[CH.51] The Reason She Cuts Her Hair
**TL Notes: So as not to confuse you all, I made a list of the characters that get mentioned in this chapter that you may have forgotten before. Sumire Matsuda: MC (toxic positivity person) Yoko Ando (Yoko-san): Sumire's manager. Azusa Oshima: Sumire's mentor. Director Kanzaki: An antagonist. |
"Sumire-chan, you're solving your homework at an incredible speed, but is that your summer vacation assignment?"
"Yes, that's right. This, and a book report, and I'm pretty much done."
In the dressing room at the studio, I was diligently working on my homework that I had brought with me. The cameraman, who was capturing my activities with his camera, started a conversation. I couldn't see much value in capturing me doing homework at a table, but this cameraman seemed to be deliberately aiming for that.
By the way, this person wasn't part of the movie crew but was responsible for shooting behind-the-scenes footage. The footage captured would be used to create a making-of video if the movie became a hit. I had already been confirmed for several TV appearances, so I planned to promote the film as much as possible.
During this era, even when it came to close-up coverage of girls, there were very few female camerawomen. Perhaps it was because the number of female camerawomen was extremely low, and lugging heavy equipment and carrying a large camera on one's shoulder was considered a male-dominated field. So, the person capturing my actions was a middle-aged man in his thirties or forties. We chatted, and I found out that he had a daughter in middle school and a son in elementary school. He was a father of two.
I was thinking whether someone with ample fatherhood experience would be more likely chosen for in-depth interviews with children. As I pondered this, someone knocked on the dressing room door. Could it be Yoko-san, who had gone out to buy drinks a while ago? However, Yoko-san shouldn't be the one knocking, so I replied with curiosity, "Yes."
Then, the door opened with a clatter, and it was Director Kanzaki and, for some reason, a displeased-looking Yoko-san. Perhaps Yoko-san was rather tough on the director, probably because she saw me being manipulated by his unconventional ideas. The director may be aware of it and not reprimand Yoko-san, but she should try to keep it in check because her patience might have a limit someday. I don't think Director Kanzaki would do anything improper, but you never know.
"Oh, Sumire-san. Were you doing your homework? Sorry for interrupting."
"No, it's okay. Is the filming on a break?"
"Kato-kun, in an unusual turn of events, got completely stuck and kept causing retakes. So, I decided to take an extended break for a change of mood."
I was surprised to hear the director say this with a wry smile. Kato-san plays the role of Ryuji Takada, the best friend of Nakamura and me in this movie. Despite being a young actor, he is highly praised for his acting skills and is as popular as Nakamura, often in high demand. I know that he has been flawless so far, so I couldn't have imagined a situation where he keeps causing retakes. But Kato-san is also human, and everyone makes mistakes. In fact, there have been too few retakes on this set. I also feel quite pressured while acting and can't let my guard down.
The director sat across from me on the chair I was sitting in. After Yoko-san handed me the sports drink she had bought, she stood behind me. I suggested that she could sit in the chair next to me, but she smiled and declined, saying, "I'm fine here, thank you, Sumire." While I didn't mind Yoko-san's choice, I couldn't help but feel a strong presence from behind, sending shivers down my spine.
Sensing that there might be something they wanted to talk to me about from the atmosphere between the director and Yoko-san, I closed the summer break workbook I had been leafing through on the table with a pat. I bundled other printouts together and pushed them towards the edge of the table.
"Sumire, your hair has been long since we met. Have you always kept it that way?" the director suddenly asked.
I tilted my head slightly in response to Kanzaki's question, not quite understanding the intention behind it. Nonetheless, I nodded in agreement and replied, "Yes, when I was really little, my mother used to keep it short. But as I grew up and learned to tie it and take care of it myself, I've been letting it grow."
"Hmm, I wonder if your mother prefers it short?"
"Well, it's more that she didn't like spending time on her daughter's hair care during busy mornings. For housewives, those few minutes in the morning are precious, you know."
I woke up with a clear adult consciousness soon after being reincarnated, but my body didn't quite respond the way I wanted it to. Nevertheless, by the time I was around three years old, I could somewhat skillfully move my fingers and hands, so I have memories of starting to let my hair grow a bit before I started going to kindergarten. It was the first step in trying to get closer to the ideal girl so that I wouldn't appear too unnatural as a girl. I don't have much confidence that I've become like the cute girls I admired when I was a boy.
"Do you have a personal attachment to long hair, Sumire?"
"Well, I think longer hair is more versatile, and you can try different styles with the people in the dorm. But I don't have a strong attachment to it. I'd be open to trying different hairstyles as long as they're not extremely short, though."
I haven't tried different styles before because I wasn't sure if they would suit me. But as I watch my hair getting closer to my back, I'm starting to feel that it might be time for a haircut. It also takes a lot of shampoo and conditioner when it's long, so cutting it to shoulder-length might be just right.
I can sense the director's intention behind his questions about my hair, but since he hasn't said anything conclusive, I think I'll just play dumb for now. It would be embarrassing if I brought up a completely unrelated topic.
The director had been repeating the action of opening his mouth as if to say something, only to close it repeatedly. But it seemed like he had finally made up his mind, and he began to speak about the reason for coming here.
"Actually, you know, I've been discussing this with Ando-san and Azusa-san for over a year, but I just couldn't get their approval."
With this preamble, the director's explanation was quite similar to what I had been thinking. In simple terms, he proposed to cut my hair drastically for the filming. I turned around to look at Yoko-san, who gave me a nod with a somewhat resigned expression. Well, in this era, there were still quite a few people who attached a special meaning to cutting a woman's hair.
