(AN: FYI, Y/n's hair being long is a very important part of the storyline so bear with it for now)
Chapter 1
Y/n begrudgingly followed Jumi down the streets. The cheery girl was chatting to her nonstop, almost giving Y/n a headache but she sucked it up. Of course, the insecurity was hitting Y/n, watching passer-by's glancing and gawking at Jumi. She glared at two guys who stopped to stare at a clueless Jumi, making them straighten themselves up, walking away
"So... Who's Yuji?" She asked and Jumi glanced at Y/n
"Yuji is my cousin! Remember the card I gave you! It's Yuji's salon! I'm so proud of him, he was an apprentice just two years ago, but he has so much talent that he opened his own salon and its going very well! Once in a while you'd be lucky enough to catch a celebrity or two, getting their hair cut by him. I'm sure Yuji will give you an amazing cut!"
A feeling of reluctance hit Y/n, she fiddled with her braid quietly following behind Jumi but her thoughts went elsewhere...
"Oh Y/n.... Your hairs grown so long... It's almost reaching your mid back..." Her mother smiled, her nimble fingers stroking Y/n's locks... Y/n laughed, resting her head in her mother's lap, enjoying the soft petting on her head
"It just needs to grow a little bit more and then you're going to have the best hair, Okasan" She muttered. Her mother stopped stroking her hair and Y/n sat up... Looking at her mother's sickly face, making her feel sorrow... The older woman tugged the cap over her head, coughing a harshly, startling Y/n...
"Okasan! Are you okay? Here, water!" She panicked, handing her mother water but she shook her head, telling her to calm down
"I-I'm fine, dear... Don't worry... You panic too much..."
Y/n settled down and her mother sighed, pulling her cap off, feeling her bare head...
"I miss my hair... Looking at yours makes me so happy..." She muttered, and Y/n gripped her hand, biting her lip
"Just hang on a bit longer Okasan, I need it to grow just a few more inches and then they'll be able to make you any wig you like!"
Her mother gave her a small smile, not saying anything, just patting her lap, letting Y/n lay back down... Y/n closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth she felt, letting her mother comb her hair again with her fingers...
"Hey Y/n-chan, why so glum?" Jumi's face popped in front of her, startling Y/n.
Y/n let go of her braid, shaking her head
"I-It's nothing..."
Jumi didn't say anything, but she tugged Y/n down the street, before excitedly pointing towards a storefront.
"We're here!!!" She beamed, quickly pushing Y/n into the shop. Immediately the smell of hairspray and chemicals hit her nostrils. It was a comforting feeling... The staff were all quite fashionable, busily chattering with their clients while Jumi bounced to the reception desk
"Jumi-chan!" The receptionist beamed, coming from around the desk to hug Jumi, who laughed, hugging her back
"Hello Ami! How are you?"
Ami and Jumi had a quick conversation while Y/n stood awkwardly behind them. It only took a few minutes before another voice cut in from behind
"Heyyy! Look who's decided to drop by!" A cheery voice beamed, Y/n turned around and a man made his way to the group. He had a large grin on his hair, swiping his hair from his forehead. Y/n flushed; he was quite good looking... He glanced at Y/n, who suddenly felt shy, averting her gaze but Terushima grinned further, stepping closer
"Yuji!" Jumi smiled, pulling him in for a tight hug. Terushima hugged her back before they parted, and he diverted his attention to Y/n
"And who is this lovely lady?" He asked, making her blush again
"H-Hello... I'm Jumi's friend..." She muttered.
Terushima eyed her hair, and of course he couldn't help but grab her braid, his fingers trailing her fingers
"Wow! You've got such amazing quality hair! It's so thick!" He was in awe... Y/n was a little awkward, trying to casually pull her braid out of his hands. He noticed but didn't say anything, just grinning
"Nice to meet you! I'm Terushima Yuji, welcome to my salon!" He laughed, draping his arm on Jumi's shoulders. Jumi looked between Y/n and Terushima, grinning
"This is L/n Y/n! She's my bestfriend at work!" Jumi laughed and Y/n tried not to raise a brow
'Best friend... Okay, that's new...' She thought...
