Haircuts (1)

I need a change of pace.

For now, I forgot everything and focused on business. It made me feel better.

The aftermath of Selly’s letter was that significant.

We are not gods. In the end, there is only one way we can resolve this matter.

Since she came to us through the Hibiren flower, we must find another Hibiren flower and hope that her next life will be happy, as Elena mentioned.

Therefore, to compose myself, I focused on cooking, and the restaurant is currently very busy.

The best-selling dish recently is braised short ribs. Surprisingly, braised short ribs have received a great response from the people here.

It’s becoming as popular as uba belly. I think it’s because of the seasoning and the texture of the meat.

Holding the bone and tearing the meat off it is also surprisingly popular.

I analyze that it must be a fresh shock for people here, who are not used to eating meat in any other way than simply grilling it.

What pleases me is that the spicy stir-fried beans served with the braised short ribs are also popular.

These crescent-shaped beans are known for their spiciness. So you don’t need to add extra spice; just stir-frying them makes them spicy.

They’re spicy yet mild, and it’s interesting that they didn’t sell well on their own, but when combined with braised short ribs, they sell like hotcakes. I don’t know why, but I’m glad to clear out the stock.

Watching people enjoy the braised short ribs gradually improves my mood.

Seeing people enjoy the braised short ribs makes me genuinely happy. Although it’s expensive meat, selling it at a reasonable price means we barely make any profit. It’s a balance where we neither lose nor gain much.

Since we’re making plenty of money from the cheese industry, the Palenque industry, and the watch industry, money isn’t an issue.

Of course, we must maintain at least the minimum price to keep the market balanced. So, the current balance where we don’t lose or gain much is appropriate.

Right now, I’m focusing on an elderly couple eating braised short ribs in one corner.

“Darling, eat a bit more gracefully. Do you really have to be like this outside?”

The old lady seems displeased with her husband’s behavior, frowning and saying something. Of course, the husband shook his head as soon as he heard it.

“What’s all this talk about manners? This is how you’re supposed to eat it.”

The husband is someone I know well. An elderly gentleman named Jont with a head full of white hair.

This old man runs a barbershop in Greek City. I also use his services for haircuts, and eventually, he started coming to my restaurant.

Anyway, Jont found it comfortable to hold the ribs with his hands, but the old lady continued to separate the ribs with a knife and fork, as if that wasn’t the way to eat it.

Honestly, braised short ribs aren’t steaks, so eating them like Jont does is more appropriate and looks better, but eating methods are a matter of personal preference.

“Look, just hold it like this, and pull. It’s so tender. Come on, you should try it too.”

As Jont quickly tore the meat off the bones, the old lady, who was slow in separating the meat from the bones, looked conflicted.

At this point, it’s my turn to step in.

I approached the old lady and tried to explain.

“It’s originally eaten like that for better taste. That’s the best way to eat this dish. Would you like me to prepare a hand towel for you?”

“Oh, really?”

After hearing my explanation, the old lady looked at her husband again and, as if making up her mind, finally grabbed the rib bone with her hand.

Very carefully, yet elegantly, she brought the rib to her mouth. After a few bites, only the bone remained in her hand.

Then she wiped her hands with the hand towel I had prepared.

“See! It’s much easier to eat, right?”

“Yes, it is. It’s delicious.”

As Jont said triumphantly, the old lady nodded in agreement. Then she bowed her head to me.

“The meat is really tender. How do you cook it like this? Even old folks like us can eat it without any worries…”

“It’s my belief that the meat in braised short ribs should melt in your mouth. Haha.”

“It’s really delicious.”

While the old lady smiled brightly and complimented the dish, Jont glanced at my hair, put the ribs down, and brought up a completely different topic.

“By the way, it seems like it’s time for you to get a haircut.”

“A haircut?”

Jont is a barber with over 40 years of experience. He’s a veteran. He likes his hair neat, so he trims it often, but come to think of it, I’ve been too busy with so many things lately that I haven’t paid any attention to my hair.

Rurin’s birthday, Selly’s matter, it was a hectic time.

“Indeed, it’s time for a haircut.”

“Stop by when you have a break. I’ll tidy it up quickly.”

“I will. Of course, I should.”

I nodded with a smile. As more customers kept coming in, I greeted the old lady and returned to the kitchen.

And the next day.

Remembering Jont’s words, I headed to the barbershop as soon as lunch service ended to get my hair trimmed.

Delicate tasks like cutting hair can’t be done with magic.

Neither my offensive magic nor Rurin’s mental magic can do that.

Basic human activities like trimming hair and nails must all be done manually; magic can’t handle them.

While descending the hill, Rurin, who had just followed me because I was leaving, now turned around and asked a question.

“By the way, where are we going?”

“To get a haircut.”

“Hair?”

“Hey!”

When I said I was getting a haircut, she clung to my back and started messing up my hair.

Not that she was rough about it. That would be her stance when attacking Sereina’s hair. Now, she was just clinging to my back, moving her hands around.

