Jin walked past the living room without looking up.
He could feel the way everyone glanced his way. The fake smiles, the too-polite greetings.
[They're really going hard with the fake warmth today, huh. Did someone assign them lines?]
He snorted internally and climbed the stairs.
Behind him, the silence was heavy.
"I told you," Meiyu whispered to the others once he was out of earshot. "He doesn't believe us."
"He's not supposed to," Xinyi muttered, clutching the bracelet she gave him. "We just... keep going."
---
In his room, Jin flopped onto the bed.
"Ergouzi."
"Reporting for duty. Melon freshness: critical."
[What now?]
"Ichiro paid a second-year student to pretend Su cheated on her exam. Admin is already scheduling a disciplinary meeting. She's being set up again."
[...She's too prideful to ask for help.]
"Confirmed. Su is currently in the garden stabbing oranges in silence. 🍊🔪
[Jeez. And they want me to pretend this family isn't cursed?]
---
Downstairs, Su took out her phone and deleted the school chat group entirely.
She said nothing, her fingers trembling.
She'd already drafted a resignation letter.
But then... she paused.
Instead, she began typing.
[Sent to "Sisters' Crisis Hotline"]
"Ichiro tried to set me up. Again. I'm not leaving this time."
---
At dinner, Jin picked at his food.
The others barely touched theirs.
[Awkward silence again. Is this scene supposed to be dramatic? Emotional? What now — sudden apology monologue?]
He took a sip of soup.
[If they cry, I'm bolting.]
Nobody cried.
But Lianhua stood and took her plate to the sink, quietly. Then began washing all the dishes.
No one asked her to.
She used to shout at the maids for not drying properly.
---
In the study, Meiyu closed her laptop.
Her folder: Ichiro_Evidence now had 134 files.
She didn't say anything.
She didn't show anyone.
---
In the kitchen late at night, Xinyi made steamed buns from scratch — the kind Jin liked from childhood.
She set them by his door with no note.
In the morning, they were gone.
No one asked.
---
[Jin's thoughts:]
[They're getting better at the acting. I'll give them that.]
[But it's too late. This isn't a stage I want to stand on.]
[The curtains already fell.]