“Kyungsoo, what’s the scariest moment you’ve ever experienced?”

 

A moderately simple question, one Kyungsoo was thankful for. It could have been much worse. Yet, faced with this question, Kyungsoo wasn’t sure how to answer.

 

11 pairs of eyes peered curiously at him from around the circle. He swallowed nervously, forcing his brain to somehow perform the impossible task of recalling every moment he had ever had in his life, and ranking them by fear. Yet his mind came up empty. Except for…

 

Kyungsoo chuckled to himself, scratching his neck in embarrassment. “A haunted house for kids.” He admitted, and this earned a chorus of hums from the circle.

 

“Your turn.” Chanyeol said, crossing his legs. He seemed satisfied with the answer, which brought out a sigh of relief from Kyungsoo.

 

“Okay.” Kyungsoo said, and then scanned the circle, his eyes eventually resting on a tan man, with jet black hair. Jongin. The name suddenly popped into his mind, and Kyungsoo hoped it was the right one. Kyungsoo frowned, trying to come up with a question. He didn’t want to ask one too hard, afraid of making an enemy this early in the game. Especially now.

 

“Jongin, what’s your ideal type?” Kyungsoo asked, hoping it wasn’t too invasive. Jongin raised his eyebrows, a smirk beginning to shape on his lips.

 

“You.” He replied smoothly, his smirk widening at Kyungsoo’s shocked expression. There were a few snickers from the other men. Kyungsoo felt himself getting hot and his cheeks reddening. He averted his eyes from Jongin’s suddenly predatory gaze, and shifted uncomfortably in the wooden chair. The last thing he wanted was someone interested in him.

 

“Jongin. Your turn.” Chanyeol said, eager to move the conversation forward.

 

“Alright.” Jongin said, his eyes still lingering on Kyungsoo. After what seemed like an eternity, he tore his gaze away from the other man, and suddenly Kyungsoo could breathe again.

Jongin turned to a dazed brown haired man he quickly identified as Yixing.

 

“Yixing, ever done ?” He casually asked. Kyungsoo’s jaw dropped incredulously. Everyone was silent, except Yixing, who was legitimately mulling over the possible answers. In the end, he shrugged.

 

“Never.” He answered conclusively, but then added: “But I wouldn’t mind trying.”

 

His answer seemed especially noteworthy to the princely brown haired man across from him, who’s cheeks were reddening at what Kyungsoo assumed to be ual thoughts.

 

Yixing hummed, looking around the circle of men. “I don’t remember who wasn’t asked anything.” He declared, almost proudly. Three men raised their hands. Yixing pointed to one of them. It was a particularly terrifying looking man, with dark eyes bags, making him look almost like a panda.

 

“You, scary-panda-man. Do you like unicorns?” Yixing asked. He earned a few surprised laughs from around the circle. From that question, Yixing was immediately labelled as  the weak one of the group. The one that would be the first to go.

 

“Tao. And no.” Tao responded curtly, his eyes narrowed. He was clearly unhappy with the cute nickname Yixing had unapologetically branded him with. Tao laid his cutting gaze on a man resembling an angry bird, with handsome sharp features.

 

“Kris. Ever killed anybody?” He asked nonchalantly. Kris shook his head.

 

“No.” He stated, and then chuckled lowly. A few men joined in, thinking Tao’s question was a joke. One man swallowed nervously, staying quiet.

 

“My turn, then?” Kris asked. He looked at a man with rainbow hair. “Why the hair?” He asked.

 

The rainbow haired man, Sehun, shrugged. “It’s y.” He responded simply. Kris raised an eyebrow, “Debatable.”

 

Sehun ignored the comment. His gaze rested on the last man left, the one who looked like a deer. Luhan, the name popped into his mind. Luhan had been silent for the most of this game, yet during their initial introductions, he was shy and quiet. He was the perfect prey. Sehun knew better then to target Yixing, who may have seemed like the weakest member. But he recognized Luhan’s type: the kind of man who kept everything hidden, behind a veil of small smiles and light blushing. The kind of man that would easily lose at a game like this in a second. And Sehun knew just the question to ask.

 

“Luhan.” Said man glanced up in surprise, his eyes widening. Sehun had a flicker of doubt. Luhan looked so innocent, so unaware of his impending loss at the game. Yet Sehun couldn’t afford sympathy. He wanted to win. Needed to. And he didn’t care if he made enemies. He had nothing to hide. Nothing.

 

“Who would you , marry, and kill in this room?” Sehun asked.

 

“Isn’t that three questions?” One of the men quipped.

 

“Not necessarily.” Sehun quickly retorted.

 

Chanyeol pressed his finger to the chip in his ear. He nodded. “They’re saying it’s okay.” He relayed to the group.

 

Luhan sighed, closing his eyes. Sehun felt a victorious smile blooming on his lips. He knew it. There was no way Luhan would be able to answer the question. Luhan opened his eyes, and they were narrowed in an odd determination. He began to speak.

 

“I’d brown haired prince over here,” Luhan began, nodding to the princely man, “Although it seems like he’s already thinking about ing confused unicorn.” Yixing didn't notice the comment, as he was instead absentmindedly chipping at his wooden chair. Sehun couldn’t mask his shocked expression. Luhan continued: “I’d marry soft cheeks because he’s the only one here who knows how to cook,” He gestured to Kyungsoo. “And finally murder? I guess I’d murder you, because I’m pissed that you would give me such a bull question, probably with the thought that I’d be slim pickings. You thought wrong.” Luhan finished smugly, leaning back in his chair.

