"Put the filter in there. Yeah, like that. There's no wrong way to do it. Well, okay. There is. You can put the filter in upside down, but I know you're smart. That's it. Tuck that part inside the triangle shaped piece."

"Why?"

"You know what? I'm not sure. It just prevents coffee grounds from getting in the final product."

"Mysterious."

"It sure is. Nobody knows what goes on in this machine when it's turned on. You can't, because the coffee's so hot. Okay, now, slide that in using the two railing pieces. Make sure they've both caught on. Okay, good. You don't want to start this thing when one of the sides is off, trust me. If you do, you'd better get out of the way and call for Kazuya. He's more brave. He's used to burns."

"Burns?!"

"Ohh, yes. I'll teach you about that next."

I smiled to myself, listening to Nikki teach Gyeong-Wan how to use our industrial coffee maker. We used it for our black coffee. We had other machines for more specialty coffees, but this one ensured that we had fresh black coffee all day on a constant basis. Casually, I refilled the cup of a customer wearing thick glasses and reading a newspaper. Such a familiar sight, but a new face. He nodded to me in acknowledgement, but didn't stop reading. I was used to that, too. It was just the sort of thing that our usual crowd did, and it was so comforting. He was already so comfortable here, so absorbed in his newspaper, that he'd barely seen me. 

"Now, this part?" 

I turned to see Nikki showing Gyeong-Wan at an old foe of mine. The tips of my fingers went over my mouth and I rushed toward the counter to watch. He indicated to a small faucet on the side of the coffee maker. It was all metal except for a long, plastic red tab that said "HOT" in no uncertain terms. Gyeong-Wan was already extending his hand to touch it curiously, and it was all I could do not to leap over the counter to stop him. Nikki was quicker than me, thank goodness.

He grabbed the curious hand tight. "Don't you dare. You see that metal cog around the spigot?" Nikki pointed at it from a good distance. Gyeong-Wan nodded slowly like an innocent child. "We call that the Emergency Room. DO NOT EVER TOUCH IT. It is as hot as a million boiling suns. Do you understand? You ONLY touch the red plastic tab. And if you pull that tab and find the faucet is loose, DO NOT TOUCH IT ANYMORE. We have to call somebody to fix it. Do you understand?"

Gyeong-Wan nodded, his eyes so large and innocent in fear. He was so adorable I almost couldn't contain myself. 

"Um, what is the faucet for?" He asked, keeping his limbs at a good distance now. He'd learned already. It made squeezy feelings in my chest.

"It's for making tea and when Kazuya needs hot water for baking and doesn't have time to boil some."

"Yes, absolutely," I interjected importantly. "I don't see why you'd need to touch it all, really. But, just know it's there. Don't accidentally bump it. If you bump it and the red tab goes without something under it then it'd be a disaster!"

Gyeong-Wan's face was so startled. He swallowed visibly and looked at the little faucet again. "I'll um, be aware of myself then."

"Yes, you have to. Kazuya, do the speech." Nikki wildly gestured at me, and I was already prepared.

"What, there's a speech?" Gyeong-Wan looked so innocent. I couldn't get over it. Who knew coffee was so dangerous? But it was literally day one material. The very basics, and one had to know. 

My hands went on my hips. He leaned back a little in more shock. I launched into it. "Always be aware of your back in the kitchen," I said, so direct. His lips disappeared into his mouth and his dimples went deep. A slight blush had to be appearing on my cheeks, but I went on as if I didn't notice. This was too important. "Keep your limbs tucked. Do not flail around. Know where you are at all times. There's dangers all around. Knives, hot things, things to knock over. Always be scanning the room as you move around. A simple slip of a finger could be a mistake. Nikki, show him your finger."

Nikki thrust his left ring finger in Gyeong-Wan's face a little too aggressively, but necessary. He jump about a foot to the right. "What's that?!" Gyeong-Wan yelped, his arms tucking in as I'd just taught him. 

"This is from our little friend the faucet!" Nikki announced, pointing just as aggressively to the little faucet we'd just explained. "I touched it in the wrong place and accidentally turned it on! The water went all over my hand! Now I have this scar!"

From the far side of the room, Hanako peered up from his lavender tea as Chidori sipped hers leisurely. "Don't scare the boy. It's like you're a coffee pirate. I got this scar making coffee at sea! Then a shark bit it off! Now I am forever maimed and the sea will have to live without coffee, but it still has my finger!"

Chidori snickered into her tea, unable to help herself.

Nikki pointed at them accusingly, too. "It's your fault, tea drinkers! This is a coffee shop, for heaven's sake."

Hanako made a huffing noise into his cup as he went to sip. "We'll burn you again." He made the loudest, most reverberating sipping noise. 

"Don't let them win, Gyeong-Wan. Learn how to use this," Nikki said, starting to demonstrate. Gyeong-Wan went over to him eagerly, the best student there is. 

I was so proud. As I listened to them talking, I made another round, seeing who needed to be topped off. I had three takers in a short time. It made me so pleased. 

By the afternoon, things were slowing down in here. No doubt, the morning rush had been what I'd hoped: people from the hotel last night coming in here. How refreshing it was. People from the hotel, but they were people like us. There was no judging, because what was there to judge? They were artists, they were queer. They came from so many walks of life, but they accepted and loved us. It was truly just like the old days, where you never knew who you could meet. Just this morning, I'd met a journalist, someone who did close up magic, and a cellist. We'd had such interesting conversations. And yet, there were still others who made themselves at home here for hours. Sitting at a table and setting up shop, taking out their laptops and books. Drinking cup after cup, even though there wasn't any food. 

