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The Sim family occupied their usual positions in the cozy living room. Grandpa, engrossed as always, perused the newspaper with studious intent, occasionally muttering under his breath at the crossword puzzles.

Grandma sat nearby, her knitting needles clicking rhythmically as she worked on a colorful scarf-a new hobby that had quickly become a favorite pastime.

Seojun, seated on the couch, absentmindedly massaged his numb leg. Across the room, Jake, their youngest, was deeply immersed in a video game, his fingers moving with practiced precision over the controller.

One might inquire about their daughter-in-law's whereabouts. Unbeknownst to the rest of the family, she remained secluded in her room, masking her anticipation for the disruption she knew would soon unfold.

And chaos did indeed happen that evening. The atmosphere in the living room was abruptly shattered by shouts coming from the bathroom. Haein, concealing her satisfaction behind a mask of confusion, descended the stairs to join the rest of the family.

As she entered the living room, Haein found everyone gathered around Soomin, who stood with a mixture of frustration and accusation in her eyes.

Soomin, her hand glued firmly to her hair, was visibly distressed and frustrated. Her brow furrowed deeply as she attempted to free herself from the sticky situation, but the glue held fast, refusing to yield to her frantic tugs.

"What happened? I heard a loud shout."

Soomin wasted no time in pointing the finger. "This girl did it, I swear," she exclaimed, her voice tinged with exasperation and thinly veiled anger.

Feeling the weight of her accusation, Haein instinctively sought refuge behind Jake, using his larger frame as a shield from Soomin's wrath. She glanced nervously at the rest of the family, gauging their reactions as the tension in the room mounted.

Jake turned around abruptly, his eyes narrowing as he fixed them on Haein. His sudden movement and intense gaze conveyed a mixture of surprise and suspicion, as he tried to make sense of all the drama unfolding.

Meanwhile, Grandpa lowered his newspaper slowly, peering over the top with a furrowed brow. His curiosity piqued, he interjected with a puzzled inquiry, "What's going on? I don't understand."

Soomin, her frustration evident, struggled to disentangle her hand from her hair as she exclaimed, "Isn't this the girl you all love?" She directed a piercing gaze at Haein before accusing, "She put glue in my shampoo."

Jake looked at his wife, his eyes searching for an explanation. Haein, composed yet slightly amused by the situation, responded with a voice that trembled slightly, perhaps masking a hint of suppressed laughter.

"Oh, please. Why would I do that? My work starts and ends with cleaning products."

Soomin's patience snapped at Haein's denial. "Liar!" she shouted at the top of her lungs, her voice echoing in the tense silence that followed.

Jake, having reached his limit with the unfolding drama, turned to his wife with a sense of urgency in his voice. In a low voice, he asked, "Haein, did you really do it?"

Haein, caught off guard by the seriousness in Jake's tone, quickly shifted gears. She widened her eyes innocently and gave him her best doe-eyed look. With a whisper, she replied, "I said I didn't do it."

Jake couldn't tear his eyes away from hers, but deep down, he sensed something wasn't right. Despite her convincing act, doubts gnawed at him.

Tearing his eyes away from Haein before he could get lost any longer, Jake turned to his sister with a firm gaze. He locked eyes with Soomin, determination in his voice as he said, "You heard her, sister. She didn't do it."

Soomin stood up abruptly, her frustration bubbling over as Haein mocked her behind Jake's back, raising her eyebrows and flashing a sly smile. The other family members attempted to diffuse the tension, urging Soomin to sit back down, but she was adamant.

"Look at how she's wiggling her eyebrows, Jake."

Jake turned to Haein sharply, his expression a blend of disappointment and disbelief. The girl, quick to adapt, immediately switched to her innocent angelic look, albeit with a hint of sarcasm.

"Is there anything I can do for you, sister?" she quipped, mimicking Soomin's earlier pose.

Jake sighed heavily, the weight of the situation evident in his voice as he instructed, "Haein, upstairs."

Haein, undeterred by Jake's stern tone, replied with faux compliance, "Okay, but if you need anything, you can call me, sister."

"I said upstairs," Jake reiterated firmly, his patience wearing thin as he tried to restore order to the chaotic scene unfolding in their living room.

Haein, who was seated on the bed and engrossed in her phone, wiggled her feet happily, oblivious to the tension brewing outside. When Jake swung the door open and stepped inside, she quickly straightened up, placing her phone aside.

