French Cup: A Neighborhood Story

Chapter 28: -Kazuya- ABBA is My Blood

Gathered outside of Charlotte's theater, we were observing her lining up the letters for Zombie Walk on her marquee. She'd be arranging the announcements for the events held during the day, where to get food, and times for start and end. The finale of her zombie movie festival was also on the board, which was the movie Train to Busan. As I stared at those words on the other side of the marquee, the only one standing there alone and blocking the light from my eyes with my palm, I thought about how the movie was in Korean.

Gyeong-Wan.

He'd cried in my arms last night, telling me a secret. One that he was so ashamed of. All I could do was try to comfort him, trying to grasp what he'd just said. He said he'd never told anyone before. Not even his mom? Or a school friend? No one? I was the first? What was so special about me that I was the first?

I'd cried, too, wondering why I was so special. That he'd tell me this, no one else. He trusted me that much? I'd never tell a soul. I'd keep this secret forever if he wanted me to. He'd cried for so long. It was obvious to me that he'd known this about himself for a long time, and felt like he had nobody. As I held him, I wanted to know why he felt like he had nobody. What was really going on inside of himself? I wanted to know.

But, he hadn't talked about it further when we'd had hot chocolates afterwards. We'd talked about normal things, and he seemed to be better. Still weaker, because he was recovering from his crying, but he was okay. I was glad he was okay, that I could make him feel that way. In the end, we'd gone into my kitchen he'd watched me prepare some double chocolate cookies for him. A comfort food. I'd sent him home with them wrapped in a couple of piping bags. I had nothing else portable that was big enough. Only afterward did I remember that I had plastic wrap as well, but it proved to me how worried I was. That I'd forget this simple thing.

What was he doing now? It was well into the afternoon. I knew from observation that he got off work mid-afternoon. If he went to French Cup now, he'd only find Yash. I looked toward the hotel, wondering. Would I be able to see him from here if he was leaving?

"The sound system will snake in through your doors like usual," Nikki was saying, walking toward the double doors of the theater. "I worry, though, because it's going to be freezing. Is your theater going to be able to take that? For the doors to be open a gap?"

Charlotte shrugged. It made me raise my eyebrow. It wasn't her usual response. Usually, she was very enthusiastic for Zombie Walk. But, our conversation last week... Sadness mixed in with my worry about Gyeong-Wan. Had she told nobody else?

"Hmm, I wonder if we should decorate?" Hanako went over to the wall, caressing it like a lover. "Blood spatters? Maybe some kind of peelable gel? Is that too much?" She wasn't even looking at us, more in her own world, most likely envisioning it all dressed up.

"You can do whatever you want," Charlotte shrugged again. She lifted more letters up from the bag at her waist, stretching to apply them on the marquee.

"Okay, yeah," Hanako said, his fingers at his mouth. He pointed around the wall, envisioning it. "I'll go to a craft store and get some things. I won't harm the wall, but I think it would look..." He trailed off, thinking only to himself.

"Sure, if you want to." It was as if Charlotte wasn't paying attention to us.

I was about to say something, but Nikki was quicker. At her responses, his hands had gone onto his hips. He was much closer to her that any of us, being so tall.

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!" He barked.

Charlotte practically tumbled off the ladder, wobbling hugely. My hands went up, ready to catch her, but she was stable enough to regain balance.