"So, what brings you guys here today? Are you here to see your beau, Jum?" Terushima teased, making Jumi blush, hushing him
"Sh-Shut up!"
Y/n raised a brow,
"You have a boyfriend?" She asked and Terushima burst out laughing while Jumi turned red like a tomato
"I do not! I-I came to bring Y/n in for an appointment"
Y/n's brows furrowed in confusion
"An appointment?" She asked but Jumi let out a squeak, hiding behind Terushima when another guy walked in, holding a broom. He seemed very nervous, quietly sweeping the floor and Y/n looked back and forth between them. Terushima grinned,
"Haruto! Jumi's here, come say hi!"
"Yuji!" Jumi whispered/whined
Haruto squeaked, his cheeks were burning, the broom in his hand shaking where he eyed a shy Jumi, he pushed his thick glasses up his face... Y/n realised Jumi had a crush on him, just seeing her shy demeanour made her amused... It was the total opposite from the office... but what surprised her even further was that Haruto was quite ordinary, the total opposite of Saburo...
"H-Hello J-Jumi-san! You look lovely!" He said louder than intended, blushing harder. Jumi laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck
"H-Hi Haruto... Thank you"
Terushima put his hands-on Y/n's shoulders, forcing them to walk away from Jumi and Haruto
"I'm gonna talk to Y/n about her appointment, see you guys!" He grinned, pushing Y/n towards a chair, sitting in front of her
"Sorry Y/n-chan but those two are really... something... Jumi keeps using any excuse to come here to see Haruto, he's my current apprentice! Good kid but very shy..." He muttered glancing at his cousin and employee, struggling to talk to each other...
"Anyways, what can I do for you today? Haircut?" He asked and she hesitated, shaking her head
"I'm not sure why Jumi brought me here... I think it was to see Haruto... Um, I'm not really interested in a haircut or anything..." She muttered and he hummed, leaning forward, making her hold her breath when he gripped her braid again... Terushima's fingers looped into the hair tie, pulling it off the end of her braid
"H-Hey!" She said but he ignored her, opening her hair, eyes widening as he fanned it out
"Whoa, this is the first time, I've met someone with such long hair!" He gushed, his fingers combing through her hair... He rubbed the ends of her hair, humming
"It's a bit dry towards the end and you do have split ends... Maybe I could trim your hair for you?" He suggested and she shook her head
"No thanks... I'm good..."
He ruffled her hair a bit, letting it sit loosely in front of her... Leaning back, Terushima observed her face... She tried to remain stoic, but his gaze was intense and the longer he stared, the shyer she felt. He wanted to chuckle at her flustered face but he bit back a grin
"I've got a full day of appointments but maybe you could come back in the evening? It's cool if you don't wanna cut your hair but at least let me give it a protein treatment, bring some life back into it"
Y/n looked at her hair, he was right... the ends were quite dry... She was too reluctant to cut it... But maybe a treatment wouldn't be so bad...
"Alright..." She muttered and Terushima grinned, clapping his hands
"Great! I'm super stoked" He beamed, and she nodded, fiddling with her fingers... Jumi had made her way back to them, but her shyness was gone. Instead, she was grinning ear to ear, turning to look at Haruto, who had a small smile on his lips as he cleaned up
"Sorry Y/n! Is everything alright here?" She asked them and Terushima gave her a thumbs up
"Yup, I'll be giving Y/n's hair a protein treatment in the evening!"
Jumi groaned, pressing her hands to her cheeks
"Oh gosh! I'm not free in the evening! Um... Haruto-kun and I are going out for drinks..." She said shyly, fiddling with her fingers. Terushima grinned and Y/n raised a brow,
"My, my... You finally managed to ask him out. Please go easy on the poor guy, he's just a kitten..."
Y/n giggled, looking at Haruto... Terushima's description was accurate... Jumi looked at Y/n,
"Say, you'll be fine on your own with Yuji? If he does anything weird to you, call me immediately. I'll come beat his ass up!"
