Chapter 24 - Eight Truths And Four Lies

Teren looked at the class. His body tensed up.

Iesa saw these signs and popped out of her daze.

'Does he have stage fright?'

Teren didn't know what to say.

But thanks to Teacher Hanon, when he said-

"Anything about yourself. Mix in the lies and truth. How about you two alternate to be fair?"

"Then I'll start..." Teren said while racking his brain to find something that isn't related to crime, not too personal but not too lame either.

'Maybe I'll start with a lie.'

"I... I can do two hundred push-ups." he lied.

'That's obviously a lie.' many thought. They already found one lie to Teren but Iesa was skeptical.

Everyone then looked at Iesa as it was her turn.

"I can speak seven languages."

The class found it unbelievable, especially Sir Hanon who had yet to know Iesa.

'So they are starting with the lies huh... But aren't they too obvious?'

Teren: "I've been to the north and south pole."

'It's possible but... that still should be a lie, right?'

Iesa: "I'm already accepted by Harvard. I'm going there once I finished high school."

'She already wasted her two lies. What kind of game is this?'

Teren: "I've been hunted by three spirits at once."

'Woah, hold on there. That's too far. Now the north and south pole seemed real.'

Iesa: "I've defeated a grandmaster in chess."

Teren: "I've won first place on mountain bike racing international."

Iesa: "I once camped outside, encountered an alligator, and escaped."

Teren: "Oh... now that I remember it, I once killed a bear."

Iesa: "The president owes me."

Teren: "I've dated a pop idol for two months."

Iesa: "I... what?"

She looked at Teren with a doubtful look before continuing.

"I've been invited by all the famous modeling companies."

"...."

The class was quiet.

'Are they serious?'

Teacher Hanon froze for a second before telling them-

"Okay... now that you know each other's sentence, can you figure out the two lies?"

"Do I go first?" Teren raised his hand which Teacher Hanon nodded.

"Then... hmm..."

The two looked at each other and tried to figure out what the two lies are.

Teren was first and he answered.

"The first lie is your first statement. You do not know seven languages."

Iesa frowned upon hearing this. Now, it was her turn.

"It's the same for you. Your first statement is a lie. The numbers you can do push-ups is not 200."

After saying this, the two looked at Teacher Hanon.

"Um, so Teren. Is Iesa correct?"

"Yes" Teren answered.

"How about you, Iesa, is Teren correct?"

"Yes" Iesa answered the same.

"T-then... for the second lie. Teren?"

At this point, Teren already knew the answer.

"It's your second statement. You are not going to Harvard."

Everyone then looked at Iesa. They witnessed her hesitate and even become bashful.

"Your... your last statement is a lie. You did not date a pop idol!"

She strongly said while being nervous at the same time.

"So, Teren... is she right?" Teacher Hanon added.

"Yes, she's correct."

Hearing this, Iesa sighed.

'She sighed in relief?'

'It's obviously a lie though, what is she worried about?'

Iesa: 'I'm not worried nor relieved!'

She wanted to glare at her classmates but restrained herself.

"Okay, now that we finished in everyone's game, I'm going to announce what these all means and why I- yes?" Teacher Hanon's sentence was interrupted when he saw a girl with chestnut hair, obviously dyed, raised her hand.

"Sir Hanon, I don't think this is right."

Teacher Hanon nodded and asked, "What's your name?"

"Catherine, sir."

"Catherine, what do you think is not right?"

"I'm saying about their game. They told all obvious lies." she pointed.

'Woah, she confronted what happened. I don't want to mess with her.' the class thought when Catherine suddenly protested about what happened.

"I know that there are now rewards and punishments but they didn't take it seriously. Everyone but them was honest. I think it's unfair since this game is supposed to get to know each other, right?"

Teren raised a hand and said.

"But my first statement is really a lie."

"Yeah, we know! All your statements are lies."

Iesa frowned and rebuked, "How can you say that what we said is not true?"

Catherine didn't back down, "Don't give us that. How can all of what you said be true? Defeating a grandmaster in chess? I know a bit about chess and I know for sure that grandmasters are not some people you defeat in chess!"

"Hold on, hold on!" Teacher Hanon then came in front to prevent the situation from escalating.

"Let's not start a fight."

"But I'm not starting a fig-"

Teacher Hanon cut Catherine's words, "You just want them to prove that what they said is true, right?"

Catherine strongly nodded, "Yes, sir."

Teacher Hanon then looked at Teren and Iesa and asked.

"Can you both prove it?"

But inwardly, he was delighted.

'The Devil Himself defeating the whole Handwing Gang, that is more ridiculous compared to what Teren said. If what he said are true, he qualified for being the famed Devil Himself.'

Hearing this Iesa became defensive.

'Is what he is thinking all this time true or just inside his head?'

Teren nodded, "Yes but is it necessary?"

"Of course, it is necessary. If you're going to tell something, make sure it is the truth!"

Catherine argued.

Teren then looked at Teacher Hanon and asked.

"Sir, can I take my phone out?"

"You can prove it now?"

"Yes, here." Teren then searched the picture album in his phone and showed it to Catherine so casually.

"This is when I went to the north pole... and this is to the south pole... Then this..."

He showed all the pictures, even when he defeated a bear.

'Wait, I thought he hates bragging?' Iesa thought before realizing something, 'What if... he thinks that these things he's showing are not that incredible? However...' she could hear the thoughts of others.

'This is obviously fake.'

'What a liar...'

'I can't believe Iesa Hun is talking to this loser.'