SWAP 28

The position of Yun Hyeok, a fifth-year idol, was main vocal and visual.

In contrast to his singing ability which naturally drew admiration, he was a born klutz. He was famous as a celebrity from a survival audition who had overcome his natural limitations through sheer spite alone.

Singing ability: A+, Dance ability: F. The process of a trainee with a combined Grade C reaching the debut lineup through endless effort and practice was truly desperate. The public, who witnessed all those moments that could only be described as a human victory, naturally cheered for him. They ended up having no choice but to love the man who finally burst into tears only after confirming his final ranking as second place.

After his successful debut, the world turned upside down.

It was only natural, as he had gone from a nobody trainee to a member of a popular idol group known by the entire nation overnight.

He became a topic of conversation wherever he went, and love calls poured in from everywhere. In particular, the interest directed toward Yun Hyeok, who embodied every trope of a shonen manga narrative, was truly enormous.

Schedules pouring in every day and a fandom growing larger by the hour.

The environment surrounding Yun Hyeok changed so rapidly that the time he chose basic kimbap over tuna kimbap because he was conscious of the price felt like a distant memory.

The tolerance toward him as he rose to stardom became terrifyingly loose. The power of a world where every single worker, whether in daily life or on set, revolved around him had the destructive force to shake even the values of a sane person. “You’re fine no matter what you do.” It was the unique structural evil of the entertainment industry—that a popular celebrity can be forgiven for anything.

In short, it would have been stranger not to catch “celebrity disease.”

In fact, that was the point his fans worried about the most.

However, as the years passed, as the project group disbanded, and even at the moment he debuted again as a soloist, Yun Hyeok was always busy rewarding his fans’ expectations with a consistent and unchanging appearance.

His innate nature was simply like that. According to Ye Juyeol, Yun Hyeok was a “type that is so good at self-objectification that he is pessimistic,” and he was always aware that he was receiving love far greater than he deserved. As if always keeping in mind that the path down was closer than the path up, he worked hard every day to become a better person.

He felt that was the only way he wouldn’t regret it.

He felt that only by doing so could he feel even slightly worthy of the love he received.

With such a personality, even now, five years after his debut, his popularity was still on an upward curve. There was no one anywhere who wouldn’t like a diligent, handsome man who never spared any effort.

However, even for someone like Yun Hyeok, a weakness he could not overcome existed.

“Huff, huff… ha.”

“Ugh….”

By the time the mission, which could not be watched without tears, was over, more than an hour had already passed. Yun Hyeok, who had barely squeezed out a passing grade, was already collapsed from exhaustion. Ye Juyeol, who had fallen backward while laughing at the sight of him, was also busy groaning while clutching the back of his head.

So much for having a good feeling since the morning.

Yun Hyeok, who was in a state where he had to take another shower immediately, gritted his teeth even while sprawled out in fatigue. Even though he had supposedly overcome it with spite, dancing was still one of Yun Hyeok’s most vulnerable areas. Of course, it was true that he had improved remarkably compared to five years ago, but it meant he still prepared for the stage by practicing 20 or 30 times what others would practice 10 times.

He was the epitome of “make it happen if it doesn’t work,” but he couldn’t help but be completely powerless before the barrier of a girl group medley—and at double speed at that—when it wasn’t even his own song.

The production crew, who had intended to evaluate coldly, also ended up half-fainting along with Ye Juyeol from the midway point. It was because they lost consciousness from laughing.

However, only Yun Hyeok, the person involved, was serious. He didn’t care whether others laughed at his flailing or not. From the moment he decided to do it, giving up did not exist. Even if it was ridiculous, it hurt his pride more to back out just because he lacked confidence.

Even when he collapsed, saying “Wait a moment” with his breath hitching in his throat, he would immediately get back up like a roly-poly toy and demand the music. Seeing his spirit, the assistant director, who had been giggling, eventually wore an expression of being moved in a different sense. Even a newly debuted rookie idol would not work this hard.

In the end, the two of them barely passed the mission through the production crew’s “cloudy eyes,” but they couldn’t depart immediately even after receiving the address.

“I can’t do it. You just do it.”

Only after a long time did they drag their suitcases down to the underground parking lot, and after much deliberation, they switched seats. It was because Yun Hyeok declared he couldn’t step on the pedals since his legs were completely drained from a specific dance section. Fortunately, Ye Juyeol had obtained his license not too long ago. Even though he was a beginner driver, it should be possible since the destination entered in the navigation was not that far.

“I’m sorry for laughing so much, Hyeok. Just trust me with the driving!”

“Sure….”

