Groans were heard in every inch of the room. The bright light blinding their eyes once they opened their eyes.

White. It was white everywhere. The ceiling is white. The wall is white. One would think that they were in a hospital after waking up from an unconscious state. But no. They weren’t in the hospital. Much more with 12 grown up men piled up in the same room. Hospital rooms aren’t that wide and there’s no bed.

One by one, they sat up from their laying position on the floor and looked around the room, taking in the new surrounding. The room is plain white, it’s almost looked creepy. They noticed a blank TV screen on the wall, similar to the one they had on their first episode of EXO SHOWTIME but that was all the room had.

Baekhyun widened his eyes once he finished scrutinizing the room. He stood up almost immediately and ran to each wall of the room, confirming his fear when he found no door, no window, nothing. There’s no way out of the room. The others watched him with frantic eyes until Xiumin broke the silence by asking, “Baekhyun, what’s wrong?”

Baekhyun looked up to the source of voice, a glint of fear can be seen in his eyes, “Are you guys freaking idiots?! Don’t you guys notice something odd with this room?”

“Uh, it’s white?” Tao couldn’t help but contributed his lame answer.

Baekhyun glared at him, “There’s no ing door, window or any way out of here! Heck, I bet there’s not even a rat hole in here! How do we get out of here?!”

“First thing first, how in the world we’re even here?” Kai questioned making everyone wondered why the heck they didn’t think about that before.

Lay just wanted to sleep so he lay back on the floor and closed his eyes not caring to everything that happened to them at the moment. Some of the members wander off around the room, as much as the room allowed them. Chen was surprised no one fought yet.

*DING*

Goes the sound of the TV screen when it came to life with bright blank blue screen, everyone jolt to halt and stared wide-eyed at the screen. The pang of familiarity with the sound hit their heart harder than they would’ve thought. It felt like they were on the first episode of EXO SHOWTIME over again except without camera crew and food for them to lash on. They were having so much fun at the time, teasing and joking around without care in the world. Now, the situations were completely the opposite. They were alone. Trapped in a room at who knows where with no way out.

EXO waited for any instruction to be shown on the TV. They knew it will. They figured it was the only purpose for it to be in the empty room.

They’ve thought on many ways possible for them to end up there.

Were they kidnapped? They don’t know.

Was this some kind of sick joke by the sasaeng? They don’t know.

Was this some kind of weird dream they all had? They don’t know.

So, they just gave up trying to think on why they were there. They tried searching for their phones, hoping to call for some help but were left disappointed when they found none. Of course they won’t, that would be too easy for them. And nothing was easy once they’re trapped in this house.

WELCOME, EXO.

Luhan scoffed, “What? Welcoming us like all this is nothing? How cool!”, he spoke out loud whilst eyeing the screen warily, others doing the same thing from wherever they were including Lay who woke up from his slumber at the sound of the TV coming to life.

Messages began to play on the screen like the credits rolling in at the end of a movie. All 12 members of EXO focused on the screen and read each messages carefully.

Wonder Why

All Of You Are Here?

Have A Clue Of Where

You Could Be At Now?

No? That’s What I Thought.

This Is EXO Maze House.

You Are All Trapped In Here Until

What To Be Achieved Is Achieved.

The Question is,

WHAT

Was Supposed To Be Achieved?

Seek The Answer

And

You, Shall Be Free.

Fail To Do So,

Then,

The Consequence

Will Be Dire.

The screen went blank afterwards and the boys stared at the screen as if they’ve just read the most ridiculous thing in the world. Suho’s face scrunched up in confusion. He didn’t understand even the slightest bit of what was happening to them. Baekhyun looked like exploding right there and then upon reading the messages. Xiumin observed the members like he always do and was surprised to see Chen acting all calm even with the situation they were in.

Chen stared at the screen, feeling bored and unbothered. He was calm like he didn’t give a single care in the world. The messages that could also be view as threats do not bother him at all. Xiumin tilted his head, watching and trying to read Chen. After all, he’s the closest to the younger since they’re the only Korean members in the M unit but failed to decipher the act Chen was putting up at the moment.

