SWAP 74

And in the end, the one who gave in first was Seoul.

He seemed to be getting angry for a change, but before he could even press down a few times, he let all the strength drain out of the hands that were gripping the doll. Sensing that keenly, Saheon let his head tilt to the side with a “thud.” He was openly showing off that he had stayed still even though he was more than capable of shaking him off.

And you’re saying I’m not a son of a bitch.

Even without knowing why Seoul was angry, Saheon was busy acting like a “good boy” just to soothe his mood, which was a classic move for his kind. He only stayed still because Seoul would make a fuss if he took his clothes off; if he were told to flip over and show his belly, there wasn’t much he couldn’t do.

Unaware of Saheon’s inner thoughts, Seoul was busy huffing alone. However, he seemed more composed than before, and his bright red face had settled down a bit. After glancing at the rosy cheeks and letting out a short sigh, Saheon slowly raised his upper body. Then, he rubbed his mouth firmly once against the ball of fluff still floating in the air and whispered in a low voice.

“Alright, I’m sorry.”

“…”

“I’ll touch you gently from now on. Did I startle you?”

Even in the midst of this, he stubbornly refuses to say the words “I won’t do it again.” That point was the most wicked, but since neither of them had much self-awareness, it was the viewers who would later see this scene whose insides would burn up.

When there was no immediate answer, Saheon checked the atmosphere for a moment and then slunk his hand out to grasp Seoul’s wrist. It was called “grasping,” but it was a touch so careful that almost no grip strength could be found. He hadn’t held him tightly earlier either, but this time he acted as if he were holding a piece of cotton candy, which was absurd. At this blatant display of charm, Seoul’s combat power, which had been fueled by unfairness and embarrassment, snapped and crumbled.

Ttutu, which he had barely been holding, plummeted onto the bed.

The situation where he was the only one getting worked up started to feel foolish.

“Of course I’d be startled…”

Seoul, who muttered softly, let his shoulders droop weakly. As his runaway reason returned, he realized he was reacting oversensitively for no reason. Logically, there was no way Saheon would do “that” in a place with dozens of cameras. Perhaps because of the incident on Saturday, memories of that time flashed back involuntarily, making his heart thud.

Even though Seo Saheon himself acted like it was nothing.

Thinking that way made his mood sink boundlessly.

Right, you said there was no such thing as a first kiss or whatever. It felt like he was the only one conscious of the moment the other party treated as if it had never happened, making him feel embarrassed in a different way. Fortunately, Saheon seemed to have no inkling of what kind of misunderstanding Seoul had made. If he had been caught, Saheon would have spat out curses just like back then. Thinking about that made his chest feel a bit chilly for no reason.

Of course, he wouldn’t curse because they were filming, but still…

It was the moment his gaze naturally fell downward. A sleek face suddenly thrust itself into his field of vision, which had been filled only with white bedding. Since he was off guard, he flinched and almost fell backward, but since his wrist was being held, he didn’t end up rolling on the floor. Instead, he had to endure the gaze of Seo Saheon, which had turned somewhat suspicious.

“What is it? Why did you suddenly get gloomy again?”

“…It’s not like that.”

“What isn’t? I feel wronged, Seoul-ah. Honestly, I didn’t even pull that hard, so why are you only scolding me since morning? This won’t do, you’re coming to exercise with me. I have to go to the gym now, so it’ll be perfect if you come along.”

“What?”

It was a statement that brought his sunken mood back with a start.

When a horrified Seoul snapped his head up, Saheon, who followed by tilting his chin up, drove the point home with an expressionless face.

“Why? You told me to exercise if I’m in a bad mood. I’ve only been running for a few days so I’ve been feeling stiff; this works out well. I have to strip for the shoot today, so I need to lift some weights before I go. You do it with me. I get scolded because you’re so tiny and frail.”

“Who are you calling ti…, forget it. Go by yourself.”

“I said we’re going together. Get up, let’s go now.”

Simultaneously with those words, Saheon rose from the bed. Knowing he was the type who would stubbornly follow through once he made up his mind, Seoul, startled, shook his head quickly. It was a natural reaction, as Saheon looked ready to drag him away even if he had to carry him over his shoulder.

Seoul, who had memories of experiencing hell after exercising with him without knowing any better, pulled his body back as if to run away. Even so, it was all for naught because his wrist was caught. Even in this situation, the fact that he was only holding on lightly as promised was more annoying. When Seoul tried to shake him off by force, Saheon scolded him saying, “Easy, easy,” which was absurd. Fearing that he really would be dragged away at this rate, a half-terrified Seoul shouted.

“I said I’m not going…!”

“Then are you going to my schedule with me?”

