“What kind of game?” Jin frowned at Kyle’s suggestion. Jin was never really fond of playing games that other people made up.

“Don’t worry, it is nothing too bad. Just a game like truth or dare but with cards exactly like poker. It’s called, ‘Simon’s poker’. We play in pairs with one person holding the cards and the other drawing the cards. The holder can choose which cards to discard as well. Whoever have the best hand is the winner just like in poker and the winning team is allowed to order the other two team to do either a truth or a dare. To make things fair, the decision is also split between the winning team. One person can call dibs on another team to be dared or asked the truths. It can be both truths, both dares or one dare and one truth. We also have to do it if it is a dare but if the dare is refused, then the team has to do two dares next time they lose. But here is the kicker. The orders can also be for individuals. But the best part is that if one of the partner has enough courage, he can take the blow for his or her partner.” Kyle had an evil smile on his face. Akira, seeing this smile could not help but to sigh. He remembers the horrible memories when he played it last. He had no choice but to join.

The others didn’t really object and since it was a group date, they might as well do something fun. Meracle didn’t like the sound of the game and so she was thankful that she was out of the game and had no partner.

Jin had a straight face on so and he guessed that they can’t read his face. But the girl next to him turned stiff. “Hm? What’s wrong Mirana?”

Mirana played poker before. She was also pretty good at it. But she was wondering about her partner. “Are you good at poker Jin?”

“I’m just okay at poker” Jin said flatly. This made Mirana even more nervous. She was scared of what the dare may be. Jin was the card holder and Mirana was the ones who drew his cards. As for Akira, he was already bad with poker so he let Gisela hold the cards. Kyle himself chose to play as the holder and Rosa picks up the cards.

In the first round, my hands held two kings (heart and spade), two queens (Heart and spade as well) and one ace of spade. Mirana whispers to me to discard the ace of spade and so I did although I did furrowed my brows slightly. Mirana picks up a card and it was the eight of diamonds. “Alright it’s time to show your hands!” Kyle declared when everyone was ready with their hands. Team 1 (Akira and Gisela) had a pair, Team 2 (Jin and Mirana) had two pairs, and Team 3 (Kyle and Rosa) had a full house and thus team 3 won.

“Alright! Then I call on Jin’s t-”, Rosa was about to say something but Kyle cuts in. “Alright! I call dibs on Jin’s team!” Kyle shouted. “Hey wait! I was about to call on his team!” Rosa protested. The two argued until she finally gave in. Rosa asks for the truth in Akira’s team about his age. It turns out that he was only twenty five. Next came our turn.

“Alright Jin. I dare you to take off your mask!” He said in a supreme tone. “Alright” I accepted.

Slowly did Jin reaches for his mask. Everyone was really eager to see Jin’s face face except Meracle. She was more interested in seeing other people’s reactions.

*Snap*

“Eh?” everyone said in unison.

I took off the bottom of my mask and reveals my face from the tip of my nose down to my chin. The skin looked like a mannequin’s face, smooth and pure white. The women were jealous of Jin’s white smooth skin. The males just turned slack-jawed when they saw me taking off the bottom part of my mask. “H-h-hey wait! That’s cheating!” Now Kyle protested. “I’m not cheating. You said for me to take off my mask. I have a detachable mask.” I said flatly. Kyle, having no way of invalidating my claims sat right back down. Seeing this, everyone else laughed. I re-attached my mask back on. He grinds his teeth because he could not expose my face.

In the next round, the results were slightly different. This time, Gisela and Akira won and Gisela was the first one to call dibs on me and Akira had to go with Kyle. He made Kyle drink reveal a truth and it only turns out that he is only a second string player in his team. “Alright Jin! Time to meet your maker! Take both those masks off!” She highly declares.

“Alright. If that is what you wished” I calmly replied. *Snap* I quickly took off the bottom part. Slowly, I reach for the top part of my mask. This made everyone hold their breaths including Meracle. I made it a little more exciting when I jerked my hands quickly onto my mask.

“Oh my god! Is he going to do it!?” Rosa was the most excited one out of all of them.

“I can’t wait to see what is under that mask!” Kyle said and still had that sinister grin.

*Snap*

“Eh?” everyone couldn’t believe it. They just heard another snap.

“Wait. Don’t tell me I head what I think I just heard” Gisela’s heart fell.

Just like Gisela thought, I took off a layer of my mask off which reveals another mask below that is just like a masquerade’s mask but much thicker.

“There. Done.” Another flat voice resounded across the table. Meracle couldn’t help but to laugh out loud which attracted a lot of attention. Thankfully, the restaurant allows these types of rowdiness. Unlike most restaurants, this one is more like a bar and a restaurant combine since the upper floor allows dancing and loudness on the bottom floor. It was more like a carnival since everyone was happy.

“B-but that’s not fair…” Gisela sank back down in her seat depressingly.