"Excuse me? Stop making me sound like a creep..." Terushima scoffed and Jumi crossed her arms, looking at Y/n
"Don't be deceived by Yuji, he was quite the player back in the day... He's only just sorted out his ways... He used to look like a wannabe gangsta... I swear..." Jumi laughed and Terushima scoffed, rolling his eyes
"Shaddap Jumi... Should I show your highschool photos to Haruto–"
"Don't you dare!" Jumi screeched, whacking Terushima's back, making him hiss. Y/n felt the need to cut in
"Um... I'll be fine with Terushima-san... Don't worry Jumi..." She muttered, quieting the cousins down and Terushima had his hands on his hips, smirking
"See? Y/n-chan trusts me. So you best be on your way before I share those photos with him..."
Jumi rolled her eyes,
"Fine, I'll be back to drop Y/n off and then Haruto-kun and I are gonna go on our date! See you!"
Before Y/n could say anything, Jumi pulled her up and marched out of the shop. She turned her head once, looking at Terushima who was still watching her, a cheeky smile on his face, waving at her. She blushed, waving back before following quickly behind Jumi.
Terushima was still grinning ear to ear, he almost didn't hear Haruto behind him
"Boss?" Haruto muttered and Terushima hummed,
"Sup, Bro-in-law?" He teased, making Haruto blush
"Um, I thought you had plans tonight? Wont you get late if you do that girl's hair?"
Terushima tilted his head, smirking at the younger man
"Haru-kun... I know you're in love with Jumi so you were too blind to see that gorgeous heavenly creature who walked in with her... Call her a girl now... But once I treat that hair... You'll see the woman I'm envisioning"
Haruto was flustered but Terushima stood up from his seat, draping an arm over his coworker, heading towards the kitchen
"So, let me give you some tips that'll win Jumi over..." He rambled but his thoughts kept going back to her...
"So... How long have you like Haruto?" Y/n asked, watching Jumi blush as they walked away
"A little while now... He's so cute, no!?" Jumi beamed and Y/n didn't want to be rude, so she nodded
"Yeah..."
"Shall we get some lunch and then go shopping? I want to get some cute clothes for my date! Do you think he'll spend the night with me?" She asked and Y/n was flustered,
"Spend the night!? A-Already? It's your first date..." She muttered but Jumi laughed, slapping Y/n's back, making her hiss
"Hehe you're so cute. Of course I want to fuck him! He's so cute, oh my gosh!" Putting her hands to her cheeks, "I bet you he's a bottom, but I don't mind at all! I kinda like being in control" She winked, making Y/n even more shy
"Right..."
Jumi hummed,
"Say, when was the last time you got laid?" She asked and Y/n spluttered, not expecting that question
"J-Jumi!" She squeaked and Jumi gasped,
"Oh my gosh, are you a virgin? It's totally okay! I won't judge!"
Y/n rolled her eyes, a little conscious that they were in public
"I'm not a virgin... It's just been a while..." She mumbled under her breath and Jumi raised a brow,
"How long... is a while?"
Biting her lip, she was hesitant, but she sighed, it's not like she could lie
"Probably been two years... The last time I did it was before I moved here..."
Jumi's eyes widened and Y/n groaned when she gasped again,
"Y/n! I need to set you up with someone! You can't continue this dry spell any longer!"
"Jumi... can you not be so loud? We're in public..." She muttered and Jumi covered her mouth, whispering an apology
"Sorry! But I think you need to get over Saburo-san... I respect him as team leader but as a human being... He's trash! It makes me so mad to hear how rude he was to you! Say Y/n, I hope you don't hate me..." Jumi muttered and Y/n stopped walking,
"Why would I hate you?"
Jumi looked awkward, rubbing the back of her neck
"About the note... He told me it was meant for me, but I promise you, I had no idea! I've barely interacted with him! I swear I only have eyes for Haru-kun!" Jumi seemed sincere and Y/n felt bad, shaking her head
"I don't hate you Jumi... Its not your fault at all... Besides, you can't control a person's feelings... That idiot put the note on the wrong desk but I'm kinda happy he did..."
"You are?"
