Mira stared at the calculator app on her phone, her thumb hesitating over the last digit. It wasn’t about math — not really. She had already crunched the numbers last night: the cost of shampoos, conditioners, styling products, salon visits, all compared against the price of one good set of clippers and a few scarves for cold days. Logical. Clean. Efficient.
But still, this final tap on the screen marked more than a calculation. It was a quiet rebellion — against expectations, against perfection, against fear.
A week ago, she'd woken up tired of constantly managing her appearance. Hair was never just hair — it had become a symbol of control, of effort, of conforming. So she made a decision. Not impulsively. Methodically.
Today was the day.
She looked at the "0" glowing back at her on the screen. No clutter, no distractions. Just zero — absolute simplicity.
Mira set the phone down, took one last deep breath, and looked at her reflection. Her newly shaved head caught the sunlight coming through the window, and for the first time in a long while, she didn’t feel like she was hiding behind anything.