The members went panicked upon realizing the seriousness of the situation. It was unbelievable of how things changed so suddenly in the span of one night. Tao, began crying into Kris’s shoulder afraid of what will happen to them. Kyungsoo, stared on the ground, unable to comprehend the situation.

Needless to say, it was chaos between the ten members except for Chen who was unbelievably calmed about it and Xiumin who found it’s more interesting watching the younger than having a meltdown like the others since it wasn’t like him to be uncollected.

The screen came to live again after a minute, this time to give out what were the boys supposed to do whilst they were trapped in there.

A Task Will Be Given In Each Room.

Complete The Task To Move On

To The Next Room.

Unable To Complete The Task

In The Time Given,

Punishment Will Be Out

With Each Minute Late.

The Faster You Finished,

The Faster You Will Be Out Of Here.

Of Course,

Under The Condition

You Achieved

What Was Supposed

To Be Achieved.

Goodluck, my boys.

“What the hell was that supposed to mean?” Sehun asked, gaping at the screen.

“Wait, let me get this straight. We are supposed complete task, kind like missions in every room and achieved something in the meantime?” Kris questioned out his doubt for confirmation.

“EVERY room? WHAT was that supposed to mean? That there are lot of room in here? I really don’t understand this madness!” Chanyeol piped up in curiosity.

“This IS EXO Maze House. House! In a house there’s a lot of room! Basically, in each room, we are required to finish a task and if we succeed within the time given then we move on to the next room. If we don’t, we get punishment in the room for every minute we’re late. Also, if we want to get out of this house, we need to achieve what they seek which is the b-”, Chen explained to the rest of them to clear up the confusion but he managed to catch himself from saying anything more than that.

The other members nodded in understanding upon hearing the explanation whilst Xiumin stared at Chen wondering if he’s imagining things when Chen suddenly cut his words in the explanation. When Chen seemed indifferent, Xiumin shrugged it off thinking he may be in wrong this time.

*RING*

Goes the sound of the screen again, this time to finally gave out a task for them to complete.

Task #1

[EXO Showtime Episode 2]

What were the 2 new things

Tao learnt when they were

eating in the Makchang House?

What was the Korean proverb

Luhan said when they were

eating after cycling?

Time Given: 24 Minutes

Under the TV screen, a rectangular hole appeared from the wall and came sliding out a keyboard for them to key in their answers. There were 3 rectangular boxes on the TV screen, presumably the spaces for the answers, meaning they has to provide 3 answers to be able to escape from this room. Beside the TV, a digital clock appeared out of nowhere on the wall signaling the time they have to answer the questions.

The EXO boys gaped at the modern technology in the room but then became panicked when they saw the time’s ticking away. Immediately, a chaos erupted between them.

“What with the questions?! Showtime ended long time ago! How do we remember it!” Tao panicked, he himself forgot what were the new words he learnt back then.

“Calm down! We need to think about this! Which episodes is this one?” Suho asked amidst the chaos.

Chen leaned onto the wall, both hand resting behind his head and spoke up, “It was when we all split up into small groups. Xiumin hyung, Luhan hyung, Lay hyung and I were in the same group at that time and we cycled around before eating. If my memory serves me right, D.O was alone watching movie and the rest, well tried remembered it yourself.”

Kai snapped his finger as he remembered which episodes it was, “I was with Suho hyung in that episode. We walked Monggu, Jjanggu and Jjangah that night”, to which Suho nodded in realization.

Chanyeol light up when he remembered it too, “Yah, Makchang House! Sehun, Kris hyung, Baekhyun and Tao! You guys were with me! Remember?”

“Yeah but what exactly does Tao learnt in the Makchang House?” Sehun asked.

Baekhyun was quiet as he tried to recall the words Tao had learnt that night. What was it? I knew I was the one who explained it to Tao but what?!

