SWAP 33

In society, a six-year age gap might be considered small, but for people in their twenties, the gap between the early and late twenties was considerable. A generation gap could naturally exist, so he asked just in case. It was also because of Yun Hyeok’s somewhat hesitant reaction. Could it be that he was more comfortable calling him sunbae-nim than hyung?

Watching Seoul fall into thought once again, Yun Hyeok, who understood the question a beat later, quickly shook his head.

“No. Of course I’d call you hyung. I just asked because it felt strange.”

“Really?”

“Yes. How should I put it? You just feel so much like a celebrity…? Of course, I’m a celebrity too. But you’re a bit different, hyung.”

When he asked again, still unable to shake his suspicion, he answered diligently once more. The sincerity was palpable in his gesture of waving his hands. Thinking, what’s so different about me? Seoul suppressed a smile that was about to escape and opened his mouth.

“What’s so different about me? I heard you have a lot of acquaintances in the entertainment industry, Hyeok. According to a die-hard fan.”

The die-hard fan mentioned here was, of course, Manager Oh.

He had heard sometime ago that despite not having a sociable personality, he was strangely well-connected.

Was it that he filmed a challenge with actors? There was also a time when he made a surprise cameo on a variety show and already knew all the cast members. The connections that occasionally popped up in his private messages to fans led to the speculation that he was clearly a social butterfly. At the time, he had just thought, is that so, and moved on, but who knew it would be helpful. Indeed, life was impossible to predict even one step ahead.

As he continued these idle thoughts, Yun Hyeok corrected him in a firm voice, unlike before.

“You are different. You’re someone who would be on TV whenever I turned it on since I was young. My mother likes you, hyung, so she’d always make sure to watch your dramas when they came out. And you’ve been working on projects almost every year without a break.”

It was true he had worked like a cow. If he hadn’t, the Mimyung Entertainment building would have already been burned to the ground by firebombs thrown by Lee Seoul’s fans.

In any case, Seoul was someone whose life outside of his acting projects was a complete mystery. As Yun Hyeok said, he had been acting almost without rest, so his filmography was extensive. The scroll was endless, so even considering his years of experience, he was indeed a prolific actor.

“Haha. I did do quite a lot, didn’t I?”

For some reason, it was a little awkward.

Seoul, who was habitually rubbing the back of his ear with his fingertips, soon added in a gentle voice.

“Still, it’s an honor. Please be sure to tell your mother I said thank you. She’s looked upon me kindly.”

“…My mom will probably faint if I tell her I’m filming with you, hyung.”

“Is it that serious?”

“Ah. Maybe fainting is an exaggeration. But I think she’ll bombard me with texts telling me to get your autograph. That’s how much she likes you. She said she’s been a fan since you were a child actor. She said you were so good at acting even though you were young.”

Seoul’s expression became strange as he listened to the long-winded explanation. He had debuted at nine, so Yun Hyeok would have been about three years old at the time. Back then, most of his work was in dramas, so the expression ‘someone who would be on TV whenever I turned it on since I was young’ was not much of an exaggeration. Seoul really did appear whenever you turned on the power.

So, when I was twenty, this kid had just started middle school.

Thinking about it that way, it somehow felt incredibly distant.

Seoul began to scrutinize the man in front of him. Yun Hyeok, who had just finished his promotional activities and was under strict management, was closer to a classically handsome man than a pretty boy.

His features weren’t bold, but his facial structure was well-defined, giving him a sophisticated feel.

As befitting an idol whose popularity was currently soaring, he had an excellent appearance from every angle, but if you looked closely, you could still see traces of youth.

Of course.

He’s still only twenty-three.

Rolling that number around in his mouth once more, Seoul made a quiet resolution. Let’s be good to him for the remaining two weeks. Even if there was no particular reason, he didn’t want to make things difficult for this kid who seemed to have just become an adult.

“Then shall we exchange autographs later?”

Seoul, who had been listening intently to Yun Hyeok’s story, gently brought it up.

From the way he was talking at length about his mother, it seemed he wanted to get an autograph. He was probably talking so much because he couldn’t bring himself to ask outright, since they weren’t close yet.

As expected, as soon as he suggested it first, a response came back immediately.

“…An exchange?”

“Yeah. I think I’ll need your autograph too, so, an exchange. I told you earlier. There are a lot of your fans at our agency.”

“……”

“They’ll probably be incredibly disappointed if I go back empty-handed after the filming is over. And I want an autograph from a popular idol, too. How about it.”

