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Most people wake up peacefully in the morning to the sound of birds chirping. The gentle melodies serve as a natural, soothing alarm clock, welcoming the new day with a sense of calm and serenity. However, this was not the case for the Sim family today.

The tranquility of the early morning was shattered by the blaring sound of a very loud alarm siren. It tore through the silence like a knife, jolting everyone awake abruptly. Grandpa burst through the doors of the house, his face a mask of urgency and fear. 

"Seek shelter! The enemy is on the borders! Lock the doors!" 

The family sprang into action, hearts pounding with a mix of adrenaline and fear. Jake and his father immediately jumped out of their beds and ran to find Taesoo, already working to secure the house. While, Soomin tried to calm him down.

Grandma, her face pale with fright, stood trembling in the hallway. Her voice quivered as she asked, "Did they really come?" 

Upon seeing his grandson, Grandpa shouted loudly, "Soldier, where's your rifle? You're going to get us killed!"

Even Layla , joined in the chaos with loud barks, as Grandpa earnestly discussed his plans while petting her reassuringly.

Jake stood frozen, unsure of what to do. The entire family was equally bewildered and paralyzed by confusion. 

Just then, Jake's father entered the scene, adjusting his glasses and asking, "What is this commotion? Whose alarm is this?"

Everyone looked at each other, suddenly realizing someone was missing. Soomin, connecting the dots, fumed with anger. "I swear to God, I'm going to jump that girl! I was too forgiving yesterday," she muttered, her frustration evident.

Soomin was about to storm upstairs to confront Haein when Grandpa interrupted with a booming question, "Did your wife join the enemy's side? Prepare to hit her with the bullets."

 "Don't worry, Grandpa. I'm gonna do it."

Jake quickly stepped in, grabbing his sister's arm, "I'll deal with it."

Soomin glared at him, "What, are you gonna wake your wife up with hugs and kisses?"

Jake sighed, pushing past her, his patience wearing thin. "Just let me handle it," he muttered, trudging up the stairs.

As he approached the culprit's room, the obnoxious alarm still blaring, he couldn't help but shake his head at the absurdity of the situation. Taking a deep breath, he prepared to wake up his fake wife.

He knocked on the door multiple times, shouting Haein's name. "Haein! Haein, wake up!" His voice grew louder with each knock, but there was no response.

Growing more frustrated, Jake tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. Realizing it was locked, he took a step back. "Of course, she locked it," he muttered under his breath. With a determined look, he squared his shoulders and rammed the door with all his might.

The door flew open with such force that the table behind it was knocked over. The impact sent everything on the table crashing to the floor, including Jake's cherished award. He watched in dismay as it shattered into countless pieces, sparkling fragments scattering across the floor.

Jake was seething with anger, his patience worn thin by the morning's chaos. Haein, meanwhile, was blissfully sleeping like a baby, completely unaware of the turmoil outside. His frustration boiled over, and he shouted her name with such force that she finally woke up, groggily rubbing her eyes.

"Why are you shouting so early in the morning?" she yawned, stretching lazily.

"You broke my award!" Jake snapped, gesturing to the shattered pieces on the floor.

"When did I do that?" 

"I told you not to touch my stuff!" he shouted, his face red with anger.

Haein, now pissed off herself, threw the covers away and stood up from her bed, fixing Jake with a stern look. "Listen up," she warned, her voice cold and firm, "this is my room, so everything here belongs to me for six months."

Haein hesitated, almost turning away, but halted as Jake's next words rang out with intense emotion. "Do you know how much this award means to me?" His voice quivered slightly, betraying a mix of hurt and frustration etched across his face.

She scoffed dismissively, her expression unyielding as she looked him squarely in the eye. The morning light filtering through the window cast shadows on her features, accentuating the coldness of her tone. 

"There's a small shop near my dad's hotel. They make cute little things like these. You can go there," she taunted, her words laced with biting sarcasm, "and this time, if you want, we can have them engrave 'South Korea's Champion' instead of 'Math Champion.'"

Jake's glare intensified, his eyes narrowing with a deep-seated resentment. Her callous words struck a nerve, cutting through the already tense atmosphere like a knife. The weight of her indifference hung heavily in the room.

He shouted louder, his voice echoing off the walls, "Turn this off!"

