AN: Okay, so I know Narumi isn't Narumi's first name, but for the sake of familiarity, I'm mainly using Narumi as his name in this fic. Same with Kei and most of the other characters. I switch between Ochiai and Kazuhiko for Ochiai because we actually see both used in canon. See AN at bottom for important note on story. I don't want to ruin it here.
Narumi Shougo walked confidently down the lobby of his company, the famous Scissors Project, towards the elevators, returning greetings with a curt nod. When he'd been in high school, he would usually ignore others' greetings, too annoyed with the jabbering that often came with it. But now, years later, Ochiai's pestering and his own maturity led him to more respectful returns. He didn't do it because he feared smearing of his reputation—he still couldn't care less about that—but he fancied he'd grown out of his constant rages.
As he passed the front desk, he couldn't help tuning in on the secretaries manning the phones.
"I'm sorry, we're completely booked for the next four months."
"If you only want a massage, I have an opening at 4:00pm for the 16th of next month, but completing a full care package in one day is impossible until six months from now."
"A cut by Narumi-sama? I'm sorry, he's booked full for the next three months. But I can give you an appointment for another stylist for two weeks from now, unless there is another stylist you'd like to request?"
"I'm very sorry. Ochiai-sama is not available next month for personal make-up. Perhaps another make-up artist?"
Their chattering died away as he reached the stretch of elevators. It wasn't like the things they said weren't thing he hadn't heard before a million times, but he enjoyed listening every morning. It was a childish way to stoke his own ego, but he considered it his guilty pleasure since he could no longer outwardly preen as much as he had when he was younger.
The Scissors Project was the most coveted in the nation for all beauty related purposes. It had been for years now, but it still never got old to hear it. Women who wanted the Scissors Project to prepare them for their wedding had to book an appointment at least six months in advance, and every woman in Japan who wished to be the most beautiful for her wedding day came to SP™.
*whoosh* The metal doors opened and he stepped in, quickly pushing the button for the 30th floor. He disliked sharing such an enclosed space with strangers and wanted the doors shut before anyone could join him. He had pushed Ochiai for a private elevator, but was rejected before he could even finish his argument. Kazuhiko had said it would look bad if they didn't take the same elevators as the employees.
Well, whatever, he knew better than to argue with Kazuhiko on something like this. And at least he never had to share the elevator with any particular person for long. No one else got off on the 30th floor. It was their personal domain, along with the others who'd joined the original three members of SP, of course.
He'd found them annoying at first, especially Komatsu who had kept running his mouth off about how much he admired them and aspired to be a great hairstylist like Narumi himself. Thankfully, time had matured them all, and Komatsu was now head of their Public Relations Department since he had eventually given up on his desire to be a hairstylist and decided to play to his strengths.
The elevator made a quiet "ding" as it stopped its upward descent, its metal doors sliding open smoothly to admit someone else at the 6th floor. Narumi mechanically offered the man a nod in response to the other's greeting, while internally his thoughts hadn't even paused a moment.
He'd once found Kanako's quiet and shy nature annoying to be around, but with time he'd realized that that was just how she was. She didn't have to be loud and boisterous to be interesting and fun to hang out with. Plus she was an amazing asset to their company. Her organizational skills were something to be revered. No mere girl could handle being Ochiai's personal secretary and live, although to be honest, she handled all their affairs. They didn't trust anyone else, so she was the secretary for the entire 30th floor.
Ken had probably been the easiest to accept and become friends with. The guy was just so harmless and nice. They'd met back in high school when Ken nearly mowed over a cat because he wasn't paying attention. Narumi had gotten his wrist injured saving the cat, so Ken offered to massage it to hasten his recovery. Narumi had originally brushed off the offer, but then Ken had somehow tracked down his school and started coming everyday to massage his wrist. Ochiai had latched onto Ken's shiatsu talents like a drowning man and snatched him up for the Scissors Project.
