French Cup: A Neighborhood Story

Chapter 29: -Kazuya- The Trial of the Century

As I sat in my chair, I observed the room. All of our chairs were arranged in rows, facing our makeshift stage. It reminded me of our open mic nights, but this was too different. There wasn't an atmosphere of playful calling to each other, joking, or even noise. Next to me sat Nguyen-san, and his wife was in the chair next to his. Behind me, there was a slight buzzing of people talking, but it was subdued. 

On the stage sat Ayane, Prin, Miyuki, Hiran, and finally Nikki. All of them would be speaking shortly about their experiences in the neighborhood for the past few weeks. They'd then open the floor to others' experiences. They'd ask what we should do, if anyone had any ideas. It was an impasse. There wasn't any real plan. We'd closed early for this, and most businesses had closed at 5PM anyway. It felt like lost business to me, the opposite of what they had planned. 

Most of all, it felt like a trial. That kind of air. A trial for one person. Inevitably, Gyeong-Wan's name would come up, and no doubt Nikki would talk about him just like he'd told Hanako. Even those who'd never met him would turn against him. Once he said that Gyeong-Wan was associated with the hotel, he was finished. That's all it would take. 

I hadn't been able to come up with anything. The only thing I could possibly say to defend him would be to name him as one of our community, and I'd never do that to him. Even then, they still probably wouldn't be convinced. There was only what Hiran had told me the other day going around in my head, that there were people who hated us, essentially calling me naïve. There was Nikki saying that he was scared. 

Yes, I understood all of that. I really did. They didn't know Gyeong-Wan like I did. They hadn't spoken with him or spent any real time with him. They didn't know he meant no harm. To them, he was little more than a stranger hanging around too much for comfort. Someone with ties to a known enemy. Someone who could bring harm. How could I defend him in the face of that? I only knew what I did, and it wasn't enough. They didn't have those good experiences to rely on. It was my word against thirty or more people in this room. 

I wished we were gathered for open mic night instead. Maybe Drag Bingo. Or maybe we could be gathered to have a community meal together, like we always did on New Year's for people who had nowhere to go. It made me incredibly sad, using this space for something instead so cruel. 

Gyeong-Wan had never known an inclusive community. That much was certain when he'd cried with me. He was all alone. He didn't feel safe. Here was a chance for him to have friends and feel safe. Here was a chance for him to find family. People who would support him and raise him up, love him. He was so kind. They had no idea how kind he is. And yet, they were about to give him a social death. They were about to cast him out when they didn't even know him. 

I hadn't seen him today. He never showed up to French Cup. I'd asked Yash if he'd seen him, but he told me no. It worried me. I needed to know if he was alright. Maybe Nikki had said something to him, or maybe he wasn't coming for another reason. Maybe work was too hectic right now. He was alone. 

The bell chimed over the door, and about thirty heads turned to it at once. My heart dropped, expecting to see him there. He often did come late at night, for me... But, instead. 

I jumped up out of my seat, and Nguyen-san next to me did, too. We dashed to the door, clinging to Yuko's elbows. She was slowly making her way inside. And...she didn't have a coat on. 

"Yuko, where's your coat? Did you leave it at your shop?" I asked her in a hushed way, worried for her.

"It's not too cold out," she chuckled to me in her usual manner, like I'd made a funny joke. 

It was freezing. Nine degrees centigrade, and dropping. I didn't want to let her know that. I shook my head, smiling with her. "I guess not. But, I'd feel better if you borrowed my coat when you go back, alright? I'll walk you back home after."