But because of that, I ended up carrying Rurin on my back while descending the hill.

“It’s hard, you brat!”

“I’m not tired.”

“Of course, you wouldn’t be.”

I couldn’t see her face since she was clinging to my back, but I knew she had a shameless expression.

How could someone being carried be tired?

Then she jumped down to the ground and scurried back in front of me, opening her mouth.

“I don’t mind any hairstyle.”

“Oh, really? Well, I do mind.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

We started walking again after that conversation. Then, suddenly, I remembered something.

I became curious about something Rurin had said about not minding any hairstyle.

I wondered if Rurin would be okay with me even if I went bald.

I had no intention of going bald, but I was just curious and asked.

“Really, any hairstyle is fine?”

Nodding.

“Because you’re you, I don’t mind. I’ll embrace everything!”

“Okay, that’s nice, but…”

After a brief pause, I asked seriously again.

“Even if I’m bald?”

“Bald?”

“It means no hair. Bald.”

“Bald?”

Rurin stared at me for a moment. Her lips, now coated with her favorite pink lip balm, opened and closed, and then she started laughing heartily, clutching her belly.

“Hahahahaha! Really? Bald? That’s…! That’s funny! You without hair, hahahaha!”

Once she started laughing, she couldn’t stop. She would walk ahead, turn around to point at me and laugh, then start walking again, only to stop and laugh again.

I’m not actually bald, so what’s with this behavior?

“You’re contradicting yourself. What’s so funny?”

“But I can’t help it! Thinking of you without hair is just too funny! Hahahaha. Well, it’s okay. Even if you’re bald, I’ll take good care of you. Though it might be a bit funny.”

No response. It seems the word ‘bald’ really hit Rurin’s funny bone.

But I couldn’t just keep watching this ridiculous cycle of walking a bit, stopping to turn around and laugh at me, then walking and laughing again.

I stomped over, grabbed Rurin’s wrist, and started dragging her.

“Stop laughing and come along. I’m not going bald.”

“Hahahahaha!”

Rurin went limp as soon as I grabbed her wrist, letting herself get dragged. She seemed to enjoy being dragged, leaving long tracks in the dirt path where her shoes scraped the ground.

After repeating this struggle a few times, we finally arrived at the barbershop between Elena’s clinic and the market entrance.

I let go of Rurin’s wrist, feeling liberated, and entered the barbershop.

“Go together. Baldy! No, no, not baldy, you!”

Soon, Rurin, still spouting nonsense, hopped into the barbershop like a frog and, as usual, stuck close to my side, looking around.

I’ve come to the barbershop with Rurin quite often. So she’s not looking around out of curiosity. She’s looking for something.

Of course, it wasn’t Jont, the barber, that she was looking for. Her gaze was far away from Jont.

In terms of actual distance and mental distance, she’s probably light-years away. In other words, she has no interest at all.

“You’ve come, haven’t you?”

“Yes. I came right away. It’s obvious to anyone that it’s time for a trim.”

“Good job. People like me need frequent haircuts to make a living, you know.”

Jont laughed cheerfully and motioned me to the chair.

“Indeed. Sorry for not coming often.”

I responded to his comment, unsure if it was a joke or not, and walked toward the chair.

In this world, including Greek City, cutting and trimming hair is common.

There’s no ideology like in the Joseon Dynasty where touching hair was forbidden, nor is it a medieval Western world where people lived without washing.

Bathhouses are widespread, and hair is a part of the personality era. There are various hair colors, making it even more so.

So, there are quite a few barbershops in every city. The difference from modern times is that barbershops also take care of women’s hair.

There’s no concept of perms. It’s mostly cutting long hair or simply styling it.

The barbershop is small. Handmade wooden decorations are placed all around, and the flower pots are filled with bright spring flowers.

A subtle floral scent wafts through the air.

There’s only one chair. With Jont being the only barber, that’s to be expected. In front of the chair is a mirror with somewhat low reflectivity.

“Sit here. I’ll do it quickly since you need to do business in the evening.”

“Oh, thank you.”

I nodded and then spoke to Rurin.

“Sit quietly over there.”

“No.”

The response was a strong refusal.

“What will you do if you don’t?”

“I’ll watch closely. It’s fun to see you lose your hair without any resistance.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes!”

Well, suit yourself.

I took my coat off without bothering Rurin. They were somewhat thick, making it difficult to wear the gown.

I placed my coat on the back seat and sat back in the chair, and the barber draped a white gown over me.

“Alright, let’s start.”

Jont’s barber scissors, with years of experience, began to move.

Ching, ching.

The scissors clanged in the air. They soon approached my hair.

And Rurin’s face also came closer.

Huh?

Rurin’s face is closer than the scissors. There’s zero distance.

“Hey, Rurin?”

“You! Too close!”

“What are you talking about when you came close?”

“Heek!”

Rurin made a strange sound and moved back on her own. Jont laughed at the sight. Only after Rurin moved away did the scissors finally approach my hair.