French Cup: A Neighborhood Story

Chapter 44: -Gyeong-Wan- A Clown in a Man's Clothing

"She has reported that your staff will not make small talk. We must speak to our guests. They enjoy small talk. Ask about their flight, what they're interested in seeing here in Tokyo. Direct them to the places they want to see. Get to know them. By feeling like they have friends here, they will come back."

I was barely listening to my general manager. My eyes were focused on the two boys in the lobby causing chaos. He seemed to be immune to it, despite them having been hitting things with sticks from outside for twenty minutes. 

"I have also noticed that there is a lack of asking the guests for their membership account numbers. As I am sure you are aware, our hotel must submit a count of how many members that we serve per quarter. This benefits us if it is a high number. So, not getting their numbers is quite a problem. We also have a quota that we must fill, if we fail this at least. We have barely been meeting the quota. If they don't have a membership number, offer to sign them up for a membership. Your staff should be asking this question as a standard for every guest."

"Yes, sir." The boys ran around the lobby in a circle, chasing each other with the sticks. Laughing loudly, shouting. A few guests in the lobby looked up from their cellphones with disturbed faces. 

I knew these boys. They were the sons of Matsuda-san. I wouldn't forget them. They'd been relatively well behaved in front of their parents, but now... Where were their parents? Had they left them in the hotel alone? That wasn't allowed. Children had to be with a guardian at all times. 

My general manager was further speaking to me. It was after my time to get off work, but he'd felt it was of the utmost importance to talk to me about guest retention. I was listening, but-

The younger boy hit the glass of the aquarium so hard that it reverberated across the lobby. The older one gained an interest in this sound, swinging back around. They both hit the tank's glass, making amused noises like it was the greatest thing in the world. 

"Sir, I'm sorry to interrupt." I gestured to them in the Modern way, with my whole hand. It disturbingly reminded me of a Nazi salute at the worst of times. They didn't want us pointing, so they'd chosen this as the less rude alternative somehow. "Those boys are disturbing the other guests. I've been watching them. They're going to harm the tank. They're Matsuda-san's boys, is that correct? I recognize them."

My general manager looked in their general direction disinterestedly. 

"Should we call Matsuda-san to let him know that his boys are in the lobby? They don't have a guardian, so according to the rules of the company-"

"I know the rules."

He cut me off abruptly. I gave him a bow, realizing I'd been rude to overstep him. 

"In Japan we do not interfere with other people's children," he said. "A Korean person might go and drag a child back to their parents as if they have no etiquette, but we don't do that here. Is that understood?" He said this as causally as if he were asking me the weather.

I stared blankly at him. 

"We are here in the lobby. You have been observing them the whole time. I would say they have been being watched, is that right?"

I was dumbfounded. No words in my mouth. What he'd just said about Koreans... Any respect I'd had for him washed away in that moment. Instead, what stood in front of me was just a man. Stripped away of his title, his experience and education. He was just a man, standing in an expensive suit and wingtip shoes, as if he were wearing a costume. An imposter.

He leaned in to me a little, as if telling me a secret. I backed away a fraction of an inch. "Your three o'clock staff are late," he said quieter, so no one could overhear. 

"Yes, sir."

"You will tell them to be punctual."

"Yes, sir."

He nodded to himself, as if he'd just said the most profound thing in the universe. He went away from me, not giving a single care that the boys were now dragging their large sticks along the lobby's expensive red carpet, scarring it. 

As I watched them further, waiting for my staff to arrive, I thought about his words. What his motivations could be. The boys today were wearing expensive looking polo shirts and matching khaki pants. They were groomed to within an inch of their lives, making me look like an amateur even though I took such care. They appeared as if they'd had hair cuts that morning, which I suppose was possible. But, their clothes looked brand new, too. Their shoes didn't have a single mark between them. Everything on them was perfectly in place. 

They looked...expensive. That was the only word for it. And if these children looked expensive, how much money did their father have? How much money was he spending at the hotel right now? He was the head of the group that was visiting. The top man. Their expenses were on his account. They were staying for weeks. 

As I saw one of my front desk people walk through the front doors, which they're not supposed to do, it clicked with me what was going on here. Immediately, upon seeing the boys in the lobby, my Japanese front desk person clapped his hands loudly at them and barked, scaring them away. He grabbed their sticks and marched to the desk. Why hadn't I felt like I could do that? And what he'd done went completely against what my general manager had just told me...about Japanese people. 

"Wow, how long have they been doing that? Look at this lobby! I will call the houseman at once, Park-san!" He gasped, out of breath after having dealt with them. We watched them march to the elevator appearing dejected, but maybe they'd just play on the elevator instead, which was an even bigger problem. He poised his hands over his computer, too. "I'll write about this property damage at once, as well. I'm sure the general manager would like to have a word with-"

"No, don't. Don't write about the damage."

"Huh? But, the carpet. It's got scratches from the entrance to the-"

"He is aware." That's all I could say to him. All I could get out.

It was hitting me what my general manager had said. How he'd been treating me ever since I had gotten here. Not only that I was beneath him for being of lower rank, but also now... Having to be silent in meetings when my peers freely gave suggestions. Having to prove myself when the others slacked off, such as during the family event before the 5K. Being talked to, with absolutely no chance to say anything back. A one-sided ordering, not even a conversation. The way my peers spoke to him was almost easy compared. Having to prove myself at all, in order to be accepted when I should have been accepted from the start. I'd been chosen by our company to come over from another country to train the front desk staff. I'd been that trusted. But, ever since I'd came here, something had felt off.

Now I knew what it was. 

"Alright, Park-san. Oh, please forgive me for being late. My daughter got into a bit of trouble at school. I know it's no excuse, but I had to talk to her teacher. I was delayed in taking her home. I promise it won't happen again." He bowed to me, truly apologetic.

I bowed to him, as well. Showing respect. "I truly understand. I respect if you're late due to things like this. It can't be helped."

"Oh, thank you, Park-san."

"Absolutely. Don't worry about it."

"Yes, sir."

"If you don't mind, I'll be going now."

"Yes, absolutely, sir."

I went to go, and he was still studying me with a curious face. Disbelief there. Probably for having gotten off so easily for being late. But, even though I had a cruel boss, it didn't mean that I had to be a cruel one, too. I didn't judge him for what my boss had said to me. 

But, as I left the building, nodding to the valet, I knew what I was thinking was true. That even though there's people in this world who would treat me like I am lesser, it isn't everyone. As I turned the corner and French Cup became in my sight, it only reminded me of that fact even more, for so many reasons.