Honey (Editing/Rewriting)

Chapter 23

Omniscient
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Prom

The steady hum of the hair clippers filled the room with rhythmic buzzing, drowning out the silence as Ryan, his father, meticulously edged his hair. With each pass of the clippers, strands fell to the ground, gradually transforming the room as the haircut progressed. Ryan's focused expression mirrored the precision of his movements, ensuring every strand was perfectly trimmed.

Perched on the wooden chair, Kai remained perfectly still, silently praying his father wouldn't make any mistakes. Especially since he had an important event later tonight. It had been ages since Kai let his father cut his hair. Originally, he planned to go to the barbershop, but the lines were incredibly long today, stretching down the street and around the building. He wasn't keen on waiting, so he decided to have his father do it instead.

During Kai and his siblings' childhood, Ryan dedicated his entire career to working in a barbershop. He was a well-known figure in the community, with a steady stream of customers from the neighborhood seeking his skilled hands for their haircuts. As the years passed, he retired and found a new passion: becoming a mechanic.

In the shed outside his house, Ryan set up his own workshop. Benefiting from the loyal clientele he had built up from his barbering days, his business thrived. While it didn't make him wealthy, the steady flow of customers provided enough income to support their household comfortably.

Kai's upbringing wasn't privileged, but it wasn't lacking either. Ryan hustled, while his mother attended college to get her degree. That's where Kai inherited his ambition. He would never settle for idleness, being a bum was not an option.

As the buzzing of the hair clippers ceased, Ryan took a step back, examining his work. A chuckle escaped him as he proudly remarked, "Oooo shit, your old man still got it."

Kai chuckled as he grabbed the handheld mirror to examine the fresh cut his father had just given him. He couldn't help but admit, his father hadn't lied about still having the skill. Kai's edge line was flawless, even better than what he usually got at the barbershop. "I can't lie pops, you got me right. How much?"

Ryan immediately shook his head. "I'm not charging you for anything, son," he waved Kai off.

Ryan wouldn't accept money, which was why Kai always found another way to repay him with something else."Then I'll make the reservations and pay for you and mom a date tonight."

"A date to where? When your mom comes home from work, she showers, turns on that tv and goes to sleep. That women never makes time for me anymore."

It had been a couple of months since his mother discovered the existence of the outside son, and during that time, Kai hadn't been around much. He was unsure of what his parents' relationship dynamic was like now, "You had a kid on her with her best friend, pops. If it was the other way around you would've called her every name in the book and asked for a divorce."

"Do you think I need to keep being reminded of something that I already know?" Ryan scoffed. People treated him as if he had cheated on his wife, but they weren't even married at the time; they were broken up. Celine, his wife's friend, was also his friend, and he had turned to her for advice and comfort. Unfortunately, one thing led to another, resulting in a one-night stand that took an unexpected turn. He regretted the incident with his wife's best friend, but he could never regret his son, Javion. He loved all his children equally.