Risitas at the Hair Salon

It was a normal day at the neighbourhood hair salon, a small, simple place, but buzzing with life. Mostly thanks to the glass wall that let in heaps of natural light, and the hanging plants that dressed the whole place up. In that cozy little corner, life rolled on between scissors and combs, and laughter was almost as common as the whir of the hairdryers. But not everyone there was easy to spot. At least not for everyone.

Risitas, a mischievous Magikito, watched it all from the shelf of hair dyes. He loved pranks and little games, and he had a special gift for picking up human feelings. This tiny creature, barely taller than a 20-centimetre ruler and dressed in bright, punchy colours, had a mission, to drop a bit of his magic wherever it was needed most.

That morning, an elegant woman walked in. Her presence was as cold as a winter night, and her distant attitude quickly filled the room with a tension you could almost touch. The hairdresser, Bruno, who’d been chatting happily with his client, stopped mid-sentence and focused on the job. Axel, the young guy Bruno was trimming, went quiet too. He side-eyed the woman in the mirror and wondered what makes someone live with zero joy.

Clara, the cheerful stylist with short hair, tried to lighten the mood with her usual bubbly talk. No luck. Still, she wasn’t about to let that woman’s bad vibes get under her skin.

But yeah, no way. The woman was blunt and icy, and every line she dropped was worse than the last. After a few short, dry exchanges, she sat down in the chair while Clara worked on her spotless, shiny golden hair. Clara decided the best plan was simple, do a great job and finish as fast as possible.

No one spoke. The only thing you could hear was the boring tune of awkward silence.

Risitas, feeling that itch to step in, slid quietly to where the woman had placed her perfectly lined-up feet. He pulled a marker from his tiny leather pouch and quickly drew a smile on one of her exquisite white shoes. For Risitas, it wasn’t just a prank. It was a little spell, made so whoever wore it would have to smile, whether they wanted to or not.

When the session ended, the woman stood up and took one last look at herself in the mirror. Honestly, Clara had done an impeccable job, but the woman had zero intention of showing gratitude, not directly, not even by accident. Then she glanced down. The smile on her shoe caught her eye. She opened her mouth, ready to shout in pure rage, but suddenly her lips pressed together and a huge grin spread across her face. She couldn’t stop it.

“I love it!” she shouted, full of enthusiasm.

“Wait, really?” Clara answered, totally confused.

Bruno and Axel were shocked too, and honestly, relieved to see the woman thanking Clara.

“I actually feel so much better now, thank you for such amazing work!” Then she opened her leather wallet and pulled out five big gold coins, handing them to Clara with that massive smile still plastered on her face. “Keep the change, please. You deserve this, and more.”

Without another word, she walked out of the salon, humming a cheerful little tune.

Axel, Bruno, and Clara just stood there, stunned. And happy, they went back to their day.

Risitas, pleased with his mischief, slipped back to his hiding spot on the dye shelf, glad he’d managed to flip the whole place’s energy.