French Cup: A Neighborhood Story

Chapter 110: -Gyeong-Wan- Halo

The car was full of American pop music as the quiet night floated around us. The whole city looked new. All these parts I'd seen, new again. 

"Oh yes, turn it up," Nikki gasped as a new song started up, even though he was driving and in charge of the radio. His long fingers scrambled for the tuner. They turned the volume dial way up as a selection of strings started. 

"What is this?" Kazuya asked next to me in the backseat. He was snuggled in, and this was adding to my euphoria.

"Honey, this is Beyonce," Nikki sighed, looking annoyed in the rearview mirror. His eyes flicked to Kazuya, full of heat, then back to the road. 

"American singer?" He asked, but too quiet for a response. The music was too loud, compared. I knew who Beyonce was, so I nodded to him. He gave a satisfied smile and snuggled a bit more. It made my heart fly with joy. 

As the singer began to sing, next to Kazuya there was quite a sight. Hanako, dressed magnificently in a light mint green dress of a gauzy material with nails to match, clapped his hands over his ears. The most sour face I've ever seen from him appeared. It surprised me. 

"What is that?" Nikki asked, his voice going lower in a growl. His eyes were back at us in the mirror.

Chidori swung around in her front seat. She was smiling so wide, wearing her princely outfit. They'd both been at Charlotte's theater earlier, practicing for a showing of a movie later in the week. It was another musical, one I hadn't heard of. But, for sure I'd go. My heart leapt up into the atmosphere again, thinking of going with Kazuya. He looked so content right now. He was as content as I felt. 

"Hanako doesn't like Beyonce," Chidori informed Nikki while giving Hanako an assuring look.

Nikki jumped in his seat and Kazuya gripped my arm in surprise. His eyes were so big and beautiful at this. I stared into them, almost ignoring what was going on in the car around us.

"How do you not like Beyonce?!" Nikki screeched. 

I peered over at Hanako. His face had gone even more stone cold. My lips went into my mouth, about to laugh at his unmoving staring up ahead. I saw his own lips go firm in his resolution. That made it even worse.

"He doesn't think Beyonce can sing," Chidori said matter-of-factly. Way too straight forward.

"Excuse me, what?! First-!" Nikki's finger went up accusingly, wildly pointing to anybody in the backseat. "-THIS ONE doesn't like Madonna, and now YOU don't like Beyonce?! What, am I in crazy world?!"

Hanako's eyes narrowed, but his hands didn't budge from his ears. There was silence in the car except for Beyonce singing away. I thought it was actually lovely. I wanted to say so, but Nikki was too excitedly enraged. It gave me another swoop in my stomach to realize I knew him well enough to know this. Another reason to smile, making it larger on my face.

The biggest reason to smile was from earlier today. From the high I felt walking out of the Modern, going down the path to French Cup, now so familiar to me. It was just me going home, and now it really was home. I was going to work there, but it was so much more than a job. As I'd gone through the door, it was just family. That was what I felt. Kazuya had turned around so excitedly, practically dropping his coffee server on the floor. He'd put it gingerly on a table nearby which had a customer at it, but the customer ignored it and went on reading his newspaper. Even that had been familiar.

Without even asking the outcome, Kazuya had dragged me into a large embrace. It honestly felt like we were at a ball from Cinderella, wanting to dance with him. And in that moment, I had the biggest smile on earth, because I knew it could come true.