The Middleman | ongoing

26 | pics or it didn't happen

26 | pics or it didn't happen

Song: Get It On The Low by Hoodie Allen

Depicted Above: Constance Wu as Aujin Kim

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I had decided to sneak in a visit to Julia's place after my Sunday morning run, and so here I was in front of her door waiting.

As predicted, Mrs. Kim was the one to open the door as Julia's sorry ass was still in bed. She usually wasn't up until much later. It was a consistent habit of hers, and I didn't see it changing any time soon.

"Hey, Leia. Come in! I'll wake Julia up. This is perfect, I have an excuse now to wake the lazy bum up." Mrs. Kim had never been one to appreciate Julia's efforts to slumber until at least noon. She'd take up any opportunity to wake up the hibernating bear that her daughter was.

I grin. Mrs. Kim's mischievous and conniving ways to straighten out her daughter always managed to make me smile. She was a diligent and goal-oriented woman, qualities that I revered.

"No, thanks, Aujin. I'm hoping for this to be pretty quick." I remember to address her by her first name like she and the rest of my friends' parents preferred. At this point, we were so close, and it was a no-brainer to call them by their first names. Of course, I had my slip-ups. Pretty often.

Mrs. Kim, who had grown up with a more traditional upbringing, couldn't wrap her head around the whole addressing elders by their first name basis, less out of feeling disrespected but moreso of not having been exposed to that type of culture, but she, just like the rest of my friends' parents, believed we were too close to have just Mrs. Kim cut it.

"I insist, Leia. Child, let me feed you. Have you even had breakfast?" Aujin inquires as her tendencies to feed me shine through.

"Just a light breakfast. I just went for a run. I don't want to impose, and I'm not too hungry, Aujin! Hopefully, me and Julia will finish up quick. It's just school stuff," I smoothly lie.

"No, no. Nonsense. Minseo was having pancakes. I'll make."

I don't complain. Aujin was a strong-willed woman with good intentions. If she wanted to feed you, you would be fed.

"JULLLIAAAA! Leia's here," Aujin yells up the staircase, and her voice bounds around.

Aujin then goes in to clamber around the kitchen to whip another batch of pancakes.

"Leia," Aujin yells from the kitchen, "go wake my daughter up. Lazy girl will never get up until noon. Her body clock refuses to wake her up any earlier."

I chuckle as I head on up to Julia's room. I make my way past the staircase and into the hall where Julia's bedroom was situated.

"Aujin," I yell from upstairs, "is it okay if I wake her up? Isn't she still recovering from the wisdom teeth extraction?"

"Yeah, yeah. Go ahead. At this point, she's just milking it, so she can get away with anything. She's okay," Aujin bluntly informs me as she flips pancakes.

Aujin and her candid ways never failed to amuse me. She'd tell you like it was.

"Okay," I yell from the open hallway that allowed me to view the kitchen.