Y/n nodded,
"Mhmm, because I got to see his true colours... He's a conceited narcissistic asshole. I'm so glad you rejected him. He's so full of himself... What an asshole, telling me that he's too 'modern' for someone like me... Like, go fuck yourself!" Y/n spat and Jumi laughed,
"Exactly! Saburo-san can fuck off!"
Y/n thought back to yesterday and she was beginning to feel foul, remembering all the things people at the office would say about her... She caught sight of her reflection in the shop's mirror, while Jumi rummaged for clothes...
"Jumi... Am I really a plain jane?" She asked and Jumi stopped rummaging
"Y/n... Don't let what the others say get to you... They're all trying their best to one up each other in the office. You dress the way you like and feel comfortable, there's nothing wrong in that... But I do feel that you are hiding away your true potential because you're scared..."
"Scared?" Y/n asked and Jumi nodded,
"Yeah... I feel like you put yourself down before anyone else can... Being comfortable is not so bad but... Coming out of your comfort zone is also good... I've seen your sketches; those outfits are incredible! Why don't you wear your own designs?" Jumi asked and Y/n felt uncomfortable again...
"I-I don't kno– It's probably because I know those clothes won't look good on someone like me"
Jumi sighed, shaking her head
"See!? You've put yourself down again! Y/n I can definitely see you making your own name in the future but for that, you need confidence! From what I see, you're not shy by any means, but you're reserved... I think you need to prove everyone in the office that they're wrong. Let's shut them up once and for all... Fucking Saburo thought that him and I would be a power couple in the office?" Jumi scoffed, rolling her eyes
"Puh-lease... If you and I team up, Y/n... We can show everyone who's boss. No one has the right to call you plain jane. What do you say?" Jumi asked, extending her hand to Y/n. Y/n looked at Jumi's hand and then at her friend's encouraging face...
She really didn't want to be the office Plain Jane. She knew Jumi was right... Her designs were far better than anyone else, but no one took her seriously because of her appearance. She knew how ugly minded city folk were... Beautiful people paved the way for everyone in that company... She didn't want to be anybody's door mat...
Her hand grasped Jumi's, squeezing it and nodding
"Let's do this."
~
Y/n and Jumi stood outside of Terushima's salon, Jumi was currently checking her outfit, now letting the nerves hit her
"Oh... I hope its not too much..." She muttered but Y/n shook her head, smiling
"You look beautiful, Jumi... I can only hope Haruto doesn't melt into a puddle of goo when he sees you"
Jumi blushed and Y/n hissed again when the woman excitedly swatted her back
"You're so nice Y/n!" Jumi laughed
Y/n shook her head again,
"No Jumi... You're the nice one here... I've been nothing but rude to you since you joined work..." She bowed, startling Jumi
"I'm sorry for the way I treated you before! I sincerely hope we'll always be friends"
Y/n heard sniffles, looking up at Jumi who was getting teary-eyed,
"Erm, Jumi-chan, are you alrigh–"
The wind was almost knocked out her lungs when Jumi tackled her into a death inducing hug, shaking the girl side to side
"Oh Y/n! I'm so happy!!! I've always wanted to get along with you!!! Oh, stop making me cry! My makeups getting ruined" Jumi whined, dabbing her wet lashes. Y/n chuckled,
"I can see Haruto-kun making his way outside! Goodluck Jumi!" Y/n grinned and Jumi held in a gleeful expression, excitement filling her
"I hope you have a good time with Yuji! I'll call you later!" Jumi straightened herself when a shy Haruto appeared and Y/n gave her one more smile, before walking into the salon.
She was a little surprised to see it was empty, standing there awkwardly she wasn't sure what to do...
She heard humming coming from the back room and in a matter of moments, Terushima walked out, singing louder because his headphones were plugged in
"Shit!" He almost slipped, startled when he caught sight of her...
"Sorry!" She squeaked and he yanked his headphones out,
"You scared me! I almost had a heart attack..." He laughed and she did too
"I'm sorry! I thought the salon was closed... No one's here?" She said, gesturing to the empty chairs and he rubbed the back of his neck
"Yeah... I had a full day booked so the only time I had for your appointment was now..."
Y/n raised a brow,
"You know I could always book an appointment... You didn't have to work overtime..."
