Chapter 05

“Something as straightforward as a difference could lead to something as complex as a breakdown.” 
 - Jeanette Winterson

“You must be ing kidding me!” she hissed at the person standing opposite of her.

The smell of bleach and various hair products stung in Dalnim's nose and the noise of a blow dryer rang in her ears.

Namjoon had dragged her here, and was now forcing her to let her hair cut and dyed.

She crossed her arms in front of her chest, propping her weight on the right foot and angling her hips. Tapping her steel toed boots repeatedly onto the floor, she shot fiery glances to her boss.

“I am not kidding” Namjoon stated matter-of-factly and rolled his eyes in annoyance. “When you're going to college, you need to look like a student.”

“But I never agreed-”

He cut her off by covering and pushed her into the seat.

“No ifs and buts” he murmured in a dangerously calm tone. “What I say is the rule. Don't forget that.”

Before letting go of her, he grabbed her neck harshly, but put on a bright smile as the hair dresser stepped to them.

“Welcome! How can I help you?” she beamed in her full-on, fake sale mode.

Namjoon turned to her and pulled off the most charming version of himself.

“Hi! I promised my beautiful girlfriend a make-over before she's starting college. What is really...in these days?”

Without the hair dresser noticing, Dalnim harshly kicked his shins, making him lose his facade for a second.

“Aw, that's so sweet of you!” she squealed, making Dalnim want to throw up.

Namjoon waved it off and leaned over to whisper something in the girl's ear.

Dalnim watched the act he put on. She hated pretentiousness, especially when people used it to their favor. She always promoted blunt honesty.

“Okay, sweety. Follow me, so I can wash your hair and take a good look at it.”

Her eyes snapped up to the girl, her face twisted into a grimace. She was pretty; slender and her crimson hair ended just underneath her chin. She had big eyes – definitely wearing circle lenses to enlarge them even more.

Right in that moment, Dalnim imagined her with a clean, sharp bullet hole right in between her big doe eyes.

She turned around swiftly, her hair flipping around her head as she stalked ahead over to the sinks.

Dalnim flinched when Namjoon pulled her up, gripping onto her arm painfully tight.

“You are going to do this – whether you like it or not!” he hissed.

Rubbing her arm, she followed the hair dresser, spitting an angry “ you!” under her breath.

One and a half hours later, Dalnim's scalp burned painfully and the hair dresser blow dried her hair, brushing it up and down.

When the procedure was done, she was finally turned around to take a look at herself in he mirror. Her jaw immediately dropped and she felt like clawing somebody's eyes out.

The stylist smiled at Dalnim through the mirror and held a hand mirror up behind her head so she had a 360 view on her new hair.

“Do you like it, sweety?” she asked, her smile so wide Dalnim was scared that her cheeks might burst.

“Sure, I love it!” she beamed and jumped up, hooking her arm with Namjoon's, who had been impatiently waiting for her the whole time.

“That's nice. I'm glad you like it.”

The stylist started to sweep her hair to one pile and Dalnim cutely bend over and winked at her, showing her a peace sign with the heavily ringed fingers of her free hand.

“Just the look I was aiming for. My boyfriend likes cheap es.”

Dalnim had been so loud that everyone in the salon heard her. The silence, that had spread, was ripped as the clattering sound of the broom hitting the tiled floor echoed through the room.

Without another word, Dalnim turned around and strut out of the salon, leaving Namjoon behind, dumbfounded.

Walking on the streets, she pulled the hood of her sleeveless hoodie over her head and buried her hands deep in the pockets of her jeans shorts, her boots thudding loudly on the asphalt. Anger built up in the pit of her stomach and as she felt a hand encircling her wrist, she harshly snapped it back and turned around to stand chest to chest with Namjoon.

“What the hell was that?” he barked, trying to get a hold of her hand again.

“Touch me, and I'll kill you in your sleep” Dalnim hissed dangerously.

Namjoon knew better than to push an angered lioness, so he held his hands up in surrender.

Dalnim closed her eyes, clenching her fists so hard her fingernails were digging deep into her palms. She breathed deeply and counted to 10.

“Look” Namjoon started, his voice as soft as velvet