A Hairdresser's Life [Completed]

Chapter 23

There is a word in the German language: Das Unheimliche, it means the Uncanny. The uncanny is the psychological experience of something as strangely familiar, rather than simply mysterious.

Life became something familiar for Izuku, but not rightly acknowledged. Izuku was sure to be alive: he went out with his friends, he signed copies of his new book and his popularity kept growing.

Dave had to call another man for the security – Izuku could not remember what his name was; he had to change house due to privacy reasons, he was not satisfied with his previous house anymore.

Dave and Nathan lived in the house next to his, Izuku appreciated the effort he put as his manager and bodyguard.

If you asked him whether he is happy with his life, he would always answer yes, as the angles of his mouth trembling ever so slightly. He was now a sort of celebrity: he often appeared on programs of literary criticism.

His last appearance was yesterday: Morning Book called for an interview and he gladly accepted. Now he was facing the interviewer and a sociologist, guest of the program.

It was a rather excellent opportunity; the program was quite exclusive and he was facing Bauman, one of the greatest sociologist.

Izuku smiled as he presented himself, clearing his throat. He shook hands with the sociologist and smiled to the camera.

"Ready in three... two... one..." The camera operator said as the director nodded.

"It is a liquid society where we live in. It is an existence where the need gives way to the desire that dismays men in the constant changes and transformations that affect their lives and that turn identity from fact into a task: each of us runs into the self-building, which replaces the project itself."

Bauman said as he tried to explain his theory and vision of postmodernity. Izuku watched him with serious eyes; it was mesmerizing how focused he was.

"You are right, Mr. Bauman. The world demands to the individual a constant and increasingly controversial search for identity and tracking of parameters for standardizing in order to obtain the "role" of individuals, because, today, the identity is a task. Being individuals in the liquid society does not simply mean being good consumers, but also being competitive goods in the global market. I would suggest the incredible example of À rebours written in 1884, it is a novel by the French writer Huysmans and it is a primary example of his period"

Izuku was excited, he was the king of the scene, and everyone could have told it.

"The truth is ..."

Todoroki turned off the television, keeping him from finishing the period.

How much has it been? Months? Maybe a year – Todoroki muttered while sitting at the table of the kitchen. It was the first time he saw his face again: Izuku changed so much, he let his hair grew brown, in his natural color, and they were shorter too.

Todoroki had known him too well to notice what he was really going through; he was a living object. He showed no passion behind those excited eyes and smile. He rationalized everything and became a workaholic, just as he was.

Maybe it happened right now, the moment in which Todoroki knew he had destroyed two lives.

He sipped at his coffee as he opened a weekly journal called The Reading: it was about books and he saw how Izuku's book was ranked first.

He turned the page and among different articles, there was an interview with "The astonishing, new writer Izuku Midoriya", he felt loneliness in those eyes, were his own eyes like his? Two indifferent pools of hope and despair?