"You're here so early, it's strange." Kim-san was scratching his head. His usual volatile red spicy powder was all over his front again, no doubt spilled in haste. I'd done that to myself with flour so many times. But, this time all of us were cringing in half smiles, not wanting to insult him but so afraid for our clothes. More than half of us had napkins arranged all over us just in case. 

"Are you coming to the dance?" Miyuki asked, picking up another wing and picking it apart delicately with her nails. 

"Why would I do that? I've got customers," Kim-san shrugged heading back to the kitchen, but before he could-

"Kim-san, I've always wondered something," Nikki started, and internally we groaned, having to shield ourselves from the powder again even if it didn't stand a chance of jumping off him onto our clothes. Normally, I'd be worried the powder would somehow get into my eyes. This time, I was worried because my suit was rented.

"Yes?" He seemed to be getting slightly irritated, as there were definitely other customers in here. They were a type I'd never seen before. Whole families eating, even a baby in a high chair. I hadn't ever noticed this place even had high chairs. 

"Well, I always wanted to know. Why on earth-" Nikki gestured to the room, its yellow walls and red tables, "-did you model this place off of McDonald's and not KFC? Wouldn't that have made more sense? You serve chicken. Wouldn't that have brought in more customers?"

Kim-san just stared at us blankly. Pausing, as if he'd never thought of this before. His fingers returned to his hair, scratching as he thought of it. "I guess the author didn't think of that at the time," he shrugged, turning to go away again.

"Okay, well that explains it," Miyuki said, shrugging similarly. "Now we can finally put that to rest."

"Yup, sure can," Nikki said, satisfied. So carefully, he picked up a fry and placed it into his mouth. Chewing slowly, to savor it since he couldn't eat much. 

I was just taking in the atmosphere. Smelling the familiar smells. It was egg and red spicy pepper, ginger and different kinds of breading, garlic and sweet things, soybeans. Loving being here with everyone, and most of all...

Gyeong-Wan was pressed against me, there were so many of us crammed in the booth and two of our friends were wearing enormous dresses on either end. So enormous, that they couldn't even fit in here. We were so happy, though, trying to eat. Aware of the time, as the opening of the dance drew ever closer. What were we going to find there? Ah, but I still had a major problem that I needed to address. Knowing the time was giving me the most anxiety I'd felt in ages. A different kind of anxiety, almost a selfish one compared to how I'd been feeling. This problem was beautiful, compared. 

My hand went up to my bangs, messing them up again. I slid a compact mirror out from my pants, one I'd swiped when we'd left, well aware of my problem. In my peripheral vision, Gyeong-Wan was staring at me unashamedly. He looked especially handsome, and I wanted to stare at him back. His light gray suit perfectly complimented his pink shirt, which was also tie-less. It gave the pink a silver offset, almost opposite on the color scale in that regard. It was as if he'd been dressing for light colors all of his life. His own hair was perfect, the natural waves wonderfully arranged. Me, on the other hand...

"Oh my god, I can't get it," I burst out, mussing up my hair again to try something else. "What am I going to do? My hair!" I hadn't even eaten much, so worried about it. 

"Let me help you." Gyeong-Wan wiped his hands on a wet nap, then his fingers went into my bangs and I instantly relaxed like a cat being pet. If this is what Kuro got every day now, I wanted to be a cat. But, no this was better than being a cat.

Slowly, he massaged my head. It made me wonder if that was what he was actually doing, trying to calm me down. I wouldn't put is past him, knowing him now. These wonderful things I knew. He stared into my eyes as he worked, and I unashamedly stared back. Getting exactly what I'd been just thinking about, two birds with one stone. 

As he swiped at my bangs over and over, our friends were talking excitedly.

"What kind of music is there going to be? I hope there's things we can dance to as group, like Thriller. Wouldn't that be fun? I always wanted to do that. I bet if they played something from Rocky Horror we'd all sing to it as a group. I want to do it," Chidori was saying. 

