SWAP 36

“…Yes?”

The word ‘magic’ came out of nowhere, and Park Unsu answered a beat later. Seoul blinked his eyes innocently and elaborated.

“The Gonggi pebble disappeared so quickly. I was wondering if it was some kind of magic trick.”

“There are no tricks. I just simply shuffled them.”

“Are you sure the Gonggi pebble is in one of the three paper cups?”

“Yes. It is. It’s in paper cup number 2.”

Perhaps feeling genuinely wronged at being suspected of cheating, Park Unsu immediately flipped over the second paper cup. Confirming that the blue Gonggi pebble was indeed inside as he had declared, Seoul’s expression became sheepish.

“Oh, it’s really there… I’m sorry for doubting you.”

“Goodness, Mr. Seoul. I’m not that malicious of a person. Honestly, I admit I’m fast, but there are no tricks. If you choose well, you can win!”

“For goodness’ sake. Is playing a game with someone that fast not malicious? I can’t do it! Let’s do something else!”

“Is that so? I think it’s fine. From what the Producer-nim said, it’s just a one-in-three chance, isn’t it? I think I might be able to figure it out if I watch one more time….”

At Seoul’s completely unexpected reaction, Ye Juyeol, who had been throwing a tantrum, found his pupils shaking rapidly. He had a mountain of things to say, but when he realized Seoul’s eyes were sparkling as he stared intently at the overturned paper cup, his fighting spirit instantly vanished. He couldn’t help it. His favorite celebrity was having fun, so how could he stand in the way?

In the end, swept up by the seemingly excited Seoul, he stepped up as the next challenger, chose number 1, and was gloriously defeated.

“Ah. I think I can get it right. I’ll go this time.”

It seemed that watching one more time had given him confidence.

Since he even raised his hand first to volunteer, there was no need to delay any further.

The blue Gonggi pebble rolled back into a paper cup, and the shuffling began. Seoul watched the Gonggi pebble weave in and out between the spinning cups without blinking once.

Then, the moment Park Unsu’s hands came to a sharp halt, he declared confidently.

“Number 3. It’s number 3!”

The way he even held up three fingers showed he was quite confident. At his certainty without a moment’s hesitation, even the production staff who were watching the situation focused their gazes on the table.

After a brief pause, Park Unsu slowly lifted paper cup number 3. And inside….

There was nothing.

“Huh?”

Seoul’s eyes widened in surprise. As if to say, this can’t be, he even shook out the overturned cup, but of course, not a single speck of dust came out. Uh, I really saw it. He even looked slightly wronged. Yun Hyeok, who had been quietly watching the situation, also scanned the table one more time.

But the result did not change.

Because the Gonggi pebble was sitting quietly inside the second paper cup.

Now, only one chance remained. As everyone’s gazes naturally gathered on Saheon, a hesitant Seoul whispered in a small voice. Their eyes met briefly in mid-air.

“Heon-ah. Can I do it?”

“…Why. Do you think you can really get it if you do it one more time?”

“Yeah.”

His eyes were filled with determination and confidence, and Saheon was silent for a moment before turning his head. The masseter muscle on his well-defined jawline protruded as if he were clenching his teeth. After touching his lips for a moment, Saheon threw his gaze towards Producer Jeon. His face, which had been expressionless, was now slightly flushed.

“Is it possible to pass my turn over to him?”

“To Mr. Seoul?”

“Yes. He seems to want to do it. I don’t mind.”

The production staff had no problem with it either. Since the number of chances remained at four, they nodded, and Seoul’s expression brightened at once. The final shuffle began immediately. This time, too, Seoul watched the Gonggi pebble without blinking.

Thud.

The last paper cup stopped.

Unlike before, Seoul thought for a moment before shouting forcefully.

“Number 1!”

Everyone held their breath and stared at paper cup number 1.

Park Unsu did not draw it out.

The immediately overturned cup number 1 did not contain the long-awaited Gonggi pebble.

