Miyuki was making small sounds. It was so empty in here, the large space of Charlotte's theater like a cavern, swallowing everything up. I was staring at my knees, not having moved from this position for a long time. Having had to tell everyone about Yuko, shaking in my words. No one had really moved, and it had been a while.

I'd run in here, having seen it from Yuko's. Crying too hard. If Ayane had seen me, she'd have asked invasive questions. She'd known Yuko for a lot longer than I had. Seeing her like that? Breaking down? I couldn't handle it. Guessing at her memories, everything now gone. 

Yuko's great-niece had been talking about the neighborhood from when she'd grown up. How French Cup had once been a little music store. What other shops had been here? We'd moved in their places, but Yuko remained. Not even leaving after her husband passed away. Determined to keep going. What had it been like? What had we moved in on? What were her great-niece's memories? 

It made me think of the hotel. How it had moved in, and as some of our shops fell in the past three years, businesses like it had moved in. Everything was changing. 

What would move into Yuko's shop?

The thought was unbearable. My hands went over my face again, finally moving. My forearms descended to my knees as I curled over, too devastated to even cry. Staring into my hands. Trying to think of a future, but not being able to see one. A nothingness like my numbness. All of it too much. Finally, my breaking point.

She was gone now, but not really gone. She'd be living with a happy family. She'd smile at those children that she got to see every day. Her great-niece had been right, there weren't any children in the neighborhood for her. Every day, she'd talk about the children she'd sell her sweets to, the ones who'd come to her shop. But, none ever did anymore. Her low prices...they hadn't been her under-valuing herself. Not really. She'd wanted to sell them for prices that children could afford, and if they couldn't afford it she wanted to give it to them for free. Her humbleness, I always went against it. Trying to get her candy to real hands. Her fantasy, of being able to serve children again. Well, she'd be serving two children again. Children who were her family, and loved her. 

"I can't believe this," Miyuki whispered, one more in so many countless times. This thing she kept repeating. It was what all of us felt, but she was able to say it out loud.

Behind me, Hanako was sitting there. Nikki was close by, on another couch. Miyuki was sitting near Hanako. We'd been like this, gathering together over these past days. But, today was different. This finality. This definite consequence of disaster. 

Yuko's shop would not be opening again. That's what her great-niece had said without saying. Yuko would never, ever come back. She was from Mie prefecture, so far away. Even though we could visit, was it our place? From what her great-niece had been saying about our neighborhood, that it was dangerous now... By extension, did that mean we were dangerous? Had we brought danger here, somehow? She'd said she wouldn't raise her children here. To think, that the average person thought that about our neighborhood?

I knew I couldn't go over to Mie prefecture. I'd never go. That was her life now, and she'd be happy there. I wasn't a part of that. I wouldn't be a part of her life ever again. 

There kept being brief thoughts about having played a part in this. That this had come from French Cup. But, I couldn't bear to think about that. A mental block. 

She'd loved this neighborhood. She'd loved all of us. Bringing us sweets, talking to me every day. Being so happy to see us. She'd even recently made friends with Gyeong-Wan, and he'd taken care of her best of all.

Gyeong-Wan... I wanted to see him. Something in me was angry, this tiny ball. Among all the numbness, there was still that anger that I'd been feeling for the past couple of days. Knowing he was in the hotel right now. Yuko's great-niece had been talking about danger, but the only danger that there was had been brought by the hotel. Those boys had come from there. Other guests had threatened us with bad reviews online, coming in and yelling at us. Making people scared.

"I want to get back at them," Nikki said to my left. No one responded. There was silence for a few moments. I stayed in my position, my eyes closed in my hands. "I want to get back at them." A choke to his voice. "Those boys. They're at the hotel. They did this. If it wasn't for them, Yuko would be in her shop right now. Let's call the police. They're right there."

No one spoke. 

I just shook my head. He wouldn't be able to see me, but I couldn't bear to tell them two pieces of bad news at once. That those boys weren't there anymore. We'd let them go. Someone was in jail for the crimes, but it didn't make me feel any better. It probably wouldn't make them feel any better, either. It wouldn't bring Yuko back, or return the safety of French Cup. This unsettledness over the neighborhood now. This threat. The ball of anger was growing.

"I want to see Yuko. What... What hospital is she in? I want to see her..." Miyuki's little sobs. 

There'd be no going to see her. From what her great-niece had said, they didn't like our neighborhood. They thought we were dangerous. Reading between the lines. Taking away all the polite fluff. Had her great-niece thought we, by default, had caused this? Making the neighborhood dangerous, and therefore we were dangerous? That we'd hurt her?

