French Cup: A Neighborhood Story

Chapter 37: -Kazuya- Insert Dumb Joke Here

We were at the airport this morning. The cars were going past us as we stood at the entrance with Hanako and Chidori. I didn't want to say good-bye. They had their bags, too many bags for such a short stay. They should have stayed longer. It wasn't fair. 

Hanako was making small talk with Nikki, lingering, as Chidori rearranged their bags on the concrete for the fifth time. They didn't want to go, either. 

As I stared at their bags being arranged, my eyes blank as I already missed my friends, something poked my shoulder. I looked up, and Hanako was smiling at me, so pleased. He took my hands, making them go up and down in his merriment. 

"Hey, Kazu," he said.

"Hey." My voice was too sad compared to his cheerfulness. 

"What does a zombie say on St. Patrick's Day?"

A joke? About yesterday? It was impossible to me. Even more sadness and shame washed over me. "What?"

"Brians." Almost a whisper, way too pleased with himself. He grinned at me. 

"Oh my god, that is the stupidest joke," Chidori snickered into her fist, stopping from rearranging their bags. 

"Get it? Because the 'a' and 'i' are switched." He grinned at her, too.

"Yes, I get it. That's so dumb. I love you. Did you come up with that yourself?" She put her hands on her hips at him.

"Yes. I wrote it on the way here, because Kazu looks sad."

The more I thought about it, the worse the joke got. The fact that it may have been a little racist was even worse coming from innocent Hanako. I started cracking up with Chidori as Nikki just shook his head, smiling. 

Hanako poked me on my cheek. "I'll be back around Valentine's Day. We're still having the Valentine's Day event at French Cup, right? Miyuki won't want to do it. I want to work in your drag queen maid café."

"Can I do it, too?" Chidori picked up Hanako's computer bag and put it on top of a rolling suitcase. "I want to be Prince Edmund and heal all the lonely girls' hearts."

That sounded wonderful. What a healing, beautiful thing. They were always right back on the horse. It wasn't that nothing fazed them, but they were always going forward. Hanako had told me himself so many times that no matter what happens, you have to pick yourself up and try again. It was the secret to his unending cheerfulness and chill attitude. It was a good idea to remember right now. All those sad faces yesterday, the scared faces, too. It made me worried about next year's Zombie Walk. Would we get enough visitors? Would this attack scare them off? But, it was obvious that Hanako was doing his thing again. He and Chidori were right back on the horse, no matter what. I didn't know if I was strong enough for that myself.

I was nodding to them before I was even finished thinking. Wanting to see them again. This way, it would be barely two months until I saw them again. 

"Good. I want that strawberry frappe that you make for it," Chidori said, nudging Nikki. "I know you don't think it's coffee, but it is coffee."

"There's no coffee in it. How is that coffee?" Nikki nudged her back, smiling a little. He was sad about them leaving, too. 

Why did they have to leave? I wanted them to stay here. But, part of me knew that there was nothing for them here. Hanako had a job in IT up in Hokkaido, and Chidori was a teacher's assistant at an elementary school. They had jobs up there, a whole life. They'd tried so hard to start over. It wasn't fair that they had to start over. They'd come here so many years ago apart, but met at the drag bar doing drag. It was a beautiful story, a drag queen and drag king falling in love. But, now it was almost like that story was over. They hardly ever got gigs anymore.