Chapter 139: Combing Hair for the First Time
"No need."
Shingetsu said it with a straight face. Having reached this point, she had no reason to back down. To retreat now would feel like a blow to her self-esteem.
"Have it your way, then. I've given you my warning," Chiya stopped trying to persuade her and swiped the card to open the door.
Gauging it with a glance, the room was a luxury double of about fifty or sixty square meters. It couldn't compare to a full apartment suite, of course, as it was just a temporary lodging for two. Still, the facilities were complete, everything was provided, and the interior was spotless.
After putting away his luggage, Chiya sat on a lounger to rest for a moment. "I'll take you to buy those new clothes in a bit."
"Good. I hope you have good taste and can pick out something suitable for me," Shingetsu said. "I'm going to take a shower first."
To go shopping with Chiya, she specifically wanted to freshen up first.
"Go ahead. Do you need me to step out for a moment?" Chiya asked casually.
"There's no need. You aren't that kind of person. Besides, if you truly wanted to do something, I wouldn't be able to resist anyway." Shingetsu took out a bath towel, a clean uniform, and undergarments from her suitcase before entering the bathroom.
Chiya gave a small smile and didn't say anything else. He picked up a book he had been flipping through and draped it over his face to block out the overhead light.
About ten minutes later, Shingetsu emerged from the bath. She was wrapped only in a towel; she seemed accustomed to coming out like this to blow-dry her hair first.
Chiya had been resting on the lounger with his eyes closed, but the sound of Shingetsu leaving the bathroom caused him to instinctively open them. The book on his face didn't completely block his peripheral vision. Seeing Shingetsu in such an unguarded state, he immediately closed his eyes again.
Eventually, once her hair was dry and she had changed back into her military uniform, Shingetsu came over to wake him. "Otonashi, it's time to go."
"Alright." Chiya hadn't been asleep to begin with, so he promptly removed the book from his face.
As he opened his eyes to get up, he noticed that Shingetsu's long, freshly dried hair was a bit disheveled and hadn't been tucked into her cap. He couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you going to comb your hair first?"
Hearing this, Shingetsu brushed a few strands away from her forehead. "I usually just stuff it into my cap. I've lost the habit of grooming it."
She hadn't cared about it at all before because she didn't care about the gaze of others. But now that Chiya had brought it up, she couldn't help but be mindful of it.
Seeing that Chiya didn't make any further move, Shingetsu took the initiative: "Comb it for me."
"Okay." Chiya had a comb in his suitcase. He figured he'd just give it a few quick passes.
However, once he actually started, he found himself becoming involuntarily serious about it. Shingetsu sat in a chair while Chiya stood behind her. Being so close, he could naturally smell the fragrance on her, though it was mostly the scent of shampoo and body wash.
As his fingertips brushed through her hair, it suddenly occurred to Chiya that this was the first time he had ever combed a girl's hair. All he could do was try to make it look less messy and give her a decent-looking style.
"Your technique feels quite amateur. Have you never combed a girl's hair before?" Shingetsu suddenly asked.
"No, this is the first time. If there's anything you're unsatisfied with, just tell me how to improve," Chiya admitted frankly.
"No need. This is already enough," Shingetsu replied, her tone sounding notably pleasant.
After all, she was the first—and currently only—one to have Chiya personally comb her hair. In fact, she preferred his technique to be as amateur as possible, as it meant the process would last much longer.
"Then I'll just keep going as I was." Chiya continued with his original approach. His movements were slow and unpracticed, but not clumsy, and he was exceptionally careful. Feeling that level of attentiveness, Shingetsu felt a wave of joy in her heart.
Feeling that he was finished, Chiya stopped. "It's done. Why don't you look in the mirror and see how it feels?"
Hearing this, Shingetsu moved the mirror on the desk over to take a look. "It feels great," she said with satisfaction.
It was certainly much better than her previous disheveled state, and the fact that Chiya had put so much heart into it meant the world to her.
"Then we can head out." Chiya put the comb away and grabbed the room card, ready to leave.
Once again, Shingetsu chose not to put on her military cap, leaving the hair Chiya had just combed for her on full display.
"By the way, you haven't been wearing your cap much lately?" Chiya had noticed this trend for a while now. He hadn't thought much of it once or twice, but after so many instances, he couldn't help but be curious.
"I just feel like this is better. I don't want to keep being mistaken for a man," Shingetsu said, offering a casual excuse. She certainly didn't want Chiya to know she was doing this to deter him from attracting other women while they were out.
"I see..." Chiya didn't question the truth behind her words, assuming she had simply grown tired of her cross-dressing persona.
"However..." At the thought of her cross-dressing, Chiya's eyes instinctively flickered toward her chest. It was still perfectly flat, like a runway. He couldn't help but ask, "Even though you've taken off the cap, are you still tying that cloth so tightly?"
Shingetsu knew immediately what he meant by "that cloth." She replied calmly, "I don't have anything else besides that cloth. It's either that or going completely without. But if you really prefer it, I wouldn't mind wearing nothing at all underneath."
Her icy tone carried a sense of sincerity that didn't sound like she was joking. It felt as if Chiya only had to say the word and she would truly do it.
"..."
Chiya could immediately imagine the scene. "Never mind then, I spoke too much."
Though he didn't claim to be a perfect gentleman, he wasn't so low-brow as to take things that far. Chiya coughed lightly. "Well, while we're out buying clothes this time, we should also get you plenty of things to wear underneath."
Seeing Chiya flustered, Shingetsu felt a surge of secret delight. It was precisely because she knew he wasn't that kind of man that she dared to tease him with a hint of seduction.
Even if she accidentally played with fire and got burned, she was confident she could still maintain her dignity!