Seoul’s expression crumbled in an instant.

Disheartened, he slumped right onto the table. His hunched shoulders were a pitiful sight, as if to say he thought he had it for sure this time. Producer Jeon was happy to have won, but seeing Seoul so disappointed, he didn’t feel good about it either. As he gently patted his back, Seoul asked with a sullen expression.

“Producer-nim…. Can’t we do just one more round?”

“Oh dear, Mr. Seoul. You seem really disappointed. But rules are rules. Let’s stop here.”

Is it because this is his first variety show? It seemed he was weak to this kind of dopamine rush. Just as he was trying to soothe Seoul, who kept asking for one more round, and wrap things up, a voice cut in.

“Then let’s both up the stakes and play just one more round.”

Up the stakes? What more is there to bet? As Producer Jeon looked at Seoul, who was pleading with a very upset face, a lightning-like idea struck him. If this was possible, it would be an incredibly good opportunity for him. Still, a shred of conscience remained, so he hesitated, but then, thinking he had nothing to lose, he carefully opened his mouth.

“Hmm, then Mr. Seoul. How about this proposal?”

“What is it?”

“I was wondering if you could do one more program with us if you have the chance next time. I know you find variety shows difficult, but I’m in a tight spot myself, so I’m asking just in case. You can say no! Really.”

In a word, it was a request for a blank check for a future appearance.

He knew it was a shameless proposal, but he couldn’t help but be greedy.

Where else could he find casting as good as Lee Seoul? Even if it wasn’t a fixed role, just a cameo appearance would be a huge help.

It was a big thing to bet on a simple game to find out a card’s credit limit, but if it succeeded, it would be a greater gift than anything else.

“Um….”

Seoul did not answer right away. He had been pleading so much to up the stakes and play one more round, but now that a realistic proposal was on the table, it seemed to have jolted him to his senses. Feeling a bad premonition, he waited with a pious heart as if in prayer, and Seoul, who seemed to have finished contemplating, declared in a soft, measured voice.

“Then tell us the card’s credit limit and also double the spending limit.”

“Pardon?”

“Only if we win, of course. If we lose this time too, I’ll do as you proposed, Producer-nim. I’ll do another program with you.”

“…What, really? Are you serious?”

It would be one thing if it were someone else, but this was the Lee Seoul.

He hadn’t set foot near a variety show, so how anxious had he been until the very end, worried that this casting would fall through?

But for him to say with his own mouth that he would do it again. Jeon Jaeyeon felt it instinctively. An opportunity like this would probably never come again.

“Alright. But this is the real last time. One round to end it! We agree to accept the outcome cleanly!”

“Yes. This is really the end.”

Of course, the possibility of Seoul guessing the location of the Gonggi pebble by sight was zero. It was not a flick of the wrist that an ordinary person could follow, no matter how hard they tried to keep up with the speed. Still, since he really wasn’t palming the pebble or using any other tricks, the probability of guessing the correct answer was exactly one in three.

Please, just let it not be this round.

Praying silently, Producer Jeon knelt beside the table.

Ye Juyeol and Yun Hyeok, who had been listening to their conversation, also slowly sidled up next to Seoul. At this point, they were beginning to regret having escalated the situation.

“This is the final shuffle.”

Park Unsu also became grim. It was natural, since his job was on the line. With a slightly tense look, he picked up the paper cups and began to move his hands quickly, and Seoul, too, lowered his gaze to the table.

But something was different from before. Unlike before, when he had focused with wide eyes as if not to miss a single thing, Lee Seoul just rested his chin on his hand in silence. His expressionless bare face had a rather cool impression, which felt somehow new.

Was that what his face looked like?

It was when the man, who had been unconsciously glancing over, rolled the blue Gonggi pebble, roll, roll, to the cup next to it. Numbers poured out onto the table.

“Three.”

……

“One. Three. Three. Two.”

It was Seoul.

