SWAP 24

The production crew, feeling that this had gone too far, reached out to stop him, but it was the exact same pattern as before. Even when they screamed “Seo Saheon ssssssi!” at the back of his head as he shot off like a bullet, it was merely an echo.

Behind him, the designated VJ followed while weeping. PD Jeon Jaeyeon, feeling a pang of conscience at the sight of his colleague whose legs already seemed half-paralyzed, made a firm resolution in that moment.

Right, I am the main PD of this program in name and reality.

He couldn’t just lounge around in comfort while the other staff members were suffering so much. Steeling his heart, he also broke onto the course.

Still, he had the seasoned experience built up from filming various variety shows. He didn’t forget to grab a hand-cam, thinking that after running that distance for one lap, Saheon’s stamina would surely have dropped compared to the start.

His plan was to monitor the situation and pull the VJ back once he caught up. Toward Sukyung, who was shouting, “PD, why are you being like this too?” he even gave a cool thumbs up! That determined back was truly that of a romanticist.

‘Huff, ugh, wow…!’

…However, the world was never that easy.

Ten minutes after entering, the man who had marched in with such confidence was being utterly pulverized by the second.

It was because of Seo Saheon, whom he could not catch up to no matter how fast he ran. He could see him far off in the distance, but no matter what he did, the gap wouldn’t close, making it feel like he was being haunted by a ghost.

A mountain ghost, is it a mountain ghost…? He had heard a ghost story once about how they lure people away like this and drop them off cliffs. Of course, unlike those who were said to have no legs, Seo Saheon’s running shoes were vigorously kicking off the ground.

Incoherent thoughts scrambled through his head randomly. In short, it meant he was out of his mind.

In the end, before he could go much further, the main PD fell in battle quite magnificently.

While he was leaving a will saying they should never have assigned such a mission, Saheon, who ran without stopping, passed the finish line about twenty minutes later.

‘Haah….’

Final score: 34 minutes 43 seconds.

The record blinking on the app screen was automatically linked to the ranking zone at the runner station. An exclamation mark appeared on the large screen. The existing ranking records were shoved down the list, and a new name was registered at the very top.

[Rank 1 Seo Saheon 00:34:43]

That ghostly guy had finally taken first place.

Only now did the production crew understand why Seoul had tried so hard to stop them. They thought he was simply worrying about Seo Saheon, but he wasn’t. Being close, he already knew about that monster-like stamina. He had even offered to run instead. Their only regret was not recognizing that tear-jerking act of self-sacrifice.

The staff who followed and the writers who had been waiting at the finish line now looked half-appalled. They had only heard that jogging was his hobby; they hadn’t heard anywhere that he ran at a professional level. A record like that would put him in the medal bracket even in major competitions.

Furthermore, since he ran two laps, it was equivalent to running a half-marathon.

If you calculated the distance from the house too….

‘We succeeded, right?’

“Whoa!” Their shoulders jumped at the sudden voice. Looking up, they saw Seo Saheon standing there with an expressionless face, having approached them at some point. Sukyung, glancing at the staff who were half-dead from running with him, nodded reflexively.

He must be human after all, as his bangs were a bit damp.

Though his beauty, upgraded even more just from sweating a little, was practically cheating.

Whew. Exhaling deeply, Saheon swept the hair sticking to his forehead back. It was just an ordinary motion, yet it looked like a scene from a sportswear commercial, drawing involuntary admiration. It was the moment they understood the fans’ exaggeration that even his sweat would probably smell like Versace.

‘Then, I’m going.’

‘…Excuse me?’

It was a moment of vulnerability after being blindsided by that visual attack. Saheon, having caught his breath for a moment, spat out those incomprehensible words and turned around. Before Sukyung could even process the feeling of déjà vu, she realized something and opened her mouth in horror.

‘Saheon, Saheonnnn! Surely you aren’t going to run back now? Right?’

‘Yes.’

‘What do you mean “yes,” go by car! Mr. Saheon! Argh, excuse me!’

However, that madman didn’t look back this time either. Realizing she couldn’t give chase immediately because the parking lot was quite far from here, Sukyung screamed, and the VJ lying on the ground stumbled up like a zombie. “Mansu-ssi….” At the name called out tearfully, he began to run with hollow eyes. He looked exactly like a pet forcibly equipped by a user.

The race that continued like that only finally ended after they reached the house.

It was two hours of hell.

