French Cup: A Neighborhood Story

Chapter 94: -Gyeong-Wan- Home

We had to part soon after. Not wanting to leave, but it couldn't be helped. It was a work day. Strangely, I didn't want to call off. I was standing in front of the hotel, seeing Kazuya go on his way. He guided his train case across the street as I watched with protective eyes. It made a slightly clattering noise as it traveled over the imperfections in the street. This sort of noise, that I now associated with him. 

There was only determination where there had been dread. Thinking of the possible consequences, but not caring. This lightness in feeling not diminishing. 

Would I be yelled at for taking her and the boys into the back office? Would my general manager see on the camera that I'd had the boys in his office for a couple of hours? Would he take issue with how I handled the situation, involving other guests? Most of all, would he be angry with me about involving the police when it came to the Matsudas, something I'd already done before this? 

It was clear which side he was on. I wanted no part of it. 

So, with this lightness, I walked back into the hotel. Ready to face him about it if he ordered me to. Ready to speak freely, about how we'd saved that woman and her children. Despite what we'd had to do, whatever rules we'd broken. From what we'd seen, Matsuda-san would not have stopped. What could have happened in those ten minutes between when we'd stopped him and the police got here? I didn't want to think about it. The important part was that we'd done something. We'd stopped him. They were going to be physically okay. 

When I arrived at my desk, I addressed the first order of business. The guests in the surrounding rooms. The guests who had helped us had to be in those rooms. I clicked up the hotel's software and started going through the floors. Locating that floor. Manually, I brought up each and every room. The only thank you that I was authorized to give: refunding their money for their stays. This would be permissible, because technically they hadn't had a good night based on our brand standard. In reality, they'd all helped us. Calling Tomoko and our night auditor on the hotel's phones. Some of them coming out of their rooms, those three who'd been out in the hallway worrying. Those were the ones I was searching for, and since I didn't know their names, all of the guests in the surrounding rooms would get the same regards. They all deserved it. 

As the morning went on, guests came and went. They got coffee in our lobby. One of them spilled hot water all over the floor and our houseman mopped it up. The restaurant started lunch service. Families came and went, getting excited about today's specials and having a good time. Life went on, even though it felt so different for me. 

Minami came in at 11AM, doing her training half in the morning and half in the afternoon. She'd be learning about check-ins today, having mastered the check-out processes. I was proud of her. I also chose not to tell her what had happened this morning. Instead, enjoying her talking about her college semester starting soon. Asking what courses she'd be taking. Finding out she was trying to learn English, this personal challenge to herself. Laughing with her when she found out that out of all the languages I spoke, English was not one of them. Our company just didn't do a lot of business with the west, so there'd been no need for me to learn it. 

As morning turned into afternoon, I went over next week's business. Readying myself and the front desk staff. Next week. What a concept. It felt so foreign after this one, and this one wasn't yet over. This week had to be the longest one of my life.

As I went over our lists, my eyes stopped on the groups list. It wasn't very long, but it did show which groups would be taking over our hotel after all the lawyers left. Matsuda-san's group would be checking out on Friday. It was jarring to realize. All of them were still here, even though their boss was now most likely being held somewhere.