French Cup: A Neighborhood Story

Chapter 38: -Gyeong-Wan- It

Strangely orderly lines were waiting in front of us at the desk. Families were squabbling, fidgeting, peering at phones and watches. It was quiet, though, as if they actually knew patience this morning. All of the athletic gear had been packed away, and travel clothes had replaced them. However, I still knew these people. They could change their clothes, but the ugliness remained. 

Tomoko was using her computer for something other than work, but I was allowing it today. If the camera behind her revealed to a higher manager that she was doing leisure during work hours, I'd defend her, because what she was looking at was incredible.

She finally looked up, having been absorbed in it. She pointed at the screen, and my eyes went sideways to her as I still faced the guest in front of me as I checked them out. 

"This dress. So pretty, right? I went to an event held on this street yesterday. I wanted Minami to go when she got off work, too, but it was over... I don't know what happened, but when I came back to get Minami it was cleared out. I guess it was just for the morning? It was so fun, though. There were some girls wearing dresses like these. I asked them about it. I've seen stuff like that in Harajuku and always wanted to try it. They told me where they bought them. I never thought it'd be so expensive, but if I save up I bet I could afford one. What do you think? Would it look cute on me? It's called guro lolita." 

"I think it would look great." Wanting to encourage her. She'd gone to Zombie Walk? Why would she do that? It made me realize I didn't know my co-workers as well as I thought I did. Minami definitely had a work face and a real face, but now Tomoko was revealing things about herself to me that I'd never have guessed. 

"Can I have a printed receipt?" The man in front of me asked. I put my attention back on him. 

"Absolutely. We'll also email that to you."

"I don't want an email. It'll just junk up my inbox."

"Yes, sir. No problem at all." I pressed the "print" button and waited for the printer to do its job. 

"I want Minami to see this. Maybe next year we can go wearing this. It was a blast. There were games and everything. I forgot it was cold, too. There was so much to do. There was a haunted house. I went in there and this really cute guy was a zombie trying to scare me. I wanted his number."

The lines would have been moving thirty percent faster if she were helping, but I did not care. I only wanted her to keep talking. 

"Oh, look! This one has a big bonnet! Aww! I want it!" She squealed, her fist going up to her mouth. "I'll save up for it. I'm totally into this now. Minami and I are totally going next year. I wonder what they'll have? I wish I could have stayed longer, but I had to babysit my brother."

Did she really not know what had happened? It had been on the news after all.

"You don't know why it ended?" I asked, checking the next person out after I got his name.

"I guess it was only scheduled until noon or something. I don't know. Kind of like a flea market?" She scrolled down her computer screen, smiling at it. 

That wasn't true. As I assured the man in front of me that we'd email his receipt, I surveyed the crowd again. All these people. How many of them had been part of the fighting? Would I recognize their faces if I watched Chidori's video again? The person who'd ripped the Pride flag from that person's shoulders. The ones pushing and shoving people out of the way as the crowd turned, running in the opposite direction like a human river. No regard to the fact that they were putting their hands on other human beings. Human beings who were doing nothing wrong except trying to have fun and spend time with each other, see friends and celebrate. 

I didn't want to cause any more suffering by telling Tomoko, though. She might also ask why I knew. Maybe it was best to stay silent. 

"May I help who's next?" I asked, putting on a smile. Having to wear it as if it weren't mine. 

A woman stepped up the desk with a man who was preoccupied with figuring out how to tuck a camera into his bag. The woman was wearing a bucket hat and had on big glasses. Her purse was beat up, but otherwise was a new Coach bag with big letters saying so on the front. I recognized her immediately. She was rifling through her bag probably for her credit card. Part of me wanted to melt into the wall to get away, but the part that won stood defiantly, willing her to recognize me. 

She'd been the one yesterday to rip the toilet paper from that young man's hand. Finally, someone I knew for sure had been a part of the fight. She'd whined to me like a child, telling me lies. Then, she'd attacked that young man for no reason. Proving to me that what he'd said afterward was correct. 

"Ugh, I swear, you should have been there yesterday," she suddenly said, not looking up from her search. "I mean, it was chaos. I wish you had been there to defend me. Someone grabbed my purse! A nice police officer found it under a table, all stepped on. It's ruined! You just bought it for me. Your nice gift, ruined by those... I saw another one of them ready to throw toilet paper at a child after, did I tell you that? I don't know if the person was a he, she, or it, but... I was- I wanted to defend the kids there! I wanted to take all the weapons away from those people that I could. They were ready to hit kids! It wasn't enough that they assaulted elderly people and mothers and fathers. They wanted more! They all should have been arrested. Every single one of them. I saw it all on the news last night, too. They said it was an event called 'Zombie' something or other. It never should have been allowed to be held. Our event was here first! Besides, their event... I don't know where they get off on it. It's perverted is all it is. Those people..." She chuckled at "those people", like it was a ridiculous notion. "Those people. They shouldn't be coming out onto the street like that. They're all insane, I swear. Are you listening to me? Stop trying to put your camera in the bag. I'm talking to you."

Both Tomoko and Minami were looked at me now. I realized my face was one of the same disgust I felt in my stomach. My mouth was open, ready to say something. But, from the way they were staring at me, I knew they agreed with me. The most wonderful feeling washed over me, seeing their similarly disgusted faces. 

In that moment, I knew they were allies. 

The woman had just called somebody an "it". It made my skin crawl. 

"I believe we have your card on file, madame," I said, stopping her. Not able to take any more of her speech. She needed to leave right now. My hand gripped the desk so hard that my knuckles were white. 

"Oh." She was successfully interrupted, but her gaze on me made my skin further crawl. It made me narrow my eyes at her. 

I pressed a few buttons, charging the card and clearing out her account. "You're all set. Have a...good day..." It was the hardest thing I'd ever had to say. 

She closed her purse and went to her husband. "Right. Come on, let's get something to eat. I'm starving. The breakfast here was cold this morning. I'm going to have to go on the website and say..."

Her awful voice faded into the distance. Minami came back to life, handling another guest. She'd been frozen, listening to the woman, her mouth parted as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her work face slipped back on, though, and her fake smile could have won an award. 

Tomoko was entirely different. It was as if a storm was inside her. Her hand was still on her mouse, ready to scroll through more gory dresses, but her brow crease was as deep as the Mariana Trench. Her anger fierce and unmovable. Her other hand went to her keyboard, and typed in "Zombie Walk". In just a second, what met us was a news article. 

She clicked it and scrolled, reading, the pictures being exactly what I'd seen yesterday. A chaos of horrible things. The more she scrolled, the more she scowled. The more she understood. 

The more she scrolled, the more I knew I'd found a friend.