"Come on, we need to go to the hotel. Let's get those bastards. I bet they're there right now." Nikki's voice was getting louder. I swear he'd been day-drinking. He never used to do that. I understood, though. This need to get away from it. If he didn't feel numb, he had to numb it somehow. I wanted a drink, too. To forget.

"No, the hotel, though." Joining in. There was nothing left. Why not do it? This anger growing. These little clues as to where it was coming from now, ever since this morning. Not being satisfied that there was someone in jail for this. This whole crime, but was it the last? 

"Kazuya. Nikki, especially. We can't go over there." Hanako's trying voice of reason. But, he was wrong this time. 

"We have to do something. The hotel did this. If it weren't for the hotel, Yuko would be in her shop. Nikki's right. But, it's not just the boys. Do you think this is the last time? We don't feel safe. Why do you think we're hiding?" These opinions coming out of me. My true feelings. This ball of anger. All the answers coming out now. Surprising myself, but here they were. They were real. "If it weren't for the hotel, we'd be in French Cup right now. Serving coffee, selling cake. It's not fair..." The same tone as if I were numb, but that feeling was quickly being replaced. 

"I get what you're saying, but going over to the hotel right now isn't the answer." Hanako. Why not? Why didn't he get it? Was it because he wasn't as affected as we were? He could go back to Hokkaido whenever he wanted. Nikki had been right about that, too.

"Why not? No, we have to go. We have to do something. What does it matter if those boys went to jail? There's going to be more like them. I just feel so helpless. We can't open even if they go to jail. There's just going to be more like them." All of my words coming out like vomit, this ball of anger my true words. It felt good to say. 

"That's right. That's completely right!" Nikki added on. "It's not going to end! We need to go to the hotel!"

"No, you're not getting what I'm saying."

"Well, what are you saying?" Snapping at him, but I needed to. It was true. He wasn't affected by this. 

My couch creaked. The back of it going away from me a little. It made my head come out of my hands. Trying to see what he was doing. What met me was Hanako standing up behind my couch. Staring up at the blank movie screen, determination in his eyes. Almost majestic. His lips became a thin line of anger before my eyes.

"We need a plan first," he said, a low rumble of his own rage there. "We need to get as many people as possible involved. You two are right. I can hear that. But, you're disorganized. I'm mad as hell that this has affected Yuko as it has. That's the final straw for me. Don't you think so? I think it is. Those boys have no idea what they've done. That hotel has pushed out so many of us, Chidori and I included."

He was absolutely right. In my own grief, I'd forgotten that fact. They'd moved away after the previous hotel had been torn down. It had been their home, and they'd been unable to find another affordable apartment. 

"Well, what... What are we going to do?" Hesitating, seeing him standing there. Had it ever occurred to me that he'd agree? 

"No, I can't fight," Miyuki sniffled, devastation wrapped around her voice. "I ca- can't. Yuko... I can't believe... I wanted to see her..." 

"If you can't fight, then I will," Hanako declared. The period at the end of the sentence, no argument needed.

"Let's fucking fight them!" Nikki said with even more determination. "Let's gather people! Let's fucking do this! Let's come up with a plan right now! Let's do it before those boys leave! We'll fucking show them who they're messing with!"

"As far as I can see it, we have nothing to lose now," Hanako went on. "We've already lost so much. We can fight. It's what we have to do. Now, let's think of this reasonably. We can't just march down there. We need a permit to gather-"

"Fuck a permit. It's a protest. Didn't I tell you we were going to protest? I already fucking know how. I don't need permission," Nikki growled from his couch. 

"The last thing we need is to get arrested," Hanako said. He made a good point. "Now, I think we need to write ideas down. How are we going to invite people to come? We need to organize fast. Any ideas?" 

As they spoke to each other, I stayed silent. Simmering in myself. This ball of anger becoming a rage. Thinking about Yuko. Thinking about that woman who'd gotten burned. The explosion going off. That woman who'd demanded a to-go cup from us. The first one who'd come into our shop, yelling at us to make her an entire wedding cake. Hiran telling us on our patio that there were people out there who hated us, and calling them a Karen was buzzword. How right he'd been. 

Suddenly, I wanted to tell everyone. I wanted everyone to gather. Most of all, I thought of Gyeong-Wan. Having to still work at that hotel. He'd been telling me how much he disliked it. I realized that now. Him having to wear the same clothes to work every day, not getting a choice.

I wanted to give him a choice. I wanted to give all of us a choice. We'd get a choice by fighting back. And that was the bottom line.