Haein, with a dismissive flick, silenced the alarm. She began scrolling through her messages, a self-satisfied smile flickering across her face as she replied to her friends.

Jake's frustration boiled over. In a swift, decisive move, he snatched the phone from her grasp. His gaze bore into hers with a mixture of exasperation and determination. Haein shot him a defiant side glance, her brow furrowed in irritation.

"What the hell are you doing? I'm not a kid," she snapped, her tone sharp and defensive.

"If you were a kid, at least you'd understand consequences. I'm going to teach you that," Jake retorted firmly, his jaw clenched in frustration.

"How was I supposed to know you'd barge into my room?" Haein shot back, her voice tinged with annoyance.

"Yeah, sorry, I forgot you're still living in the Stone Age," she added sarcastically, her eyes flashing with defiance.

He looked at her, deeply offended. As she turned to leave, he reached out and firmly grasped her wrist. "I'll teach you how to apologize and how to respect others, understood, princess?" His voice was stern, his eyes holding a challenge.

She gently pulled her hand away, meeting his gaze with a cool demeanor. "Teach me later. I'm going to prepare breakfast and then head to the hotel," she replied calmly, brushing off his attempt to assert authority.

He stepped back slightly, a hint of curiosity in his expression. "Hotel? What are you going to do at a hotel?"

"It's my training period," she explained simply, her tone matter-of-fact.

Just then, the sound of a notification echoed through the room. Without hesitation, she swiftly retrieved her phone from his hand before he could react, reclaiming control over the situation with a deft, calculated move.

This time, he closed the distance between them, peering over her shoulder at the phone. His gaze fixed on the screen where a voice message awaited. Haein hesitated, biting her lip uncertainly, unsure whether she should play it with him so close.

Jake couldn't resist a mocking smirk, his tone teasing as he said, "Don't be shy. You can listen to it."

Taking it as a challenge, Haein steeled herself and tapped on the message. The voice of her best friend, a guy she trusted dearly, filled the room. "Haein darling, how are you? You're coming today, right? I'm worried about you."

Jake's smirk faltered upon hearing the masculine voice, his brows furrowing as he looked back and forth between the phone and Haein's face. A hint of anger flickered in his eyes, though he tried to mask it with nonchalance.

"Isn't this the guy that I broke his nose? He had a girl's name, was it Taeri?" Jake asked, his tone casual but with an edge.

"Taerae."

"Yeah, that one. What happened to him? He hasn't healed yet? Does he want me to break another bone?" Jake continued, his words tinged with a hint of aggression.

Haein sighed, shaking her head slightly. "Like I said, you're a caveman."

"And isn't he a physics major? What's he doing at the hotel?" Jake pressed on, his curiosity mixed with annoyance.

"Pretty sure what my friends do is none of your business, got it? And I have to go to that hotel. I'm taking care of many things there, so..." 

"Aren't you adorable, explaining things to me," Jake remarked sarcastically, a smirk returning to his face as he teased her, though the tension between them remained palpable.

Haein muttered "get lost" under her breath as she walked away towards the bathroom, leaving Jake smiling to himself. Despite the tension and their occasional clashes, he couldn't deny that he enjoyed teasing her. His smirk widened slightly as he contemplated their ongoing banter, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

After what happened in her room Haein meticulously dolled herself up, reclaiming a sense of her usual self, despite the unflattering dress Jake had chosen. Determined to salvage the look, she adorned it with a designer belt, of her personal style.

She refused to let anything detract from her presence, especially in front of her peers at the hotel, where her appearance was as crucial as her demeanor.

She was on the brink of opening the door to step outside when a warm hand enveloped hers, halting her in her tracks. With an exasperated sigh, she turned around to glare at Jake, expecting another bout of their usual banter.

"Didn't I say you're not leaving?"

"You can only leave if you apologize," he continued, his challenge clear.

Haein scoffed, crossing her arms defiantly. "Over my dead body."

"Then have fun washing the toilets and cleaning the house with my sister," Jake countered casually, a mischievous glint in his eye.

Haein hesitated, her pride warring with the inconvenience of the situation. In a barely audible whisper, she managed to force out, "So... sor... sorry..."

"I didn't hear you. Repeat it," Jake persisted, moving closer.

Annoyed by his persistence, Haein clenched her jaw and muttered the words again in a low voice. But Jake was relentless, continuing to needle her until she finally snapped, shouting directly into his ear, "I said sorry!"

