“What? 100 won?” the two policemen yell in unison.

“Should I not have brought this?” a girl with a floral dress and a pink cardigan said.

“No, it’s alright. I’m sure whoever lost, this will be glad to have it back” the other policeman said.

“We’ll hold onto this” The other one replied

“Okay, please do” the girl bowed as she leaves the mini police station down the street.

“What an unusual girl, she stupidly honest to a fault” the man said as he check the paper.

---

Sooyeon’s POV

My name is Sooyeon Jung, I have a gullible personality, and a lot of people say that I’m idiotically honest. Stupid Sica, I get called that a lot. Number of times I’ve fallen into a pit trap; without realizing it’s a joke, I’ll wait for the sender. Being excited for five hours is pretty exhausting. I’ve nearly fallen for phone scams, too. The man on the phone said he was my brother, but I’m an only child. It doesn’t bother me, though. After all, nothing beats an honest person. But that doesn't bpther me in the least. Because my father said: "in order for you to become an honest girl"

That’s why I never imagined, by carelessly opening a box; I got caught up in a terrible game. It was a day with a clear sky like any other…Yes on that day.

When I arrive at my house I found a strange black card in front of the door.

I curiously whisper myself “The LGT Company?”

I checked the card and it’s my name printed in the card ‘Jung Sooyeon’

“I wonder what it is” The mail addressed to me from LGT Secretariat along with a box. I am curious about the contents of the box; I opened it and it was filled with money, and put the cover on it again. I cupped my cheeks and wonder what did I enter or am I just dreaming. So I open the lid again and check “No way” I quickly open up the letter mailed to me.

[Jung Sooyeon, congratulation! You have overcome 1 to 100 thousand odds to earn a spot in the LIAR GAME TOURNAMENT. Good Luck!]

Curiously again “Liar Game Tournament?” I quickly pulled the box inside the house and lock the door; and starts counting. Astonished about finding this money, I counted it only to learn that its 100 million yen.  “…99…100 million won. They’re real”

I found a cassette tape at the bottom of the box and put it into the VCR to watch it. A screen immediately pops up with a masked man on the screen.

“It’s nice to meet you, Jung Sooyeon-shi. I am the dealer Leronira.  If you are watching this, it means you have agreed to participate in the Liar Game”

“Agreed?” I’m out of myself while watching the mask man on the screen.

“Your agreement can’t be revoked” I glanced upon the box and found the letter on the ground.

[Only open this if you agreed to participate the LIAR GAME. Your entry cannot be revoked.]

 

“I will now explain the rules of the First Round of the Liar Game, the rules are simple. This game involves stealing money from the other participants. You may use any means necessary. As all participants have agreed to play, actions you take to steal money will not be treated as a crime.  Do not worry, the game will last for 30 days after participants have established. Whoever possesses money at the end of this time wins. After the game ends, an agent from the LGT Agency will arrive to collect the money. You will return the full amount of 100 million won initially granted to you should you succeed in stealing money from your opponent, said money will be your reward. In other words, your maximum reward is 100 million yen. Should your money be stolen by your opponent, you will be forced to reimburse the agency for any insufficient funds. In your case, the bills totaling one hundered million won, numbered from TBD00585KK to TBD10584KK” he carefully explains the rules.

“Reimburse?”

“In other words, should you lose the game; you could lose a maximum of 100 million won. Good luck” At the end of the tape he wishes me a good luck and the screen goes blank. 

After watching the video, I panicked. All I can think about is going into debt. I lock the door, closes the curtains. “A debt of 100 million won,”

“Please, I really have no idea who sent this” I told the police man everything.

“But this was addressed to you, right? You even opened it; we can’t accept this as a lost article anymore” he response.

“But…” I don’t know what to do right now.

“The police can’t act if a crime hasn’t been committed. Isn’t someone just asking you to hold onto their money?” he said while arranging some paper works on his desk.

“But someone might come to steal it!” I grab the heavy box filled with money on his desk.

“Could you submit an incident report once that happens? There is nothing the police can do for you right now”

I am forced to hold on to the money. I winds up staring at the money all night afraid that someone might going to come and steal it. I was scared. Everyday was more and more stressful. I wasn’t able to move an inch from the drawer I hid the money in. I could not get sleep. I grew weaker day by day.

As I wake up in the morning, I quickly cover my whole body in a blanket and stare at the money in front of me. There is a sound out on my mailbox, so I slowly go out. Ending up getting another mail from LGT Office.

