SWNOVELXO Chapter 15 - Holiday
The day after I heard about Karen’s mysterious resolution called the “Rehabilitate Me and Repay the Favor Project,” I realized something.
Indeed, until now, she had been very considerate and cautious around me.
“Hey, Karen-san, aren’t you—”
“It’s Karen.”
“… You’re not bored, just sitting there like that?”
“No, I find it quite interesting.”
Currently, I’m playing a game in my room, and Karen has been sitting next to me the whole time, watching me play.
How did this come to be?
“Well, could I watch you play your favorite game? I’m curious to know what kind of game it is,” she had said, suddenly visiting my room.
The Karen now is clearly more aggressive, more intrusive than before.
I couldn’t find a reason to refuse, and I thought she would get bored soon anyway, so I allowed her—but…
For several hours now, she’s been sitting beside me, quietly watching me play.
“If you’re not bored, that’s fine. Wanna give it a try?”
“Really? Can I?”
“Yeah, here you go.”
I let Karen try the game, and it turned out just as I expected.
She’s terrible. She can’t even control the character’s perspective.
“This is more difficult than I thought.”
“Well, you’re a beginner, so it’s natural. But why are you suddenly interested in this?”
“In what, exactly?”
“Watching me play. Is this a continuation of your effort to get to know me better from yesterday?”
“Yes, that’s right. Watching was fun, and it’s a wonderful hobby. It’s my first time playing a game, but it’s really interesting.”
Karen handed back the game controller, looking somehow satisfied.
“It’s frustrating, but it seems hard for me to get the hang of it right away. Your play just now, Seiichiro-kun, was really good.”
…Is she sincerely complimenting my gameplay?
Well, she doesn’t seem to be the type to make sly remarks.
I was getting tired, so I put the controller down and turned off the game.
When I looked back, Karen was still staring intently at me.
“What’s the matter?”
“Seiichiro-kun, you tie back your bangs when you play games?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah, they get in the way of my eyes. It helps me concentrate.”
“You don’t cut your hair?”
“Hair, huh? I don’t have any particular preference for my hairstyle.”
“It’s a hassle to go get it cut, and I don’t really like barbershops, so I usually let it grow long before cutting it all at once.”
“Saving the length of your hair—”
Karen chuckled at my words.
“Did I say something funny?”
“No, sorry. I just never thought of it that way, so I found it amusing.”
Well, I suppose it was a bit of a gamer’s way of thinking.
“If that’s the case, shall I cut it for you?”
“…What?”
Immediately after the game ended, taking advantage of the clear weather, Karen quickly prepared to cut my hair in the garden.
By the way, the garden should have been more overgrown, but Karen had cleaned it, leaving no weeds in sight.
How seriously does she work?
“So, what hairstyle should we go with?”
“Eh? Um, I don’t really care about anything complicated.”
Can an amateur like her really come up with and cut a hairstyle?
“Don’t worry, big brother. My sister is good at cutting hair! She’s the one who cuts mine, too!”
Erika, who had overheard our conversation about a haircut, was sitting on the veranda, watching us.
I see. No wonder she had the scissors and everything ready so quickly.
“Ah, I don’t really care, just do whatever.”
Karen carefully observed me from the front and sides before saying,
“Understood. I’ll just trim it a bit and make it shorter.”
She picked up the scissors.
Her face at such a close distance, both looking at it and being looked at, was quite something.
Snip, snip, at first she was careful with the scissors.
But soon she got used to cutting my hair, and the sound became light and rhythmic.
It felt strangely comforting, and I started to feel a bit drowsy.
On this sunny holiday, in a neat garden, I’m having my hair cut by Shinto Karen.
It felt so unreal, and I wondered if I was dreaming.
Maybe I’m in a dream world? Such a silly thought crossed my mind.
“Alright, I guess this is good?”
I felt her softly stroking my hair.
—Wha!?
Huh?
Was I really dozing off?
Apparently, I had really drifted into a dream world for a moment. I wasn’t sure where the dream ended and reality began. Was it a lucid dream?
Karen continued to gently stroke my head.
“…Um, Karen-san?”
“Ah! S-Sorry. The feeling of hair other than Erika’s was refreshing.”
Karen stopped stroking and brushed the hair off my body.
It looked like she was done, so I was about to stand up when Karen gently placed her hands on my shoulders.
“Huh? Are we not done?”
“Wait a moment, please. I have to finish up.”
Finish up? Is she going to massage my shoulders?
“…Alright, here I go.”
After a brief pause, Karen embraced my head from behind.
—Wait, what!?
What are you doing!?
“Wow! Are you going to do that to big brother too?”
“Eh? Um, well, since I do it for Erika when I cut her hair, I thought I should do it for you too?”
A back hug!? To my head!? What are you two usually up to!?
Well, it might be fine for sisters, but not for me!
“Ahaha! Hey, big brother, that’s like a charm my sister has been doing for me since we were kids. She cuts my hair and helps me forget about bad and painful things, saying ‘Let’s do our best again tomorrow!’ So, you mustn’t feel naughty, okay?”
Impossible! Her soft chest against the back of my head is way too distracting!
“This is really the end.”
Perhaps reacting to Erika’s words about “feeling naughty,” Karen suddenly released me.
…Her “getting involved in my personal life” reached even here. Could it mean she’s treating me the same way as her sister?
This, this is a situation where I could easily be swept away by strange emotions if I’m not careful.
In many ways, I thought I must not lose to Karen on this holiday afternoon.