French Cup: A Neighborhood Story

Chapter 26: -Kazuya- Spicy Chocolate

In the late afternoon, I admit I was down. The others had left, with Hanako also going back to Nikki's apartment where he was staying. Nikki had gone with him to help him get settled. Now it was just me holding the shop, and I was drowning in orders. Our hot chocolate was proving to be more popular than I could handle. I'd appreciated them helping me put up Christmas decorations, and we'd all had a good laugh at Yash when he was on the ladder, joking that he was going to fall and making fun of him as he made fun of us. But, now I was lonely and overwhelmed.

I'd finished writing our hot chocolate specials on our little blackboard prop up sign, preparing it to stand at one of our showcase windows. Thinking better of it, I grabbed some more snowflakes and went to the window.

I wanted to see Gyeong-Wan. They'd said all those awful things, and I wanted to prove it wasn't true. He was a good person. There were an overwhelming number of good things he'd done since we'd known him. Even Nikki and Miyuki had seen that, but now they were against him. It almost seemed fun to them to be mean about him, in the way they talked, having gotten so excited to tell Hanako. I only could hope that Hanako hadn't formed a bad opinion of him. He was reasonable and older than us, so maybe he could be more mature about this.

I taped a red snowflake to the window, staring off into space, not seeing anything. My vision was only full of him, all the things he'd done. If he was telling people about our businesses, I knew he was only trying to help us. He'd insisted to pay for anything that I'd given to him for free. He'd practically bought out Yuko the other day, in an effort to get her to go inside. I could never repay him for that. If I'd found Yuko outside attempting to sell her wares like that I would have panicked. I wouldn't have known what to do. But, from what she'd told me, he'd taken control. He'd been the perfect gentleman, even calling her "madame". She hadn't even known who he was, this stranger helping her out of the blue. To find out that person had been Gyeong-Wan? It filled me with a rush of feelings. Things I couldn't describe. It made me float up like my feet weren't touching the ground anymore.

I put the blackboard sign up and wiped my hands in a job well done and went back to the counter, prepared to count the number of product we had out to see if I needed to bring out another batch. We'd been getting more people from Zombie Walk. They were excited, asking me for hints about what to expect this year. Was their favorite seller still around? What was Salem's Sister going to do? They were always so tight lipped.

The bell rang above the door and my head whipped to it, hoping beyond hope that it was him. Hoping more than I thought I was, my heart going to sunshine in the idea that-

I dashed for the door. I wanted to throw my arms around him. "Welcome to French Cup!" I gasped, practically glowing. He stood there, wrapped in a scarf and dark blue coat, looking so chilly. Oh, it was like my dreams were answered. Suddenly sunshine everywhere. Relief, everywhere.

He looked relieved, too, that same smile that I'd been thinking about all day. And he laughed. Oh, he laughed.

"Hello," he said, maybe shyly. He pointed to the small blackboard sign in the window. "Hot chocolate? Can I try some?"

"Yes, yes, yes," I breathed, catching a whiff of his cologne as I ushered him to his usual table. It made my smile even wider. Oh, how I missed him. It made me pause for half a second, this realization. I'd missed him...

"Which one would you recommend?" He asked, taking off his scarf elaborately. I drank in every movement.

"A secret one."

"What, secret?!" He gasped, excited like a child.

Ah, that's one of the many things I liked about him. He could get excited like that, and it always spread to me. My hands went to my chest, clasped there in my own excitement. "Yes. It's a dark chocolate with a bit of cinnamon, vanilla, and chili powder in it. My favorite."

"Hot hot chocolate?" He was grinning, so cute, those dimples so deep.

"Yes!"

"Will you drink it with me?"

How could I ever refuse? It made me bounce on the balls of my feet. This opportunity! "I'll be right back!" I practically chirped, dashing away. The faster I moved, the more time I'd have with him.

As I went, it occurred to me how much happier I was. It was night and day. I'd been so upset all day from what they'd all said about him, and now that I was seeing him, the real him, I was just... Oh, I was the happiest person on earth.

As I made our hot chocolates, I secretly eyed him. Observing him like maybe they might. Like we used to, from this counter. He sat there staring full on at me. Smiling, being cute. It sighed silently, living the fast motions of my quickly beating heart. There was no way he was the bad person that they described. There was no way in the world.