“I’m sorry guys. I really do have my reasons to not show my face. I would really like if everyone respects that. Or…” My voice ends there. I reattach the rest of my masks on.

“Or what? Is there something bad that might happen to us if we do not respect your mask?” Gisela was grumpy because of my underhanded mask.

“Or else I might get angry.” I gave a bright smile to hide the malice of my words.

“*BAH* Who cares if you get angry. Fine. We won’t dare you anymore anyway. You and your facial problems” Kyle said. His arms folded and his face shows discontent.

“I am really sorry guys. But I will promise you this, if you choose to ask me to tell you guys a truth, then I’ll tell you it. Just don’t as for a dare that is related to my face please” I tried to ask nicely.

Everyone nodded in agreement except for Kyle. He was still holding a grudge against me because I did not do as he intentionally wanted me to do. But it was not like I cared anyway.

In the next round, Kyle and Rosa won. Kyle, no longer interested my face, picked on Akira. He ask Akira for a truth.

“Before I worked as an accountant, I was a …. Neet earning money though game tournaments nationwide…. And international wide…” He mutters in shame.

When Kyle heard this, he roared out laughing. “Ahahaha you were a neet!? Ahahahah!”

Rosa’s turn now.

She turns towards me and asks, “Tell me the truth Jin. Do I know you?”

I smirked and took off the bottom part of my mask and said, “ Mmhmm…~Hu~ Just kidding. Ah ha… I won’t tell my name if you won’t tell me your name either”

Hearing this, Rosa smiled and was satisfied with my answer. The rest were confused. “Hey wait a minute! That was not a truth!” This time Akira protested.

“It was Akira. However, you just didn’t get the message” Rosa responded to his protest.

“How so? This guy likes being mysterious so much that he would even tell hidden messages. What’s next? Lies?” Kyle was reaching his boiling point.

In the next round, Kyle and Rosa won again. This time, Rosa let Akira and Gisela off by asking them to tell the truth. Gisela said that she worked in this restaurant and Akira answered that he was once a doctor.

“Alright Mirana and Jin. I dare you, Mirana, to kiss me on the lips” Kyle said. This was a dare that can be said to be taken a little too far.

“I’ll take her place for that Kyle” I said before Mirana could say anything.

This made Kyle jumped up. “Oh hell no! I’ll let that go! But you have to tell me a truth or remove your mask!”

“.... Fine. Then I’ll let each and every one of you to ask me a truth right here and now. I’ll answer it honestly without any hidden messages and without any ambiguousness” I said. It was not like I had any choice. I did use up their dares and truths unfairly so I allowed a little leeway.

“I accept it. I’ll go first. Tell me, who do you like the most here?” Kyle was the very first to pick on me.

“I never had a preference in my entire life so the word like is invalid. But if I do say the girl that had the most impact on me right now….” I shifted my eyes towards Meracle and smiled. I forgot that I still didn’t have the bottom part of my mask on. But it wasn’t like it mattered. Meracle just glanced away when I said it.

“Y-your joking right? Not one of these beautiful ladies but her?” Kyle said in disbelief.

“What’s wrong with that? She was the one who brought me here.” I raised an eyebrow.

“Nothing. Just unexpected” He admitted.

“Alright me next Jin” It was Gisela. “Where are you from?”

“I’m from this country. But to be more specific, I was born in the city but moved later to the suburbs during the depression” I answered her.

“You mean that you are from here? This area? The state of Lyca? The city? Then why haven’t I seen you?” Gisela asks so many questions.

“Mmmhmm. I just came back from a long trip but I later on found out that my family already moved without leaving a notice. So I was homeless and jobless for a while” I admitted.

“Then where are you staying?” Rosa asks me.

“I’m currently at a friend’s house for a while until I can settle myself.” I answer her.

“Who is this friend?” Akira glared right at me.

“Isn’t it obvious? Right, Meracle?” Rosa eyes beamed right at Meracle.

Meracle was just drinking another bottle of beer and feigned ignorance to the conversation.

“Then how did you meet and how was it that she let you stay?” This time it was Mirana.

“… that’s two questions too many right there you know…” I murmured. When I thought back to the first time I met Meracle in a long time, I got shivers up my spine.

“Can’t you just answer both for me?” Mirana looked at me with pleading eyes.

Just when I was about to say no, Meracle then flared up. “Hey! One question only Mirana!”

“Alright Meracle. How did you guys meet that allowed you to stay at her house?” Mirana just reformed the two into one question. ‘Why is this girl so smart?” I whimpered.

“The funny thing is… I first met her in front of her lawn…. She then shot me right in my left and right eyes as a warning and interrogated me. After telling her my situation, she decided to let me stay out of the goodness of her heart and I signed a contract written by her to be her house butler until I could help myself…” I shamefully admitted.

Everyone else who heard this was either dying of laughter or crying in tears. Kyle and Akira both laughed while the others cried out in laughters. Only two people really cried and that was Meracle and me.