With a sweet smile, she approached him and asked, "How's your sister holding up?"

Jake's response dripped with sarcasm. "Oh, everything's just peachy. Except the left side of her hair is ruined," he quipped, a hint of annoyance underlying his words.

Haein's expression tightened slightly, her lips pressing together as if she were suppressing a laugh or feigning sympathy.

Jake fixed her with a determined stare, inching closer to gauge her reaction. He knew her tendency to blabber when under pressure. "How do you think this happened?" he pressed, his voice calm but insistent.

Haein shrugged casually, her expression innocent yet tinged with playful defiance. "Maybe the shampoo was expired. You can expect anything in this economy," she replied, trying to maintain her composure.

"So you're saying you had no hand in what happened?" his tone sharpened slightly as he closed the distance between them, prompting Haein to step back and sit on his bed, her hands clasped behind her back.

"I told you downstairs, I didn't do it."

Jake sighed, feeling the weight of the situation. "Look, this is your last chance," he said firmly, his gaze unwavering. "You better tell the truth."

"I'm starting to get sad, you know? You're blaming me for something I didn't do."

With a thoughtful pause, she stood up and shifted her stance, hands still clasped behind her back. "I think it's unfair to judge someone when you don't have any proof, right?" she stated calmly, her eyes locking with Jake's in a challenge.

Jake's smile widened slightly at her response, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "Right... you're very right. We shouldn't jump to conclusions without proof," he conceded, his tone still tinged with suspicion.

Haein's smile faltered for a moment, thinking she had successfully deflected his suspicions. However, her confidence waned as Jake continued, "Show me your hands."

"Why?" Haein challenged, but Jake was already moving towards her, almost playfully attempting to reach for her hands.

She backed away until her back pressed against the wall, unable to evade his determined approach. With a swift movement, Jake seized both of her hands and held them above her head, their eyes locking in a tense standoff.

In that charged moment, Jake's gaze bore into Haein's, probing for any sign of guilt or deception. Haein met his stare with a mixture of defiance and uncertainty, her heart racing with apprehension. The air between them crackled with unspoken tension.

Jake's throat tightened as he momentarily broke eye contact, and stepped away from her, his fingers deftly prying open Haein's clenched hand. There, nestled within her palm, was the evidence he sought - a tube of super glue. His smile widened into one of triumph and amusement.

"And here we have the weapon of the crime scene."

Haein tried to play dumb, her eyes widening innocently as she examined the tube of super glue. "Oh wow, this is my first time seeing this," she remarked, her voice feigning surprise.

Jake raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by her attempt at innocence. "Oh wow, this is my first time seeing this," he repeated mockingly, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "You'll go and apologize to my sister. Got it?"

"Is that so? Then I'll go and tell everyone you were kicked out of your job."

"Listen up, you're really getting on my nerves,"

"And you're getting on mine too."

"You must think I'm stupid, right? I knew from the beginning you did it," Jake accused, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Then why didn't you snitch?" Haein countered, crossing her arms defensively.

"I thought maybe you'd apologize... Look, this'll come back to you. Karma is real," Jake warned, his expression serious yet tinged with a hint of exasperation.

"Until it hits me, I'll do whatever I want, got it?" Haein challenged, her eyes narrowing defiantly.

His gaze bore into hers with a mix of frustration and curiosity, as if trying to unravel her motives. His brow furrowed slightly, showing a hint of disbelief at her brazen denial.

Her, on the other hand, stood her ground with arms crossed, a defiant tilt to her chin. Her eyes flashed with a blend of defiance and cunning, a hint of amusement playing at the corners of her lips despite the seriousness of their conversation.

Jake shook his head, disappointment etched on his features as he turned away from Haein. His steps were heavy with the weight of their confrontation, each footfall echoing a mix of frustration and resignation.

He paused at the doorway, casting one last glance over his shoulder at Haein, his expression a blend of disbelief and disappointment.

Haein watched him go, her posture defiant yet tinged with a hint of uncertainty. As the door closed behind him, a palpable silence settled in the room, thick with unresolved tension. She exhaled slowly, the weight of their exchange lingering in the air, her thoughts racing with the consequences of her actions.

Alone now, Haein clenched her fists, wrestling with a mix of emotions. There was a part of her that regretted the prank, yet another part that stubbornly defended her actions.

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I think im finally spoiling you with updates after disappearing for months