💈A day when I could pause for a moment at that Showa-style salon #2 | A word from the barber...

Welcome to the world of "clu"tch 🌃
Welcome to the world of "clu" 🌠

Following the first episode, this is a delusional story.
I tried arranging it a bit like an essay.

An afternoon when a word from the barber melted my frozen heart

While getting a haircut, the barber, an older man, suddenly spoke to me.

"Are you off work today?"

Avoiding eye contact with myself in the mirror just a little,

"Yes, well, something like that," I answered vaguely.

In truth, it was just an afternoon with no particular plans.

For some reason, I felt a bit embarrassed to say that honestly.

"On days off, a walk is the best thing."

The man said that and set down the spray bottle.

"These days, everywhere is crowded, so a walk is just right. We're free, though, haha."

That unpretentious laughter echoed slowly through the quiet shop. There was nothing pushy about it at all, and the tension in my shoulders suddenly melted away.

For some reason, I felt like starting a conversation myself.

"Have you been running this shop for a long time?"

Then, the man began to talk happily—or rather, like a fish finding water, as if a dam had burst.

It's been 40 years now. I started back in 1981. Back when there was still a movie theater in front of the station. Do you remember? That old one called 'Ginzaiza'.

I didn't know it, but I nodded anyway.

From there, the old man's stories poured out like a waterfall.

The changes in the shopping district, stories of his hardships when he was young, tales of the regulars who come by, his favorite enka songs, and about his son...

I just listened intently.

It was different from just listening to words.

It felt like I was bathing my whole body in the 'warmth of the life he had lived'.

It wasn't just sound entering my ears, but a warmth that slowly seeped into my heart.

Even though we had just met, strangely, I didn't feel any distance between our hearts.

In fact, I even had the illusion that I had reunited with someone I had known for a long time.

Rather than a barber, he was like a town storyteller.

While wrapped in his storytelling, a part of my heart that had grown cold began to slowly warm up.

Afterword

A delusional episode at a certain 1,400 yen 💈 haircut

The manager keeps a 🐢 turtle 🐢

The story about the turtle was memorable, and
it seems his hobby is observing the turtle.

I remembered listening to him while thinking it was a strange hobby.

"I can watch a turtle for hours on end"

I'm sure it would be soothing if you just watched for a little while, but

even when I imagined it, I thought to myself that I wouldn't be able to watch it for that long.

I thought he was a charming person who had topics
that allowed for enjoyable conversation.

Even so, to be fulfilled by such a life

I think any hobby is fine.

Sharing your life with a living creature.

Sharing your life with plants.

"The haircut shop might also be just a small part of life"

"It could be said that the hairdresser is just a small part of life."

🌈In training as an AI creator🌈

Thank you for reading until the end.

I would be happy if this article could gently resonate with your heart, even just a little✨

See you in the next article!