On a corner of Moriones, Tondo, stands “Gusting’s Barbershop.”
It is an institution that seems to be left behind by time.
The surroundings smell of rubbing alcohol, Tancho pomade, and old wood.
The owner and sole barber is Mang Gusting—seventy years old, lanky, and with thick glasses.

Mang Gusting is known for his “Shaky Hands.”
When he holds the razor to shave, his hand shakes as if there is an earthquake.

“M-Mang G-Gusting… just go easy on my neck,” pleaded Jepoy, the young man sitting on the iron chair.
Jepoy was sweating profusely as the sharp razor was pressed against his Adam’s apple.

“Don’t be naughty… I’m used to it…” Gusting replied, his hand trembling as he approached Jepoy’s neck.

Suddenly, the door opened with a bang.
BLAG!

Three men wearing bonnets and holding improvised shotguns entered.

“This is a holdup! No one will move!” shouted the leader Alias ​​Panot (even with a bonnet, his hair was clearly thin).

“Take out your cellphones and wallets! Even what you saw in the haircut, take it out!”

Jepoy was scared.

He almost got cut by the razor.

“Wait a minute, kids…” Gusting’s voice was raspy.

“I’m in the middle of shaving. The kid might get hurt.”

“I don’t care!” shouted another holduper while pointing his shotgun at Gusting.

“Hurry up or I’ll blow your skull off!”

Mang Gusting sighed.

He slowly lowered the razor onto the table.

And in an instant, the unexpected happened.

Mang Gusting’s hand shaking… suddenly stopped.
His back straightened.
His hazy gaze behind the mirror suddenly became sharp—sharper than his razor.

“I told you… don’t mess around during work hours,” Gusting said coldly.

Alias ​​Panot was about to rush in.

But Gusting grabbed the steaming hot towel from the steamer and quickly wrapped it around Panot’s face!

“ARAY! THE HEAT!” Panot shouted.

As Panot was about to run away, the other two rushed in.

Gusting stepped on the hydraulic lever of the barber chair.
The chair spun around quickly and the second holdaper’s knee hit the steel footrest.
CRACK!
Fall!

The third holdaper fired a shot.
BANG!

But Gusting dodged.
He grabbed his scissors—his stainless steel shears.

SWISH!
SNIP!
SWISH!

He didn’t stab.
He cut.

With Gusting’s quick hand, the garter of the holdaper’s pants cut off!

Page: SAY – Story Around You | Original story

The holdaper’s pants fell down to his ankles, causing him to stumble and drop the gun.

But Gusting wasn’t done yet.

He approached the leader, Panot, who was just removing the hot towel from his face.

“Since you made a mess, I’ll give you a complimentary cut,” Gusting whispered.

He grabbed Panot’s head.

He took out the electric razor (the razor).
BZZZZZZT!

Within five seconds, he had given the holdaper a “reverse mohawk”—bald in the middle, with hair on the sides.

“There. You look smart,” Gusting said.

In less than two minutes, the three Tondo firemen were lying down.
One had a burn on his face and a bad haircut.
One had a twisted knee.
One was lying on his back with his pants down.

Mang Gusting?
He calmly returned to his place, shook out his apron, and picked up the razor again.

His hand trembled again.

“Oh, Jepoy… let’s continue,” Gusting said as if nothing had happened.

“Sir?!” Jepoy was shocked.

“Mang Gusting, who are you?! Are you ninjas?!”

The police arrived in response to the gunshot.

The Police Captain entered.

He saw the holdups that Gusting had tied up with a barber cape.

The Captain looked at Mang Gusting.

The police saluted.

“Master Sergeant Agustin!” the Captain greeted in surprise.

Gusting looked.
“Oh, Captain. Please clean up this garbage. It’s bothering the customer.”

Jepoy was confused.
“Sir? Do you know him?”

The Captain smiled as he handcuffed the suspects.
“Son, don’t you know Mang Gusting?
He was the Legendary Barber of Bilibid in the ’80s.
He shaves the heads of Death Row inmates before they are put in the electric chair.
Thousands of criminals have passed through his hands.
It is said that he can tame wild animals with just scissors.
He can shave a beard with a samurai.”

Jepoy was speechless.
It turned out that Gusting’s shaking hand was not because of pain, but because he was holding back his strength.
When he released the control, the precision of a master came out.

“Sorry Captain, it’s a bit rusty,” Gusting said as he wiped the razor.
“My haircut is a bit different from that one.”

They looked at Alias ​​Panot who was crying while stroking his reverse mohawk.

“That’s his thing, Master,” laughed the Captain.

The day ended with the barbershop safe.
From

Back then, Mang Gusting’s shop was always full.
Not just because he was a good barber, but because the people hanging around Tondo knew that in Gusting’s Barbershop, no smoking was allowed.
Because if you anger the barber, you might come out with a Bilibid haircut, or worse—your neck might get “trimmed.”

And Jepoy?
He was the bravest young man in the area.
He was proud of his clean cut and said,
“This is a Verdugo haircut, man. You have no hair.”