His lips quirked up at the memory. Of course, at that moment, the elevator stopped at the twelfth floor to admit a pair of chattering young women. They fairly swooned at the sight of Narumi's almost smile and he abruptly smoothed his face into its usual impassiveness. But it was much too late. They continued to stare at him—in a way they probably considered covert, but was blindingly obvious and would have made Narumi uncomfortable if he wasn't already used to it. He returned to his thoughts, barely noticing as the man exited on the fifteenth.
Iori... now that guy had gotten on his nerves. He'd transferred to their high school when Narumi and them had been second years. He'd taken the female fascination for Narumi and the SP as a personal challenge, and constantly pestered them, especially Narumi. It had gotten all the worse when Kazuhiko actually asked Iori to join the SP. Narumi had nearly had an aneurysm.
Thankfully, the long haired blond idiot had consistently refused Kazuhiko's offers and once they'd graduated, Narumi had thought he'd never have to see him again. He was wrong. Three years out of high school, when the Scissors Project had still just been a fledgling company, Chisami had come out of nowhere and announced she had a new boyfriend, one she was serious about.
After that, it had still taken another six months before Iori and him could come to some sort of a truce, mostly for Chisami's sake. That had been two years ago, and Iori and his sister still showed no sign of breaking up. It looked like they might eventually tie the knot so Narumi was grateful he and Iori had eventually developed a sort of friendship.
The women split at the twenty first floor, the other exiting soon after at the twenty third, leaving Narumi finally with blessed silence. He doubted anyone else would be taking the elevator up at this point.
He was right as the rest of the trip passed in seconds, the metal contraption grinding to a halt on the topmost floor of the SP building. Narumi automatically took off at a brisk pace, heading straight for his office. Unfortunately, it appeared today was not his day for he was denied even the time to set his briefcase down before Kazuhiko accosted him.
"Narumi, we need to discuss something."
The blond in question raised an eyebrow. "Can't it wait, Kazuhiko? I haven't even entered my office yet."
The brunet smirked in reply. "I can assure you I'm not bothering you for some trivial matter. You want to hear this."
That made Narumi pause. After they'd left school, he had rarely heard that amused, challenging tone in Kazuhiko's voice. "Alright," he said, his curiosity piqued despite himself. He let Kazuhiko lead the way to the break room—they didn't bother with a conference room, finding it too stifling and formal, and not seeing the point when it was just them anyway. There was a formal conference room for business matters a floor down.
Everyone else was already there. Narumi raised both eyebrows this time. It appeared this was perhaps serious after all.
"What'd you call us here for, Occhi?" Kei piped up loudly.
Kanako and Ken just looked at Ochiai calmly, waiting patiently while Narumi leaned against a nearby counter and crossed his arms.
Ochiai cleared his throat. "Well, I called you all here since I figured we should all be aware of a possible threat to the SP—"
He didn't even get to finish as exclamations of shock (and outrage in the case of some) exploded around him.
"WHAT?!" Narumi screeched, drowning out everyone else easily.
Kazuhiko held up a hand. "Calm down, Narumi."
The blond did... barely. Everyone else followed his cue and kept silent, holding in their questions until Ochiai finished.
"Thank you. Now as I was saying, I have discovered a possible threat to the SP, but only in terms of skill. My discovery seems to have no desire to pursue expansion or fame, and is little known despite their great talent. No, rather than be a threat to the SP, I'd say she is more a threat to Narumi."
"She?" Narumi whispered. No one else dared speak, knowing now that this was an issue for Narumi alone to deal with.
Ochiai nodded. "You may not want to hear this, Narumi, but I have discovered a woman with haircutting talent that could very well rival your own."
Everyone waited for the inevitable explosion from Narumi, but it never came. Instead, the blond pierced his best friend with a sharp eyed glance.
"Are you for real?"
"I wouldn't call you all here if I wasn't."
"Who is she?" The seriousness weighing down his voice surprised even himself.
"Her name is Kiri Koshiba, the owner of Koshiba Beauty Salon in Fukushima. The salon used to belong to her father, Seiji Koshiba, until he moved out to America, presumably to be with his wife, a famous makeup artist in Hollywood. Incidentally, Seiji Koshiba was a famous hairstylist in Japan in his youth, constantly battling with another promising young hairstylist." Ochiai locked eyes with Narumi. "Your father, Narumi. They were rivals, but your father was never able to beat Koshiba-san in a haircutting battle."
