Hairpin

Tokyo's snow season was short, like a promise. Half a month had passed since the last heavy snowfall, and the snow on the streets and houses had already melted by more than half.

Inside the shop, Hoshida No sat on a wooden chair behind the counter, resting his left elbow on the counter and idly fiddling with a lighter.

The shop owner had left early that morning due to an urgent matter, leaving Hoshida No alone. Less than ten people had come in all morning, and even Hoshida No was starting to feel bored.

"Ding dong, welcome," the shop's automatic voice announcement chimed, breaking the silence.

Hoshida No put down the lighter and stood up. It was a rule set by the shop, meant to provide customers with emotional value.

A girl with soft, shiny pink long hair, wearing a light-colored knit sweater and a plaid skirt, slowly walked in.

Her gaze was quickly drawn to an artist-endorsed hairpin on the shelf. She stopped in her tracks, her fingertips hovering in the air but hesitating to reach out, a mix of indecision and longing in her eyes.

Hoshida No took in her expression and calmly added, "This artist hairpin is selling very well. There are only four left. If you want to buy it, you should act fast."

His voice seemed to startle the girl.

She looked up, finally noticing Hoshida No standing behind the counter. His sharp features contrasted with his pale skin, and his jawline was as sharp as if meticulously carved. He exuded a distant yet clean aura.

She had heard classmates mention that this shop had a handsome salesperson, and seeing him in person now, she truly felt "the rumors were true."

Her fingertips curled slightly, and her gaze returned to the hairpin on the shelf. She cautiously raised her hand and gently pointed at it, her voice a timid probe, "This hairpin... can it be a little cheaper?"

Hoshida No's fingertips rested on the edge of the counter. His gaze calmly swept over the limited-edition hairpin, and he gently shook his head, his tone indifferent. "It's a limited edition, and with the popularity of the artist endorsement, the price is 28,000 yen. It cannot be discounted at the moment."

"Sorry to bother you." Upon hearing that the price was firm, the light in the girl's eyes instantly dimmed. Her fingertips unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes.

She didn't look at the hairpin again, lowered her head, and quickly walked towards the door, soon pushing it open and leaving the shop.

Her pink hair swayed gently with her steps, her retreating figure conveying a sense of loss and embarrassment.

Hoshida No watched her leave until she disappeared from view. He had a feeling this girl would be back.

On an afternoon with lingering snow, the shop's curtain was gently lifted, and a pink figure hesitantly stepped inside – it was the girl who had left in disappointment earlier.

Three days had passed since her last visit. She clutched the hem of her clothes, her eyes quickly scanning the shelves. When she spotted the artist-endorsed hairpin, the only one left sitting there, a flicker of urgency lit up her eyes.

There was another customer at the counter talking to Hoshida No. He listened with his body angled, his fingertips casually resting on the counter.

Seeing this, the girl secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but her heart beat faster, and a thin layer of sweat broke out on her palms.

Using the shelves as cover, she crept closer to her target, her gaze locked onto the hairpin, while frequently glancing in Hoshida No's direction.

Just as Hoshida No turned to retrieve an item from the shelf, the girl suddenly reached out. Her fingertips touched the cold metal edge of the hairpin, and almost instinctively, she clutched it in her palm and quickly stuffed it into her pocket.

The hairpin in her pocket pressed against her palm. She didn't dare hold it for another second before lowering her head and nervously shuffling towards the door, desperate to escape the space that made it hard to breathe.

But she didn't notice that a tall figure was already blocking the shop entrance.

The girl, flustered, walked straight into him, stumbling and nearly falling to the ground.

Hoshida No reacted quickly, reaching out and firmly gripping her wrist. The warmth of his palm transmitted through her knit sweater, with an undeniable force.

The girl's heart skipped a beat. Her cheeks flushed instantly, and her gaze fixed on the ground. Her fingertips unconsciously tightened around the hairpin in her pocket.

The cold metal edge dug into her palm, causing pain, but she dared not loosen her grip.

She buried her head even lower, her long pink hair falling over her shoulders, obscuring most of her face. Her breathing became rapid and shallow, and she didn't dare meet Hoshida No's eyes.

The moment the girl lifted the shop curtain and stepped inside, Hoshida No's gaze had already swept past the shelves and landed precisely on the light pink figure.

He still had a faint impression of her timidly inquiring about the price last time. Seeing her flustered expression and evasive eyes now, as she moved solely towards the shelf where the hairpin was, Hoshida No subtly kept his guard up.

When he saw her quickly grab the last hairpin and stuff it into her pocket while he was turning to get something, Hoshida No's eyes remained calm. He silently moved to the shop entrance, intercepting the girl who was trying to escape.

The collision was sudden. The moment he grasped the girl's wrist, his fingertips clearly felt the hard object pressing against her pocket. His voice remained calm, "Customer, the item in your pocket, are you not planning to pay for it?"

The girl froze. Hoshida No's calm words hit their mark, and her eyes instantly welled up.

She instinctively flinched back, her other hand tightly pressing down on her pocket. Her knuckles turned white from the force, and her voice, choked with tears, was as faint as a mosquito's hum, "I... I didn't mean to..."

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she held them back, her pink hair falling to the sides of her face, hiding her reddened eyes.

The hairpin in her pocket felt like a branding iron, causing her heart to race. The powerlessness she felt when she heard the 28,000 yen price last time, and the image of her sister's expectant face for her birthday gift, instantly flooded her mind, making her throat tighten, unable to utter a complete sentence.

Hoshida No's gaze fell on her tense shoulders. He released her wrist, his tone still even, but with less distance, "Let's talk. Why did you steal the hairpin? This won't solve anything."

His gaze swept over her reddened eyes, and he asked no further questions, simply waiting for the girl's response. The air in the shop seemed to freeze, leaving only her rapid breathing.

The girl froze, looked up at him for a moment, then quickly lowered her head again, her eyelashes glistening with tiny tears.

Seeing her hesitation, Hoshida No softened his tone. "If you're willing to tell me the story behind it, I'll buy this hairpin and give it to you."

His voice was calm and steady, yet carried an irresistible credibility. "Don't feel burdened. I'm just too bored and want to hear a story."

The air in the shop seemed to loosen slightly. The melting snow outside continued to slowly disappear.

Sunlight streamed through the glass window, casting dappled shadows on the floor, making the girl's flushed cheeks particularly clear.