[The second mission, the “Lie Detector,” is exactly what it sounds like: a game to sniff out lies.]
[Beneath the lectern, we've prepared a box you'll need for this mission.]
[Before the game begins, experts and lifelong singles, each of you please prepare your questions.]
[You may prioritize dating-related questions, but ordinary ones are allowed too.]
[There's no limit on how explicit dating-related questions can get, but harassing another contestant in the process is forbidden.]
[Once you've decided the order in which you'll ask, take turns questioning one another. Whoever receives a question places a hand on the lie detector, then answers.]
But if,
[Should the answer be revealed as a lie, you draw one of the prepared penalty cards.]
[Each penalty card carries a “random question” and a mission set by the program. Draw a card and carry out the mission. If you refuse the mission, a penalty is applied.]
[If the answer is the truth, play moves on to the next turn.]
[The time limit is one hour. Whoever has the fewest penalty cards is the final winner of this mission.]
[If the final winner of this mission is a lifelong single, their level goes up by +3.]
A whole three levels up.
Wasn't that a huge jump?
The reward was even more drastic than he'd expected, and Raon was left dumbfounded.
Just by becoming the final winner of this mission, he'd stand head and shoulders above the rest on the singles' side, a clear first place.
[If the winner is an expert, ten million won in mission incentive is added to their total.]
[And.]
[Just as in the first mission, each final winner receives a “special reward.”]
“...!”
Raon's body jerked reflexively.
A special reward.
In that case.
Didn't that mean he might be able to switch partners again?
Raon swallowed dry despite himself. Just thinking about it made his mouth water.
[Then please prepare for the mission.]
[The very moment the timer starts running, the mission begins.]
[Now then.]
[Please get moving.]
Ga Gijo and Lee Raon.
Quokka and Jerry.
Once they'd split up like this, the four of them settled into their seats.
“I'll go grab it!”
Earlier, while everyone was lining up the desks, he'd just stood there gawking, but apparently he had one last shred of conscience left, because Quokka got up and volunteered to fetch the mission supplies himself.
He headed over to the lectern, bent down, and soon came back carrying a single white box.
Just as the narration had described, inside were a Pomodoro timer, four lie detectors of the kind you saw all over the internet, and a container holding the penalty cards.
Quokka stacked them all up and set them in the middle of the desk, then examined the detector each person had been issued.
“But will this thing really catch a lie? I saw on YouTube that they don't work all that well.”
“Well, it's a game either way. I've been wanting to try this. Seems like it'd be fun.”
Jerry threw in a remark, doing his best to smooth over the barbed comment.
But Quokka, clueless as ever, didn't even realize a chance had been handed to him and spat out more trash.
“Tch, having ten million won riding on this is a little...”
“Shall we start?”
Quokka, mid-sentence, faltered for a moment.
Gijo, who had cut his words off in one clean stroke, gave a bright smile.
“We just haven't started the timer. The women's side has probably already begun.”
When he added that they couldn't very well be the ones to finish late, Quokka, who'd been about to say something more, promptly shut his mouth.
Strong to the weak, weak to the strong.
Quokka, who naturally bowed his head before a predator, deliberately let out a loud ha ha! to get past his momentary embarrassment.
“Th-then let's get right to it!”
“...”
Watching him flip his stance in an instant, Raon soon glanced at his partner.
He'd poured out all sorts of nonsense in front of Raon, yet here he'd been completely subdued by a mere two or three words. It left Raon a little incredulous.
“How should we decide the order?”
Jerry, who'd naturally slid into the host's role, asked. To help him out, Raon carefully offered a suggestion.
“Rock-paper-scissors would be good, I think. Nice and fair.”
“Oh, that works.”
A classic's a classic for a reason. Hearing Raon's suggestion, he readily accepted.
When Jerry thrust out his fist first, the others each stuck out a hand too.
And the one who won at rock-paper-scissors was none other than-.
“Pop, you're up first, huh? Which direction are you going?”
“Clockwise.”
“!”
If clockwise, then...
“That means Pop asks Cherry first.”
Gijo to Raon.
Raon to Jerry.
Grasping the direction of the questions, Raon barely managed to keep his face from twisting.