 

Sehun was silent. After a few seconds, Jongin whistled in awe. “ man…”

 

The room erupted in laughter, some congratulating Luhan on his answer, others shaking their head in disbelief.

 

Luhan’s gaze fell on the man who asked the first question, the man with the chip in his ear that was connected to the reality show producers. Park Chanyeol. “You. That chip in your ear is connected to the producers right?” He asked.

 

Chanyeol nodded. “Yep.”

 

Luhan smiled, “Then why don’t you tell the-”

 

“That was already one question.” Kris interrupted him.

 

Luhan’s eyes widened in surprise. .

 

“And, I believe it’s dinner time.” Chanyeol added, glancing down at his watch. His eyebrows scrunched together, and he pressed the chip deeper in his ear, trying to make out what the producers were saying. “They’re saying this mini game will keep happening. Every day.”

 

All 11 men let out a simultaneous lengthy sigh.

 

At the mention of dinner time by Chanyeol, they all immediately got out of their chairs and filed out of the room. Kyungsoo made sure to be one of the first exiting, to avoid Jongin who had been eyeing him hungrily the entire time. Chanyeol was the first out the door, and the first into his room, locking the door behind him.

 

----

 

Dinner could wait for Kyungsoo. He was in no rush to eat, and he had to go over the events of the day. He stepped into his small room, and locked the door behind him. Letting out an exhausted sigh, Kyungsoo dropped onto his bed, and stared up at the white ceiling.

 

One day.

 

It had only been one day, and Kyungsoo wasn’t sure he could go on.

 

“You’ve met the contestants, now it’s time for the rules of the game!” Jin announced with a wide smile. He gestured to the screen behind him. Some of the 12 contestants paid attention, others simply scanned the studio audience, or eyed their competition. The words “Liar Liar” flashed on the screen in bright red. All of them, except Yixing had read the rules before and understood every detail. Kyungsoo was one of them, but he still watched the screen, just to make sure he hadn’t missed anything.

 

A #1 flashed on the screen, followed by text. Jin read it out loud: “Rule number one! When asked a question, a contestant must answer the question directly, and clearly.” Jin announced. The studio audience gave an “oooh” and “aaah”.

 

“Rule number two! Contestants cannot ask each other if they are lying.”

 

“Rule number three! Contestants may only lie once during their time on the show.” Jin said. Kyungsoo nodded. That was it, the core of the game show. What made it entertaining, and attracted worldwide attention. “And there has been a slight change to this rule.” Jin added. Suddenly he had the attention of every contestant, except of course Yixing who was busy wondering why there were so many people sitting in rows watching them.

 

“You may also repeatedly lie, about the same thing.”

 

The contestants each had a confused look on their faces, and so Jin elaborated: “If my lie is that my favourite food is tomatoes, then I can repeat that specific lie as many times as I want, not just once.” He explained. Kyungsoo leaned back in his chair, eyebrows furrowed. Interesting. A small subtle alteration, yet for some of them, it could potentially be game changing.

 

“Breaking any of of these rules will result in immediate elimination!” Jin announced. He grinned, gesturing to the 12 contestants. “One of you will walk away with the prize. Good luck, and let the game begin!” Jin exclaimed, and the studio audience dutifully applauded, each with an expression of intense excitement. The 12 contestants were meanwhile in intense concentration, already thinking of how this new change would affect the game.

 

----

 

Sehun sat at the desk in his room, resting his head in his hands.

 

Luhan…

 

Because of that guy, that idiot who looked like a deer, Sehun was humiliated. He thought he had the perfect plan, the path to victory clear in his mind. But suddenly, a wrench was thrown into his plans by this, man.

 

One day.

 

It had only been one day, and Sehun was already worried he might lose. The sudden announcement of the mini game a few hours before seemed like a gift from heaven, a way for him to crush his competition.

 

The contestants had just made their way into the large apartment, each finding their separate rooms. Within the span of 5 minutes, almost every bedroom in the complex was locked. Contestants only left to eat in the communal kitchen, each making food and running back. None of them wanted to run into another, for fear of being asked a question they couldn’t answer.

 

Quickly, ratings for the show dropped. Viewers stopped watching, disinterested. The whole draw of the show was the possible conversations, the questions and the secrets that would be forced out. Yet when each contestant ignored the other, there was no drama. Each contestant wanted to win of course, but they were too scared of losing.

 

So, a mandatory game was introduced: “The Question Game.”

 

Contestants were forced into a communal recreation room, where they sat in a circle. One would start, asking another contestant a question. The question would be answered, and then the contestant who answered would ask someone else a question. And so it went. Some contestants saw this as their chance to ask an incriminating question, that would force out a  lie. Others didn’t want to put themselves on the map, and so they asked unassuming questions. Sehun was sure he could get Luhan to lie, or refuse to answer. But he underestimated the other man. Sehun gripped his bedsheets in anger, the image of Luhan’s seemingly innocent face flashing in his mind. He may have lost a battle, but he would not lose the war.

 

----

 

Chanyeol sighed, taking the chip out of his ear. He placed it on the dresser beside him, and immediately dropped to his bed. He reached behind his neck, pressing his finger on the barely detectable bump at the base of his neck.

 

They did a good job…

 

Chanyeol rubbed his eyes. He turned over on his side, resting on the bed, his feet hanging off the edge of the mattress.

 

One day.

 

Dinner that night was what each man found in the kitchen from the short trips they took there. Sleep came late to each man, two especially. Two men laid in their bed, staring up at the ceiling, their eyes unfocused, thinking of what tomorrow would bring.

 

That day, two lies were told.