“It was just in the way, really.”
Haru remembers the day it happened clearly, after all, it was all everybody at the swimming club talked about for days. At first she didn’t understand why they were making such a fuss about it, Makoto certainly didn’t seem affected by it, but with time she realized her best friend might be lying.
“Mako-chan is so brave!”
“No, I’m not. Nagisa, it’s just hair.”
She wasn’t really shocked when she noticed Makoto had cut the long hair that reached her hips just above her shoulders, if that made Makoto happy Haruka was fine with it, but apparently Makoto’s hair was something all the other girls from the swimming club envied and it loss was mourned collectively.
According to Makoto, she had decided to cut her hair because it was a bother when swimming (getting all that hair on a cap was a fight Haruka usually took part of, braiding Makoto’s hair to help her fit it in) and because Ren and Ran pulled it all the time. And yet she never grew it out again, not even when the twins got older.
They were now 18 years old and Makoto’s hair was still as short as it was that day on the swimming club, while Haruka’s had grown longer and reached her mid back. She assumed Makoto kept on cutting it to fit it inside the caps, after all when long her hair was thick and there was a lot of it, but never truly asked her, not even when she noticed how much Makoto liked to brush Haruka’s hair or how gloomy she looked at Nagisa’s long blonde locks.
“Mako-chan should grow out her hair!” Kisumi had said earlier that evening, sitting close to her at the café and running her long, pale fingers through Makoto’s short locks. “You would look so pretty!”
“I really don’t think…”
“Oh, Mako-chan!” Kisumi leaned ever closer to her, practically sitting on her lap and making Haru wish she was home. “Please, think about it. Do it for me!”
The rest of the evening had gone pretty similar to all their outings with Kisumi. She would hang to Makoto’s arm all the time, not letting go until they had to part ways and making them promise they would hang again soon, something Haru always said ‘no’ to but Makoto would always persuade her, and then they went back to Haru’s house to watch a movie. Half-way through it, Makoto called home and let her parents know she would spend the night at Haru’s and then proceeded to sit behind her on the floor to brush her long hair.
It was then when Haru recalled Kisumi’s words and, even though she hated to admit it, agreed with her. Makoto would look very pretty with longer hair. After all, it truly suited her when she was a kid, so why wouldn’t it now?
“Makoto” she whispered. “Why won’t you grow out your hair?” Haru finally dared to ask.
“Haru-chan, you know why.” She replied, suddenly stopping brushing Haru’s hair. “Long hair isn’t really comfortable when you swim. Even Rei cut hers when joining the club.” Makoto’s voice sounded as sweet as usually, but Haru knew her enough to know she was lying, as she couldn’t sense the usual smile that decorated her lips.
“My hair is long and it doesn’t bother me.”
“That’s because Haru-chan doesn’t have as much hair as I do.” The brush came back to Haru’s hair, but Makoto wasn’t really doing anything, it was unmoving near the base of her neck.
“You’re lying.” Haru said, turning around to face her best friend and putting the brush down. “You can tell me.”
“Haru-chan…” Makoto wasn’t smiling and it bothered Haru, she didn’t like when she was sad and this time it was all her fault for pressing the subject, though Kisumi was the first one to mention it that day so it was essentially her fault. “I… long hair is for pretty girls.”
“What?” Haru’s heart stopped at those words and her mind began working faster than ever. How could Makoto say something like that?
“Pretty girls like Haru-chan, Nagisa and Kisumi. They’re all feminine and small framed.” Makoto avoided Haru’s eyes, her sight fixed on the brush that lay on the floor. “When we were kids, I noticed I was growing up into a big body. My shoulders were already wider than the rest of the girls’ on the swimming club and I was just so tall… So I… I asked mom to take me to the hairdresser to have my hair cut.”
“Makoto…”
“I’m too muscular, Haru-chan! I’m not really feminine, so having short hair looks good on me.”
“Makoto, listen to me.” She said, lifting her best friend’s head by pushing her chin up and forcing her to make eye contact. “Don’t ever say something like that again. I forbid you.”
“What are you talking about?” Makoto’s lips were trembling and her eyes glistened, she was clearly holding back tears
“Makoto… Makoto is the most beautiful girl in the world.” Haru’s cheeks were burning and she was sure she was experiencing a full body blush, but she needed to say those words to her. “Yes, Makoto is tall and her shoulders are broad, but that makes her body perfect for swimming. She’s also nice and compassionated towards every single person she knows. And her smile can illuminate the darkest room in the world.” Words kept flowing from her and Haru was starting to get overwhelmed, she wasn’t really used to talk that much. “Makoto’s face is gorgeous too.” Haru’s hand moved from Makoto’s chin to cup her face, bring her closer to her. “So don’t ever say that again, because Makoto would look good even with a bald her. I would love her anyway.”
“Haru-chan… I love Haru-chan too.”
“Good.” She allowed herself to smile before closing the gap between the two of them, lightly pressing her lips to Makoto’s as her whole body burned. Haru was sure she looked red from head to toes.
It was Makoto who broke the kiss first, a deep blush decorating her cheeks. “I might grow it out if Haru-chan thinks it would suit me.”
Haru smiled, bringing their foreheads together and imagining Makoto with longer hair, looking slightly prettier than she usually does, but probably getting more attention from those who consider long-haired girls to be their favorites, making her feel suddenly awfully possessive. After all, she already had to deal with Kisumi, she didn’t need any more people trying to steal Makoto away from her.
“Thinking about it, just stay the same.”
“If you say so.”
Makoto smiled at her, a real smile this time, before leaning to kiss her again, making Haru forget what they were even talking about, as she was too focused on the feeling of their lips against each other.