French Cup: A Neighborhood Story

Chapter 18: -Gyeong-Wan- Your Danishes Suck and So Do You

"Your front desk agents aren't performing as we hoped by this point in time."

I blinked up at my managers as they stared at me neutrally. This meeting room had glaring lighting, much too bright. The bland baked goods on the table were giving me an itch. One of my co-workers was picking at a danish, uninterested. I betted if it were a pastry made by Kazuya, then it'd be in her mouth right now with the meeting forgotten.

I put my head down, showing them respect. They didn't want me to answer, just to tell me this. Satisfied, they went on to their next item. 

Now, the next item up for grabs...

Remembering Kazuya saying that, presenting something weird, but funny, dressed as an American 1950's housewife like I Love Lucy on steroids. My lips pressed together, trying not to laugh. 

"We're still checking in guests from the marathon group. I expect all of our rooms to be cleaned and pre-selected for them. Some are coming today and are already here, but they'll be arriving in the next few days. I want housekeeping prepared. Don't drop any rooms. As for engineering, we need to be on top of any issues. It was unacceptable that there were phones that weren't working for the wedding group. We're brand new. These phones should be working."

None of our managers expected us to talk. It wasn't a conversation. It was only meant to berate us. That kind of motivation never worked, but it seemed to be universal in this world. Nothing we did was ever good enough. There was always more we could have done, finding our faults even if we did the perfect job. I'd been in this industry for five years, coming in after my military service when my father got me a good job, but it was draining.

Thinking about Kazuya smiling at me. Talking to me about chocolate. How kindly he treated everyone. There was a different way. It didn't need to be like this. He was the owner of French Cup, and yet he was so kind. Taking such care to make sure that everyone was happy, even looking so tired like he hadn't gotten any sleep. Trying that hard, yet being so peppy and smiling himself. 

Under the table, my hands met. Trying hard to keep it together, but this unsatisfied feeling was getting worse. It had started ever since I met him. I'd known there was another way to live life, suspected it, but there he was. He was even doing it now, probably serving someone a little cake and explaining the love he put into it. Telling everyone one by one the history of what he'd made, how much care he'd taken. To anyone else, it was just a little cake. But, at French Cup, it was anything but that. It was magic. It was magic, because of him.

Him wearing his pink beret, like the first day I'd met him. Him grabbing at his sleeve as he talked to me. Him, smiling at me and saying, "when you come back."

I wanted to go right now.

"Park-san, make sure your front desk agents are trained about how to pre-block rooms. We need to make keys in advance to smooth out the process of the group checking in. We can't afford for there to be any gaps in service. Groups are our most profitable..."

Kazuya holding the cat skull, smiling at me as I complimented him about it. His nervous face as he explained that he was going to bury it in the park. Slipping up and asking if I could go with him was the best mistake of my life.

Whatever else my managers had said during that meeting, I had no idea.

Around 7PM, I walked into French Cup. It wasn't when I usually was there, but I couldn't wait to come back. I hadn't been able to make it this morning due to the group checking in, but there was no place I'd rather be. 

Divinely, he was there behind the counter. He was handing a small croissant-like treat to someone on a plate, smiling at them like I'd seen in my mind all day. He was wearing another button up vest and tie tucked into it, a light blue color this time. It went nicely with his spring green colored button up shirt, the sleeve cuffs turned up to reveal a pink underneath. He was a delight of pastel colors. I was so bland compared in my dark navy blue suit, just like the danishes on our meeting room table today.