Sorry to keep you waiting. Your opponent for the 1^st round of the Liar Game tournament has been decided. Your opponent is the following player:

I opened it and I can't believed about it.

“No way”

“It was a fortunate coincidence. My opponent was the teacher I loved in middle school, Mr. Kang-nim” I am relieved to find that my opponent is Mr. Kang, my old high school teacher. I immediately take all the money to his house to ask him his opinion.

“I’m so glad you were chosen” Mr. Kang said.

“I was relieved, too. If you hadn’t been my opponent, I don’t know what would’ve happened to me by now. Actually, there’s something I’d like you to consider--“he cuts me off.

He closely approaches me and gently touches my arm “Opponent? You… believe that in this Liar Game the LGT Office randomly selects players to compete for cash. That’s what you’re thinking right?”

“Yes, why? Am I wrong?” I asked

I was startled about he yelled “Of course it’s not!”  And he glances from side to side, checking if there is anyone watching.

“This is an extremely well thought out scam… And what’s more, it’s a bogus game that is set up so that neither player can win” he whispers.

“What?! You’re saying that we’ll both lose!?” I was shocked.

“Yep, without a doubt. Suppose your opponent were a stranger instead of me. Let’s call him X. X would be a stranger, so you wouldn’t know anything about him. Now suppose one day 50 of your 100 million won gets stolen one day” he explains it to me.

“It’s gone of course, X stole it!” I am confident about what I just answer.

“That’s right, you’d naturally suspect X. But the ones, who actually stole your money, are the guys from the Liar Game Agency. Even if the agency stole it, without knowing your opponent, you’d assume he stole your money. And then both of you ends up owing them money. No matter how much is taken, the players will never realize who it really was. They will continue to think it was their adversary. All because neither one had a clue. There is no winner. Forcing all players into debt at the end of the game… The company just needs to show 200 million of it’s money to another 200 million. It’s a system where the players lose and the company will profit without fail” he explains to me again.

 “That’s terrible, I had no idea” I crossed both of my hands and sighed.

“I was completely fooled. I heard about someone who was caught in a similar scam. I recognized it right away when I saw the letter. But you know, this company has made a huge mistake. I mean of all things, pairing up two acquaintances like us. We’d better hide our money somewhere safe. Who knows when they’ll come to steal it?” he got up from his seat and goes behind the television stand which under of it was the box of money hidden.

“I brought my money. I was afraid to leave it at home.” I carried the heavy paper bag filled with 100 million won.

“Good idea, it’s too dangerous to let the money out of your sight” he got up.

“But what should we do with this money now” I lowered my head and sighed.

“Why don’t we keep it in a safe-deposit box at the bank? Keep it there for 30 days, and they won’t be able to touch it” he comes up with a brilliant idea.

“It’d be safe there” I agree

“Yeah, it would be” he smiles, but something is bothering me.

“But…” I lowered my head thinking what is bothering me.

“Oh, right. You’re not sure how to set one up. Don’t worry; I’ll deposit both of our money, okay? We need to help each other,” he pats my head and I smiled big.

“Yes, Thank you so much Please do” I gave him the heavy paper bag.

Even though I worried all this time about what to do, with this I can finally rest at ease.

Released from the anxiety. I slept like a rock.

At the hospital

“Did something good happen today? You seem kind of happy” I am pushing my father’s wheelchair through the hallway while smiling.

“Today I got to see Mr. Kang-nim, my middle school teacher” I response.

 He looks up me smiling “Really?”

“He hasn’t changed at all and…” I continue telling my father what happens.

---

 

Author’s POV

When she arrives at her home at night, she finds another card in the mail. This time the card gives the current results, with Mr. Fujisawa is gaining 100 million and her with a 100 million debt.

 

 

“What is this?” she looks upon the floor and found the letter.

She calls Mr. Fujisawa to tell him and he persuades her that it is still just a trick.

“Received what? They realized we know each other. If we’re helping each other, they can’t steal the money. I think they are trying to make us doubt each other. It’s all right; the money is in a safe-deposit box now. Okay, take to you later Bye” Mr. Kang in the phone.

In the morning she goes to his house in order to apologize for accusing him of doing such a thing, but at the gate she overhears Mr. Fujisawa talking on the phone.

“I promise I’ll return the money I borrowed a month from now. Yes, actually she’s this old student of mine. I just put a nice face, and she was fooled easily” she approaches slowly but accidentally dropped her freshly baked cake in the box after what she heard.