The疑問 that arose at the numbers heard along with his low voice was fleeting.

Park Unsu, who had been moving his hands quickly, went, Uh, and his eyes narrowed. It was because he had noticed what the numbers meant.

He can see this?

Finding it unbelievable, he tried shuffling even faster, but Seoul’s voice pointed out only the number of the cup containing the Gonggi pebble with perfect accuracy. The people focused on the game also realized that fact at some point.

“Three. One. Two. Three.”

“……”

“Two. One. One. One. One…. You’re not changing it.”

Just in case, he changed the pattern and kept it in the same cup, but the result was the same. Confused, Park Unsu desperately tried to hold onto his crumbling composure. Then what was that before? Don’t tell me he intentionally got it wrong.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, the scheduled time was up. After returning the last cup to its place, he lifted his head and his eyes met Lee Seoul’s.

Tap, the tip of a long finger tapped the table once.

This time, too, he spoke without hesitation.

“Number 3.”

“……”

There was no need to look; the result was certain.

Hesitating for the first time, Park Unsu reached out and lifted cup number 3, and inside, the blue Gonggi pebble sat, glistening.

As everyone was momentarily speechless at the unbelievable result, the one who broke the silence first was Saheon, who had been standing by Seoul’s side.

“He has really good eyes. You were tricked, Producer-nim.”

He chuckled, unable to hold back his laughter any longer. Saheon had sensed that the game was over from the moment the bet was decided. From the moment Seoul began his ridiculous acting, he had struggled to keep a straight face. He had just watched because it was cute how he, who didn’t even glance at things like gambling, kept saying, just one more round, just one more round, but he finally understood the reason towards the end.

The plan was to double the card limit from the start.

The cause was probably those two frozen over there.

“Wow, wow….”

Meanwhile, Producer Jeon Jaeyeon, who belatedly realized that he had been completely fooled by Saheon’s comment, was left with his mouth agape. He had been happily reeling in the net, thinking he had caught a big fish, only to find out that he was the fish all along.

Only then did he recall the points that had felt strange. In the short time he had known him, the Seoul he had seen was by no means the type to be swayed by a dopamine rush, so why hadn’t he thought his behavior today was strange?

He lifted his head and saw Seoul, who was now looking this way.

As soon as their eyes met, the corners of his eyes drooped, as if he was sorry.

Producer Jeon, who finally managed to close his gaping mouth, rushed to Seoul’s side. If you were to ask if he was upset, it was the opposite.

“What was that? How on earth did you guess that? I’ve watched it for a whole year and I still can’t figure it out. Are there any tips or something?”

He had lost tens of thousands on cigarettes because of that damn shell game. He had gone to watch because he heard the new rookie had a strange talent, and had gotten stubborn. I’ll get it once, I will, he’d thought, and lost every day, but he never imagined Seoul would get them all right.

“Uh, reading the number plate…?”

“Hah. I couldn’t do it even if I watched for a hundred days. Then was it all an act when you got it wrong before? And when you kept asking for one more round?”

“……”

“You did it on purpose, knowing I’d jump at the chance if you suggested upping the stakes, didn’t you? Wow. I’ve been completely cleaned out…. The old sayings are never wrong. I’m sorry for being overly greedy, haha. I guess Mr. Seoul wanted to eat something delicious too.”

At those words, Seoul hastily shook his head. He admitted that he had tricked him, so he said he was even more sorry, and let out a sigh. Not forgetting to give the still-laughing Saheon a good smack on the back, Seoul glanced to the side.

At first, he couldn’t follow the flow of things and had taken a step back, but as he watched quietly, he understood.

A rule that hadn’t existed was created because of them, and because of that, Ye Juyeol and Yun Hyeok were going to unnecessary trouble.

“Yes. Because I wanted us all to eat something delicious together.”

Once he realized that, he could no longer act indecisively.

Swallowing those inner thoughts, Seoul simply smiled at the two who were still looking at him as if they didn’t understand what was going on.