Before anyone could say anything, Ochiai held up a firm hand. "It's the truth, Narumi, at least for all the public competitions they competed in. I can't say anything about personal battles. Seiji Koshiba was revered for more than just his cuts though. He was renowned for his unique, fast cutting style barely observable to the naked eye, yet producing very precise and beautiful cuts. I went yesterday to Koshiba Beauty Salon to see if I could observe this legendary technique for myself, but unfortunately Koshiba-san did not reveal any of the fast cutting her father was known for."
Narumi scoffed. "What's the deal then? It's obvious she didn't inherit her father's talent. That's not uncommon to observe in children. Not everything is genetic."
Ochiai levelled Narumi with a look. "Perhaps, but I believe she is hiding incredible talent."
The blond snorted. "You make this sound like some thriller movie. If she's that good, why hide it? It's not like people are going to come hunt her down for her talent. And what makes you think she's understating her skill?"
Ochiai crossed his arms. "I've heard rumours that the great American actress, Jody MaCarton, travels all the way from America just to get her hair cut at Koshiba Beauty Salon."
"Rumours?! That's seriously what you're basing this on? Come on, Kazuhiko, this is stupid. Even if her old man was great, doesn't mean she is."
Ochiai sighed. "I knew it would be difficult to convince you, which is why I want us all to take a trip to Koshiba Beauty Salon this weekend and see Koshiba-san's talent with our own eyes."
While Narumi sputtered in outrage, Kei spoke up.
"Eh?" he muttered confusedly. "But didn't you just say that she's deliberately hiding her talent? Why would she show us?"
Ochiai smirked. "I have a plan, of course. So? I presume if there are no objections that everyone is free this Saturday. We'll meet here at 1pm. Narumi and I will be driving."
"What?! Wait! I haven't agreed to this, Kazuhiko!" Narumi shouted.
Ochiai raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you the least bit curious about Kiri Koshiba after hearing my story? Even if she's just your average hairstylist, at least if we go, we'll know. If we don't, you may never know about there being a genius out there to rival yourself, Narumi."
Fire lit in Narumi's eyes. "I am a genius. No one else deserves that title. And I'll go only to prove you wrong!"
Ochiai smirked. It was too easy sometimes. He had known Narumi for years, after all. Besides, everyone knew that Narumi was incredibly proud of being Japan's number one hairstylist. Any threat to that would be taken seriously.
But while Narumi had reacted as expected, the meeting had had one little glitch.
Ochiai let his eyes linger on Kanako and Ken as they exited. He had seen them both react, albeit in very different ways, when he mentioned Kiri Koshiba. His gut told him that they recognized the name. But if they knew her, why had they never mentioned it? It was common practice for them to report on anyone with talent, either to keep tabs on possible rivals or to recruit. It was one of the ways the SP had stayed on top of the beauty industry the last few years.
He had never doubted their loyalty to the SP. But he trusted his own instincts too. And his instincts told him that the young woman he had seen last week, although seemingly an average stylist, contained within her what it might take for the SP to go international. She had talent, he was sure of it, but if that were true, and Kanako and Ken knew her, what did their deliberate silence mean?
Betrayal? While the members of the SP were close, they all still had their own lives and everyone certainly had secrets. Perhaps they didn't know Kiri Koshiba cut hair? It was entirely plausible that they had met her elsewhere and didn't know that many details about her personally.
It was the most logical explanation. He just couldn't see Kanako and Ken keeping quiet about someone with this much talent (if she was as talented as he believed, and his instincts had yet to be wrong) when they knew how much of a threat she could pose if picked up by a competitor. The two of them were loyal to the SP. They had built the company together from the ground up. Each and every one of them had poured their hearts and souls into the SP. They all wanted the SP to thrive and go ever higher in the beauty industry.
The salon Kazuhiko pulled up in front of was small and non-descript, settled in a residential area just to the side of a bustling shopping district. It looked nothing like the kind of place that was hiding a top stylist.
