Ethan Jones woke up feeling refreshed. After a wild night—at least, that's what he was told—he had gotten some solid hours of sleep. But as soon as he stretched and sat up, rubbing his eyes, his team informed him he had an interview to prepare for. Before he could even ask for details, he found himself ushered into the main lounge of his tour bus, where a makeshift set had been arranged. Bright lights, cameras, and an unfamiliar man sitting across from him. That's when it clicked.
"Wait... Hot Ones?" Ethan muttered, blinking as he took in the stacks of boxes and the crew bustling around.
"That's right," came the smooth voice of the man opposite him. "Ethan Jones, you had a wild night, huh?"
Ethan chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, so I've been told." He wasn't entirely sure what had gone down, but from what he'd seen online, it involved him playing basketball with Shaquille O'Neal, having a 'business meeting' with Snoop Dogg, and getting a tattoo.
The host turned to the camera, his signature smirk in place. "Alright, everyone, welcome to a special live episode of Hot Ones! I'm your host, Sean Evans, and today we have none other than the party king himself, Ethan Jones!"
Ethan grinned and gave a wave to the camera. "Hey, hey! Let's do this."
Sean leaned forward. "Alright, so for those of you who are new here—first off, where have you been? And second, here's how it works. Normally, we line up ten chicken wings, each coated in an increasingly hotter sauce. The guest has to eat their way from level one to ten while answering questions. But today, we're shaking things up."
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Sean gestured toward the stacks of boxes beside them. "You might've noticed these mystery boxes. Inside, we have wings, but here's the catch—no one knows which ones are mild and which ones are ridiculously, painfully, regretfully spicy."
Ethan's grin faltered slightly. "Wait. No one?"
"Not even me," Sean confirmed with a wicked smile. "Each time you refuse to answer a question, you'll have to choose a random box. Maybe you'll get something light. Maybe you'll get something that makes you question your life choices."
Ethan leaned back, running a hand through his hair. "Oh, you guys are evil."
Sean laughed. "That's the beauty of it. So, tell me, Ethan—how do you handle spicy food?"
Ethan thought for a second. "Well, I like my mom's chili when she makes it, so I think I can handle a little heat."
Sean smirked. "A little heat? We'll see about that." He gestured toward the glasses of milk placed beside them. "If things get too intense, you've got milk to help. But let's be honest… the internet will judge you if you tap out."
Ethan pointed at the camera. "Okay, that's just peer pressure."
Sean chuckled. "Absolutely. Alright then, let's get started!"
Ethan clapped his hands together. "Let's do this!"
The moment the show went live, chaos erupted on the internet. Within minutes, the live counter on the YouTube stream shot up—450,000 viewers and climbing. The chat was an absolute riot, messages pouring in at a speed that made it impossible to read them all.
mnkjnl: Why are they doing this to my Ethan?! Protect him at all costs!
MotherofSavages: Sean is evil. LOOK at Ethan. His mom's chili?! HIS MOM? That's British chili, oh lord, he's cooked.
yuni_SJ: Hey Sean, ask him about Billie. Let's see what he says 😏
Noir_D07: This is my favorite episode ever. Who even came up with this idea? I LOVE IT.
Completely unaware of the digital frenzy his appearance was causing, Ethan sat there on his tour bus, facing Sean Evans with a polite but nervous smile. He was already regretting agreeing to this. The boxes stacked around him, the cameras locked on his every move, the scent of dangerously spiced wings lingering in the air—it was a setup. A deliciously evil setup.
Sean, oblivious to the madness happening in the chat, leaned forward, rubbing his hands together. "Alright, first things first. Let's talk about last night's viral video. What was the story behind it? Because, man, we need to know."
Ethan blinked. "Eh? What?"
Sean chuckled. "Oh, you were in so many videos, you don't even know which one I'm talking about, huh?"
Ethan laughed awkwardly. "Yeah… uh, that happens sometimes."
Sean grinned. "Well, let me help you out. It's the one you posted… and then deleted. The one about the lemons."
At the mention of lemons, Ethan's brows furrowed. "Lemons? What lemons?"
The confusion on his face sent Sean into a fit of laughter. "Wait. Wait, wait, wait… you seriously don't remember?"
Ethan shook his head, still looking baffled.