Anyone could tell it was a story he had deliberately made up. What reason could there be for a veteran actor, known by the entire nation and with a long career, to go to such lengths to ask another celebrity for an autograph? Of course, there might be a desire to take care of his agency’s staff… but no matter how you looked at it, his tone was crafted to create a situation that wasn’t burdensome.

Yun Hyeok’s expression showed that he was not unaware of this either.

But, perhaps not wanting to spoil the other’s consideration, he slowly nodded his head without adding any unnecessary comments.

Yes. I’d like that, hyung. Let’s exchange. At the ensuing response, Seoul swallowed a laugh. It wasn’t intentional, but the situation was somehow similar to the program’s title. Well, whether exchanging best friends or exchanging autographs, as long as the result was good, all was well.

With the conversation wrapped up on a good note, all that remained was to look around the room.

Fortunately, unlike the first room, this one did not have a picture window.

After confirming that it was also well-ventilated, Seoul turned to Yun Hyeok, who was standing idly by instead of leaving, and asked.

“If it’s okay, could we use this room? The view and sunlight are better in that room, so it won’t be a bad choice.”

“Oh, we can sleep well anywhere, so it doesn’t matter… You should take the better room, hyung.”

“It’s harder for me if it’s too bright….”

“Ah.”

Nodding as if he understood, Yun Hyeok readily agreed, saying they would take the other room then. He advised him to take a look and decide just in case, but the only reply was that it was fine. Maybe I should have just let them choose first. He could sleep with an eye mask for the light. Feeling like he had made him unnecessarily considerate, Seoul hesitated, and Yun Hyeok, who had been watching, opened his mouth.

“Actually, as long as there’s no mold, I’m fine with anything.”

“Isn’t that a really low standard?”

“It’s true. The studio apartment I used to live in before was the absolute worst. After that, as long as a place is clean, I like anything.”

He wondered what he meant, and it turned out to be a story about a small, shabby room where Yun Hyeok had lived during his trainee days.

As Yun Hyeok calmly described how he had lived with seven other trainees in that terrible studio apartment, Seoul’s complexion turned paler by the second.

He couldn’t say another word when he heard the horror story of how, finding it strange that his whole body kept itching even after washing, he had torn off a foam block attached to the wall, only to find the entire wallpaper underneath covered in black mold. He keenly understood why mold was the standard.

“I’ll just take this room….”

Seoul, who had become haggard in a short time, said weakly.

Having started working at a very young age and never having experienced communal living, it was a scene he could hardly imagine. You should be grateful. The voice of someone he had heard until he was sick of it momentarily came to mind, and Seoul, after holding his breath for a moment, grabbed the arm of Yun Hyeok, whose shoulders had lifted as if satisfied with the outcome. In any case, it was settled, so there was no more business on the second floor.

“What are you doing over there?”

When he went down to the first floor with Yun Hyeok, he saw the backs of two people gathered near the living room table. Saheon, who should have returned long ago with the suitcases, was looking at something. Curious, he spoke first, and both of them turned to look this way at almost the same time.

You scared me. Their reaction speed was practically zero, so he couldn’t help but stop in his tracks. Saheon’s gaze landed on Seoul’s hand, which was holding onto Yun Hyeok.

“Ah, sunbae-nim…! We were looking at this…!”

“Why are you coming down together?”

It was just as Ye Juyeol, who smiled brightly as if happy that Seoul had spoken to him first, was wildly shaking something in his hand. Saheon’s question, which cut sharply through his excited voice, made Seoul respond with a, Huh? and look at Yun Hyeok beside him.

“Ah, you two were taking so long to come up, so we just decided on rooms ourselves.”

“……”

“What were you looking at?”

It was a simple explanation, no more and no less.

Normally, it would have been right to consult with Saheon too, but since the guy could fall asleep anywhere as soon as his head hit the pillow, he didn’t mind. Even if he had asked, it was obvious the answer would have been, just pick whichever place you like. It was a complete contrast to his attitude just a moment ago, when he had been on high alert about every little thing in Yun Hyeok’s reaction.

Rather, it was Ye Juyeol’s story that piqued his interest more, and Seoul left Yun Hyeok’s side and walked over quickly.

His face clearly showed that he hadn’t even noticed Saheon’s gaze, which seemed to say, Who said we’re a ‘we’ already?

“Hmm?”

When he got closer and took a look, Ye Juyeol was holding a large envelope and a green credit card.

A credit card, all of a sudden…?

At his puzzled look, Ye Juyeol, his eyes crinkling in a bright smile, took out the paper enclosed in the envelope and held it out in front of Seoul’s eyes.

He had held it so close that Seoul had to take a step back before the letters at the very top came into view.

It was the move-in guide for the Friendly House.