Hero and Perfect

Healing. Chapter 1. Pt. 1

Hero began spending days at a time with the busy trio that made him feel like he belonged with them.

He had watched them with grave uncertainty at first. His dark eyes wide.
They were frenetic. So busy . Always hugging . Taking selfies. Cooking. Rushing about. Eating. Feeding each other. Laughing like hyenas.

Doing each others hair, reading amusing things found in the internet out loud, clanging pots and pans , cleaning. Rearranging items in the cupboards. Huddling together with huge bowls of popcorn on the couch under blankets to watch a movie. Singing. Yelling. Scolding and teasing.

How did two petite women and one boy made of twigs manage to sound like a busy market on a sunny afternoon?
So . Much. Talking.

It didn't seem to bother any of them that they all had projects in progress in nearly every room. Perfect was building a kite in the kitchen. He had parts of it kept in a box on a table by the refrigerator.
His closet contained more Lego than clothing.
When Hero had first begun to stay with them, he had helped Perfect tidy his room. Many of the Lego pieces were already in the shape of things Perfect could teach Hero the Korean and English words for.

They sat in the large closet together, sitting on the floor of it, Perfect's crossed legs laying across Hero's lap , filling shoe boxes with Lego bits, then labelling and taping them shut.
" Boat', he held up a small steamship made of bright yellow plastic. Saying the word in both English and Korean.
He wrote the word in Hangul and English on the lid of the box. Hero watched him closely, then repeated the words sounding them out carefully.
Perfect smiled, nodding vigorously at him, giving him a thumbs up. ' Good. That's good Hero. You'll have it in no time."

All of them had hobbies .

Mei Lu's self professed, horrible knitting was always at hand.
She seemed to be able to reach beside almost any couch or chair in any room and pull up a lumpy half finished sweater, shawl or scarf.

Minjun loved plants. They were all over the house. Trays full of tiny green shoots , set under hanging lights, abounded in the basement.  When home, during warmer weather, she was often to be found in the garden.

Hero was fascinated by their chaotic energy. But occasionally, he found them confusing.

He had moved quickly , to place himself between Perfection and his sister, a few weeks after his face had healed , when he had entered the kitchen and discovered Minjun standing with her arm raised high, over her small sibling.

Hero acted immediately. The slight chance that  she might be preparing to strike him was too much.

In actuality, she had simply been teasing Perfect. Holding aloft a letter from the school , just out of reach from her little brother, as she wished to read it first.

Hero had quickly stepped between them with an arm raised , his head turned , prepared to take the blow.
Minjun had recognized his misunderstanding immediately.

Healthy family  dynamics were something Hero obviously had little experience with.

" Hero , no,' she said, speaking firmly. ' Hero , please , look at me.'
He slowly lowered his arm and turned his head toward her, staying in front of Perfection, keeping him behind him with his other .

'Hero,' she chided , because he still had not met her eyes.

When he did, she ignored his flinch, and lightly brushed the hair away from his troubled gaze.