Jake winced at the sudden outburst, rubbing his ear in mock pain.

As Haein prepared to leave for work, she paused mid-step and turned back to Jake, her temporary husband. With a sly grin, she teased, "Hold up. I'm heading out, but what about you?"

Jake's expression shifted slightly, a mixture of curiosity and wariness crossing his features. He furrowed his brow, bracing himself for whatever she had in store for him.

With a mischievous glint in her eye, Haein raised her voice just enough to be heard, "Do they know you're fired?"

Before Jake could react, Grandma appeared, her warm presence filling the room. She smiled at the pair, offering words of encouragement and wishing them a good day ahead. Jake and Haein reciprocated with their best smiles, grateful for the interruption.

Seizing the opportunity, Haein leaned in closer to Jake, her voice teasing as she whispered, "Why don't you tell them? Aren't you a good boy?"

Sensing Grandma's attentive gaze, they exchanged a quick, cautious glance. Jake subtly gripped Haein's waist, urging her to keep quiet with a gentle jab.

Seeing the couple together, Grandma smiled knowingly and tactfully turned away, sensing she might have intruded on a private moment.

After exchanging pleasantries and chatting with Grandma Sunja, the pretend couple bid her a good day and left together.

Once they were out of earshot of Grandma, she sighed wistfully and muttered, "Ah, young love." But the reality of Jake and Haein's relationship was far from the romantic ideal.

Outside, their argument continued to unfold.

"You're so cruel," Jake accused, his voice tinged with hurt.

"What the hell did I do this time?"

"You got me fired first, and now you're threatening to tell my family," Jake retorted, frustration seeping into his words.

Haein's expression hardened. "Well, clearly I'm not the one who split their boss' head in half," she snapped back, her tone sharp.

"Usually you're not the one swinging the bat, either. You just provide the motivation."

In the midst of their heated exchange, Layla, Jake's beloved dog, sauntered past. Jake's face softened instantly, a warm smile breaking through as he called out to her. However, Layla seemed more interested in playing with other dogs, ignoring Jake's attempts to engage her.

 "She probably got bored of your face," she quipped.

As she strolled through the neighborhood, she couldn't fathom why Jake was trailing behind her. The reason dawned on her when he asked, "What time do you get off? I'll drive you there, and when you're done, I'll take you back home."

Haein halted abruptly. "Pardon?" she exclaimed, her voice tinged with incredulity. Jake stopped as well, confusion written across his face.

She continued, "I think you've misunderstood our arrangement. No one should know about our marriage except our families, got it?"

Before Jake could respond, a cheerful man approached them and said, "Congratulations, Jake! Is this your wife? She's really beautiful."

Haein glanced around, feeling a wave of awkwardness wash over her. The eyes of the entire neighborhood seemed to be on them. It appeared their secret was out, and it wasn't just their families who knew.

After their greetings concluded, Jake turned to Haein with a teasing smile, clearly enjoying the look on her face. "Looks like it's our families plus the entire neighborhood," he quipped.

Haein shifted uncomfortably, glancing around at the curious onlookers. "Minus the hotel."

She left him standing there, but then something clicked in Jake's mind. He thought he finally understood her.

Quickly catching up to her, he taunted, "I get it now. You're embarrassed of me. You want to keep me a secret because your friends wouldn't approve of you marrying a guy like me."

Haein rolled her eyes and sighed, her patience wearing thin. "This is just a deal for six months. Think of it as military service."

Jake smirked, stepping closer with a smug expression. "And if you want to be free, you're going to follow my rules. You're a married woman now, with my last name. You're my responsibility."

"You can take your rules and shove them up your ass. Your rules don't apply to me. Now, I'm going to the hotel by myself and I'll come back by myself, like a normal adult."

She turned sharply on her heel, leaving Jake standing there, his smirk fading into a look of stunned frustration as he watched her walk away with determined strides.

As Haein walked away with determined steps, Jake watched her retreating figure with a mix of admiration and determination. He wasn't one to accept defeat easily, especially not from someone like her.

With a subtle smirk, he muttered under his breath, "I'll show you how to play fair, princess."

Pulling out his phone with a mischievous glint in his eyes, he began to scheme, ideas forming in his mind like pieces of a puzzle falling into place.

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