SWAP 100

I don’t know what it means that my best friend might become Ye Juyeol.

While I was tilting my head in confusion, another notification sound rang out simultaneously.

Judging by the phone rattling at Saheon’s seat and the buzzing coming from Ye Juyeol’s apron pocket, the result of the exchange was clear, but it was still a situation I couldn’t understand. Ye Juyeol, who had been burning with creative passion, and Yun Hyeok, who had been carefully considering a design, both had bewildered expressions at the sudden vibrations.

However, no one was in a state to touch their phones.

Seoul turned his head toward the production staff. He happened to see the main writer, Kang Sukyung, at the closest distance. He decided to speak to her first as she sat on the floor, diligently manipulating something on her iPad.

“Um, Writer. What does this mean?”

When he asked while pointing at the phone screen still held in Heo Doae’s hand, Sukyung looked up abruptly. She had her usual kind expression, but there was a hint of madness lurking somewhere in her eyes. As Seoul flinched upon witnessing that, Sukyung replied with a beaming smile.

“Ah, the Producer will explain once Saheon Mr. returns~ Everyone, please focus on the pottery first!”

“Yes….”

Somehow, he couldn’t ask any further.

As he obediently nodded without realizing it, Heo Doae, who had been glancing back and forth between Seoul and the production staff, set the phone down.

Judging by the atmosphere, it seemed the production staff had delivered some strange mission. He had noticed them keeping an eye on Seoul’s obviously poor skills since the beginning of the class, and now they were using it this way. Clicking his tongue inwardly, thinking that the broadcasting station folks are truly the scariest, he put on a business smile.

“Then it’s my turn to step in, right? Let’s try to revive this together. First, Mr. Seoul. You aren’t applying your strength correctly right now. It’s hard because you’re just trying to pull it up blindly. Instead of using your whole palm, apply pressure to the edge of your hand and pull it up, steadily. It’s very easy once you get the hang of it.”

Heo Doae approached from behind Seoul and first corrected his posture. At the advice to straighten his back and fix his arms firmly, Seoul straightened his body, which had been limp. As he followed the explanation slowly, the lump of clay that seemed like it would wobble forever began to gradually loosen.

As his eyes sparkled with wonder, Heo Doae showered him with praise and sat across from him, overlapping his hand on top of the back of Seoul’s hand.

“Now, let’s try it together. Just stay still and remember what it feels like. Like this….”

Still? Just as he stared at the wheel in bewilderment, Heo Doae, applying pressure with the overlapping hands, centered the clay in an instant. They say doing something difficult easily is what’s truly difficult. Seoul opened his mouth slightly as he saw a perfect cylinder born from a single simple motion.

As he let out an exclamation of admiration, saying that a professional is indeed different, Heo Doae smiled gently and pressed down on Seoul’s thumb. The soft clay was indented, and a hole was created in an instant. Following Heo Doae’s instruction to put his left hand on the outside and his right hand on the inside, their hands overlapped again. As they refined the pillar together as it rose, it soon became a beautifully shaped cup.

“Woooow….”

“You see. You have to apply pressure evenly to your fingertips so the thickness of the cup becomes uniform. Let’s try again. Still, wait for about two rotations at one layer…”

It was then.

Just as a shadow suddenly fell over the wheel, needle-like gazes poured down upon the top of his crowded head. When he slowly lifted his head to see what it was, there stood Seo Saheon with a terrifying face.

Mommy…! Heo Doae, who almost let out a scream in surprise but managed to endure it with his years of experience, hurriedly gasped for air. He absolutely loathed thrillers. Furthermore, he couldn’t even watch trailers for horror movies. As he rolled his eyes, wondering what this situation was, he saw Yun Hyeok on the other side shaking his head quickly with a face pale as a ghost. It was a heart-wrenching signal from a beloved student who didn’t want to lose his only pottery teacher.

“Uh… well… you’re back?”

Unfortunately, however, Heo Doae knew nothing about their relationship map. Having opened his mouth with an awkward face while a reception error popped up, he was still gripping Seoul’s hand.

Saheon’s eyebrows twitched unpleasantly.

It was just as his eyes gleamed blue like a killer facing the ultimate pervert.

At the same time Seoul finally lifted his head, the door to the workshop, which had been closed, swung open loudly and someone made a noisy entrance. Producer Jeon Jaeyeon, who appeared blowing a trunk whistle “toot-toot” in his mouth, shouted without reading the chilled air at all.

“Surprise! Now that everyone is gathered, I will reveal the details of today’s special event!”

“…….”

“…….”

“…Why is the atmosphere like this?”

