French Cup: A Neighborhood Story

Chapter 33: -Gyeong-Wan- Big Brother Jumps Rope

It was an icy feeling early morning, barely sunrise. I'd gotten no sleep, but it was no big deal. My stomach was full of good chicken, there wasn't a cloud in the sky. I'd only be on duty until 3PM, and today was going to be an interesting day, far from the norm.

My general manager was standing next to me. He was in his late fifties, comfortably in middle age. He was stretching in his suit, just like the hundreds of participants before us, getting into the spirit.

"It's going to be a triumphant day," he said to me again, and I nodded, being respectful. He didn't actually want me to respond. 

The plan was to start in this park. We'd have a fun family morning, doing athletic activities. There were events planned throughout the park, lots of choice. In particular, the jump roping contest was fun to me. I could imagine myself participating, absolutely beating anybody who tried to best me. Seeing everyone here, it didn't seem like there was a serious athlete among them. I'd been a swimmer in school, and I'd won a few competitions. I'd furthered my athletic pursuit in college, and in the military I was among the most physically fit. I'd continued on, lifting weights, and swimming in the pool by myself at the gym. It was a hobby of mine to go to the gym. It helped me zone out, not think about what was going on around me. If this were an alternate universe, I'd have so much fun today.

Instead...

My general manager stepped up the the stage that our maintenance team had erected even earlier for him. He had a megaphone. My mind wandered to Kazuya, who probably was still in his kitchen making treats for Zombie Walk. I wanted to go. I had wanted to ask him when it was, but I'd been so absorbed with trying to do my best not to mess up the treats for it that I'd forgotten. I'd ask him today. Was it going to be like a Halloween event? I wanted to dress up. What would he want me to be? What was he going as? 

I was wondering if there was any info about it in the previous week's Rainbow Edition, which I'd failed to pick up, when my general manager started speaking.

"Good morning! Welcome to Race for the Children! Your children! Haha!"

Awkward. Everyone clapped politely for him. 

"Today you'll find different stations around the park. This includes a rock wall, tug of war, jump roping, skate boarding, and there are biking trails. There will be a badminton tournament, and there are ping pong tables set up. Of course, for the ladies there is yoga and Pilates!" 

For the ladies. Why did it have to be assumed that only they'd be interested? Pilates was invented by a man, after all. I enjoyed it myself.

He went over the list of activities. It would last all morning, tiring everyone out. Then, a 5K run would start. The first runners would get to the hotel by the intended course in about fifteen minutes, with the others trailing behind by anywhere to twenty to thirty minutes. Each family would choose family members for this, but everyone had to be at least twenty years old. Adults only. It was for safety reasons, since anything could happen on an open street. That was my managers' decision. Personally, I thought the idea of children participating was fun. Who said it had to be an actual race? And who had thought of the name Race for the Children? It didn't make any sense to me.

But, my mind was still on Kazuya and his friends. How we'd yelled up at Kim-san this morning, getting him to come down and make us food even though he'd posted clear new hours in the Rainbow Edition. That defiance, setting their own rules if they simply protested them. What an idea. It was giving me energy more than the pile of chicken and fries I'd eaten. 

My job this morning was to go around to various stations, asking how people were doing and if they needed any assistance. My only true hope to participate was to spot someone as they did something difficult. Maybe hold their feet if they needed help doing sit ups during a timed trial, perhaps hold the end of jump ropes for double dutch if I was lucky. Maybe, I could start up double dutch...