Theo, whom Will secretly admired, had been sent to bed early by his father, Byron, under the pretense that early nights fostered healthy growth. Byron even slept beside him to improve their relationship. Theo, observing his sleeping father, thought, "You can actually sleep at this age?"

He quietly slipped out of bed, patted Byron's forehead with his chubby hand, and whispered, "Wake up, quick! Ultraman is here to rule the earth!" Byron, perhaps exhausted from work and comforted by his son's presence, slept soundly. Theo smirked, slipped out again, and returned in under two minutes with a comb and rubber bands.

He then crawled back and began to style Byron's short hair. "Sigh," he said with a serious expression, "If I were twenty, we could have a real showdown. But I'm only four, still in kindergarten. I can only settle this with a child's method."

Satisfied with his handiwork, Theo left before Byron woke, rushing to find his mother, worried about having been gone so long. He reached his mother's room and was about to swipe his card when a strange, rapid heartbeat overwhelmed him.

Will, nearby, stopped abruptly. The sensation numbed his small hands. He turned, but only saw a small figure entering the room and closing the door. Frowning, Will wondered, "What just happened? An invisible thread seemed to have pulled me."

The next day, Byron, a creature of habit, woke before 7:00 a.m. Having slept well alone, he was in high spirits until Archer arrived with a document, only to witness a shocking sight upon opening the door.

"Mr. McDaniel," Archer asked cautiously, "Are you feeling unwell?"

Byron stopped on his way to the bathroom. "What's wrong?"

"Your... your hair..." Archer stammered, seemingly transfixed.

Byron touched his hair, discovering two unexpected braids. He frowned and strode to the bathroom. His handsome face darkened as he saw his reflection. "William!" he muttered. "This brat dared to braid my hair while I slept! Does he want to rebel?"

Archer, hearing Byron's suppressed rage, thought, How could Mr. McDaniel not care about his image? He realized Will was responsible. Just as he anticipated Byron's disciplinary action, Byron stormed to Will's bedroom.

Archer tried to intervene. "Mr. McDaniel, Mr. William is still young. He's just being mischievous. Please calm down."

"Bang!" The bedroom door slammed shut. Will woke, rubbing his eyes and sitting up. Seeing his father's furious expression, he mumbled sleepily, "Dad?"

Byron's expression softened slightly as he sat on the bed's edge. "Will, don't you have anything to say to Dad?"

"Hm?" Will said. "Good morning, Daddy."

Byron remained impassive. "Don't change the subject. Why did you braid my hair?"

"I didn't," Will replied, confused.

Byron's voice deepened. "Refusing to admit a mistake is worse than the prank itself. Taking responsibility makes a real man."

"But Dad, do you have any evidence?" Will countered. "Without evidence, it's a false accusation."

Byron's lips twitched. Only Will and I were in the room. Why does he need evidence? he thought. "I'm punishing you with a fifty-word reflection essay before breakfast. No essay, no breakfast." He added, "Don't do this again!"

Will was about to respond when he noticed several dolls on the sofa, not there before. "Dad, where are those dolls from?" he asked.

Byron frowned. "Forgotten already? I caught those for you last night."

Will was shocked. He hadn't been to the gaming hall, nor asked for dolls. Who was with Dad? How much did that child resemble me? he wondered. He must have braided Dad's hair. He wanted to tell Byron but hesitated, lacking proof.

He suddenly remembered the small figure from the night before. Could it be him? he thought. He stopped eating his croissant. "Dad, I need to go out."

"Where?" Byron asked.

"The… gaming hall," Will hesitated. I might find him there.

Byron took a sip of coffee. "You played there a long time last night. Stay with me today."

Will fell silent. He's taking revenge, he thought.