Producer Jeon Jaeyeon, who was startled by the fact that no one was startled, spat out the trunk whistle he was holding. Kang Sukyung subtly looked away from the main Producer. It was fine. Because the part after this was the bigger problem anyway. Out of fear, she hadn’t even given a glance toward Seo Saheon for a while now.

Producer Jeon Jaeyeon, who had come with similar resolve, also let out a fake cough. Then he naturally continued with the lines he had prepared.

“As Mr. Seoul has already seen, today is a day for a special exchange. Has everyone checked their notifications?”

At the same time, push messages popped up simultaneously on the phones of the three people excluding Seoul. Yun Hyeok and Ye Juyeol, who bolted from their seats at a chilling premonition, ran toward the sink. It was the moment they checked their notifications after quickly washing their hands. Unlike Yun Hyeok, Ye Juyeol’s expression became puzzled. And Seo Saheon, who returned to his seat a beat late, fell silent after checking his notification.

⚠ NOTIFICATION ⚠

You have been exchanged by your best friend.

From today, your best friend will be changed to [Yun Hyeok]!

Remaining Time: 7 days 07:14:23

“…….”

What the fuck is this shit?

Even though he didn’t say it out loud, everyone except Heo Doae heard the voice of his heart as a hallucination. Cold sweat flowed naturally, but Producer Jeon Jaeyeon, who did not falter as he had braced himself for this much, continued the explanation with a forced laugh.

“Literally, today is <Best Friend Swap Day>! If you accept today’s exchange event, your best friend will be replaced at random. Unlike previous events that only lasted for one day, please note that the best friend changed today must stay with you until the last day, and if you do not want an exchange, you can skip today’s best friend event. However, items you purchase at the Friendly Market with friendship coins will go to your original best friend.”

“Ah….”

Seoul, having heard the explanation, blinked his eyes in confusion. So, that means… they really exchanged best friends? He paused as he realized his best friend pair had been changed to Ye Juyeol instead of Saheon, and additional explanations followed as if they had been waiting.

“This mission detail was something to be revealed the moment someone exchanged best friends today. Mr. Juyeol already passed this morning, and since Mr. Seoul just accepted, the random result is…”

To sum up the conclusion, it meant that the current pairs had changed to [Lee Seoul X Ye Juyeol] and [Seo Saheon X Yun Hyeok]. Ye Juyeol, realizing this, felt his heart soar in an instant, but he hurried to control his mouth upon seeing his (ex) best friend who had turned pale as a ghost. Yun Hyeok, who ended up building a friendship that didn’t amount to a rat’s tail with Seo Saheon out of the blue, raised an objection with an expression that said his future was pitch black, but it was in vain.

In fact, this <Best Friend Swap Day> was an event that had occasionally appeared in previous seasons as well. The reaction from viewers wasn’t bad, as they could see a different kind of chemistry between the exchanged pairs. So it was naturally added to this season as well, but… the problem was Seo Saheon.

Unless they were idiots, the production staff also knew that Seo Saheon was no ordinary crazy person.

Including the fact that he was excessively obsessed with Lee Seoul to the point where one wondered if that was truly just friendship.

There were already more than one or two parts that had to be cut out during editing. Even just last night, how much cold sweat did they break out because he didn’t come out of the bathroom for a whole hour? While worrying whether they should send in a staff member, they let out a sigh of relief at the sight of the two captured on camera just before they were about to knock on the front door.

In the interview, it was said it was because they were cleaning up since Seoul, who had indigestion, even ruined his clothes, but….

The production staff, who at first watched with trembling hearts wondering if this was right, were now watching them with a half-resigned attitude. They decided to see how far it would go, but they had given up on further thoughts due to Seo Saheon’s behavior, which was like an 8-ton truck running with broken brakes.

Knowing that he wouldn’t listen even if they tried to stop him was something they could tell by looking at the interviews conducted every day. At first, they tried to talk to him cautiously while changing the microphone batteries with worried hearts, but it was no use. At some point, Producer Jeon immediately dropped all agony at the truth piercing through his mind: “That guy is just a nutcase….”

Since they were the ones editing anyway, wasn’t it enough to just package it as well as possible?

To be honest, they were in a position where bowing down to Seo Saheon wouldn’t even be enough. Even for them, aren’t their brains being marinated in dopamine as they watch the monitor every day? Thinking what would be any different for the viewers, he was even prepared to double the planned 1.5-hour video length.

However, now it was too much, even if it was too much.

Since it felt precarious even from the perspective of those watching, they decided to take extreme measures after a meeting.

Producer Jeon Jaeyeon opened his mouth with the feeling of someone facing a dog with rabies.

“For your information, the roommates… will also change.”