French Cup: A Neighborhood Story

Chapter 97: -Kazuya- The Wrong Side

Boom, boom, boom.

Nikki's forearm and fist was pounding on Minoru's door like a police officer. 

It was after 5PM now. We'd stayed in Charlotte's theater for a long time, planning. Even Miyuki reluctantly stayed, knowing this was important but in her own feelings. I understood that, but in time she might think differently. She'd gone home, thinking it over. She'd have to come around. She just had to.

Boom, boom, boom.

Minoru worked for a company like UberEats if not UberEats when not working on the Rainbow Edition, so he might not be home. But, we figured if there was anyone in this neighborhood who could network, it was him. He had the printing resources to make flyers, and knew every business and person in the neighborhood by name. He had addresses to deliver the Rainbow Edition every week. The addresses of friends and allies. 

Boom, boom, boom. 

We'd decided on a flyer. Just like the Rainbow Edition, but made in a hurry. Come to a meeting in Charlotte's theater tomorrow. Something flashy to catch the eye, but about an issue that would make them arrive in droves. Like the neighborhood meeting we'd had in French Cup about the initial threat, but much more massive. We'd even move into the street if there was enough interest. Nikki liked that idea, because maybe there'd be more eyes on us.

Boom, boom-

A lock unclicked. Nikki's arm went down. He brought up the hood of his lime green faux fur coat in the sudden chilly wind. The door slowly opened and there stood Minoru, looking so young. 

"What's up? My dad's sleeping," he said in a hushed tone, stepping out onto the landing with us in his house slippers. He closed the door with a quiet click.

"What's up? What's up? French Cup!" Nikki repeated after him, still obviously irritated. 

Minoru was silent, but made a slight bow to us. "Of course. Of course. I wanted to write about it in the Rainbow Edition. I'm so..." he lowered his voice, probably because he was so close in proximity to one of his parents, "...fucking...mad. I don't know what to do. I think if I write about it, it won't have any impact at all. I wasn't there. I want to write a big article, get everyone else mad. I want to do something-"

"Well, this is your opportunity. We're doing something. We all agreed. We want to hold a big meeting-" Nikki went right into the attack, telling him rapid fire.

"Whoa, whoa. Okay. I need to go get my notebook."

"Okay, hurry up."

Minoru indicated to us to wait, and then slipped back inside his apartment. Nikki impatiently tapped his shoe on the floor, his arms crossed. No doubt more ideas were floating around in his head like a soup waiting to be spit out like it was too hot. In the back of my own head I was still lost, but just like with everything he was leading the way. Where I would stumble, there he was. It was the exact reason why I'd wanted him to run French Cup with me in the first place. Seeing him like this only tightened my resolve. 

In just a couple of minutes, Minoru was back, hugging a yellow spiral bound notebook to himself with a no.2 pencil in his teeth. He whipped it out of his mouth and opened the notebook, tip poised at the fresh white page. Always the professional. 

"Okay, big meeting," he wrote. 

"Yes, a big meeting. Everyone we can find. I know everyone is mad about what happened at French Cup, hell, and at Zombie Walk! I know there's been people present when our shops have been invaded by people from the hotel demanding unreasonable things, yelling at our friends, writing bad reviews about us for absolutely no reason. We want to hold a neighborhood meeting about all of this, and what to do about it. We think a protest is the answer. We want to go to the hotel in an organized fashion. I didn't agree at first to the organization part. Hanako said we need a permit, so that makes sense. But, we want as many people as we can get. We'll decide when the protest is going to be- You know what? This is all bullshit."