French Cup: A Neighborhood Story

Chapter 65: -Gyeong-Wan- Priceless

The day had been chilly since the start. Gray and dreary. It was my day off, and I didn't want to hurry out of bed like usual. Instead, I stared out of my hotel room window at the familiar neighborhood below. The sun was coming up, casting everything in a creeping blue. From here, I could see the trees that lined the sidewalk beyond this street slowly being lit up as the sun was doing its rising. Just the tops of them since it was only the second floor. How I wished I was on a higher floor. That way, I might be able to see French Cup all the time. 

In a while, I reminded myself that there was now an animal in here to feed. He hadn't come out from under the bed since the first day, finding a refuge to hide in. He seemed to eat after I left, when he might feel safer. We were still getting to know each other, so he needed to develop trust. It would take time. This wasn't my first tango with owning a cat, though I'd been a child when I'd had one last. I was grateful that I knew something about a cat's nature at all. 

I scooped some wet food and crispy food into a small dish together, mixing it as Kazuya had told me to do. He'd said that this way it was less likely that Kuro would have "bathroom problems" as he put it. He really knew this cat well. I wanted to know more about Kuro, but also more about Kazuya. He could talk to me about Kuro all day, and I'd be so happy.

The more I thought about talking with him, the more I felt comfortable with it. But, when should I open up a conversation? And where would it go? This confidence came in waves. It waned sometimes, but was stronger sometimes. Maybe we could talk about Kuro first and then it could get deeper. Maybe thinking about it too much was making me lose it. 

"Bye, Kuro," I called out as I slid around the door, creating the smallest gap possible in case he tried to dash out. He hadn't yet. Kazuya had also told me that he thought Kuro might adapt to domestic life easily since he was so spoiled already. He might like the idea of having steady food and a warm place to be. I hoped when I was gone that Kuro laid on my bed and made himself more at home, but if he was more comfortable under the bed that was okay, too. It was a big space under there, after all.

As I made my way down the grand staircase, the entire lobby was before me. It was as if I were seeing things from new perspectives. Thinking of things in different ways with the possibility of talking to Kazuya, a real conversation. Where would we have it? A restaurant? But, if there were a lot of noise then he might not hear me. It would be bad also if it were too quiet and everyone heard us. No, a restaurant wasn't ideal. 

As I alighted on the last step, I heard the commotion before I saw it. 

"This is the worst hotel I've ever stayed in! Your entire brand has been lacking in the past few years! When I stayed in Singapore they never cleaned my room! Now there's no lotion in the entire hotel?! How ridiculous! What kind of hotel doesn't provide lotion?!"

My head whipped to the sound, and Minami was standing at the desk with her head bowed to the wife of Matsuda-san. My eyes immediately narrowed.

If I thought about it, their one family had been the ones making the most complaints lately and the most trouble. We'd had the usual complaints and bad reviews, but Matsuda-san's family... It seemed like it was always them now. Maybe, if they weren't here things would even be tranquil compared.

I stood there at the stairs as I watched them. Matsuda-san's wife had her hands on her hips. It was true, we didn't provide lotion. It wasn't seen as a travel essential, so it wasn't something that was included unlike toothbrushes and shampoo, among other things. It was assumed by our company that women would bring their own preferred brands. Men would do the same, but to a much lesser extent. If only about an estimated forty percent of guests used a product, what use was it to stock it?