Band Girls’ Mixology Mission [183]

In the end, it was still Mutsumi who helped Kyo pose for a few photos.

That being said, Mutsumi’s quiet (heavy metal-loving) personality meant that even if her parents had wanted her to stand out in a program, they’d find it hard to coax any overly flashy movements out of her.

As a result, the poses Kyo ended up making were still very ordinary.

“I guess I’ll ask someone else about how to take better photos next time.”

Looking at herself in Sakiko’s phone—though pretty enough—Kyo still felt something subtle was missing.

Kyo still wanted to try doing some “normal” JK-girl things.

If it was a typical selfie, maybe she could ask Anon? Anon’s taste in aesthetics was actually quite good. Well, putting aside her naming sense, Anon obviously had deep knowledge in these matters. Sometimes her enthusiasm even made people want to keep their distance…

Or she could ask Uika or Mana; as regular TV performers and actual idols, they probably had better ideas than Mutsumi.

In the time it took Sakiko to finish taking the photos, they’d also placed their orders with the server who had come by earlier.

“Alright, then next—” Kyo took out her hairband again, about to tie up her loose hair, but suddenly stopped.

The hands she’d raised slowly lowered again. The hairband lay flat on the table, as if waiting for Sakiko or Mutsumi to pick it up.

“I suddenly realized—since we’re talking about which hairstyle Sakiko and Mutsumi find prettier,” a flash of shocking brilliance flickered briefly in Kyo’s eyes, “why don’t you two just style my hair directly into whatever you think looks best?”

You can even do something like that?

So, does this mean Kyo wants us to style her hair for her?

Sakiko and Mutsumi stared at Kyo’s pearl-gray hair, smooth like silk, now directly entrusted into their hands—to be freely woven into whatever style they desired to see.

“I…can’t think of how to braid Kyo-chan’s hair,” Wakaba Mutsumi expressed her difficulty first.

Mutsumi’s own hair, clearly maintained with meticulous care, was in no way inferior to Kyo’s—in fact, it might even surpass hers. Its pale green color brought to mind lush vitality, as if tiny, adorable yellow flowers might blossom from among the strands.

Maybe with hair like that, you didn’t need any fancy braids or styles to still look good. At least, every time Kyo had seen her, Mutsumi had always worn it simply as long, straight hair.

“Well then, Sakiko?” Kyo pushed the hairband a little closer toward Sakiko.

Sakiko certainly knew how to style hair. Although at first glance Sakiko appeared to prefer loose hair, she actually wore a small section on each side behind her ears tied up—something like mini-twintails.

Sakiko looked at the hairband.

There was no reason to refuse, right…? It’s just tying someone’s hair. Friends can do this much even if they aren’t lovers.

Sakiko took the hairband, but there was still the table between them.

“Kyo, you should come sit over here first.” A reasonable request.

“Okay.”

Mutsumi slowly moved aside, allowing Kyo to step out and sit down next to Sakiko.

This side-by-side seating—it might just be their first time sitting this way, Sakiko thought. Whether before or now, the closest they’d ever gotten was simply sitting in adjacent seats at school, one behind the other.

Kyo turned her body slightly, angling her back and neck toward Sakiko.

In the classroom, sitting front-to-back, Sakiko inevitably saw Kyo’s nape now and then.

It must be said that Kyo’s nape had an extraordinary allure—it made one feel a sudden urge to press one’s face against it, even to take a gentle bite. The graceful lines of her neck were clear and elegant, gently curving down toward slender shoulders. Her pale skin, meticulously cared for, was perfectly smooth and unblemished. When a breeze stirred, soft wisps of hair would tremble slightly, giving off a faint, refreshing fragrance.

In the classroom, a distance always existed between their seats, but now—Kyo was practically offering her nape directly to Sakiko’s face.

“Haha… Sakiko, that tickles a bit.”

Kyo couldn’t hold back her sudden laughter. Sakiko was leaning in so close that her breath stirred the loose strands of hair, tickling the sensitive skin of her neck.

The tingling sensation caused Kyo’s laughter to quiver slightly, becoming like the pleasant chiming of wind bells.

Is Sakiko leaning in a bit too close? Kyo instinctively tried to turn her head to check what Sakiko was up to, but her head was gently steadied in place, preventing her from turning.

“I’m about to start, Kyo, so don’t move around.”

Yet Kyo still felt the warmth of Sakiko’s breath against her neck, hardly diminishing. Wouldn’t it be inconvenient to braid hair from this close…?

And also…

Kyo shifted her eyes slightly and noticed Mutsumi’s expression.

Mutsumi was actually making a shocked face! That was Mutsumi, of all people!

What exactly had Sakiko done—something so completely at odds with Mutsumi’s mental image—that it caused Mutsumi to reveal this kind of expression?

The hands resting upon Kyo’s head finally began styling her hair, and the heat against the back of her neck gradually faded. Indeed, tying hair at such close proximity was probably inconvenient.

Sakiko moved with practiced ease, gathering, pulling, looping, tying…and soon, one side of Kyo’s hair was styled into a small ponytail.

Then, the other side…

First, Kyo heard the slight rustling of hair—hair that was clearly not her own—from right behind her, extremely close.

Then, a second hairband appeared. Kyo instantly understood—Sakiko had just removed one of her own hairbands and used it on Kyo’s hair.

Very soon, the second side was finished as well.

“Done.” Sakiko’s satisfied voice came from behind.

Kyo adjusted her posture, straightening up and gently shaking her head side to side. She’d never experienced this sensation before—having a small twintail on each side of her head. When she shook them, the movement felt strangely light and bouncy. Her usual bun hairstyle certainly wasn’t this lively.

Aside from her hair being slightly shorter, Kyo’s hairstyle was now exactly what Sakiko’s had been earlier.

Meanwhile, Sakiko, who had given away one of her hairbands, was left with just a single, small side ponytail.

“Kyo-chan…became Sakiko-chan…” Mutsumi looked from Kyo, then to Sakiko, then back again to Kyo, her eyes spinning as if tiny whirlpools swirled within them, clearly feeling dizzy.

“How does it feel?” Sakiko gazed contentedly at Kyo’s new look. “Since we finally changed your hairstyle, how about keeping it this way for a while?”

Kyo took out her phone, switched it to selfie mode, and checked herself out.

Actually…it did look quite pretty.

—

This is a fan translation of 乐队少女调饮行动 by 林明卿. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!