Terushima grinned, walking towards his work station
"Yeah I know I could've booked you in for later but something tells me, you'd never show up" He teased, pulling the salon chair back. Y/n hummed, setting her things down, taking the seat in front of the mirror
"That's just your incorrect assumption. I'm sitting right here, aren't I?"
He chuckled, untying her hair yet again, the brush in his hand combing through
"I'm glad you didn't flake out... I haven't been able to get your hair out of my mind..." He muttered, now concentrating on just her hair. Y/n didn't say anything, she just watched him as he continued brushing her hair
"How long has it been since your last haircut?" He asked and she shrugged, staying nonchalant
"6 years."
He stopped brushing her hair, giving her a curious look form the mirror
"That's a long time..." He muttered and she nodded,
"Yup."
Terushima was amused by how unbothered she was acting... He wondered why her guard was up so high... His usual friendly chatter always wooed his clients over but this one, she was tough... After he finished brushing through her hair, he brought her towards the sink, draping a cape around her shoulders.
Y/n sighed when she felt the warm water flowing through her scalp... She almost gasped when his long fingers snaked through her hair, fingers massaging her scalp, lathering the shampoo up... The smell of the scented product hit her nose, it had such a calming effect... She swore she could almost fall asleep from his massage
"How does that feel?" Terushima asked, glancing at the expressions on her face...
"Good, right?" He muttered lowly and she just nodded. She wasn't sure why her heart was beginning to pace...
"Y-yeah... It's nice..." She mumbled, feeling herself relax while he continued his ministrations. Terushima grinned to himself, he had her where he wanted
"So, care to tell me why you're scared of cutting your hair?" He asked and she opened her eyes, the relaxation on her face was gone, just stress filling her again
"Why are you so obsessed with my hair?"
"Well I am a hairdresser... Its my job to take interest in my client's hair."
"Sorry to bore you but I've just been too lazy to cut it, okay."
Terushima decided to drop the conversation, just concentrating on finishing the wash up before leading her back to the seat where he combed her hair again. Lifting a bottle, he showed her
"This product will soften and moisturise your length... If you're not interested in cutting your hair, you should at least treat it with hair oil or masks once in a while."
She took his words into consideration, thinking about it
"How often should I oil my hair? And what oil do you recommend?"
Terushima grinned, she was becoming a little chattier and he decided to take advantage of it, recommending his tips to her. She listened intently, adding further to their conversation while he continued to treat her hair.
(AN: I'm wondering, what kind of hair treatments do you guys do? I'm crap with my skincare routine but I'm obsessed with my hair)
The mood lightened between them and she found herself giggling at his jokes. She was on edge from Jumi's earlier remarks about her 'player' of a cousin, but he wasn't making any weird advances on her...
That kind of made her heart drop just a smidge... Maybe she really was that unattractive that even someone who was labelled as a flirt... Wouldn't even flirt with her...
'Don't put yourself down... You're a client, it'd be inappropriate for him to flirt on the job...' She tried consoling herself. While the product conditioned her hair, he leaned down, making her flustered from the closeness but Terushima only smirked, his hand reached for the chair's lever, leaning the seat back...
She held her breath when he observed her face, humming
"You need to relax a little, doll. I know just the thing"
She wondered what he was up to, but she was startled when he placed two cucumbers on her eyes, almost making her flinch but he gripped her shoulders
"Relax." He said and she stayed put, now that her vision was obstructed, she was nervous and her embarrassment was only fuelled when his fingers began pressing her shoulder blades, making her moan.
Immediately shutting her mouth, she was actually appalled. Terushima froze for a moment...
That moan...
It actually sent a tingle down his spine... Licking his bottom lip,
"Your body is quite... tense... Let me loosen you up a bit."
She bit her lip, when he resumed his massage... He focused on her, trying his level best to hear her moaning again but she held her ground...
She tried to hold in her grunts and moans because he pressed against all the right pressure points, making her breath a little harder... She began realising just how touch starved she was... It embarrassed her from just how turned on she was getting from a simple massage... It had been far too long... but a massage shouldn't have gotten her panties feeling wet...
