"Can I move now?" requested Jakuri.
"Sure. The paint dries fast, so it'll be no problem."
Jakuri shifted in her chair to face Spica's big mirror. "I can't see the back," she pointed out.
Spica grabbed a hand-held mirror from the dresser and held it out to Jakuri. "Turn towards me and look at your reflection in this one."
Jakuri did as told. "Is this really normal?" she demanded.
"Hmm-mm. It's quite avant-garde. You'll have to keep up with trimming the bangs regularly, though."
"The bangs aren't the part I'm worried about."
"You'll be on the cutting edge of fashion," insisted Spica.
"Will this last a long time?"
"Mm-hmm, I used a special permanent paint that's fine enough to stick to individual strands. It might droop a little over time as your hair grows out, since some sections of hair grow faster than others. But it should be fine."
"Fine, meaning?"
"It's permanent, yes. Unless you cut off all your hair."
Jakuri eyed her reflection silently.
"I think it's cute," said Spica.
"You're the only one who thinks this is cute."
"My, my. You're being unfair. Besides, does it matter as long as I like it?"
"It matters whether I like it!"
"Okay," Spica said. "I'll fix it."
"What do you mean, fix it?"
"You'll like it this time, I promise."
Jakuri waited nervously while Spica cut a new stencil from a piece of paper. "What are you going to add?"
"You'll see. You'll like it."
Five minutes and a cloud of red paint later, Spica proclaimed her work done for the second time. "It's dry now. Take a look."
Jakuri inspected her reflection. "The dot makes it even stranger."
"It's trend-setting! You look great."
"I look bizarre."
"You just don't appreciate fashion."
"I'm not sure I want to."
Spica sighed. "I really thought you'd like it this time..."
"I never said I didn't like it," pointed out Jakuri with a smirk.
"Do you like it, then?"
"Maybe. I don't care if you've made me look off-putting to everyone else. But, Spica... next time you don't want me to know about it, don't hum while you work."