SWAP 41

When they returned home after successfully finishing their food shopping, it was already well past six o’clock. Seoul, who got out of the passenger seat saying he didn’t know how the day had flown by, quickly opened the trunk. He had ultimately failed to secure the steering wheel, so he hurried, feeling he should at least carry more luggage—but when he actually saw the wide trunk space filled to the brim with boxes, he was speechless.

It was a kitchen with only cooking utensils but not even basic seasonings.

If they were just going to order delivery, that would be one thing, but from the perspective of having to cook, there was no choice but to put a lot of things in.

Because of that, the cart had become quite heavy—the problem was that the carts of Ye Juyeol and Yun Hyeok, whom they had met midway, had somehow multiplied to two.

Unable to believe what he saw, Seoul was momentarily at a loss for words. He was sure they had said they would only bring snacks, so what were those piles of bags like mountains? As he stood there speechless, they seemed a little embarrassed and scratched the back of their heads. Seoul, who wondered if he had unnecessarily suggested doubling the budget because it was higher than expected, once again breathed a sigh of relief. It would have been a disaster if he hadn’t increased it.

After checking the receipt with an unbelievable amount printed on it, his premonition solidified into conviction. The question was when these ingredients would run out, but he somehow had a feeling that he would have to go grocery shopping again soon.

“Ugh-cha.”

Seoul, lifting the largest box among them, moved towards the main gate. It was a box with all sorts of drinks laid out at the bottom, so it was quite heavy. The two people who got out of the back seat belatedly said something, but he barely heard them. In fact, he was already drained and strongly wanted to rest quickly.

It was just as he had passed through the half-open main gate.

He felt a presence next to him, and then his name was suddenly called.

“Lee Seoul.”

“What, ugh…!”

Before he could answer, a weight was abruptly added onto the box he was holding. Saheon, who had approached quickly, had just placed the box he brought on top. He had been walking with his mind empty, so he stumbled for a moment. Just as he managed to regain his balance, Saheon, as if he had been waiting, bent down and quickly snatched the two bags in his hands.

Seoul, whose hands were suddenly empty, looked on with a bewildered expression, and Saheon, as if it wasn’t heavy at all, lifted the box once and said.

“Go open the door.”

Couldn’t he just put the box down for a moment and unlock the door lock? Such a rebuttal was transparently displayed on his face, but Seoul chose to simply swallow his words. Saheon was naturally the type to handle all the heavy lifting. Knowing full well that no matter what he said, he wouldn’t give them back, he gave up appropriately.

He had rushed because of this, but it was all for nothing.

Seoul, continuing his silly thoughts, wishing he had sprinted to the entrance, entered the already memorized password without hesitation.

With Saheon entering, and Ye Juyeol and Yun Hyeok following behind with the remaining luggage, their outing finally concluded. He wanted to slump onto the sofa, but he couldn’t.

He quickly opened the refrigerator and sorted the purchased items into it, when Saheon approached him and, as if accustomed, opened the cupboard. He neatly stacked ramen and snack bags, and even arranged the seasoning bottles near the induction cooker. All of them were in the same positions Seoul used at home. He pretends not to be, but he’s surprisingly delicate, isn’t he?

“You rest now. I’ll do it.”

As he stared intently at Saheon, Saheon instructed without even looking his way. His tone indicated he knew Seoul was already exhausted, despite his diligent work. Seoul, who couldn’t rest comfortably with tasks pending, shook his head, knowing Saheon was clearly trying to get ahead of him again, and it seemed the others, who belatedly rushed to the kitchen, thought the same.

“Yes, hyung. We’ll organize the rest. We can’t cook, so it feels better to at least do something like this.”

“No….”

“Right, right. Don’t worry; we’re super masters of housework, excluding cooking! Seven years of living alone experience! Of course, it’s nothing compared to sunbae-nim, but well… we’re good at everything except what we can’t do~”

Good at everything except what they can’t do, he said. Isn’t that just generally true for everyone? Since they stated the obvious with such confidence, it sounded quite logical. While he found that intriguing, Seoul, who was soon chased out of the kitchen, tilted his head. They said Yun Hyeok was the same age, so he must be twenty-three, and seven years meant he started living alone since high school, he wondered.

