"I don't know what Junpei's talking about. I know what I'm doing."
Her fingers are rough from the fletchings she's released but move through their hair with a careful ease she's hesitant to get into - she doesn't pull back, pinning her collapsing braid together with two fingers while fussing with an elastic over her wrist. Shinjiro's arms are around their legs, pinned against their chest whilst staring at the furthest corner of the room. They wind themselves together, shielding themselves from the low light of side table lamps and whoever rounds the winding staircase into the parlour. There's a part of them that wants to feel embarrassed. That part of them is the part that wants to be miserable.
Yukari'stouch to the back of their skull and their long, tussled, ugly hair is anything but repulsed. It's new. She's had nothing to say about how they sit before her, back curling as she tries braids she's never got to do before. She takes careful pauses to look at how hair is meant to work. They can only imagine what she's doing.
"Why do guys think they have to add their comments to everything?" A laugh stays tucked in the back of her words, and they can hear the smile weaving through her half-hearted comment, spite let loose long ago. "Just a little bit longer."
They feel the tug of an elastic wrapping tight around the split ends of their brown hair, long parts woven together in an uncomfortable manner, tightly pinned with the black hair elastic she keeps around her wrists. They thought of taking some from her before, sloppily pulling their hair together to see what fits, if it makes them feel less vulnerable in their own skin. Asking her to do this for them, is perhaps easier. Shinjiro feels the weight behind them ease back as Yukari rests on her heels, sinking her weight into the far end of the couch. They hear her breath wane in her throat.
"How bad is it."
"Excuse m- no, hang on." They feel her tug on the haphazard braid, wrapping another elastic tight near their skull. The one tying the hair together comes loose, and Yukari runs her fingers through the parts, straightening it out. "There. That's better."
Shinjiro turns, feet finding the carpet below, and a hand reaches up behind to where she was working. Long, bony fingers weave through their hair, glancing to their left when Yukari twists herself forwards as well. She pulls out her phone, holding it up to cradle both of them in the frame.
"You look great," she says, careful smile on her face. She presses her cheek to theirs, and with a 'come on, smile,' she presses the capture button, eyes on the camera. Their hair out of their face shows their jaw more. It's the right kind of angle. Shinjiro looks like they're glowering, but there's a hint of a smile, the best Yukari's getting.
"Don't share that with anyone," Shinjiro tries, like it's a warning, but Yukari looks at them with a knowing smile.
"I'm still keeping it, you know."