Cheat [MxM] (Carter Brothers Book 1)

INTERMISSION

ASIAN HATE CRIME MESSAGE

A/N: Not a story update but our loved character's take on the current situation in America regarding the Asian Community. Although this is a light skit, please don't mistake the atmosphere as mocking or a downplay of events. The current climate is serious and I'm simply raising awareness in the most creative way I know how which is through story telling 👍🏽

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THIRD PERSON ▪︎ POV

"Is it on, can it see me?" My mother waved her hand at the camera and I sighed, impatiently ushering her over to the couch where my father already sat on the left, his arms folded in his lap.

"It's on, don't worry, I know what I'm doing," I told her, careful not to let an attitude slip into my tone, even though I was bordering on fatigue and this was our third attempt at a video recording for our author's readers.

Ezra shifted the tripod, centering it again. Ollie was fast asleep on his hip and had drifted off an hour after we had arrived. Yes, he and Ollie met my mom and dad, but you'll have to stick around for a few more chapters to see how that went down, you nosy motherfuckers! I'm joking, author loves you so I love you too!

"It's recording," Ezra told me, pressing a speedy kiss to my cheek and leading me over to the couch. I sat beside my mother and he sat beside me, lacing our fingers together after arranging Ollie's limp little body more comfortably in his lap.

"Okay, so introduce yourself just like we practised!" I ordered, leaning over my mom and waving a hand at my dad to start since he was the furthest on the left. "Go, dad."

He cleared his throat, sat straighter and stared ahead as he began to speak. Unlike the last two attempts, he sounded less stiff and on edge this time and I smiled encouragingly at him.

"My name is Kim Woo-Jin, I am fity years old and I was born in Ilsan, South Korea. I have lived here for almost three decades now," he nodded firmly and looked at me for approval. I clapped and motioned that mom should go next.

"In Korean or-"

"Korean, author will translate." I quickly cut in before she could go on another worrying tangent about how she would have spoken in english but worried that the readers wouldn't understand her accent.

"My name is Park Jang-Mi, I am forty-eight years old and I was born in Busan, South Korea. It's a lovely beach city, readers should go and eat fish cakes and hotteok with their family if they can," she advised proudly.

I sat up straighter and looked confidently into the camera. "You know me already, how could you not? I mean, obviously I'm the fabulous main character-"

"Jae," Ezra interrupted me with a humoured chuckle and a chiding smile. I rolled my eyes with a matching grin. "Hey, it's Kim Jae-Min! Twenty-five and thriving, also born in Busan, South Korea!"

"Hi, my name is Ezra Carter, I'm thirty-two and I was born in Virginia, America. This here is little Ollie, two years old, also from Virginia," Ezra waved Ollie's little hand gently so as to not stir him from his sleep.

"Okay, we are all gathered here today to ask for our reader's help! In the past year there has been a rise in the reporting of Asian hate crimes across America and a lot of communities need support from us and from you! Growing up here in the states has been a rollercoaster of great times and bad, but this is my home, the land I grew up in and I should have every right to feel safe here."