The screen flashed with the first question.
This surgical method involves an incision commonly used in coronary artery bypass procedures. What is it called?
– Oh, I know this!
– A doctor should have been there to answer it.
– They’re all from different fields, but none of them are in medicine, so I think this is impossible.
– Are you doubting the encyclopedia-like mind of Zeno?
“What kind of question is this?” Billy muttered under his breath, staring at the screen. “We’re not doctors.”
Ari’s brows furrowed. Minjae tilted his head slightly, frustrated that nothing had come to mind.
But then, Zeno buzzed with desperation, capturing everyone’s attention.
– Oh, he really has a bad card. He’s so desperate to answer.
– For real. He’s always so calm.
Zeno stood stiffly as the timer ticked. He opened his mouth and answered firmly.
“Median sternotomy.”
Correct.
A bell chimed. The screen confirmed his win.
Zeno exhaled in relief. He got the first question right, which meant he got to swap..
He didn’t hesitate. His eyes darted across the table until his gaze focused on Minjae.
“His first card with my third card,” he said.
Minjae raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He handed the first card over with a little shrug and received one of Zeno’s in exchange.
Minjae, cocky as ever, laughed when Zeno chose a negative card. But when he looked at the one he’d received in return, his grin twitched.
(-100)
He didn’t say anything, but his smirk faded fast. The one Zeno got was merely a (-10)!
Still, he could just get the next question right and switch it right back.
The second question finally flashed on the screen.
What is the square root of 2025?
It was Minjae this time. “45.”
Correct.
He turned immediately toward Zeno and smirked, proceeding with his plan to switch the cards right back.
– Oh, so that is the trash card?
– Zeno has it again!
– And he also has the first one? Oh, he’s done for.
The first round of swaps was smooth. Everyone ignored Zeno’s original first card—the one with the heart-clutching figure. They all assumed it was worthless. A bad omen. That disappointed face he made had sealed it.
So it sat there, untouched.
By question five, Zeno was already anxious. The others noticed this and smirked to themselves. It was fun watching him struggle this time.
This chemical is known for preserving biological specimens. What is it?
Zeno buzzed first this time, making him sigh in relief. “Formalin.”
Correct.
Still, he didn’t smile. He looked agitated now, shoulders tense. His gaze flicked across the table.
Then, he swatched the (-100) card with Billy’s fourth card.
It was a (-25), and Billy frowned when he saw that he received the (-100).
More questions passed. Each correct answer allowed a swap, and the pattern continued.
Nobody ever touched Zeno’s first card again.
Zeno’s frustration seemed to grow. He winced when he missed a buzz. He clenched his jaw when someone else called the right answer. It was unlike him—usually so calm.
QUESTION 10
In which year was the Treaty of Tordesillas signed?
Zeno’s hand was just a second too slow. He cursed under his breath.
“1494,” Minjae said confidently.
Correct.
Minjae smirked. It was finally the time. He had swapped with the others but not with her—the silent one in this game.
He turned to Ari.
“My first card with your first card,” he said.
Ari’s lips twitched, but she handed it over.
It was the final swap.
– I can’t tell who has the positive card.
– Isn’t it the last card that Minjae took?
– So, did Minjae finally win?
“And that,” Lucy’s voice returned, “concludes the final round.”
The cards were laid across the ledges in front of them. The music grew tense, and the lights dimmed before a spotlight focused at the center.
Still, nobody knew who held the elusive (+) card.
All the negative values were flashing on the screen.
-50, -25, -100, -1, -5
People in the livestream chat were throwing guesses like wild punches.
However, one person’s theory made everyone question their guesses.
– Wait. Zeno got two questions right. He swapped twice. However, even then, he didn’t swap the first card that he appeared to hate.
– He looks way too anxious tonight.
– WAIT, WAIT. HE DIDN’T SWAP IT OUT.
– Why didn’t he?
– Bro. WHY didn’t he?
The camera zoomed in on Zeno’s face.
He was dead silent, and his anxious expression turned to an unreadable one.
The camera zoomed in on the card—the one with the man clutching his heart.
Despite the buzzer round being over, they were still gauging each other’s reactions. Ari was fixated on one person, observing the side of his face.
Then, something happened that caused chills to run down her spine.
Zeno… smiled.
FLASHBACK – EARLIER THAT NIGHT
The moment the deck of cards appeared and Zeno saw the images drawn on the back, he already had a hunch.
He already figured out the pattern.
This season of Lucy’s Game had a theme running through each of the trials—one so subtle that most had missed it.
Blind Chess that impaired the sense of vision.
Dead Sound needed amplification of hearing.
Scent Labyrinth focused on smelling.
Somehow and someway, the games had quietly followed the five senses.
Now there was this—a card no one understood. A man gripping himself in agony.
The sixth sense, one that wasn’t explicitly acknowledged, was pain.
The final game wasn’t about logic or trivia. It was about deceit. The moment he understood the theme—he knew what the producers had planted.
Only one card among twenty was the (+100).
And this was it.
So, he made his move.
He scrunched his face with just enough visible frustration.
He let them believe they had seen through him.
Zeno didn’t need to guess their thoughts.
He could lead them to it.
At the end of the day, Zeno was an actor—and he was the best at acting.
Well, in this case… deceiving.
BACK TO THE PRESENT
The silence was hanging by a thread.
“And now,” Lucy said slowly, “the winner of Lucy’s Game…”
Billy looked at Zeno. There was no way, right… right?
Minjae finally caught onto Zeno’s smile, and then his eyes wandered to his first card, making him freeze.
The chat also exploded, feeling like they had caught on.
– Wait…
– He faked it?
– ZENO IS ACTUALLY INSANE FOR THIS.
– I forgot for a moment that he’s an actor.
– He kept the good card the whole time?
– He’s a fucking mastermind. Unbelievable performance!
“…with a total of 336 points—and taking home 336,000,000 KRW…”
That was another shocking revelation.
The contestants’ breaths’ hitched when they realized just who they were going against.
Minjae with his 135 points. Billy with his 130. Ari with 100. Bacon PD with 125.
It became apparent that from the very start, they had no chance. Regardless of whether Zeno didn’t have the positive card, he had already won.
They were just utterly played.
The screen flashed with the winner’s name.
PLAYER ZENO.