Narumi raised a sceptical brow. "Are you sure this is the right place, Kazuhiko? Doesn't look like much."
"This is the place," the brunet replied with a touch of exasperation. "Let's go in. You'll see."
It was just the three original members of the SP today. Ken and Kanako had begged off, which might have seemed a little too convenient, but Kazuhiko was determined not to suspect them. Iori and Chisami had stayed to watch the company as well since Ken and Kanako's mild natures weren't suited to business.
Kei bounded up to the front door with his usual enthusiasm, not bothering to wait for his two friends. He was greeted with the fresh smell of a well kept salon, tinted with the telltale scent of chemicals from dyes and treatments. A beautiful blonde of western descent immediately drew his attention. She was already seated in a chair with a honey haired Japanese lady standing behind her. Both of them looked up at his entrance.
The blonde only looked at him for a moment before turning her face away. Maybe she was shy or couldn't speak Japanese, although with a face that beautiful he didn't think it really mattered.
"Can I help you?" the honey haired one addressed him in Japanese.
"Hai, I'm looking for Koshiba Kiri-san," he responded cheerily despite her shortness.
"That's me. What—"
She was cut off by the arrival of Narumi and Ochiai.
"Oi, don't go running off like that, Kei!" Narumi scolded as Ochiai stood back and quickly catalogued the situation. The stylist was Koshiba Kiri. Since he hadn't seen anyone else when he'd come last time either, he could only assume she ran the salon on her own. She had a customer too. That was convenient for them to observe her skills.
"But you guys were taking so long," Kei pouted.
"Quiet, guys," Ochiai interrupted. The two fell silent and all three turned to the ladies in the room. "I apologize for our rudeness. We are looking for a Koshiba Kiri-san."
"I already told them that!"
Kei's exclamation was ignored as Kiri's gaze suddenly sharpened. She'd initially assumed the spiky haired young man that'd entered her shop was a referral from one of her usual customers. The arrival of his two more serious friends, however, made that possibility unlikely.
"As I was saying, that's me. What do you want?" she asked brusquely. Jody was here for a haircut and she knew despite what the actress said that she was on a tight schedule. The flight to Japan alone had probably put a wrench in filming.
"My name is Ochiai Kazuhiko. My companions are Narumi Shogo and Minami Kei. We're from the Scissors Project. You may have heard of us."
He paused as if expecting her to confirm or refute his statement. She simply raised a brow, prompting him to continue.
He did so after a slight hesitation. "We heard you have extraordinary haircutting abilities and so decided to come see for ourselves."
Kiri had heard of the Scissors Project. It was hard not to when you worked in this industry and the SP pretty much dominated. Plus, Kanako and Komatsu worked there. Even Kanako's husband did if she recalled correctly. Kiri had a sneaking suspicion she knew why they were here and she wasn't interested.
"Look, I think I know why you're here, but I'm not interested in joining some big corporation, so if there's nothing else, I have a customer to serve."
Unfortunately, her dismissal didn't go over as well as she'd hoped. The taller blond, Narumi, narrowed his eyes.
"Think quite highly of yourself, do you? It's not everyday the owners of the SP themselves come to scope out a possible recruit." If he'd been younger, Narumi would've likely blown up at the woman. As it was, he had to settle for professional disdain.
Kiri rolled her eyes. "Hardly. I'm just the hairstylist of a small, family run salon and I'd like to stay that way. No offence or anything," she tacked on for good measure, hoping it would get rid of her uninvited guests sooner.
"Kiri, what is this Scissors Project? I've never heard you mention it before." Jody couldn't speak Japanese, but she understood it well enough after constant visits to the country for the last decade.
"It's nothing, just think of it as a large spa," Kiri replied in English.
"Excuse me? We're more than an oversized spa. We're a national company that offers all aspects of a beauty makeover."
It was the blond again and his voice was clearly affronted this time. It figured he understood and spoke English.
Kiri resisted the urge to groan aloud. "Okay, whatever. I'm sorry, but I'm not interested in what you have to say or offer. If you could see yourselves out, I have a business to run."