"Now, a group sing could be fun. I'm the MC, so maybe I can direct this. But, what song? That's important. Let's not forget, we're healing together. This dance is meant for that. What song can we sing that's soothing?" Nikki asked, his finger hovering near his chin as to not mar his makeup. He'd have to reapply at least the lipstick anyway.

Gyeong-Wan perked up, looking at Nikki briefly. "Grease! That's what gave me the idea. Something from that!"

My heart warmed at his eager participation. I wanted to sing something from Grease, too. Had it really given him the inspiration for this? What precious information. Had going to see Grease with everyone touched him that much? My heart was so full that I could cry. 

"Sadly, we all sang that too recently. Shouldn't it be even more spectacular? I have to think about this. Something everyone knows. I only have about an hour and a half." Nikki stared up at the ceiling in wonder. 

Everyone started giving suggestions all at once, too many to follow. Oh, but-

"An hour and a half! What am I going to do with my hair?! Seriously!" Panic rising in me. There'd be pictures of this. Maybe even pictures that we'd forever hang in French Cup. My hair...

"Don't worry about it," Gyeong-Wan smiled just for me. One of those many kinds of smiles that I love. It made me sigh out loud, smiling with him. He was so close to me. His eyes... I was so lost in them. "Wear your pink beret. I love that hat. You were wearing it the first time I met you. That's why I followed you to French Cup."

My mouth dropped open. 

"Oh, so that's the story," Nikki said, grinning just beyond Gyeong-Wan. "I never thought you'd be Kazu's stalker. That changes everything."

Gyeong-Wan gasped, looking at him. But, just at that moment everyone was laughing. Gyeong-Wan dissolved into a laugh, too. 

"I tried not to be a stalker, I promise. I couldn't help myself," he admitted. "I'm sorry."

My cheek just went on his shoulder, grinning with everyone. I let out a small giggle, and he was laughing so much, his shoulder bouncing. I loved it. "You can be my stalker any day." I chanced to see his face when I said it, and he was immediately red. He was so adorable. I loved him so much. 

Miyuki nodded as I came up for air, sitting up. "Yeah, I always liked that beret. I think I told you that. It really would be just the thing for this outfit. I know fashion. Your pocket square is hideous. More pink would make that piece more ignorable. It would make that pink shirt pop."

"Wow," I groaned, going back to Gyeong-Wan's shoulder. "Gyeong-Wan, save me, I can't-"

Everyone was laughing so loud again, and I was laughing so hard that I could feel tears. His arm went around my back, pressing me close. I was absolutely in heaven. Had to be. If there was a heaven, this is where I'd go. This moment right here, returning again and again. 

Suddenly, Nikki brought up his tall glass of tea. All of us noticed his serious face, and we all rose our glasses, too. 

"A toast," he said. "To friendship and laughter. To peace and smiles. To chicken-"

"-And french fries," Miyuki interrupted quickly.

"-And french fries," Nikki winked. "To love." He eyed me and I shrunk just a little, smiling way too much. "And to family. Kanpai."

"Kanpai," we all repeated, echoing each other. Our glasses clinking together gently, each hitting every single one, making a point of it. Acknowledging every one of our precious friends in turn. 

My glass touched Gyeong-Wan's last. Lingering, staring into his eyes still. He didn't seem to want to stop, either. I put my glass down. Smoothly, my hand found his under the table. It slid onto his thigh, where his hand met mine. His fingers intertwined with my own, and I sighed inside, my body physically deflating in it. Any worry I had, it was completely gone. 

We ate comfortably for about thirty minutes, all talking more. Things were reaching a fever pitch about the dance. Begging Gyeong-Wan to tell us anything about how the ballroom would be decorated, if there was a theme, but he was so tight lipped. I respected that. It was just a part of him, always so professional. I really wanted to see how that aspect of him would translate to French Cup. 

Lost in this thought, I finally remembered something with a loud squeal that made the entire restaurant go silent. Both of my hands flew tightly over my mouth, in my realization that my pink beret was about twenty minutes away in my apartment. My eyes were so wide, worry flooding every part of me, even my pores.