“…”

Seoul, having heard that much, fell silent for a moment.

He was speechless because the very thing he had feared had actually happened in reality.

Nodding quietly at the production crew’s venting—which was closer to a lament—he handed the remaining chocolate bar to the nearest staff member and smiled with a gentle face.

“Please wait just a moment.”

It was a tender way of speaking, but somehow chilling. When the intimidated crew nodded, Seoul kept his smiling expression and unlocked the door. He stepped into the house noiselessly and came back out shortly after. Seo Saheon, looking as if he had just showered, followed him out like a shadow.

The man, who was dragged out without even being able to dry his hair… somehow had both cheeks swollen and red.

Before anyone could ask what happened, Seoul, whose eyes were drooping low, offered an apology first.

“I’m sorry. He doesn’t usually listen to others… I think he just looked straight ahead and ran because he thought he had to make the rankings…”

“…”

“As you can see, he’s reflecting now, and I’ll pay more attention from now on.”

At Seoul’s apology, which seemed to be asking for leniency, the crew’s gaze turned to Saheon standing behind him. Reflecting… is he?

Where on that face could such a sign be found? Far from reflection, the atmosphere was such that it wouldn’t be strange if he flipped them off. Like a hunting dog dragged out after being scolded intensely, there even seemed to be a black cloud over his head.

However, all of that ended with a single action from Seoul, who nudged Saheon in the ribs with his elbow.

“Saheon-ah. Why are you just standing there?”

He wasn’t clenching his teeth, but a strange sense of pressure could be felt.

At that, Saheon, who had been still until then, slowly opened his mouth.

“…I’m sorry.”

His face clearly didn’t look sorry, but an apology was an apology nonetheless. The production crew, witnessing the scene of an apology being forced out of someone in real-time, nodded with deathly pale faces.

Actually, they had nothing to say. The concept of the program itself included the intention to trouble the cast members through the swap missions.

This time, they were the ones who got played instead.

They just hadn’t expected it to be executed before even moving in; it wasn’t as if this had never happened during the previous season. To be fair, the one who suffered the misfortune of being forced to run 10km was Seo Saheon.

It was a relief that they seemed to have gotten a funny cut… but it couldn’t be helped that the sleeping competitive spirit of the production crew was being subtly ignited. So that’s how it’s going to be, huh. Sparks flew quietly between Seo Saheon and the crew. They were second to none when it came to being eccentric.

Only Seoul, who noticed nothing despite the prelude to a clash of titans unfolding before his eyes, brushed his chest in relief.

“My cheeks hurt so much I can’t drive.”

Right, he wondered when he would start complaining.

Seoul, who was entering the safely received address of the Friendly House into the navigation, swallowed a sigh at the blunt voice coming from beside him.

He thought Saheon might let it go since there were no particular complaints while they hurriedly cleaned the house and loaded the perfectly packed suitcases into the car. But once the moment came where they only needed to depart, it was just like Seo Saheon to toss out a comment like that.

“Then shall I do it?”

“This is my car.”

“…We could change cars and go.”

“I already loaded all the suitcases.”

“I’ll move them again. Don’t you lift a finger.”

“Seoul-ah, am I trash? To just watch while you move heavy things?”

Then what do you want me to do…. Seoul, declaring defeat first in a conversation that was like a clash of spear and shield, shut his mouth. When Seo Saheon is like this, nothing you say gets through. Rather than a pointless argument, it was much better to quietly give him what he wanted.

As if reading Seoul’s thoughts, Saheon leaned his body forward and rested his left cheek on the steering wheel. It was a posture that didn’t care one bit about the cameras installed inside the car.

“I’m depressed because Lee Seoul scolded me.”

“…When did I scold you?”

“I ran like a dog because you told me to run, but all I got was my cheeks pinched.”

“…”

“And you didn’t put a cooling patch on me.”

“You took a shower.”

“I could have had an ion drink though?”

In short, he was upset that Seoul didn’t do for him what he had done for the production crew—that was the point.

Seoul, barely suppressing the voice that wanted to ask if he was a local elementary schooler, reached out. Saheon’s cooling forehead was completely covered by his white palm. Contrary to his exasperated inner thoughts, it was a tender touch.

“You don’t have a fever.”

“…”

“We’ll skip over this part because you were in the wrong.”

“…”

“I’ll buy you a drink on the way. The one you like.”

Saheon’s mouth, which had been barking noisily, clamped shut in an instant.