The chime above the door jingled as the glass door swung open.
"Are you guys open yet?"
Standing at the doorway was a teenager with wild, messy Harajuku-style hair. The moment he stepped inside, he rushed straight toward Dongbin and Mei in a panic.
"Please help me! I cannot go to school looking like this!" the boy pleaded, clutching his oversized locks.
Mei crossed her arms, glaring at the kid with annoyance. "Hey, you naughty brat! Who told you to style your hair like that in the first place, huh?"
"Well, I just wanted to look cool!" the boy whined. "Please, help me out!"
Mei, who was currently holding her cup and sipping her hot coffee, gave Dongbin a sharp nod, signaling with her eyes for him to take over.
Dongbin stayed silent for a second before catching her drift. He set his coffee cup down on the counter with a calm nod. "Roger that, Boss."
Dongbin stood up and guided the panicked kid over to the barber chair. "How would you like your hair styled?"
The boy looked up at the mirror. "I think a mohawk punk cut would look hilarious."
Dongbin gently cupped the boy’s head with both hands, nodding in total agreement with a completely serious face. "You are right. A punk cut suits you well."
PFFFT!
Mei instantly spat her mouthful of coffee all over the floor. "Le Dongbin!"
Hearing her roar, Dongbin turned around and offered an awkward, innocent smile. "Just kidding, Boss."
He turned back to the trembling teenager and whispered softly. "Kid, the boss of this shop is terrifying. Let us just give you a neat buzz cut for school, alright?"
The boy nervously glanced over at Mei, who was now menacingly snapping her shears open and closed with a dark expression.
"Heheh... fine, I will do whatever you say," the kid gulped, sitting as still as a statue.
With precise and surprisingly graceful hand movements, Dongbin finished the cut, leaving the kid with a clean, perfectly blended fade.
The teenager checked his reflection in the mirror, his eyes widening in satisfaction. He quickly stood up and walked over to Mei at the counter to pay.
"How much is it, Sis?"
Mei paused for a moment, calculating in her head. "Normally it is two dollars. But since you are our very first customer and a student, just give me one dollar."
"Woah, thank you so much, Sis!" The boy handed over a bill, then cast a quick glance back at Dongbin before leaning across the counter toward Mei. "Sis, your boyfriend does an amazing job. I will definitely bring my classmates here next time."
Hearing the word boyfriend, Mei felt a sudden flush of heat creep up her neck to her cheeks. "You little brat...!"
"I am completely serious, Sis!" the kid insisted with an earnest grin. "You are super pretty, and the guy over there is really handsome. Sure, you are a bit of a tomboy, but you look so cool. You are total hipster material, a real icon for us!"
Mei let out a breathy laugh, her annoyed demeanor melting away completely. "Look at you, flattering me just to get on my good side! Here, take this chocolate."
She reached into a bowl on the counter and tossed a sweet treat to the boy.
"Thanks, Sis!" The teenager caught it with a grin and skipped out the door, the chime jingling behind him.
Silence returned to the shop. Mei picked up her coffee cup, taking a slow sip while hiding a warm, uncontrollable smile behind the rim of her glass. Her eyes stayed fixed on Dongbin, who was quietly wiping down his clippers and sweeping away the fallen hair with smooth, effortless care.
-***-
Suddenly, a group of men dressed in black shirts gathered right in front of the barbershop. Each of them carried a small axe, its polished steel blade gleaming sharp and cold under the morning sun.
At the head of the group stood a man wearing a black fedora hat. He stared inside through the glass door, then tapped on it twice with his knuckles.
Knock! Knock!
Mei gasped in surprise, quickly setting her cup down and rushing outside. Dongbin merely watched from inside, calmly wrapping the power cord around his hair clippers.
The moment Mei stepped outside, the men immediately circled around her, blocking every exit.
"Mr. Tigor, can you give me two more days to pay off the debt? I haven’t earned enough money yet," Mei asked nervously, her voice tight.
Tigor spat on the ground with absolute disdain. "Cih! What is wrong with you, Mei? You’ve been defaulting on your payments for far too long!"
"I know, Mr. Tigor, but I truly don’t have the money right now..."
Tigor stepped closer, his shadow falling over her. He reached out and aggressively grabbed the back of Mei’s hair, pulling her head back. "Fine. But tonight, you have to satisfy me. How does that sound?"
The surrounding henchmen erupted into crude, raucous laughter.
"I am no prostitute!" Mei barked, mustering all her strength to shove Tigor back. "I will pay you as soon as I have the money!"
SLAP!
Tigor reacted instantly, striking Mei hard across her cheek.
Inside the shop, Dongbin’s eyes widened in a sudden, cold fury. He dropped the clippers onto the counter and walked straight out the door.
"Hey! Don’t you dare lay a hand on my boss!" Dongbin yelled, his voice echoing sharply across the street.
Tigor turned around, his lips curling into a cruel smirk as he sized up the young man. "Where did this cockroach come from? Trying to play the hero, huh?"
Mei panicked, turning her bruised face toward Dongbin. "Bin! Get back inside right now! Do not get involved in this!"
Tigor’s eyes darkened as he grabbed Mei’s face tightly in his rough palm, forcing her to look at him. "Get back inside? Cih, you think you can disrespect me like that?"
He glanced up at his men with a chilling grin. "Sever one of his hands."
The henchmen immediately swarmed Dongbin, grabbing his arms and dragging him several paces away from the barbershop.
Instead of panicking, Dongbin remained completely relaxed. He raised his free hand to cover a soft yawn, looking at them with utter boredom.
"What do you guys think you are doing?" Dongbin asked calmly.
One of the thugs turned back toward Tigor, shouting in anger. "Boss, this kid is mocking us!"
Tigor glanced over his shoulder, his rough palm still clutching Mei’s bruised face tightly. "Why are you asking me? Crush him, you idiot!"
At his command, two thugs pinned Dongbin’s right arm flat against a wooden crate, holding it still. Another henchman stepped forward, gripping his small axe with both hands, swinging it high into the air before bringing it down hard toward Dongbin’s wrist.
CRACK!
The sharp, heavy steel blade shattered into a fine cloud of metal dust the instant it struck Dongbin’s skin.
Every single eye on the street widened in absolute shock and disbelief.