isn't for another hour, so we can fit you right in. Hello there."

The stylist turned to me with a brilliant smile.

I couldn't tell if it was a genuine smile or a practiced customer-service mask, but she certainly looked professional.

"Will both of you be getting haircuts today?"

Hiyori nodded. The stylist guided us over, and we took our seats side by side.

I stared at my reflection in the massive mirror. As the stylist draped a cutting cape around my neck, I opened my mouth to give her a few simple instructions.

But I shut my mouth when Hiyori, sitting right next to me, beat me to the punch.

She would probably ask for a decent cut anyway.

I decided to just relax and let it happen. While the two of them launched into an intense discussion over my hair, I pulled out my Cell Phone.

The sun was high in the sky, but there was still no word from Miyuki.

She had mentioned sleeping in since it was the first day of vacation, so she was probably still dead to the world.

A smile tugged at my lips as I pictured her dead asleep, one leg sticking out from under the covers.

It had been insanely hot yesterday. Had she been alright?

Her house didn't even have an AC... I couldn't help but worry.

"It's better to let the sides grow out a bit instead of completely buzzing them off, sunbae."

My thoughts were interrupted by Hiyori, who had finished her consultation with the stylist and turned her attention back to me.

I gave her a slow nod. The stylist picked up her scissors to start the cut, so I quickly fired off a message to Miyuki and tucked my Cell Phone under the cape.

"How's the water temperature?"

Warm water cascaded over my scalp. The staff member's fingers thoroughly massaged my head, melting away all my tension.

The soft, soothing voice brushing past my ears was a serious turn-on. I genuinely considered making Renka do this kind of roleplay later.

"It's perfect."

Even by the time my hair had been washed and blown dry, Hiyori's cut still wasn't finished.

Women's hair supposedly required a lot of attention to detail, but Hiyori's was probably on a whole other level.

I secretly paid for both of our cuts in advance and plopped down on the waiting sofa in the back. Pulling out my Cell Phone, I checked the screen.

[Sorry. I just woke up.]

A message from Miyuki had arrived two minutes ago.

Knowing her, she was probably still lounging in bed.

I crossed my legs and tapped out a quick reply.

[Nothing to be sorry about. Were you seriously asleep this whole time?]

[Yeah.]

[That's a first. What gives?]

[It's the first day of vacation, so I slept in. Plus, I was pretty exhausted yesterday. When did you wake up, Matsuda-kun?]

[About an hour ago.]

[What? You slept in too, then.]

[Not nearly as much as you.]

[What time did you fall asleep last night?]

[Hard to say. Midnight, maybe?]

[I didn't go to sleep until two in the morning.]

[So you won, then?]

[Yeah.]

It was childish banter, but I liked how sweet and innocent it was.

This playful side of Miyuki had been slowly surfacing ever since the school trip. Was it Hiyori's influence?

It probably was.

[Good job.]

[Right?]

[Sure. What are your plans for today?]

[I have to head down to my grandmother's place today.]

[You didn't mention anything about that.]

[It was a last-minute decision yesterday.]

Heading far away and leaving her boyfriend behind?

If you swapped the genders, this would be a textbook NTR cliché...

While Miyuki was away in the countryside, I would get helplessly devoured and broken in by Hiyori...

And when Miyuki returned, she would be horrified to find me with dyed hair and a full-body tan... The ridiculous scenario flashed through my mind unbidden.

Though, that wasn't exactly turning me on.

There might actually be a demand for that in female-oriented games, but Doki-Aka was strictly aimed at guys. I needed to think accordingly.

[How long are you staying?]

[Just overnight. You should come with me, Matsuda-kun.]

[Me?]

[Yeah. Is that too much pressure?]

[Not pressure, exactly. It's just that your grandmother and the others might feel uncomfortable if I suddenly crashed the trip.]

[Not at all. Both my grandma and grandpa really want to meet you, Matsuda-kun.]

She had been talking about me to her grandparents?

Well, I suppose that was only natural. Still, I hadn't expected her to talk about me enough to make them curious.

Coming from Miyuki, it definitely wasn't just empty politeness.

At this rate, I really would have to pay them a visit. Miyuki had been spinning her webs all over the place without me even realizing it.

[Going right away tomorrow is a bit much. Let's make a quiet trip down there, just the two of us, next time.]

[Just the two of us?]

[Yeah.]

[Alright. I'm going to hop in the shower now, okay?]

[Go ahead.]

Miyuki sent a sticker of a white rabbit holding a heart, bringing our conversation to a close.

A smile crept onto my face as I imagined her sleepily shuffling into the bathroom in her pajamas. I glanced up, but Hiyori's styling chair was empty. I tilted my head in confusion.

Figuring she must have gone to wash her hair, I was scanning the room when—

"Whatcha doing?"

Hiyori suddenly thrust her head over the back of the sofa, right next to mine. I jumped.

"Jesus, you scared me... Are you done?"

"Just need to blow it dry and I'm finished. I asked what you were doing."

I knew my multitasking skills were nonexistent, but wasn't she being a little too stealthy?

She wasn't a cat burglar... She had definitely snuck over specifically to spy on me.

"Just texting Miyuki."

"Why aren't you texting me?"

"You're literally right in front of me. Don't be ridiculous."

"I don't like it."

"What don't you like?"

"Everything."

Hiyori grumbled as the stylist guided her back to her chair.

Her eyes locked onto mine through the mirror, glaring at me intently.

She looked like she was trying to keep a strict watch on my every move. It was honestly pretty amusing.

Hiyori kept her eyes glued to me the entire time the stylist finished setting her hair.

Her bangs and the sides had been trimmed, and maybe the back was a little shorter?

Her hair was so long to begin with that the difference wasn't huge, but she definitely looked much neater.

"Did you already pay?"

Hiyori asked as she walked back from the register after talking with the stylist.

I gave a nonchalant nod and answered.

"Yeah."

"When?"

"Right after I finished up."

"Then I'm buying lunch."

"Sure."

"How's my hair?"

"Yours? Or mine?"

"Mine."

"It looks neat."

"Yours does too, sunbae. But you should have asked for some wax. Pushing the top up a bit would've looked really nice."

"It's super windy out today. The wind will push it up for me."

"Are you just being lazy? Next you'll tell me breathing is too much work."

"Don't exaggerate."

We bickered all the way out of the salon. As we stepped into the elevator, I noticed her shorts had slipped down slightly past her hips.

She had tied the drawstrings tight, but since the shorts were so massively oversized, they must have ridden down while she was sitting.

"Your shorts are falling down."

"So?"

She snapped right back at me for pointing it out.

She had been burning with petty jealousy ever since she caught me texting Miyuki. It was hilarious.

Chuckling inwardly, I snuck up behind Hiyori while she stood with her back to me, staring at the elevator doors. I planted my hands on her hips and grabbed the waistband of her shorts.

Before she could utter a single word, I yanked the shorts right back up to her waist.

It seemed she was finally getting used to my physical touch. She let out a small gasp of surprise, but she didn't jump like she had back at my place.

But the very next words out of my mouth sent a violent jolt through her frame, shattering her composure.

"I didn't feel anything under these."

"Wh-What do you mean?"

Her expression was as guilty as a thief caught red-handed. She was an open book.

She really was going commando. What would happen if I riled her up right here and now?

These were khaki shorts, not black. If she got wet, it would show right through the fabric...

I didn't want anyone else catching a glimpse of that, though. I would just have to check for myself once we were safely back in the car.