“The, what?”

“Go to the shoot with me instead of the gym. It’s boring going alone.”

At the suddenly appearing option, Seoul, who had forgotten to pull his arm back and forth, drew a flurry of question marks. If it’s a shoot, does he mean that commercial shoot today? He couldn’t understand why he had to go along for that. It wasn’t like they were going out to play, so what did he mean by “boring”? Seoul frowned, dismissing it as nonsense.

“It doesn’t take long by car, so what’s boring? Stop saying strange things and get ready quickly. It’s past 8:00 now.”

“Ah. Then I’m scared to go alone.”

“Seo Saheon. You’re the one I’m most scared of right now.”

“Do you want me to really make it scary? Shall I carry you to the gym on my shoulder?”

“No, I’m asking why I would go there…”

“We’re filming this. Then shouldn’t we be stuck together for 24 hours?”

“…”

This wasn’t some close-up coverage video; seeing Saheon start to use such ridiculous logic made Seoul’s head ache. Of course, it was a 24-hour observation variety show… but he was doing this on purpose while clearly knowing that wasn’t what it meant.

Seoul, letting out a sigh, fell into quiet thought. He had dismissed it as total nonsense, but thinking about it, it wasn’t entirely so. If even Saheon went out for a schedule, it was true that Seoul would have to be in the house alone until evening. He had been planning to go to the mart since they were running out of ingredients and he needed to buy Legos, but honestly, he didn’t have the confidence to fill the audio while looking at the camera alone.

But isn’t it also strange to follow him there?

He was hesitating because it seemed ridiculous to take up a spot in the studio when he wasn’t even the one appearing, but Saheon, who noticed Seoul’s hesitation like a ghost, added more. “Articles are going out about this today anyway. Isn’t it good for promotion? They’ll actually like it if you come. Because I’ll finish the shoot early.”

“…”

Where does that confidence come from?

He thought that it only ends when “that side” is satisfied, not because the model finishes early, but somehow it seemed possible if it was Seo Saheon.

In the end, after deliberating a few times, Seoul gave in and nodded his head. He urged him to call and ask in advance instead, but seeing Saheon’s attitude of only hearing the answer he wanted and ignoring the rest, he felt uneasy for some reason. When Seoul pulled his arm away, Saheon finally released his wrist, stretched lightly, and muttered.

“I’m wide awake now because of someone.”

He really didn’t know who should be saying that to whom.

Seoul, who sat down on the bed with a face that looked instantly drained of energy, replied weakly.

“I’m not going to wake you up anymore…”

“Why? I was saying thank you.”

“Don’t lie.”

“Then you want me to blow off my whole schedule? Pay several times the penalty and just sit out on the street? You were the one who told me to take responsibility for my assigned work properly. Lee Seoul.”

“…”

Let’s just stop talking.

Whether he paid several times the penalty or not, Seoul knew he would live a lavish life instead of sitting on the street, but he kept his mouth shut. It was also true that he had told him to take responsibility for his work properly, so he just squeezed his eyes shut. However, Saheon, who he thought would leave immediately, was standing still looking down at him.

Seoul, swallowing a sigh while wondering what he was doing now, opened his mouth. It seemed that while Saheon went to exercise, he should lie down here for a bit.

“I said I’d go with you. Quickly go to the gym by yourself.”

“So what is it.”

“What…”

“You said you didn’t put on perfume.”

Seoul, wondering what he meant, blinked his eyes. It was because the reason this whole mess started came to mind late. He thought it would just be passed over, but the atmosphere of him pointedly questioning wasn’t one of just letting it go. But since it was actually no big deal, Seoul also answered in a passing tone.

“Ah. I think it’s Juyeol’s perfume…”

“Ye Juyeol?”

“Yeah. He just left for a schedule with Hyeok. It must have rubbed off at the entrance.”

Saheon’s brow narrowed for a moment, but that was it. It was a miracle that occurred because he didn’t think Ye Juyeol would be bold enough to hug Seoul. Still, what was bothersome was bothersome, so Saheon, with a hardened expression, began to act nonchalantly.

“My stomach has been nauseous because of that since earlier.”

“I’m not really sure… is it that strong?”

When Saheon stroked his mouth as if he were truly about to vomit, Seoul asked with rabbit-like eyes. Actually, since Seo Saheon was so sensitive he had detected it, but Seoul hadn’t even perceived it. Thinking it might be that bad, Seoul lowered his head and tried to smell it, but Saheon immediately reached out, grabbed Seoul’s chin, and spoke with a chilly expression.

“What are you doing, getting all worked up smelling someone else’s perfume?”

“Huh?”

“Just go take a shower.”