“She’ll do anything I tell her to do; she’s such a stupidly honest girl. We’re talking 100 million”

---

Sooyeon is devastated and goes home to sulk and recieves another tape in the mail.

“Do you now understand, Sooyeon-shi? You were deceived by Player Kang and lost your 100 million won. This is Liar Game, it is a game of deception. If you cannot recover your funds by the end of the game, you will owe 100 million won. We will collect our money. By any means possible, we will” the screen went black. She stared blankly at the floor and start thinking about how his teacher fooled her. And start screaming, and she doesn’t know what to do. A mail was dropped at the floor, she reached for it and read.

Have you realized it now? You were completely fooled by your fellow player Mr. Kang. This is the LIAR GAME. In other words, a game where you lie.

Sooyeon’s POV

At last, I came to grasp that my teacher had lied to me. I cried out loud, without considering how annoying it might have been to my neighbors.I was full of sorrow and self-pity. I cried all night, and all next day. Well, I’m not sure how much I cried. And so,I have to get it back.But what should I do?

In the morning, she goes to the officer and again asks him to do something about it.

“I don’t think you could not call this a crime,” he stares at her.

At the very least, the police can’t do anything about it.

“But I was tricked, isn’t this some kind of con?” I lowered my head

“I don’t know, it’s hard to build a case for a con. Not even lawyers can agree on them. You’d have to ask a con artist” he said while laughing.

“A con artist?” I asked curiously.

“Oh, right” he got up from his seat and looks outside.

“Listen, I shouldn’t be telling you this, but a con artist’s being released from prison tomorrow. He’s a genius con artist they caught three years ago” he whispers at me.

“A genius… con artist? Do you really think there’s a scam artist who’d sat ‘Yes, I’m a con man’?”

“Know kim? The man who tricked one of the largest post-war MLM corporations the Shuei Trading Co. and drove it to bankruptcy.

I run through the library and does a research to find the swindler three years ago.

“There it is”

‘Massive Pyramid Scheme Collapses, Man arrested for fraud’

“Lee Jin Ki?”

I was completely serious

Author’s POV

The next day at the jail.

“It’s almost time” –News Reporter A

“Jinki’s coming out!” –News Reporter B

The door cracks open and someone walked out from prison.

“He’s here” –New reporter C readys his camera.

“Uh no… That’s some other convict” –Person D

“Hey, all of you reporters, could you please leave?” two policeman showed up.

“Excuse me, but where is Lee Jinki?” –News reported B

“Jinki? Didn’t he just leave?” –Police A

“Huh? No that was someone else” –News reporter A

“Akiyama is a master of disguise” –Police A

“DAMN IT! HE TRICKED US!” –News reporter C

“After him! We can still catch him!” –Person D

As the reporters run through the disguised former convict. Police A removed his hat and glasses, which shows that he is Lee Jinki, the former convict.

“Good job getting rid of those reporters”Police B smiled at him showing his wrinkles.

“…”

“Take this narrow alley. You can get out on to the highway without running into anyone. Don’t you ever come back, okay?” he last ly smiled at him again, still no response until he walked away from him.

“What a cold guy, as usual. If only he talked just a little more, he might be able to lighten up” Police B thoughts, and he goes back inside the prison.

Now, Jinki is walking out of jail. Sooyeon is searching for the entrance while she bumps into him.

“Where is it? Where’s the entrance? Ouch” he looks upon her on the ground and walk away.

“Wait, Jinki-shi!” she got up from the ground a run towards him.

“Please…Please…Please help me. I was conned out of some money, I need to get it back. Please help me--” she bowed in front of him but he still continue walking away, doesn’t bother to talk.

I had resolved to entrust him…the genius con artist with my fate. Yes, it was at this very moment, that I took my first step into this foul battle known as the Liar Game. -Sooyeon

“Wait, Jinki-shi. I...I was betrayed by someone I trusted... and lost 100 million won!” she runs to him and confronts him.

---

New Characters!

Kang Ho-Dong (63)

Ho-Dong was the middle school teacher at the school that Sooyeon went to, and she as well as the rest of her classmates thought he was a great teacher and friend. When he asked for a raise from the Board of Education, they decided that he was too greedy for his and the school's good, so they fired him. He remained unemployed for a long time, causing his wife to call him worthless and divorce him, claiming ownership of his child as well.

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PS|| I'm officially done with this chapter, it's kinda boring since it's long. Till Friday guys! Please upvote and subscribe! It’ll be highly appreciated~

-Scissors