Many actors cut their hair for roles, but they are usually adults. Requesting something like this from a child like me might be met with aversion, I thought.
While contemplating these thoughts, the director continued with his explanation. When he was thinking about what kind of movie to make with me as the lead, he initially considered having me play a more boyish role, as he had mentioned before. However, he also had another scene in mind. This scene involved me cutting my own hair with my own hands, and it sounded like something out of a horror movie when you hear it in isolation.
The director was determined to film this scene no matter what and first approached Yoko-san, my assigned manager. You can probably tell from Yoko-san's threatening demeanor that she was naturally furious and firmly rejected the idea. Still, the director couldn't give up and went to talk to Azusa-san next. Azusa-san, who sometimes changes her hairstyle for her acting roles, was more open to the discussion than Yoko-san, but she still had reservations about cutting a child's hair for adult convenience and eventually declined. I can understand the hesitation, considering how unnecessarily long my hair is, and the idea of cutting about 40 cm of it made me hesitate too.
The director had been rejected firmly by both Yoko-san and Azusa-san, but he just couldn't give up and continued to plead with them repeatedly. He should have just talked to me in the first place instead of doing all that. Not doing that probably means that the director himself may have felt a sense of aversion or guilt about it. However, while being kind is a virtue, I believe that if you really want something, you should go all the way. Being half-hearted is what causes trouble, like in this situation.
The director didn't write it in the script because he didn't know how it would turn out, but he had been negotiating with Azusa-san behind the scenes, and recently, she finally gave in. However, she set the condition that my consent must be obtained and must not be ignored. Yoko-san was apparently shocked because she never thought that Azusa-san would reluctantly give her approval. Personally, I felt Azusa-san's love in the fact that she entrusted the decision to me rather than being too shocked.
Now, what should I do? I think I've already fulfilled more than half of the reasons for growing my hair, and most people probably don't look at me now and think, "Oh, he looks too boyish or strange." It's mainly for work reasons now.
"Yoko-san, do you remember if there were any jobs I'm currently involved in where I shouldn't cut my hair?"
"Well, there weren't any specific hair length requirements for magazine modeling, so I think it's fine... Wait a minute, Sumire, are you seriously considering this?"
Yoko-san grabbed my shoulders and shook me back and forth while letting out a scream-like voice, and it was making me feel nauseous. I lightly tapped her hand placed on my shoulder a few times, and my protest seemed to get through to her as she stopped shaking me. Oh, my head is spinning.
"It's not like I had a strong attachment to having long hair, so it's fine. Thank you for worrying, Yoko-san."
To be honest, I had been looking for an opportunity to cut my hair. If cutting my hair could add realism and impact to the work, it would not only benefit the production but also be useful for me as a fellow performer in the same project.
Perhaps sensing my determination, Yoko-san let out a small sigh. From her perspective, she had been standing up to the director to protect me, but now that I had accepted it, she had no standing left. I should apologize and express my gratitude properly later. If I act as if it's natural for her to protect me, she might get fed up with it someday, so it's important to do these things properly.
"So, it's okay to cut my hair for the filming. However, I would like to set a few conditions from my side as well, and if you agree to them..."
"Oh, thank you, Sumire. I intend to accept all your wishes. Just tell me anything!"
The director leaned forward from the table, tightly grasped my hand, and said so with joy in his voice. I chuckled, and as I did, Yoko-san's hand reached out from behind and she firmly smacked the director's hand.
"Director, I hope you understand that this is the end of accommodating unreasonable requests. Even if Sumire agrees, I won't allow it in the future. Understand?"
"Y-yes, I get it. Ando-san, you're quite scary..."
"Just so you know, if the director didn't keep making unreasonable demands on Sumire, I wouldn't have to get so angry either!"
Yoko-san scolded the director while he tried to appease her with a hint of fear. As they continued their exchange, I gently formed my hands into a scissor shape and moved them back and forth. I signaled to the documentary camera guy who was filming this scene that I wanted this part to be properly cut, as it would be embarrassing otherwise. I relied on the cameraman to understand and cooperate.
By the way, the conditions I set for the director were to have a hairstylist ready to tidy up my hair as soon as the shoot was done and to treat me to a high-quality and delicious cake that I wouldn't usually eat. In the end, I enjoyed a wonderfully delicious strawberry shortcake. It's amazing how good they can make it when they put their heart into it.
In the actual shoot, they had scissors ready, but my hands are small, so it was a bit challenging to use them. Nevertheless, I managed to cut my hair drastically. Hair is quite thick when bundled, and the scissors don't easily cut through it. I had to exert a lot of force and got a bit flustered while acting. After all, this was a one-time scene where mistakes were not allowed, and even I, who had become less nervous since my reincarnation, was concerned.
As soon as the filming was done, a stylist with a beautician's license came over and took me to the makeup room. They neatly tidied up my disheveled hair. I deliberately cut my hair a bit longer than initially planned because I didn't want it to be too short. It settled at a length just past my shoulders. Yeah, I felt like my head had become considerably lighter.
I had cut it so dramatically that I thought it would be a shame to just throw it away. I asked the director if it could be used for a wig or something, but the answer was no.
I had memories of such initiatives in my past life, but I think it originally started overseas, so that information might not have reached Japan yet. If it were a baby's first haircut, you could use the cut hair as a brush, but I'm not a baby. It's a pity, but there's no choice but to discard it.
For now, this length allows me to change my hairstyle and get a bit of a makeover, so it won't be too different from what I had before. I was quite optimistic about it at the time. Little did I know that I would be heavily lamented and scolded by my older sisters after returning to the dorm once the shoot was over. But at this moment, I hadn't imagined any of that.
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