Roughly estimating the years, he looked back at the kitchen, but knew he would just be kicked out for the same reason if he went back, so he simply walked to the sofa.

Seeing them all telling him to rest so frantically, it seemed his fatigue was showing quite clearly.

Seoul, burying himself in the sofa, covered his face with both hands and rubbed his eyelids firmly. Even after returning home, the camera was still rolling, so he somehow couldn’t relax. Perhaps it was because he usually had a clear on-off switch between the filming location and home, which made it feel even more so…. The mental exhaustion was greater than the physical.

They said this was only for the first few days, he wondered if it was true.

Left alone, stories from fellow actors he had heard sometime naturally came to mind one by one. Variety shows are fun. But a program where you meet and film once a week and an observational variety show are, well, different in nature.

‘Look at me. I was truly shocked when I saw the broadcast of what I filmed this time. I even called the kids I filmed with to confirm if I really was like that. This is how it is? No matter how much you pay attention, if the camera is well hidden, after about the third day, you just become thoughtless. Sides of me I didn’t even know just pop out.’

Had he said he filmed a program where he went on a ten-day trip to Switzerland with acquaintances? He thought of himself as generally composed, but the person he saw on screen was unbelievably fussy. At the time, he had no interest in variety shows, so he laughed it off, but now that it was his own situation, he found himself naturally troubled for a moment.

Ding!

Seoul quickly pulled out his phone and clicked the screen at the notification resounding with a strong vibration. The sender was the production crew.

HELP

—Please ask anything!—

[Mr. Seoul!]

[We’ll have a short individual interview time before dinner.]

[The interview will take place in the annex on the right from the main entrance you exit.]

[Please come out now!]

Ah, there was this.

He had been informed in advance at the preliminary meeting, but it somehow felt new again. Perhaps it was because he was still adjusting. The tension he had put off due to unfamiliar situations rushed in. Seoul recalled Assistant Director Ahn’s voice, who had said that individual interviews would be conducted at any time without warning, as the production crew would intervene minimally, and he got up from his seat.

Can I just go? Seoul hesitated, then scurried to the kitchen. He peeked his head out, just in case they might look for him if he suddenly disappeared, and announced with a determined face. I’m going for an interview…, From his expression, it looked like he had received a challenge for a duel, and everyone held back their laughter and waved their hands at him. Somehow embarrassed by Ye Juyeol’s encouragement, who even raised both fists, telling him to do well, Seoul quickly turned towards the entrance.

He put on his shoes and walked out, going straight to the right, and as guided, there was another building that looked like an annex.

Seoul greeted each of the production crew members scattered in groups around the area, opened the door, and saw a neatly decorated space. The main writer, Kang Sukyung, approached him with a smile.

“Oh dear, I’m sorry to call you at a time when you should be resting, Mr. Seoul.”

“It’s alright. I didn’t have anything to do anyway, what’s there?”

“Shall we proceed right away then? This is a really simple interview, so you don’t need to be nervous at all. Just be as comfortable as possible, comfortable~”

Seoul smiled and said, “Yes,” at Sukyung’s encouragement, and sat in the chair placed in the center. Several cameras were already set up facing him. Those dark pupils felt suddenly uncomfortable, and Seoul slowly closed and opened his eyes. When he naturally fixed his gaze on Sukyung in front of him, fortunately, no one noticed anything strange.

And the subsequent questions didn’t stray far from his expectations.

Seoul answered earnestly without panicking, even to absurd questions such as his impressions on first moving in, his first impression of his partner, and where on earth he learned his trickery (?). The answers were so concise that there was even a joke exchanged about whether their interview sheet had been leaked in advance.

Seoul’s typically composed expression wavered when the conversation specifically about Saheon began.

[Q. Your morning was impressive. Do you two normally sleep together?]

“No, that’s impossible…. Today is a special case, and we’ve always used separate rooms. He’s usually very weak against heat. He’s a guy who’ll die without air conditioning in the summer.”

[Q. Do you two usually take good care of each other?]

“I guess so. That might be why we’ve been able to live together for so long. If we were both the type to just put things off, I think we would’ve broken up a long time ago… But setting all that aside, his original personality is also quite affectionate.”

[Q. Who?]

“Ah, Saheon.”

[Q. …Are you usually generous to your best friend?]