Of all people, he had to field a question from Ga Gijo. There was no disaster quite like this one.
Raon was already dreading whatever question might come.
“Well, the order's set, so I'm hitting the button, yeah? Everyone have your questions ready.”
Jerry placed a hand on the timer button and glanced around at everyone once.
Then he pressed it firmly down.
[60:00]
[59:59]
Confirming that the time was ticking away, Gijo curled up the corner of his mouth.
“Cherry. Where's your erogenous zone?”
“...I knew he'd pull something like that, the crazy bastard.”
Jerry made a disgusted face at the question. But it was the same for Raon.
Because the very thing he'd feared had actually happened.
As Raon agonized over his answer, he recalled the mission's terms.
If I become the final winner here.
He'd get a special reward.
For an instant, a competitive glint flashed in Raon's eyes. Without hesitation, he placed his hand on the lie detector and spoke.
“My waist.”
“Ohh.”
At the unflinching answer, Jerry let out a sound of admiration. It was right about then that Gijo's face stiffened, if only for the briefest moment.
[Beep-]
[Truth]
“Wow. Cherry, you're bold.”
Quokka said, clapping excessively. Belatedly flustered, Raon cleared his throat.
He had no idea whether this lie detector was actually anything special, but now that he'd told the truth, his face flushed hot for no good reason.
“Now it's Cherry's question.”
At Jerry's words, Raon hurriedly pulled himself together.
“When was the last time you kissed someone?”
“Tch, this guy comes in swinging too.”
Jerry stroked his own chin as if he'd heard something amusing.
Placing his free hand on the detector, he said.
“Two months ago!”
[Beep-]
[Truth]
The chime rang out crisp and clear.
After that, Jerry questioned Quokka too. It was an unremarkable question about physical affection.
And of course, the result this time was the truth as well.
“Aren't these things just going to come up truth every time?”
Pleased that he hadn't been caught from the start, Quokka grinned from ear to ear and looked to the next turn.
“Since it's Pop, I'll crank up the heat a little. Gotta make the game fun, after all.”
“By all means.”
Wondering what he'd ask, Gijo looked at the overconfident Quokka.
“Pop. How big's your dick? Bet a toilet-paper roll wouldn't even fit over it, huh?”
“...Are we allowed to ask questions like this?”
Hearing the question, Jerry cautiously gauged his friend's reaction. Maybe if it were him or Cherry, who at least had some acquaintance with the guy.
But wasn't it a bit much for someone he'd known all of two days to bluntly ask about the size of his dick?
Sure, there's no limit on how explicit it gets, but.
Wasn't there supposed to be a baseline of mutual consideration underlying all this? Jerry let a flicker of discomfort show.
Raon, too, simply hadn't said anything. He was thrown by the blunt wording all the same.
When he stole a glance at Ga Gijo, all he could see was a face that gave nothing away about what he was thinking.
The moment silence settled in.
Gijo placed his hand on the detector.
“Three centimeters. Plenty of room left in the roll.”
“...!”
[Beep-]
[Lie]
Raon looked at him again with a stunned face.
Hearing the result, Gijo snorted and burst out laughing.
“The detector works fine.”
“...”
“You don't actually think my dick is the size of a pinkie finger, do you?”
He didn't.
“I'm huge.”
Saying that, Gijo glanced at his partner. At the look that seemed to ask for agreement, Raon hastily averted his eyes.
“Hey, hey. If you're done answering, just draw a card.”
In case something else came flying out of that calamity of a mouth, Raon personally slid the penalty cards that had been sitting in the center of the table over toward him.
Seeing this, Gijo drew a card as if he had no choice.
“Hmm.”
“What'd you get?”
Jerry asked, his curiosity piqued.
His eyes fixed on the content, Gijo narrowed them into thin slits.
“Have sex with the person next to you.”
“Cut the crap, please.”
At his friend's words, he burst out laughing. Raon, who'd been listening to that pleasant laughter with every nerve on edge, shot him an uneasy look.
Gijo drew in a breath through his teeth.
Turning his head, he looked at Raon, who had gone rigid and hard as a rock.
“Kiss the person next to you on the lips.”