"Hey... You seem to be a bit tense over here too" Terushima muttered and her brows furrowed in confusion
"Wh-What?"
His hand travelled down and she gasped feeling his hand squeeze her breasts
"What are you doing?" She gasped but he hushed her, his hands unhooking her bra from over her top
"Your chest seemed constricted... I'm just helping your blood flow, that's all" He teased and before she could say anything his fingers gripped her breasts, making her moan when he teased her nipples on her shirt
"Oh man... You have such sexy moans... I can feel them getting hard already" She could hear the excited buzz in his voice
"W-Wait, please..." She whimpered but he pushed one hand under her shirt to directly play with her tit, the other hand sneaking under the waistband of her trousers...
"Oh wow, you're so wet... Just from a bit of nipple teasing?" He chuckled, flustering her...
"C'mon doll, you can't continue this dry spell any longer... Let me help..." he whispered in her ear, making her quiver... She furrowed her brows in confusion, why did that sound so familiar...
"Y/n?" Terushima called...
"Y/n...?"
She felt a little shake and Y/n quickly sat up, confused looking around her... The cucumbers fell off her eyes and she realised her clothes weren't out of place... Instead, an amused Terushima looked at her,
"Welcome back sleepy head, you were knocked out cold from that massage! I would've let you sleep a little longer but its time to wash the product out..."
She was still in a daze, the realisation of her wet dream kicking in... and she wanted to die... How pathetic of her... She just met the guy an hour ago and she already had a dirty dream about him... She was thankful the cape was still draped over her because she felt insecure from the wetness that had pooled into her panties...
"S-Sorry... You give good massages... I couldn't help but doze off"
Terushima laughed, bringing her back to the sink
"Yeah... I've been told I'm quite... skilled with my hands" he winked at her and she blushed, remembering her unintentional dream... She felt insecure, wondering deep down if Terushima had the magical power of reading her thoughts... She knew it was impossible but the way he teased her just now... It was too much of a coincidence...
"Well, lets see the end result then." She muttered and he grinned, holding the showerhead in his hand
"Challenge accepted"
Of course, they continued their banter and she was trying to stop herself from thinking about him lewdly but the more they joked around, she was becoming hyper aware of the little innuendos he threw it... The rest of the blow dry went by in a breeze, before she knew it, he was already uncurling the rollers in her hair...
Terushima was humming to himself, styling her hair the best he could before he grinned, hands on his hips, letting out a whistle
"Damn Y/n... I don't think you're ready to see this!"
She felt anxious, rolling her eyes but she couldn't help but feel anxiety
"Show me, please..."
He swirled her chair around to face the mirror and it almost took her minute... It wasn't like a life changing experience; she was literally the same person as before but her hair...
She had never seen her hair like this... It felt so open, she felt so free
"Well..." Terushima said behind her and she turned her head to look at him... He was a little startled to see the tears dotting the corner of her eyes
"I-I..." She started, taking a deep breath, "I'm sorry I underestimated you... I'm actually in shock..."
She sniffled quietly before giving him a smile
"Thank you, Terushima-san!" She laughed and he swore he felt his heart flutter... He admit that he found her super attractive but in this moment, she looked absolutely ethereal... A blush grew on his face and he rubbed the back of his neck
"I-I'm glad you like it! I hope you'll come see me again" He said and she stood up, eagerly nodding
"Definitely! I'm so happy right now! I can't wait to show Jumi" She laughed again and he smiled,
"You look beautiful"
She froze, her heart almost skipping a beat... How long had it been since she heard those words...? She couldn't even remember... She tried to still her beating heart, bringing herself down from cloud nine
"Shall we sort out the bill then?" She asked and he put his hand up
"It's on the house"
Her jaw dropped and she shook her head
"No way, I refuse. You literally spent two hours on me... There's no way I'm letting you do that. I won't take a freebie..." She argued bit Terushima just crossed his arms, humming
"Then how about you treat me to drinks instead, doll?"
Y/n flushed,
"Now?" She asked and he nodded,
"Mhmm, I just gotta lock up and then I'm free for the night... You down?" He asked and she thought for a moment before nodding
"I'm down"