In the past two months not many jobs were coming our way.
I, Gin Sakata, had to rent out my cycle just to keep up with the monthly bills. There was little hope until I met Nora at a bus stop. After the bus arrived and the passengers began walking out, we saw a lady clad in white from head to toe. She was eating a pizza slice rather... I noticed Nora having a similar reaction as she blushed a light rouge.
As we sat in the bus, I noticed that Nora seemed rather nervous carrying a black and bag which was filled to the seams with what looked like wads of money.
"So, yeah, you look like there's something bothering you. Is it the money? 'Cause if it is, I know someone would take your case for just seventy percent of that..." There was a blank stare from Nora. "Did I say seventy? I meant five percent."
Nao Kanzaki gave me the recap of her situation, "This is all because of something called Liar Game. It's a contest to see who would be able to make the most of the money they give out to the contestants. We're taken into games where we have to fib in order to grab assets from other contestants. The games require one to fib to the other contestants in order to win, but I only want to get the money back from the company that is doing this that my companions have lost. I don't want their ethics of lying to win out to genuine kindness.
"Since I am not so well-versed in this kind of business, I'm meeting with someone who might be able to help me outwit the Liar Game group."
At the next stop a man with white hair appeared and sat next to us. "Mind you this is not going to be some sort of ice cream social for you and your boyfriend here."
"Ah, we're not like that," Gin said
"Well pleased to meet you. My name's Ken Yamoto. Anyways, we were allowed to bring two items of our choosing. He can be the second item instead of the camera/pda I brought."
He says that as if I'm worth less than that.
Several stops away we arrived at what looked like an abandoned warehouse. A tractor-trailer was parked conspicuously to its side. We made our way into the warehouse. There were people already gathered and a spotlight was cast to the podium. Soon people wearing white tuxedos and heavily white framed emo sun glasses gathered around the podium.
"As you may have guessed the objective of this round has to do with fibbing. There are twenty of you who are in the game as well as a few extras that some brought as per the two item rule. Find the number that the contestant has by asking ten questions round-robin style. There were two concentric rows of chairs near the middle of the ground," the emo-sunglasses man spoke.
"That seems too hard," Nora interrupted, "how are we supposed to know what kind of questions to ask, and there's no guarantee that the other person would cooperate."
"Don't worry. There will be a proctor for each of the contestant that will require the person being questioned to tell the truth half of the time. We have our ways to verify: primarily these bands that check perspiration and heart rate."
"Or we can just beat them up until they answer," I motioned. Two of the emo-proctors came from behind me and took my arms to drag me out of the warehouse."
"We do not tolerate physical violence in this setting. Psychological violence, though, is fair game."
Subsequently I found myself standing at the bus stop where we were dropped off.
"Looks like your boy friend was useless anyways." Ken Yamato noted.
"Like I said, he isn't my boyfriend." I, Nao Kanzaki, rebutted.
"I've already figured out how to find out their numbers of the other contestants. Its the part to keep you safe from being found out that's hard. You're too honest and would probably slip information that they could use to find our number."
I took a seat in one of the chairs; Ken stood behind me.
I don't know why Ken would help me. He must have more important things to work out. Maybe I remind him of someone he knew and cared about.
We could hear distressed outbursts happening already: "Now I can't pay for the mortgage on our house!" Just then five or so of the players stormed the podium.
"Believe in Friend and you will be saved!"
And then things took an entirely different direction with the following revelation, "I guess it's time for Akumetsuing! I have bring down the conniving companies from taking advantage of common people and putting them in debt."
The emo-glasses people tried to ward off the Pal believers, but the numbers quickly turned against their favor. I could hear the tractor trailer revving its engine now...