French Cup: A Neighborhood Story

Chapter 118: -Gyeong-Wan- Your Beautiful Colors

The hotel was deserted just like yesterday, except for activity going on in the grand ballroom. I'd purposefully tried not to look in there. I knew what the regular room looked like, though. I'd been in there when a wedding reception was going on. Trying not to remember it. Trying not to ruin it for myself. Knowing what kinds of glassware we have for such events, what the silverware looked like. Wishing I'd never worked here so I didn't know, but if I'd never worked here...

I'd have never met the boy sitting on my bed. He'd brought the little cakes he'd made today, one for each of us. They were sitting in a box that he'd prepared. Two gorgeous, orange flavored light colored cakes. Bold fruits were sitting on the top of them beautifully arranged, with many more crammed inside them. All that cream. The bounties of flavor. I'd already eaten two of them today, and only wanted a third.

I wanted him, too.

He seemed nervous sitting on my bed. Kuro was in a cat loaf position on my chest of drawers, staring at us with sleepy eyes. He'd only grown fatter the longer he was here. I chose to focus on that rather than what was directly in front of my face. Knowing what I wanted, but not being able to act-

The overwhelming flavor in the air, as if I could taste those cakes. The aroma was almost as thick as their taste, the fresh fruits like a bouquet in the atmosphere. He had hurriedly opened the box in our pause, so focused on this task. I watched his hands, lovely as they were. How fast they went, undoing the box and spreading it out, deconstructing it to look like a plate. Inside were two forks that he'd be taking back with him tonight. But, tomorrow, French Cup would be closed. It would be closed due to the dance, and all the preparation that went with it. Everyone would be excited in their homes, getting ready. 

I'd be here, getting ready. Putting on my pink shirt. But, I wouldn't have far to go. I'd only have to go downstairs. How strange to think that. Suddenly, it occurred to me that I had a duty, but I didn't know how that worked in our world. Do you go and pick up your date for a dance? Which one of us should do it? Should we meet at a mutual spot? It was too exciting to think about, making my heart like a butterfly.

My mouth opened to ask him, but before I could-

"These are special cakes. I don't think I said that before." He was shoving the box closer to me. His fork was already in his hand. 

"Hmm?" Caught off guard, but it was so pleasant to hear him talk. That's what I really wanted. In wanting to ask him if I should pick him up for the dance, really I'd only wanted to hear him talk. It was a revelation.

"Yeah. I thought of them after Zombie Walk. I was tired, scared. Sad. All those things. So, I thought up these cakes to fight back. To combat my feelings, too. To make everyone cheer up. I made one right before... You know... Chidori won it. Remember? I made the bigger version then as a preview."

I did remember. It had been beautiful, a glistening cake with lots of chantilly cream. He'd said it was chantilly specifically. Was this chantilly cream, too? I'd been so distracted at the time, thinking about Seo-Yoon. But, I did remember that cake. 

"Yes, I remember it. I wanted to try it."

He just smiled then. I observed him as he did, taking all of him in. His cute cheeks as they became cherubic in it. His small blush. His fork went for one of the cakes, and I didn't move. The lovely piece he took floated up toward me. 

"Say 'ah'," he grinned, his hand under the fork to catch anything. No need for that. I wouldn't allow any of his precious cake to fall. But, what he'd said, about how he'd felt after Zombie Walk. I knew those feelings, too. Feeling helpless, but determined. 

The cream hit my mouth first. This full cream, so light but thick at the same time. A mastery of the craft, his skill at making this. It had such a sweet, but innocent flavor. The orange zest of the cake rushed into my mouth delicately, and the tartness of blueberry and pineapple. The tartness perfectly offset it, an orchestra of flavors creating a sweet, yet bold song. A punch to the mouth, just like the fight he'd been talking about.