SWAP 22

If he clicked the wrong thing, it felt like all his personal information would be snatched away in an instant.

Even though they knew for a fact that this was an application created directly by the production crew, the two men, standing with their heads together, couldn’t say a word for a moment. Was the phone… no, was the app hacked…? As they remained silent, wishing that were the case, the notification rang out again, unable to wait.

Ta! Ta! Ta-da-da!

“…”

Was it just his imagination?

Unlike before, it sounded like it had staccato added to it.

With a grimace at the noise that was clearly an urging, Seoul reached out.

The moment he unlocked the phone and clicked the spam—no, the push message—at the very top, the Best Friend Swap app launched as if it had been waiting. After waiting through a few seconds of loading, a pop-up window appeared immediately instead of the main screen.

Urgent Notice

♨ Opening Celebration First-Come, First-Served Event ♨

To the pairs who move into the Friendly House first

∑∑☞ 10 Coins will be paid out immediately.

If you want the address, click right now!

“What is… this…?”

“Isn’t it really hacked?” He wanted to believe that, but the content itself did fit the current situation fairly well. Though the feeling of it being a spam advertisement text remained regardless… Seoul, who began to relax his brain, decided not to dwell on it too much. Of course, he didn’t want to press the blinking “Click” sign that flickered as if something terrible would happen if he didn’t check it right this second.

“No wonder they didn’t give us the address.”

Seoul collapsed onto the table at the realization that came too late. He hadn’t thought much of it, assuming they would travel with the production crew, but to think it would proceed like this. He felt like he’d been hit in the back of the head. Saheon merely stared into the liquid crystal screen with an expressionless face.

“Since it says first-come, first-served, I guess the same notification went to the other teams.”

“Ah, you’re right. Then we have to go as fast as… wait, we can’t because you haven’t packed your bags.”

“Yeah.”

“…”

What was he so proud of to answer so promptly?

Seoul, recalling a beat late that Saheon’s suitcase was likely almost empty, let out a small sigh.

It felt like they had already lost anyway… Still, they needed the address to even start moving, so he looked at the phone with a reluctant expression. Even checking it several times, it was a screen he wanted to turn off.

“…I’m pressing it?”

“Shall I click it?”

No matter who pressed it, the result would be the same. Seoul shook his head at Saheon’s gesture of being ready to do it for him and tapped the click button with his fingertip. Pop! Along with a flashing effect, another pop-up appeared over the screen that had turned pure white.

>> Emergency Event <<

You, who have started your first filming.

Do you need the address of the house you need to move into?

It is possible if you swap your best friend!

It was a phrase he had already experienced once during the preliminary meeting.

Seoul, who had expected the swap event to at least start after moving into the house, snapped his head up. He could guess the next phrase as well, so he asked hurriedly.

“Where is your phone?”

“Just use this one.”

Tap. Before he could add anything, Saheon’s finger touched the screen.

Would you like to swap Seo Saheon for the [Friendly House Address]?

Reward: First-come, first-served event in progress

⚠ Caution: Your best friend might have to [ ]…

Just as he thought. Seeing the ominously flashing warning phrase, Seoul hurriedly grabbed Saheon’s hand as he tried to press the confirm button. Who knows what will come out in the brackets…!

“Hey, don’t just press it!”

“What. You want to stay up all night?”

“It’s not that, but we don’t necessarily have to swap you—Ack!”

If it was an event happening simultaneously anyway, he could have swapped himself using Saheon’s phone. Before Seoul, who was prepared to sacrifice himself if necessary, could even open a floor for discussion, Saheon clicked the confirm button with his other hand that wasn’t being held.

Grabbing the phone and screaming involuntarily at the situation that happened in a flash, a nonchalant voice dropped over his head.

“It’s done. Since it’s the first time, swap me.”

“Who knows what will come out…! Can’t we cancel this? Should I ask?”

“Oh, it’s spinning.”

Unlike the anxious Seoul, Saheon, the party involved, seemed to have no particular emotion. Seeing his face staring half-heartedly at the bracket space spinning like a slot machine, Seoul eventually had to give up on stopping him. Telling him not to resent him later, Seoul lowered his eyes just as the rapidly spinning slot came to a slow halt.

And the next moment, the reaction of the two men who saw the completed sentence diverged drastically.

⚠ Caution: Your best friend might [have to enter the TOP 10 of the Corn Run Ranking Zone]…

“Ah…”

With a short groan, Seoul’s expression darkened rapidly.

‘Corn Run’ was the name for a circular running course located not far from here. This course, which was about 10km per lap, was even equipped with a runner’s station, so there was a ranking zone where daily paces were recorded.

In short, it meant they competed every day to see who ran the 10km course and how fast.

“Is this… is this possible? Are you okay?”

The moment Seoul asked urgently as his thoughts reached that point, BEEP—a sharp warning sound echoed from somewhere. That sound, similar to a siren, was flowing from the direction of Saheon’s room.

It was definitely related to the mission they just received, so Seoul ran quickly with Saheon following leisurely behind him.