“What did we eat at there?” Kris randomly thought.

00:17:45

“Makchang and Samgyupsal. Why?” Chanyeol answered.

“Oh? I thought we ate Gobchang.” Kris shrugged.

Baekhyun’s head snapped up at what Kris said. Gobchang. Gobchang. Why does that sound familiar? Gobchang, makchang... THAT’S IT! He looked at Tao who seemed to figure it out too.

“The difference between Gobchang and Makchang!” Both Baekhyun and Tao exclaimed in unison, startling the other 10 members.

Quickly, Lay who has been the nearest towards the keyboard, typed in the answers in the first box. Everyone watched in anticipation. The first box light up in green colour, indicating them that the answer was right. They sighed in relief.

00:10:34

“YAH, QUICK! 10 minutes left!” Luhan yelled in panic when he saw the clock.

“Jib to the geh.” Chanyeol said when Kris passed him the tongs.

“ssibgeh?” Tao asked.

“Jibgeh.” Baekhyun corrected him.

“Jibgeh?” Tao repeated.

“JIBGEH! (tongs)” Tao screamed when he remembered the other new word he learnt.

Lay rubbed his chest after being shocked for the second time and keyed the answer in the second box. The box light up in green too and the members could feel their lips quirking up into a small smile.

00:04:56

“Only the proverb is left now! Luhan, you were the one who said it back then!” Lay said to Luhan in rush.

Luhan bit his lip, not able to come up with anything at the moment. He looked at Xiumin to ask for help. Xiumin who was staring at the screen felt a stared at the back of his head so he turned his attention away from the screen and saw Luhan conflicting with his mind. Chen watched them in amusement which made Xiumin raised an eyebrow at the sight of amused Chen. He decided that Chen was being his prankster self and ignored him in favoured of helping Luhan. After all, he was the one that help Luhan that day.

“What was the proverb about? If we remembered the meaning then we can guess our way with the proverb.” Xiumin suggested.

“I remembered it has to do with what we were talking about at that time?” Lay supplied.

“Really, I think our member’s Korean is really good.” Chen said.

“Of course! Most of our members are Koreans.” Lay replied.

Chen looked up from his food, “No, I mean the Chinese members.”

Luhan stared at the night sky, thinking of a proverb he learnt in Korean. He went to Xiumin and whispered his thought to confirm the proverb he was thinking.

“Ah, Why? Say it, to them.” Xiumin said, encouraging the younger.

00:00:05

Chen eyes widened when he glanced at the clock. Aish, why are they taking so long! I don’t want to be punished!

The others upon seeing the clock too, widened their eyes in alarmed, not liking the prospect of being punished right then. Their eyes darted between the clock and Luhan, who apparently didn’t realized the time’s ticking away.

00:00:00

*BEEP*

Time’s Up!

You Will Be Receiving

Punishment As Of Now!

For Every Minute Passed,

20 Bugs Will Be Released

Into The Room.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Came the simultaneous scream from the majority of them since lot of them were afraid of bugs.

Luhan jumped in shocked, not understanding the situation yet. He glanced at the screen and all the colours in his face drained when realization dawned upon him, of what has he done when he was taking the time to answer the question.

On the left side of the TV, bugs began to pile into the room from the corner. The black colour of the bugs contrast so much from the bright white colour of the room. Each of them can be seen clearly, crawling on the wall surface, closer to EXO.

Tao let out an unmanly shrieked at the sight and clung to EXO-M leader for life while the leader himself was shaking. Suho stepped back, eyes wide watching the movement of the bugs.

Sehun gulped, he was fine with bugs but if the bugs have wings and started flying around, he knew he will lose it. And right at the moment, a few of the bugs decided it was time for them to spread out their wings and flew around the room. This resulted in Sehun screaming on top of his lung and crouched down, hands on head trying to cover his head.

Both Luhan and Xiumin were left frozen at where they were standing watching the scene unfold before their eyes.