Salon Aespa

Winter's Hairy Situation

By day three, Aespa was feeling a bit more confident. They had survived two days of near-disaster and a crash course in hairdressing, and now they were ready to tackle the salon's regular clientele without (hopefully) any major accidents.

Or so they thought.

Winter, however, was feeling particularly competitive. After Karina's constant teasing about her "scissor anxiety," she had decided to prove that she could handle more than just shampooing people's hair. She was determined to show everyone—especially Karina—that she could do a proper haircut.

The salon was buzzing with its usual hum, clients coming and going, and the rest of the Aespa members were busy with their own tasks. Karina was styling an older woman's hair, chatting casually, while Ningning and Giselle worked on a color job for a client who had asked for "something subtle." The two of them exchanged smirks, knowing that "subtle" wasn't really their style, but they were determined to make it work.

Then, in walked a man who looked like he had just stepped off a movie set. He was tall, with a perfectly chiseled jawline and thick, dark hair that practically screamed "style me." He flashed a charming smile at the group and said, "Hi, I'm here for an intricate haircut. I think the term they used was 'undercut with a design.' You know, something artistic."

Winter's eyes widened. This was her moment. "I'll take it!" she blurted out before anyone else could volunteer.

Karina, who had been about to offer her services, raised an eyebrow. "You sure, Winter? That sounds kind of... complicated."

Winter shot her a defiant look. "I got this." She grabbed her scissors with newfound confidence. "I've been practicing."

Karina didn't argue, but there was a clear hint of amusement on her face as she turned back to her own client. "Alright. Good luck."

The man took a seat in Winter's chair, and as soon as he settled in, she realized she might have bitten off more than she could chew. The design he wanted wasn't just any regular undercut—it was a complex geometric pattern that looked like something out of an avant-garde art show. Winter's heart raced as she stared at the picture he showed her on his phone.

"Yeah, no problem," she said, trying to sound confident even though panic was bubbling up inside her. "This will look amazing."

She grabbed the clippers and set to work, but as soon as she started trimming the sides of his hair, she realized something wasn't right. The clippers were cutting too close, leaving a patchy mess instead of the smooth undercut she had envisioned.

"Uh, how are we doing back there?" the man asked, oblivious to the disaster brewing behind him.

Winter forced a smile, though her heart was pounding in her chest. "Everything's going great! Just... give me a second."

She switched to scissors, hoping to salvage the situation, but the more she tried to fix it, the worse it got. What was supposed to be a sleek design now resembled a bad doodle, and the left side of his head was noticeably shorter than the right. Sweat began to trickle down Winter's forehead as she realized she was in way over her head.

Meanwhile, Karina glanced over from her station and saw Winter's expression of sheer panic. With a sigh, she excused herself from her client and walked over.

"Need a hand?" Karina asked softly, trying to hide her amusement.

Winter shot her a desperate look. "I'm so screwed, aren't I?"

Karina leaned down, inspecting the damage. "Well... it's not the worst I've seen."

Winter groaned. "Karina, I just gave this guy a patchy Picasso on his head. He's going to hate me."

"Not necessarily," Karina said with a small smile. "Let me help."

Reluctantly, Winter handed over the scissors. Karina quickly worked her magic, smoothing out the uneven patches and refining the lines of the design. Winter watched in awe as Karina effortlessly corrected the mistakes, her hands moving with precision and grace.

"See?" Karina said as she finished up. "Not so bad. Just needed a little touch-up."

Winter exhaled in relief, though she couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. "Thanks. I think I might've been a little... overambitious."

Karina gave her a teasing smile. "Or maybe you just wanted to impress me."

Winter blinked, caught off guard. "What? No, I—"

Karina's smile grew wider. "It's okay, Winter. I'm already impressed."

Winter's cheeks flushed red, and she quickly turned back to her client, trying to hide her embarrassment. "Right. Well, uh... thanks."

Once the haircut was finished, the man looked in the mirror, running a hand over his head. "Wow, this looks amazing! Thanks, ladies."

Winter gave a small, awkward smile. "Glad you like it."

As the man left, Karina leaned in closer to Winter, her voice dropping to a soft whisper. "You know, you're not as bad as you think. You just need a little more practice."

Winter felt her heart skip a beat at how close Karina was standing. Their eyes met, and for a moment, Winter forgot about the disastrous haircut and everything else around them.

"Thanks," Winter murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

Karina smiled, her gaze lingering a little longer than necessary before she stepped back. "Anytime."

Meanwhile, across the salon, Ningning and Giselle were dealing with their own chaos. Their client had asked for a "subtle" color job, but when they revealed the finished product, her hair was a vibrant mix of purple and pink streaks.

The client stared at herself in the mirror, speechless.

"I... love it!" she finally exclaimed, much to Ningning and Giselle's relief.

"Told you we could pull it off," Ningning said, giving Giselle a high five.

"Yeah, but I think we got lucky," Giselle replied with a grin. "I don't think subtle is really in our vocabulary."

The two of them laughed, their banter growing more and more flirtatious as the day went on. They worked in perfect sync, sharing little jokes and nudges that made the hours fly by. There was an undeniable connection between them, one that neither of them could quite put into words yet, but it was definitely there.

As the day came to an end, the girls cleaned up the salon, exhausted but surprisingly satisfied with how things had turned out. Winter sat down in one of the chairs, rubbing her forehead. "I'm never doing an intricate haircut again."

Karina chuckled and sat next to her. "You'll get the hang of it. Besides, you're pretty brave for trying."

Winter glanced at her, feeling that familiar warmth in her chest. "You're way too nice to me, you know that?"

Karina shrugged, her eyes soft. "I just know you can do it."

Winter didn't know how to respond to that, so she just smiled, feeling a little lighter despite the day's chaos.

At the other end of the salon, Ningning and Giselle finished packing up the color station. Ningning bumped Giselle's shoulder playfully. "So, what do you think? We make a pretty good team, right?"

Giselle smirked. "Yeah, we do. But maybe next time, let's try something a little less... bold."

Ningning laughed. "Bold is our thing."

Their eyes met, and for a second, the playfulness between them gave way to something more. It was subtle, but it was there—a quiet understanding that they were more than just coworkers or friends. Giselle held Ningning's gaze for a moment longer before looking away with a small smile.

As the night closed in and the salon lights dimmed, the four girls realized they were more than just surviving the week—they were starting to thrive. And maybe, just maybe, something more was beginning to bloom between them, as unpredictable and wonderful as the chaos of running a hair salon.