SWAP 49

No matter how trained Ye Juyeol was in the art of small talk, there were bound to be moments that left him speechless. He couldn’t help but rapidly lose his focus as he looked at Ttuttu, Ttatta, and Seo Saheon… appearing before him. He didn’t want to ask why such a photo existed in the gallery. Because it felt like a terrifying answer would return, Ye Juyeol quickly activated his evasion skills.

I mean, sure, you can take a few funny photos of a sleeping friend.

To call it a “funny photo” seemed excessively elaborate, and it felt as if it were dripping with affection for the subject, but regardless, he decided to count it as a funny photo for this moment. Actually, it wasn’t a lie. It was a bizarre photo. Right. It was on the level of taking a noir still cut and slapping a hundred colorful Kitty stickers on it.

Only after brainwashing himself did Ye Juyeol finally regain his benevolent smile. Anyway, the comment about it being “cute” was surely an expression referring to the mascots—whether they were rabbits or cats—placed on either side of Seo Saheon. There was no way it included Seo Saheon himself. Hahaha, letting out a laugh, he quickly wagged his metaphorical tail toward Seoul.

“Wow, the doll. Is really cute! I think this version of the doll. Was produced really well! It would have been great if our room just had that doll. too…!”

It wasn’t just once, but a full three rounds of staccato. Despite Ye Juyeol’s sentiment of emphasizing to the death that the doll was cute, Seoul nodded with a gentle face, saying “I agree.” Seeing that, Ye Juyeol became puzzled again. Uh, what is this…? Did he really just mean the doll…? Those fur bundles are so round that he just used Seo Saheon’s shoulders as a mounting board, and did I just make a huge misunderstanding…? Really?

As he was about to voluntarily reflect since it seemed like a plausible guess, he was interrupted.

“I have a few more; do you want to see?”

Perhaps emboldened by Juyeol’s agreement, Seoul asked in a soft, silky voice. He already had his index finger poised over the screen with a strangely proud face. Even witnessing that, Juyeol couldn’t bring himself to utter a refusal. When he replied with a “Huh? Ye-yes…,” like someone possessed by a ghost, the photos were swiped over immediately as if they had been waiting.

“…….”

And he regretted his choice in exactly three seconds.

Because of one wrong word, he ended up mastering the full collection of a sleeping Seo Saheon: front shots, side shots, and even aerial shots. Ye Juyeol, who was gradually losing the light in his eyes, finally crumbled at the last close-up shot of Seo Saheon’s face. He had managed to look with blurry eyes at the extreme close-ups featuring Ttuttu and Ttatta in a 1:1:1 ratio, but this one didn’t even have dolls; it was just pure, raw Seo Saheon.

Finally realizing that Seo Saheon was indeed included in Seoul’s “cute” description—or perhaps that Seo Saheon was the primary subject—Ye Juyeol’s expression darkened rapidly.

No matter how much he searched his memories, the only reasons he ever photographed Yun Hyeok were 1. to cause shame, 2. for blackmail, or 3. loyalty at the person’s own request for Bubble or OnStar uploads. Something is strange.

Or is it?

Is it really possible for things like this to happen if you live together for about nine years…?

Ye Juyeol, once again falling into deep thought regarding the theory of nine-year cohabitation, opened his lips with difficulty to express a forced sympathy.

“That, uh, really… is no-ear. Yes.”

He pronounced the last sentence almost like a mumble. Since he couldn’t bring himself to lie, he compromised by mentally removing Seo Saheon’s ears. It was just as Ye Juyeol was smiling with dead eyes. He thought he heard a sign of life from the second floor, and soon, a hand of salvation was extended.

“…What. Everyone is already up. Good morning.”

It was Yun Hyeok.

Since it was the first time in his life he was this glad to see him, Ye Juyeol ended up springing up from his seat. Seoul and Yun Hyeok were both bewildered by that sudden reaction, but regardless, Ye Juyeol, who had a whining, tearful face, charged straight toward Yun Hyeok.

“Hyeok!”

“What, ugh…!”

This wasn’t even a dump truck; Yun Hyeok let out a single scream toward his best friend who was flooring the accelerator toward him from the crack of dawn. Yun Hyeok, who was hit head-on and pushed back up the stairs he had just managed to descend, had a look of utter absurdity. What if I cracked my head open, why are you suddenly like this in the morning?

“Hey. Please think about your own size…!”

“Why are you only waking up now!”

“What…? It’s not even nine o’clock yet? It’s gross, so back off and talk.”

Yun Hyeok, whose face was crumpled by the sudden rebuke, pushed Ye Juyeol’s shoulders back. Because it was a gesture indicating that the suddenly narrowed distance was burdensome, Ye Juyeol’s tearful expression instantly brightened. No, why does he like it when he’s being called gross…? It was usually hard to understand him, but today it was even more impossible.

“Sob, as expected…! There’s no one but you, Hyeok!”

“What are you talking about.”

“Hyeok, let’s never, ever live together. Okay? Promise me….”

