French Cup: A Neighborhood Story

Chapter 121: -Gyeong-Wan- Into the Wonderland Again

Once again, I'd found myself in a wild car ride to an adventure on a time limit. There'd been a brief argument outside of Chirp's as to how we'd get Kazuya's beret. I just held his hand as he worried, talking out loud and I wanted to take away all the worry on his face and in his heart. It almost made me wish I hadn't mentioned his beret, but I couldn't help it. As soon as I saw him today, he looked so beautiful, but I felt there was something missing. When he brought up his hair, I realized what would be the perfect piece.

"If I speed walk to your apartment, I can probably get there in fifteen minutes," Nikki had been saying, bracing himself against the cold and hugging his arms. The temperature had descended as night fell, really showing us the time. Not to mention, it would be a good idea to get to the hotel early. We had no idea what kinds of crowds or lack there of could be gathering outside it. 

"No, it's my beret. I need to go. I'll sprint there," Kazuya had said. 

"Wait," Hanako mentioned again, as he had been doing between them, but nobody was paying attention.

"I have long legs. I can do it," Nikki argued. 

"You're the MC. You can't be late. You're going to be directing everyone."

"You're right, but I don't think- what if you forget your keys? Where are your keys?"

Kazuya gasped. "They're in French Cup! You're the one who locked up, right?!"

"No."

"Oh, fuck."

I'd hardly ever heard Kazuya swear. This was getting serious. Now, we had to go back to French Cup to get his keys and lock up. This was turning into something bad. He grabbed at his hair, and I went behind him and wrapped my arms around him. I felt him let out a long breath, relaxing into me. It's what I'd wanted. At least, I could provide that. 

"Wait," Hanako said again.

"Yes, what?" Nikki finally asked. 

Hanako's finger was in the air, really trying to get our attention. It lowered slowly. "Wait. I have a car."

Miyuki's hand tried to go over her face, but it didn't due to her makeup. "Why didn't you say that earlier?!"

"Well, you were all talking." Hanako shrugged as Chidori nodded knowingly.

"Well, come on then!" Nikki said loudly, as was his way. He pulled Kazuya's arm and I released him from mine. The two took off running toward the direction of French Cup, and I paused in admiration for Nikki's ability to run in those heels. It warmed my heart unexpectedly, thinking about myself in drag, what they'd given me. It didn't matter how long I dressed in drag, I don't think I'd ever be able to run like that in heels. My heart warmed further, thinking about doing drag again. Seeing them run made me want to do it again. Solidly, wanting to do it again. 

"Okay, let's go," Miyuki said, getting her bearings. She took off, too, though more carefully, speed-walking after them. 

That just left Hanako, Chidori, and I. We set off also. Hanako shrugged as we did. "I don't know what they're thinking," he said calmly. "I'm the one who has the keys to the car."

I couldn't help but laugh at that, despite everything. Chidori was giggling, too. What followed was a crazy thirty minutes. At first, we couldn't find Kazuya's beret. He had a small panic attack as Nikki and Miyuki tore apart his apartment looking for it. They found it at the back of his closet, where he had the epiphany of the month before, where he'd tossed it in there thinking nobody liked it, because Nikki had said he'd looked like he was going to a gay wedding while wearing it. 

"Well, now you look like you're going to a gay prom," Nikki had said as he put it on Kazuya's head triumphantly.

"I am going to a gay prom," Kazuya said proudly, grinning so much. It made such a happy twinge in my chest that I held my hand there to contain myself.