French Cup: A Neighborhood Story

Chapter 76: -Gyeong-Wan- Are You Getting Fat?

Tomoko yawned beside me as she blearily ran the morning's cash out numbers. The printer whirred to life and I prepared to grab the papers as they were spit out. Trying to be as efficient as possible. Her yawn was contagious and I tried not to be a copycat, resisting my urge. 

I lost my battle as I observed the breakfast buffet across the way. It was doing good business, lots of people here on New Year's Eve. All of the lawyers were milling about. I'd come to recognize a lot of them and even many by name. They had about a week left in their stay here, and many of us would be glad to see them gone. But, who would replace them? That was the issue. Surely there must be groups booked for January. Maybe even a wedding. 

I made a mental note to ask the sales department about it later on my break. It was best to be in the know anyway, as the front desk manager. I could inform my staff as well. We'd be prepared. It was a winning situation all around. 

As I thought about this, movement caught my eye. I turned, and coming down the staircase was Matsuda-san and his family. He was shaking his head, a sourness there. Distaste written all over him. We learned why with little time to dwell. 

"Going to one of those places," he spat loudly. It was almost as if he wanted everyone to hear. His wife was behind him on the stairs, holding the younger son's hand. He seemed under the weather, moving slowly. Matsuda-san stopped on the stairs. The grand staircase framed them perfectly, the center of attention. I wasn't the only one watching. "Going to one of those places! Our son is a man! He could have waited until the hotel! Instead, you chose to humiliate yourselves by going into one of those places!" He got close to her, but no less quiet. Next to me, Tomoko winced as he got in his wife's face. He exploded.

"Every one of those businesses has a rainbow flag! You know what it means! Or are you too ignorant?! You want us to be associated with them?! It's bad enough that this hotel decided to be associated with them and didn't tell us, but now you?! You want to further humiliate me?! The last thing I need is this from you. What's more, you exposed our sons to it!"

His wife stood still, stoic as a tree. Staring forward, her face like steel, emotionless. It was as if she'd taken similar many times, a pro now. I was frozen in my spot. In front of all these people, he was doing this? He wasn't the one who'd been humiliated. He was humiliating her in front of everyone by treating her this way. 

And what was this about going to "one of those places"? A place, with a rainbow flag? Not every one of the businesses in this neighborhood had one. In fact, only two did. My heart started to race. Those two businesses. One of them was Ayane's record shop, and the other one was...

He got closer to her, their faces almost touching. She stared down at the ground, her face almost screwing up, but she held herself. 

"You ruined our New Year's Eve breakfast as a family. You can eat by yourself. I won't be seen with you right now. Think about that how you've ruined it." He jerked at her and only now did she flinch. As if he were about to hit her. Tomoko beside me flinched, too. Her hand went over her chest, her mouth parted slightly, deep concern there. 

With that, Matsuda-san continued angrily down the stairs. Without stopping at the restaurant, he went straight forward. Marching out of the doors, waving away our valet flippantly. On the stairs, Mrs. Matsuda recovered quickly. She took her son's hand again and elegantly walked down the rest of the stairs as if she were the Queen of England. She was dripping with dignity. Her older son followed behind her, similarly stone faced. 

"Oh, I want to ask if she's okay," Tomoko said, gathering herself as if to do so. In a rare moment, I let myself go, touching her shoulder to stop her. This was maybe a difference in culture, and I didn't mean Japanese and Korean. It was a difference in class. The way Mrs. Matsuda had carried herself. This wasn't a time to interfere. She'd lose her face, embarrassing her twice in front of everybody, if Tomoko went over there to try to comfort her.