"Are you Jody MaCarton, the famous American actress?" Ochiai's voice was tinted with just the slightest bit of awe.
Jody turned to face the men fully, a rueful smile on her face. "Oops, looks like the cat's out of the bag, Kiri."
"I'm sorry. If I'd known we'd be interrupted, I would've closed the shop."
"Nonsense!" Jody waved off the apology. "I would never ask you to close up just for me. Besides, if anything, I should be the one saying sorry. I hope this doesn't create problems for you."
"No, it's fine. As long as no one goes blabbing to the media." She slid a sharp glance at their visitors pointedly.
Narumi, who seemed to have the biggest problem with her, stared back unflinchingly. "Hey, don't look at us like that. We don't have big mouths. None of our business who you see, although I am curious as to why such a big star would fly all the way to Japan to have her hair cut at a tiny salon like this."
"Don't be rude, Narumi," Ochiai reprimanded.
Jody smiled, knowing Kiri wouldn't take offence to such a comment. She never cared what anyone thought if they weren't a close friend. "I suppose it may seem like a bit of a mystery. Suffice to say I've known Kiri a long time and there's no one else I trust to cut my hair. If you guys are really looking for talented hairdressers, Kiri is the best you'll find."
Said hairstylist threw her a disgruntled look, but the blonde only shrugged. "I speak only the truth."
"Naru-Naru here is considered the best hairstylist in Japan," Kei chirped up, grinning even as Narumi swiped at him for using his old nickname.
"Is that so?" Jody replied. "Well, you can't expect me to believe that without seeing his skills. Trust me. I've seen some of the supposed best in the industry. None hold a candle to Kiri."
"How about a little friendly competition then?" Narumi's voice was amiable, but the threat in it was clear.
Ochiai gave a mental shake of his head. His best friend had always been too sensitive to insinuations that he was anything less than a genius, anything less than the best.
Jody and Kei grinned in anticipation, like little kids excited for the show.
Kiri's bored look didn't change. "Not interested," she repeated for what seemed the umpteenth time.
"What, scared?" Narumi taunted.
"Just not interested."
"Oh, come on, Kiri. It'll be fun," Jody wheedled. "Besides, you have to cut my hair anyway." To be honest, Jody was just looking forward to the blond guy getting knocked down a peg or two. He looked like he needed to be reminded that no one stayed at the top forever.
"I'm going to cut your hair. Whose hair is he going to cut?" Kiri deadpanned. "Not to mention who's going to judge? We all know you'll say mine is better no matter what and his friends will probably side with him."
"Naru-Naru can cut my hair," Kei volunteered. "I needed a haircut anyway. And Ochi can be the judge. Even though Naru-Naru is his best friend, he'll be fair. The good of the SP always comes first for him."
Ochiai nodded to show his agreement and everyone turned to look at Kiri.
"So? Anymore excuses?" Narumi asked.
Kiri sighed. "Will you guys finally leave if I agree?"
Narumi smirked triumphantly. "If the competition's fair, of course." Although if she was as good as implied, Kazuhiko would definitely be back to recruit her. He wasn't concerned with that now though. Right now, all he wanted was to prove he was better than this woman. He hadn't felt the thrill of true competition in a long time.
AN: I have to admit I've lost interest in this story. Never fear, the fact that I'm finally posting it means that it will be finished, but instead of the original chaptered story, I'll probably make it a twoshot and try to wrap it up next chapter.
I know the first scene is kind of disjointed from the second. That's because I started this anywhere between 4-6 years ago and only forced myself to churn out the actual visit recently. That's also why the first scene writes like the intro to a chaptered story and the second scene is all rush, rush, let's get to the haircutting already. I'm not proud of it, but I'm leaving the beginning as is for now. Maybe I'll find it in myself to fix it once the story's done and I have a better idea of the tone I should set.
Lastly, while I was scouring the manga for Jody's name (couldn't remember it), I came across the scene where Narumi and them discover it was Kiri who beat Naru in that competition in fourth grade. Kazuhiko says, "fate works in mysterious ways." I swear I settled on the title before that, but it's a weird coincidence.