I teach kendo in Tokyo

While the Kiryu brothers and sisters followed Danzi to the used bookstore, Shigeru Ikeda walked into the hair salon he often went to.

Store manager, I want a crew cut and dye my hair back to black.

The store manager who was arranging hairdressing equipment glanced at Shigeru Ikeda and curled his lips: Well, it's that time of year again.

Huh? Shigeru Ikeda looked at the store manager in confusion, When will it be?

Every time a new school year starts about a month ago, guys like you, Amao, will come over one after another and want to dye their hair back to black or have their hair flattened. The store manager said as he started to take apart the hair that had just been washed and washed it. The hair clipper was reinstalled.

Shigeru Ikeda looked surprised: Every year...are there many people like this?

Yes. The store manager nodded, glanced at Ikeda Shigeru, and fiddled with the hair hanging down to block his eyes, so the scar next to his eyes was exposed.

The store manager told young people like Ikeda that the scar was made by juggling with scissors in their spare time, but no one believed it.

Shigeru Ikeda asked in confusion: Why is this?

what why?

It's...this time of year...

Ah, this. The store manager came to where Ikeda was sitting, covered Ikeda with the scarf in his hand, and tidied it up, The school has started, there may be a change of classes, there will be a new teacher, and we will meet There are all kinds of new opportunities, and then someone slaps his head and asks the prodigal son to turn around and change his mind. This kind of thing is very common.

Is it... common?

Ikeda's expression darkened.

The store manager looked at his expression through the mirror and snorted: Don't say that you are different from them. To tell you the truth, every time I complain like this, the young man being complained about will emphasize that he is different.

“A lot of people ended up coming back to me to dye their hair back a few months later.”

That's right... Shigeru Ikeda seemed to want to retort, but in the end he couldn't say anything.

The store manager continued: By the way, summer vacation is the peak period for hair dyeing. There will be many new faces coming to dye their hair. They are looking forward to changing their look in the fall and debuting in high school.

Really?

Really, if you come to work here, you will see that during the summer vacation, sometimes a person with yellow hair can come in two days. By the way, the reason for many people is that they were dumped.

Because if you get dumped, you have to change yourself. If you dye your hair yellow, you can start a new life. Change is really cheap for young people nowadays.

After the store manager finished speaking, he kept holding the hair clipper and asked solemnly: So, Amao, do you still want to cut?

Shigeru Ikeda said without hesitation: Cut. I don't know if my thoughts are superficial and whether they will stop at a superficial level. How long can this impulse last? How could I possibly know such a thing.

But if...if I didn't start, I'd never know how far I could go.

The store manager sneered: Humph, you are good at saying nice things. But every word is bullshit. Instead of cutting your hair here, how about returning the money you extorted to the victim first? Don't do it for a long time and give it to me later. They still extort dirty money.

I returned it. Shigeru Ikeda said angrily, This is the first thing I did.

The store manager stopped what he was doing, looked at Shigeru Ikeda with a suspicious look on his face, and asked, Then what will you pay me for today?

I also have pocket money.

Really? Is your family in that situation?

Oh, hurry up and smooth my hair for me. I won't save you any money! Now I have this golden haircut, and no place where I work will hire me.

Of course. Recruiting a bad boy into a store is the same as putting a potential robber and thief in the store?

The store manager said in a teasing tone.

However, you can still go to places like nightclubs, right? And those run by the Yakuza...

I want to do a serious job. Shigeru Ikeda interrupted the store manager, I want to live a decent life with the money I earn in a decent way.

The store manager raised his eyebrows and sighed: Is that girl so beautiful? It takes away your soul.

I just said I'm not a girl! What's the deal with girls? I just saw a real hero, so I wanted to follow in the hero's footsteps.

After hearing what Shigeru Ikeda said, the store manager frowned and thought for a few seconds before hesitatingly said:

...You want to play Kamen Rider?

I don't!

Damn it, don't look back suddenly!

Ouch, my hair!

A few seconds later, Shigeru Ikeda looked at himself in the mirror with a ring on his head out of thin air, and he wanted to die.

The store manager was obviously suppressing a smile, and after a lot of effort, he finally managed to suggest: How about... I get you a samurai head?

Do you want me to be the laughing stock of the whole school tomorrow?

What does it matter? You just want to start over. Wouldn't it be appropriate to get a warrior head to highlight your determination?

Shigeru Ikeda pursed his lips and glared angrily at the store manager through the mirror, but in the end he didn't get as angry as before. He said, Forget it, shave my head. It will save money on dyeing my hair.

you sure?

A bald head is better than a samurai head! And many clubs in the sports department will shave their heads to express their ambitions, so it won't be too out of the ordinary...probably.

The last sentence Shigeru Ikeda said was very unconfident.

The store manager put away his smile and confirmed again with a serious look: Then it's bald. Are you sure? Are you really sure?

Shigeru Ikeda nodded.

So his golden hair was eradicated bit by bit, leaving a bare head.

After finishing the work, the store manager used a brush to brush the hair clipper and commented: Not bad. After shaving, the brightness of my entire store has more than doubled.

Shigeru Ikeda looked at himself in the mirror and took a deep breath.

Then he raised his hand and touched the smooth braised egg.

The feel is okay.

He stood up and took out the last bit of money he had - of course he usually didn't lack money for a haircut, but the situation was different now.

If you can't find a part-time job, the days are coming when you can only eat the cheapest bread at school for lunch.

The store manager returned the money to Shigeru Ikeda.

I just spent some money on electricity. This time it's free for you. Of course, if you come back in a few days to dye your hair back, then I'll charge you double.

The store manager paused and continued before Ikeda thanked him: It's hard for a prodigal to turn back. Your past and the karma you have already done will not let you go just because you change your mind.

“They will follow you like a shadow.

What's even more frightening is the stereotypes of the world. Soon you will find that no matter how many changes you make, in the eyes of others, you are still the same blond-haired bad boy Ikeda Shigeru.

This is much more difficult than being a demon king.

You were a delinquent in school, then became a bosozou, and finally joined the Yakuza as the lowest-level gangster. Although you are a heinous bastard, even though you may die at any time, and after your death, everyone will applaud and celebrate. But you will be happy until you die.”

Shigeru Ikeda listened to the store manager's words and looked at the bald head in the mirror.

He was silent for a while, and then suddenly asked: Then store manager, how did you turn around? How did you do it?

Me? The store manager showed a wild smile, I have never looked back. I am just old and forgotten. I can only guard this small store and wither quietly.

Shigeru Ikeda turned to look at the store manager with an unusually complicated expression.

Finally, he bowed to the store manager, turned around and strode away.

The store manager took out a cigarette, lit it for himself, came to the door of the hair salon, looked at the lonely night scene of the remote alley where the hair salon was located, and smoked quietly.

The Edogawa River flows quietly not far away, and on the other side of the river is the bustling city of Tokyo.