When they opened the door, as expected, Saheon’s phone on the nightstand was vibrating like crazy. When he unlocked it and accessed the swap app, an information window appeared immediately.

⚠ Notification ⚠

You have been swapped by your best friend.

Please [Enter the TOP 10 of the Corn Run Ranking Zone] right now!

Time remaining: 14:13:28

While staring blankly at the numbers decreasing by the second, Saheon, who had already put on a thin training jumper, snatched the phone out of Seoul’s hand.

“I’ll be back, so just pack some clothes in my suitcase.”

That was something he was going to do anyway. Because, unlike his profession as a model, Seo Saheon’s fashion sense was the worst—to the point one couldn’t bear to watch with open eyes. Since it was a frequent occurrence for him to wear clothes in combinations that made one wonder what on earth they were if left alone, Seoul naturally took charge of Saheon’s outfits from a certain point. He didn’t want to let anyone know the fact that a guy who even served as an ambassador for a certain brand was a fashion terrorist. The only thing Saheon was interested in was shoes, so he let him choose those.

If asked if it wasn’t a chore, he would have nothing to say other than that he didn’t have time for such thoughts because Saheon looked beautiful in whatever he was dressed in.

Because of this situation, most of the ‘Seo Saheon street fashion’ clips floating around the internet were Seoul’s work. Because he meticulously cared about everything down to the watches or accessories he wore, or even how much rolling up looked the prettiest, there was no part of Saheon’s dressing room that hadn’t been touched by Seoul’s hands.

Even though this guy himself didn’t even know what clothes he owned.

Worried that he was dressing him too much in his own taste, he tried asking tentatively, but since Saheon just rubbed against him saying, “I don’t know, you do it…”, there was no other way.

Anyway, the fact that he couldn’t pack a suitcase himself was an extension of that, so Seoul, who had been nodding involuntarily, snapped to his senses with a look of realization. No, the suitcase isn’t the problem right now…!

“I’m coming too.”

“No, just stay home.”

He tried to express his opinion, barely catching up to Saheon who had already made it to the front door, but it was no use. When Saheon, who picked out his running shoes in the middle of the shoe rack, rejected him without a second of hesitation, his heart became even more hurried.

This isn’t good.

The top ranks of a 10km course—he was about to say someone was going to end up at a funeral as he followed right behind Saheon who swung the door open.

“Ta-da, good morning~ It’s great weather for a run. Hahaha!”

At the familiar voice heard in his ears, Seoul, who had been hurriedly shoving his feet into his shoes, snapped his head up. Because the outside wasn’t properly visible, blocked by a large back, he leaned his body as best as he could. When he peeked his face through the narrow gap, the sight of the production crew stationed outside the door as if they had been waiting for this very moment came into view.

He was horrified, wondering if all these people were the personnel deployed for the outdoor filming, when PD Jeon Jaeyeon, noticing Seoul, leaned in with a bright smile.

Having already received real-time reports of the event results in the situation room, he wore a thoroughly wicked smile.

“Oh my, only our Mr. Seoul looks pale as a ghost. The one running is Mr. Saheon, so why does this one look like he’s about to collapse?”

“PD Jeon!”

It was a teasing tone, but he didn’t even have the leeway to be conscious of it. Unlike his usual self, who would offer a polite greeting first upon meeting, when he called him in an urgent voice, PD Jeon’s eyes turned puzzled.

“Uh, yes? Me?”

“This, this won’t do. Please think again…”

Aha.

Only after hearing the plea that followed did he finish grasping the situation and wore a smile across his face again. While the majority of cases involved enjoying seeing their best friend struggle, it wasn’t as if there were zero types like Seoul.

“Mr. Seoul, you must have been very surprised seeing the results? It’s okay, it’s okay. Do you think we’d let our precious cast members be hauled off to the hospital? If it looks like too much, we’ll stop him immediately~”

“No, it’s not that…”

“Rules are rules, so it can’t be helped. Once swapped, that’s it!”

Contrary to his soft attitude, he was quite firm regarding the rules.

At that, Seoul, feeling frustrated, pushed against Saheon, who showed no intention of moving out from in front of him, and said,

“Then I’ll just run.”

“Seoul-ah. Is 10km a joke?”

But Seo Saheon wasn’t one to just let that be. Even though it was his own business, he had been listening to the conversation between PD Jeon and Seoul with a disinterested face, but he immediately blocked Seoul’s body as he tried to turn and come outside.

“Who said it’s a joke?”

“Our Seoul, are you that worried about me?”

“What, you’re not the problem right now…! Mmph.”

It was nonsense that didn’t even make sense. When Seoul, wearing an appalled expression, raised his decibels, Saheon, with his eyes curving into a grin, squished Seoul’s cheeks in a familiar motion. Looking down at the lips that popped out like a titmouse’s, he smiled tenderly and babbled whatever.

“Yes, yes, I know. Don’t worry and stay inside. I’m okay, Seoul-ah.”

“Mmph, mmph…!”

“Right, right. You’re telling me to hang in there? Got it.”

I didn’t say a single word like that…?