Karate Kid
A/n: Almost everything said between Mr. Han and Meiling is in Chinese. I can't get the stupid italics going so you'll just have to read it normal.
Meiling Miyagi looked from one side of the small room to the other. The American born woman was pleased with her progress, and hoped her friend and co-worker would agree. Half of the room was clean and organized and the other half had few things to be put away. She smiled a little and resumed her work. Mr. Han would be back from getting lunch any moment and she wanted to be done before he got there.
She was just finishing the other half of the room when Mr. Han walked into the workroom. "You have finished?"
"I told you I would," the slender woman said as she pushed the med kit into place on the counter. She turned to him, brushing her brown hair out of her face. "Do you want me to prepare that for you, or are you doing it yourself?"
"I will do it," he said calmly as he crossed over to the microwave. Outside a few boys ran into the workman's storage area behind the apartment building they worked at. Mr. Han looked outside a moment and then turned back to their lunch.
"What is it?"
"Just boys playing in the storage area."
Meiling shrugged and continued to wipe off what little counter-space they had for their meals. "Don't you remember what we learned? No weakness! No pain! No mercy!" "Cheng, stop!" Meiling looked over to Mr. Han and they both quietly exited the room. The smaller side door was unlocked and they quietly made their way through.
A boy in an orange shirt was standing over another boy, about to deliver what looked to be a knockout punch. Mr. Han grabbed to boy's wrist and bent it down. "Go home."
He pushed the boy away calmly and turned around to the fallen boy and Meiling, who was already at his side. "Are you okay?" The boy simply shook his head and waved his arm. As Mr. Han caught a foot that had been aimed for his head, Meiling repeated her inquiry in English.
The boy looked up at her blearily but nodded. She let out a sigh. "I'm just going to see how bad it is. If it hurts, you need to let me know." She gently ran her hands over his arm and torso, assessing the damage the other boy did. The boy simply lay there and reacted to her touch as he watched Mr. Han deal with the group of boys in uniforms. "What is your name?"
"Dre Parker."
Mr. Han repeated his command to go home before returning to pick up the fallen boy. Meiling looked to Mr. Han and saw his nod. She hurried ahead of them to clean up the cot area and lay a sheet over it. Mr. Han laid Dre down and helped him remove his shirt, as Meiling retrieved the jiaofa set.
Dre watched as she used the fire to encircle the cups and place them on his arm. "What's up with the light bulbs, Mr. Han?" Mr. Han shushed him and took her place and continued, taking the fire in his hands and gently rubbing it onto the boy's chest. When he was finished he extinguished the fire and removed the cups. "I thought you were just a maintenance man."
"You think only with your eyes, so you are easy to fool."
Dre moved a little. "It doesn't hurt."
"Jiaofa," Meiling said as she put the cups away. "Ancient Chinese healing."
Dre turned back to Mr. Han. "How'd you do that out there? You, like, didn't even punch them. They beat each other up."
"When fighting angry, blind men, best to just stay out of the way," Mr. Han said as Mĕi-miào-de moved the kit to the sink.
"So where'd you learn kung fu?"
"From father." He followed Meiling and grabbed a glass.
"Have you ever taught anybody?"
"Meiling."
"Would you teach me?"
"Depends," Mr. Han said pouring a fourth of a glass of citrus water.
"On what?" Dre put his shirt back on.
"Reason." He filled the rest of the cup with water from a pitcher.
"How about to kick somebody's ass?"
Mr. Han and Meiling looked at him disapprovingly from the mirror. He looked back at them like he didn't care. Meling stepped in as Mr. Han added a bit of powder to the liquid mixture. "The best fights are the ones we avoid."
"What if I wanna avoid getting my ass kicked," Dre asked as Mr. Han moved over to him with the glass.
"Stop saying 'ass,'" Mr. Han commanded as he handed the glass to the boy.
"Sorry." The boy barely sounded sincere before he drank the mixture and grimaced.
Mr. Han took the glass and gathered up the bowls they had used. "Kung fu is for knowledge, defense. Not to make war, but create peace."
"That's definitely not what their taught."
Mr. Han turned back to Dre looking exasperated. "No such thing as bad students, only bad teacher."
"Oh, that's great," Dre said sarcastically standing as Meiling motioned him to do. "Well, I guess we'll just stroll in their school and talk to their teacher."
"Good idea," Mr. Han said as he washed out the cup.
"No, bad idea… If I go in there, I'll get my ass kick…" He stopped when the two adults looked at him. "I'll get beat up."
"You'll get beat up anyway," Meiling said as she folded a towel.
The boy thought for a moment before stepping towards them both. "Will you two go with me?"
Meiling looked to Mr. Han who replied for them. "No, sorry." He placed a gentile hand on Dre's shoulder and led him to the door.
"But, you said it was a good idea."
"For you. Bad idea for me."
"Come on, it's not like either of you are super busy or anything, and I don't even speak Chinese."
"Very sorry," Mr. Han said as he moved Meiling to the side so he could pick up the bedding she had laid down.
"Okay. All right whatever." The boy left disheartened.
Meiling said nothing at first but then looked over to her friend. "You could have helped him."
"Would you have me return to the way I was?"
"June 8th, it will not matter. We both know it." She paused and let him think about it. "If you train him, it may help you as well."
Mr. Han thought for a moment and then opened the door. Dre had not gone far. "Wait!"