It was so like the old days. I couldn't get over it. Before the hotel opened, when the old hotel was there. Every day so fascinating, because it was never the same twice. Today, we'd been packed, and everyone was interesting. Everyone was an individual, living their own unique lives. I'd been eager to start conversations. And they'd all talked among themselves, too. Listening in on them had brought forth new worlds. For example, I'd listened to a woman talk about her travels around many different Pacific atolls for about an hour. She'd been entertaining two women at another table who were extremely interested in her adventures, and who wouldn't be? 

I didn't want it to end. Maybe if we stayed open, it wouldn't have to. We'd made our statement. We'd shown the hotel we literally meant business. We'd defended ourselves. It had been all over the media, and was surely being shared over social media as I thought about it at this very moment. There weren't any more of those snooty people left. They were all gone, driven out by us. Well, once we'd done it, it would be easy to do again. I wouldn't back down. Now, I knew the whole neighborhood and more was by my side. They were by all of our sides, every business here. 

If only we'd done it sooner. Then, Charlotte wouldn't have had to suffer. Yuko would still be... My eyes went distant as I thought about her. Stopping in the middle of the room. Seeing her in her shop in only a memory, smiling to me as she made Kuro out of sugar. 

Riiiing, riiiing, riiiing!

I jumped a little. Turning this way and that. A phone? My cellphone was in the kitchen. As I turned toward the counter though, Gyeong-Wan was doing a similar dance, patting his denim pockets.

"Watch yourself," Nikki warned, so nearby him and handling a new hot pot of water for the tea drinkers in the room. It was the exact sort of scenario he'd warned him about earlier.

"Oh, sorry," Gyeong-Wan gasped as he finally found his phone and pulled it out. 

"I don't like cellphones behind the counter. One distraction and then you end up with the finger of death," Nikki said, moving away from him as a counter measure. 

Gyeong-Wan answered his phone and I stared at him unashamedly. It was my shop, and I could do what I wanted. Still, I took a quick glance at the volume of my coffee server. It was still doing alright, and also plenty hot. 

"Oh. Oh, yes sir. Right away. I'm just around the corner. Yes. I understand. Absolutely. Good-bye." 

My eyebrow raised as I peered up at Gyeong-Wan again. I wasn't the only one staring. Nikki had put down his pot of hot water and his hands were on his hips in defiance. It only meant one thing: I hadn't heard wrong, either. 

"Who was that?" He asked, the same kind of flame in him as all weekend, that fierceness of defending his own. 

"That was my wor- Um, the hotel. I have to go in." He was already smoothing out his shirt, a nice button up. He undid his rolled up sleeves at the elbow and made sure they were tidy, then started buttoning them at the wrists. 

"The hotel?!" I sounded more desperate than I meant. Or, maybe I really did mean it. 

He nodded, absolutely serious. He made his way around the counter, toward me. Immediately, his arms were around me in a tight, but too brief hug. My arms wouldn't let him go, though. 

Nikki sighed. "You're not going over there, are you? You don't work there anymore. You don't need them."

Gyeong-Wan gazed into my eyes and I peered up at him. He looked apologetic, but determined. "I'm sorry, but I have to go. That was corporate. They're at the hotel. They want me to come in and explain what happened." He was so sincere. I didn't interrupt him, letting him talk. Behind us, Nikki was already making small noises like he'd protest. Gyeong-Wan just got even more serious, scaring me a little, but he'd never hurt me. He went on. "Maybe if I can explain to them what caused it and what we want, I can make a difference. Maybe this is the chance we've been waiting for, to make real change. Or...maybe it isn't and that's the end. But, I have to try."

My mouth was slightly open. Unsure what to say in my shock. 

A throat cleared from the far side of the room. We all looked at the same time. Hanako was there like he had been. He took off his glasses in an authoritative manner. Chidori took his hand in this slight moment in support. She was smiling. 

"You need to go," he said, simply. "You're right. There is the chance to make a real difference. What we did was admirable, but it's a temporary solution at best. You need to go over there and explain. Tell them what we want. Tell them, for everybody."

Gyeong-Wan hugged me like a hero going off to war. It was so weighted, reminding me what quitting his job really meant. This kind of hug. What he'd told me before the protest happened, the seriousness of what he'd meant to do. But, it also reminded me of something else, and I gasped. Gyeong-Wan looked at me in alarm. I was just grinning, though. My arms squeezed around him, and he relaxed. 

"Tell them about the letter you sent them," I reminded him. "Tell them everything you said in that letter. That's what you need to say. That's the solution."

His mouth was open now. Contemplating this.

"What letter?" Nikki asked behind us. 

"Go now," I said, giving him one last squeeze. "Tell them everything. You have nothing to lose. We'll be right here. I'll be here. Okay?"

He gave me a small, enchanting smile. Fully understanding. He held me tightly, and then eased. I let him go, and he went out of the door confidently, the familiar bell ringing but no longer sending fear into my heart. He was the one who'd rang it, after all. I stared out of the front of French Cup, watching him disappear past the display window.

There was a pause as it sunk in. I didn't want to move. But, pauses must be broken.

"What letter?" Nikki asked again, a little more desperate. My head just tilted in wonder. Should I tell him? Hanako was getting up out of his seat also, and so was Chidori. All of them were curious. Well, maybe it was the right time to tell them. 

"Alright," I said, going up to the counter and putting my coffee server down. I realized at that moment that my expert serving ability hadn't allowed it to burn Gyeong-Wan as I'd hugged him. It was just another element of kitchen safety, keeping hot things away from people. I settled in against the counter, leaning how I always did. The familiarity was comforting. "I'll tell you about the letter."

Eagerly, they all settled in at their usual spots, too. It was so comforting to see them there like that, overwhelming, that I almost couldn't speak for a moment. Too overcome with this feeling of home.