“And you know, you were really cool earlier. You didn’t give up in the end and got that passing grade. I like that side of you. I’ve liked it since way back~”

At those words, the gaze of Yun Hyeok, who was weakly buckling his seatbelt, landed on Ye Juyeol, who was patting the steering wheel. He thought to himself that if it’s a talent to always say things like that without hesitation—and with 120 percent sincerity—then it truly is a talent.

It was like that back then, too.

If Lee Seoul and Seo Saheon were famous as the “Photoshop Best Friends,” Ye Juyeol and Yun Hyeok were famous as the so-called “Room Corner Best Friends.” It was because of a phone call shared during the survival audition.

At the staff’s word that he could make a call to one person he wanted to receive support from, Yun Hyeok didn’t even hesitate before pressing Ye Juyeol’s number.

He didn’t know what he was thinking.

However, around that time, Yun Hyeok was uncharacteristically lethargic.

It was a period when he realized that no matter how much he worked and worked, even reducing his sleep, there was nothing he could do against natural talent. It was even more so because he had just heard from the trainer in charge that “Your physical build is truly a waste.”

Unlike usual, Ye Juyeol answered the phone immediately. While answering bluntly to the affectionate voice calling out “Hyeok-ah,” his mood remained low. Then, he asked involuntarily.

“Hey… do you think I can debut?”

At those words, the voice of Ye Juyeol, who had been chattering away perfectly well, cut off abruptly.

Yun Hyeok, who gripped his phone tightly feeling he had made a mistake, closed his eyes.

He hadn’t called to mumble such weak words, and regret flooded in belatedly. Just as he parted his lips to gloss it over as something he just said, Ye Juyeol shouted so loudly the speaker blared.

“Hyeok. Didn’t I tell you not to doubt? You’re definitely debuting, okay? Even if you fail there, huh? I’ll make sure you debut even if it’s in the corner of my room, so don’t worry!”

“….”

“You’re definitely going to do well, Yun Hyeok. I know that better than anyone! Just trust me!”

It was a confidence so groundless that it was draining.

He often spits out absurd things, but the phrase “room corner debut” was a first, making it quite ridiculous. What were they even going to do after debuting there? He wanted to retort like that, but his mouth wouldn’t move. He realized that he was already feeling relieved by that far-fetched positivity.

The call ended with that.

However, from then on, whenever things got difficult, those words of Ye Juyeol’s would come to mind.

Fine, if all else fails, I’ll just debut in the corner of his room. When he muttered such an outrageous thing under his breath, everything seemed like it was nothing at all.

And just as Ye Juyeol guaranteed, Yun Hyeok debuted. Not in a room corner, but in that very survival audition where he had been ridiculed for being Grade C the whole time.

The viewers who encountered this scene belatedly through the broadcast were collectively thrown into an emergency.

While watching that call between Ye Juyeol and Yun Hyeok—who were both close to being nobodies at the time—people suddenly became the type to cry while eating dinner.

The content was clearly funny, but strangely, tears fell. It was because it was the first time Yun Hyeok—who always stayed until the very end to practice with a stoic face and without a single word of complaint—had spat out a weak sound.

The contents of this call became a sort of meme and drifted around the internet.

Later, when Yun Hyeok promoted the drama where Ye Juyeol appeared as his first supporting role, their relationship was brought into the spotlight again, and they naturally became the “Room Corner Best Friends.”

“…I get it, so just start driving.”

“Okay!”

It was an absurd nickname, but he didn’t hate it.

Yun Hyeok, after confirming the vehicle had safely exited the parking lot, accidentally fell into a deep sleep. It was the aftermath of just finishing album promotions. Having moved on a slightly tight schedule to adjust his dates, it seemed he had overexerted himself a bit.

How long had he been asleep like that?

Suddenly feeling an ominous sensation, Yun Hyeok opened his eyes slightly and felt puzzled that the car was still running on a road. As he blinked his heavy eyelids a couple of times, the scenery outside the window became clearer. I mean… a highway.

“What is this?”

Yun Hyeok, who woke up with a start, whipped his torso up from where it was sunk into the seat. It was a distance that shouldn’t take even 20 minutes from the house, so why were they suddenly on a highway. Looking to the side, Ye Juyeol, who was staring at the front with terrifying intensity, put on a forced smile. However, his hands, which were gripping the steering wheel so hard the veins bulged, were trembling.

Only then did Yun Hyeok check the navigation.

The arrival time, which had been marked as 20 minutes, had somehow increased to 1 hour and 13 minutes.

Looking at the signs, they were in the middle of exiting Seoul entirely.

“Hey… it’s not what I think, right?”

“Hyeok-ah….”

“Tell me it’s not.”

He tried to deny reality, but Ye Juyeol, looking completely tearful, finally spat out the truth.

“No one… no one will let me merge….”

“….”

He just wanted to go back to sleep.