“I asked what you’re talking about. Did you pick up and eat something weird again?”

Yun Hyeok, looking at Ye Juyeol—who was whispering with a face full of genuine emotion—as if he were a madman, quickly escaped to the side. Thanks to that, the sleepiness that had been vaguely lingering had long since vanished. Yun Hyeok, having narrowly escaped to the dining table where Seoul was sitting, asked:

“Hyung, why is he being like that…?”

“I don’t know either….”

However, Seoul, who had no way of knowing he was the perpetrator, was equally clueless. Due to Ye Juyeol, who eventually vanished to the second-floor bathroom saying he would go splash cold water on his face, the incident of that day remained an eternal mystery until the broadcast.

Exactly thirty minutes later.

While Saheon, who had returned right on time, went to wash up, Seoul leisurely prepared breakfast. Rolled omelets with vegetables, stir-fried potatoes, and tofu soup with cabbage. Originally, he had planned to just make toast, but after hearing Ye Juyeol say they only ate cereal and bread, he changed the menu to Korean food.

Since it was morning, he prepared only foods that were easy to digest, but the two men emptied their rice bowls in a hurry, perhaps finding the home-cooked meal—which they hadn’t had in a long time—to their liking. Since they ate heartily without picking at the food, Seoul felt thankful for no reason and emptied his tofu soup for the first time in a while. It was just as the meal was nearly finished.

Tan-tan tan ta-ra-ra!

With the familiar sound, the four people’s phones began to ring simultaneously.

Since they had been waiting for it anyway, each of them checked their screens.

(NEW!) ※Bestie☆Exchange★

$$Weekly Event Open$$

☞☞ Access Right Now

Seoul, who was scanning the push message that was sent like spam this time as well, tilted his head. He thought the “Bestie of the Day” mission would have arrived, but what was a “Weekly Event”? Since it wasn’t a situation where an answer would come by thinking about it, he clicked the notification and the app launched automatically.

And on the main screen that appeared, the fourth menu, which had been hidden with “? ? ?” until yesterday, was newly opened.

Bestie of the Day

Friend Exchange History

Friendly Market

Hope You Get Closer! (NEW!)

? ? ?

“Oh, it looks like a different event was created. This wasn’t here during the last season!”

“Judging by the ‘Hope You Get Closer’ title, isn’t it a socializing quest?”

“Gasp. Then doesn’t that mean they’ll make us do something weird…? Usually, friendship blooms at the end of hard labor, so what if we all get dragged to a fish farm or something…!”

“Ah, we’re screwed. Since you said that, Producer Jeon is probably taking notes right now.”

At the appearance of a new event, Ye Juyeol and Yun Hyeok naturally began to fill the audio. Seoul, who suddenly became anxious while listening to Ye Juyeol’s curses as he listed all sorts of extreme job ghost stories starting with the fish farm, was the first to click the menu.

Weekly Event ~Hope You Get Closer!~

[Achievement Period: 05.17_05.23]

• Share each other’s hobbies and earn friendship coins.
• Each time you share a hobby listed, 5 coins will be accumulated.
• If you have other inquiries, please contact ‘HELP’ at the bottom of the app!
• The production team encourages your friendship.

……Fortunately, it wasn’t an experience of those extreme jobs.

Seoul, letting out a sigh of relief, carefully examined the instructions. Looking at the period from the 17th to the 23rd, perhaps this kind of weekly event might open one more time next week. Becoming curious about the hobby list, he scrolled all the way down.

[My Bestie’s Secret Hobby List]

1. Climbing (Not Achieved)
2. Lego Assembly (Not Achieved)
3. Pottery (Not Achieved)
4. Watching Movies (Starring Lee Seoul) (Not Achieved)

“…Huh?”

Seoul’s gaze, which had been scanning down the list without much thought, came to a grinding halt at the fourth item. His own name was written inside the parentheses.

If the hobby was watching movies, then it was just watching movies; why did it have to be specifically a movie where he was the lead actor? As Seoul made a troubled expression, Ye Juyeol and Yun Hyeok, sensing something strange, quickly checked the new menu.

“Ah. I think this really is a list of each person’s hobbies. I’ve been learning pottery lately.”

Yun Hyeok, who had quickly scanned all the content, spoke while pointing at the third list. Seoul was of the same mind.

“Right. Number 2 is me.”

“Hyung, do you like Legos?”

“Yeah. The adult lines come out really beautifully these days.”

Seoul was someone who spent almost all of his time inside his house unless it was a filming period. He was in a state where he had mastered most hobbies that could be done indoors, and Legos were one of them.

Since numbers 2 and 3 were excluded, now only two remained.

Yun Hyeok, who read through the hobby list once more, spoke toward Ye Juyeol in a bored tone.

“Hey, number 4 is you.”

The fact that he was a long-time fan of Seoul was so famous that even Ye Juyeol’s fans knew it publicly. Since they had watched dozens of Blu-rays together, he gave him a look as if it were obvious, but the answer actually popped out from somewhere else.

“That’s my hobby.”