French Cup: A Neighborhood Story

Chapter 31: -Gyeong-Wan- Delicious, Delicious Chicken

New memory: his warm hand in mine as we walked around the grocery store, pointing at things and laughing together. 

Old memory: my mom saying that your thirties were given to you not to waste away in youth, but so that you're still young enough to play with your children without getting tired. 

New thought: it isn't a waste to play with him in the grocery store instead. We can play like we're children. 

I want to get ice cream with him and go by the river. It's too cold for ice cream now, but later... If there is a later. Ever since I told him about myself, every day is a blessing that I can't waste. There isn't any fear like I thought there'd be. But, I learned recently that I'm new to his world. I don't know many things. There's a lot to learn, and maybe fear is learned in this world. 

His friends were talking to each other about something happening tomorrow. They were across from us, one of them I didn't know yet. He was kind of rounder, balding a little. Seemed older than them by at least a few years, or maybe it was just that he looked older. He was nice, though. Soft spoken. I had to lean in when he talked to me. The strangest part of it was that Kazuya and Nikki were calling him by a girl's name. I didn't understand that, but I played along. That word, play. Was it playing? 

"Hanako, what are you wearing tomorrow? What did you bring?" Nikki asked him, his spoon diving into a cake that Kazuya had called a mini charlotte russe. It had some kind of long, blond cookies lining the outside and an unidentifiable red clear layer on top with strawberries and some cream, and now that Nikki had taken a scoop out, I saw it was full of a pink custard and fruit. It looked delicious and I wanted one, too. 

"Hmm." Hanako was thoughtful, and all of us were silent, trying to hear him. "Fairy wings. You've never seen them before. I had them custom made."

"Are they bloody, or what?" Nikki asked, chewing as he spoke.

"No, no. Why would they be bloody?" Hanako was bemused, but still pleasant.

"Because of zombies," Nikki nodded, his spoon going into his mouth again. 

"Well, I don't see what that has to do with me."

Kazuya tilted his head cutely. It made something pinch inside of my chest, and I had to look away. Pay attention to his friends, too. 

"You're an MC at Zombie Walk. That's what it has to do with you!" He giggled. He'd been very giggly ever since I saw him at the grocery store. He was always cheerful, but today was different. More than normal. It made me want to smile, too. 

But, I was always awkward in situations like this. People I didn't know. It was different at my work, where I didn't know anybody. It was easier to talk to them under that assumption. There were ways to impress them that were standard. But, these were Kazuya's friends. I already knew Nikki a little bit, but not really. Meeting Hanako was a little overwhelming. They were talking about something that I didn't know about, too. I could only listen. 

"Well, I don't want to dress all bloody!" Hanako gasped femininely, like it was the worst thing he'd ever heard of. 

Nikki covered his face and dragged his hand down it, his eyes up to the ceiling. "You never cooperate. Whenever we tried to coordinate our outfits, you never went through with it. What in the world is a fairy going to be doing at Zombie Walk?" Nikki asked, getting irritated.

"I'm always a fairy. I'm a flower witch."

"I keep telling you those are two different things."

Kazuya jumped in, and he had my full attention. "I'm sure there's going to be people dressed there normally, too. Like it's Pride weekend instead. Hanako can represent them."