[Neo Zone] Population: 23 Kids

Truth or Dare

"Mark, stop glaring at him."

"He made you cry, though."

"Yeah, like two days ago."

"What if he does it again?" Mark narrowed his eyes further at Doyoung, and Jeno just sighed.

"I don't cry easy."

"I've known him for three years, he's not going to." YangYang confirmed, Haechan nodding to back him up.

"I'm still not putting his birthday on the board."

Jungwoo gasped and stood up to cover Doyoung's ears as if he knew what they were talking about. The poor kid was still completely lost and uncomfortable looking, trying to hide the fact that he was irritable from Jeno making sure he didn't touch another cigarette. Making that the reason he was with them in the basement.

"Lay off on the kid, Mark." Jaehyun scolded, and the Canadian immediately stopped glaring at him.

"I found our Mom!" Johnny announced, coming down the stairs with Kun behind him who looked like he was debating on pushing Johnny down.

"I'm not your Mom."

"But you made us cookies."

"Cookies?!" Haechan ran up to him to see what kind were on the plate in his hands, but then he scrunched his nose. "Ew. Oatmeal raisin."

"They're leftover from Granny." He set them down on one of the wooden crates, Sicheng, Yuta and Jungwoo being the only ones to immediately take one.

"Now that we're all doing nothing for the night, want to play a game?" Johnny suggested, taking a seat next to Doyoung.

"I have an essay to write-"

"No you don't, you're in fifth grade." Sicheng frowned when he was cut off, having known he should have just gone home after school so he'd actually be able to get it done.

"Truth or Dare!" Jungwoo called out, and since Jungwoo never had a verbal opinion, they all went for it.

"Who's going first?"

"You are. Truth or Dare?" Jaehyun asked Yuta, who instantly chose dare despite being under rapid fire for going first. "Alright... I dare you to... stay in a plank until it's your turn again."

Yuta already knew he wasn't going to be able to make it that long, but he got into position anyways on the floor next to his bed. Already planning to have another cookie afterwards to emotionally compensate.

"Let's go counter clockwise. YangYang, truth or dare?" Yuta struggled to ask, already feeling the burn.

"Dare."

"I dare you to go get a spoonful or mustard, come back down here, and eat it." The seven year old then ran up as fast as he could and they waited for him to come back down. Jokes on them since he liked mustard and gladly at the spoonful of it.

"Mark! Truth or Dare?"

"Truth."

"Boring. Why are you in charge of the birthday board?"

"Because I think it's cute. Kun. Truth or-"

"Dare."

"I dare you to eat one of those cookies."

"Guys, can we please hurry?" Yuta sputtered, his face red.

While the others thought he'd be a bit more hesitant in eating an oatmeal raisin cookie, Kun did without complaining. They weren't his favorite, but then again, were they anyone's favorite?

"Doyoung, truth or dare?" It was the first time someone had directly addressed him that day, catching him off guard slightly.

"Truth."

"Are you really quitting?"

"Jeno isn't giving me much of a choice, but yeah." Kun smiled, putting him at ease just slightly. "Um, Jungwoo. Truth or Dare?"

The nine year old jumped up to his feet, fists raised and ready to fight as he bounced on his heels. Definitely asking for a dare.

"Okay... I dare you to act out a movie scene with someone." 

Jungwoo grabbed a blanket from the crate he had been sitting on, putting it over his head and pretending it was hair. He grabbed Jaehyun and pulled him up from Johnny's bed, turning around and doing the classic Titanic pose. Jae caught on and put his hands on his waist, while Haechan and Kun used their folders to create a wind for them.

"When can I stop?" Yuta asked once again, and Jaehyun gave him a look to say he could.

Jungwoo then took the blanket off his head and sat back down, turning to Chenle.

"Truth or Dare?" Kun asked for him, and Chenle tilted his head to think.

"Dare."

"He said dare."

Without saying anything, Jungwoo picked up Chenle and set him down in Johnny's lap, patting the kid's head with a smile.

"Alright then, Johnny. Truth or Dare?" Jaehyun asked for Chenle.

"Truth."

"Did you have friends before us?" 

"Yeah, his name's Ten, but he only comes to Korea in the summer. Jeno, truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Are you actually allergic to cats or did your parents just tell you that so you wouldn't bring a stray home?"

He shrugged. "Probably both. Haechan-"

"Dare."

"Okay..." He smirked. "Go up to the cafe and tell someone at random that the Earth doesn't go around the sun because the sun is already on the Earth."

Haechan groaned and they all followed him up to the cafe just to make sure he'd actually do it. He threw in an extra pretend hair flip and wink, but then bolted back down to the basement as soon as it was over. 

As they were all settling back into their places, Chenle tried to sit where he had been, but Jungwoo picked him up and put him back into Johnny's lap. 

"Sicheng, truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Do you actually know how to play Risk?"

"Absolutely not. Jae, truth or dare. Dare? Awesome. I dare you to do ten squats while holding... Mark." Yuta reached across to give Sicheng a high five, which he actually returned.

Jaehyun easily lifted Mark up despite his questioning of why it had to be him, and everyone counted out loud for him to make sure he didn't cheat on any of the squats. That didn't stop them from counting nine three times, though.

The game went on for almost another round, but they quickly ended it when Jungwoo tripped over air.