Flaminglines: OMG, that's such a great question, I NEED TO KNOW!
Kieron Haydon: Did you see the way he was acting last night? I'm not surprised he doesn't remember LMAO.
Elle_one: Wait… what lemon video? Did I miss something?!
To satisfy their burning curiosity, Sean pressed a button, and the infamous deleted video flickered onto the screen. At the same time, he shoved a phone into Ethan's hand so he could witness his own downfall in real-time.
The footage was an absolute disaster. Shaky. Blurry. Clearly recorded on a phone that had been dropped one too many times. A feminine voice giggled in the background. "Hey, what are you even doing?"
Ethan's voice rang out, high with excitement, before he even appeared on-screen. "What? After telling me something like that, you expect me to keep it to myself? This is vital information! Humanity deserves to know!" Then, in a muttered afterthought, "Damn, my phone's dying. I need to charge it."
The unseen girl snorted. "You are not serious."
Finally, Ethan stumbled into the frame—his hair a wild disaster, his pupils so wide he looked like he had just seen God, his entire face flushed like he had sprinted a marathon in a sauna. And yet, he carried the biggest, goofiest, most childlike grin, the kind only worn by a man about to reveal the secrets of the universe.
"Hey guys!" he greeted, waving enthusiastically… before immediately dropping the phone.
"Oh shit." Thud.
The girl exploded into laughter. "Oh my God. Stop. You can't even do this properly."
"Wait, wait, wait! I got this, don't worry." Ethan fumbled to retrieve the phone, handling it with the grace of a newborn giraffe on roller skates. After some painful readjustments, the camera refocused, and he leaned in, his face suddenly grave, as if about to deliver the most urgent warning known to mankind.
"So, guys, I just found out," he said, glancing around suspiciously as if someone might be watching. Then, leaning in closer, he whispered, "…lemons aren't naturally occurring," his tone carrying the weight of a classified secret.
Silence.
Then, the girl lost it, cackling so hard the camera wobbled.
But Ethan wasn't done. Oh no. His expression was full of wonder, like a philosopher who had just discovered the meaning of life. "Like, can you believe that? Lemons are actually a hybrid. HUMANS created them. By mixing an orange… and a citron." He clutched his own head as if the weight of this knowledge was physically crushing him. "This entire time, we thought lemons just existed. But NO. We MADE them."
The girl gasped dramatically, before deadpanning, "Dude. Everybody knows that."
Ethan recoiled, utterly scandalized. "NOT EVERYONE. I DIDN'T!"
He turned back to the camera, eyes ablaze with purpose. "So then WHO started that saying? You know, the whole 'When life gives you lemons, make lemonade' thing?" He squeezed his eyes shut as if summoning wisdom from the depths of human history, then snapped them open with the intensity of a prophet mid-revelation.
He inhaled deeply. "BUT THINK ABOUT IT—"
He leaned in so close his nose practically touched the lens. "Life didn't actually give us lemons." A dramatic pause. Then, in a whisper, like he was revealing a grand conspiracy: "We invented them."
The way he said it. The sheer gravity in his tone. It was as if he had just uncovered the biggest lie in human history. The moon landing? Real. Lemons? A hoax.
The girl wheezed. "You're an idiot."
Suddenly, the camera shook again as Ethan was dragged off-screen. "Okay, okay, come to bed and let's play. Leave the phone."
"Wait, wait, WAIT! Just let me upload this first—"
Thud. Another phone drop. Screen black.
Video ended.
Silence.
Back in the present, Ethan sat frozen, staring at the phone in his hands like it had just revealed his entire life was a lie.
"This… this can't be real."
Sean, grinning ear to ear, leaned forward. "Oh, but it is."
Ethan's mouth opened, then closed. He was still processing the utter foolishness of what he had just witnessed. That was me? No way. Someone deepfaked me. Right?
But before he could even start defending himself, Sean clapped his hands together. "Alright! Since that question was a bust—you clearly had no idea about the video—let's move on."
Ethan barely registered what was happening as Sean leaned in with a smirk. "I believe I'm doing the world a favor by asking this next one." He paused for dramatic effect. "The lady in the video… Who was she? And what fun was going on in that bed?"
Ethan nearly dropped the phone all over again.
The comment section exploded.