Yeom Gang-sik’s reminder — to take a good look at the kid’s face while he still could — had been true. Ever since Sa-heon agreed to appear on the variety show together, his schedule had been murderous. He hadn’t had a single moment to breathe.Even Seo-eul, who lived with him, could barely see his face these days, so it was hard not to worry. He knew Sa-heon was born with ridiculous stamina and could manage his own condition well enough, but still, it was impossible not to be concerned.If Sa-heon were to hear that, he’d probably scoff and say, Who are you to worry about who?…Or maybe not. These days, he might just groan dramatically and say he was dying instead. The image of Sa-heon, that huge man curling up like a crumpled piece of paper and whining weakly, made laughter rise in Seo-eul’s throat. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep his expression under control.Still, it was a relief. In the past, Sa-heon would have thrown a fit at the very idea of leaving the house without Seo-eul. When his symptoms were at their worst, he had done utterly unreasonable things without hesitation. Compared to that, he really had gotten better.He seemed to be sleeping properly again too. It would be nice if his schedule loosened up a little. Seo-eul swallowed a sigh and spoke. Normally, Sa-heon would have been here with him as a pair today, but right now, Seo Sa-heon was in Milan.“Yeah. I haven’t seen him at all lately either.”“Well, with people that busy, it can’t be helped. I can’t tell you how happy I am to have you here with us right now. Honestly, every season, you two were always number one on my dream casting list. Since neither of you ever do variety shows, I’d half given up, but… wow, I guess miracles happen.”Jeon Jae-yeon PD put her hand to her chest reverently, clearly moved, and Seo-eul gave a sheepish smile and lowered his voice.“Aren’t you overpraising me? I’m really nervous.”“Can someone twenty years into their career even get nervous?”“Of course… I even had a nightmare last night.”Lifting his head as if to prove he wasn’t lying, Seo-eul revealed a face still a little dull from lack of sleep. The elegant ends of his eyes drooped slightly, giving him a shockingly delicate look. The writers, all busy eating their tarts, had one unified thought: We understand what you’re saying, but Seo-eul, with that face right now, you couldn’t film anything but a pictorial…Viewers watching this scene would probably think the same, so the staff could only smile softly. Jeon Jae-yeon PD laughed and said it was normal to be nervous before a first variety show, but a nightmare was still extreme, and asked curiously,“But what was it about? Can I ask?”“Oh, it’s nothing. Just… in the middle of filming, you suddenly took away all the cameras. When I asked what you were doing, you said the guest was too boring, so the show was canceled. You told me to go home.”“What—”“So I was walking home, and then I woke up.”It was, indeed, the kind of nonsense dream only stress could create. Who ends filming without notice, and who cancels an entire show because a guest isn’t fun? The problem, though, was the look on Seo-eul’s face as he said it — genuinely downcast, as if he had just walked for hours through the streets.And of course, unexpected sincerity in ridiculous moments was always the funniest thing of all.The man known all his life as the nation’s actor, flawless and untouchable, was suddenly digging his own hole over a dream — and the production team couldn’t help bursting into real laughter. They quickly ducked their heads; laughing right in his face would be rude.Coughs filled the air as Jeon Jae-yeon PD tried to compose herself, lips twitching.“Khmm. Those staff members really had no sense. But Seo-eul, why did you walk home? Where was your manager?”“He quit because of me. Said he could handle an actor who can’t act, but not one who can’t do variety. He said he was going to open a loach soup restaurant instead. I… honestly don’t even know what that means.”“Oh dear…”That was it. She couldn’t hold it anymore. Instead of laughing out loud, Jeon Jae-yeon PD slammed her forehead onto the table. Seo-eul blinked, startled by the sudden display, and when he turned, everyone else was visibly holding back laughter. Realizing belatedly what was happening, he scratched his cheek awkwardly.“You can laugh. My manager laughed too when he heard it.”Remembering Gun-soo shaking with laughter behind the wheel, he said that, and the room instantly erupted. Seo-eul thought it was a silly story himself, but wasn’t sure it was that funny, and felt embarrassed.Still, the atmosphere relaxed at once.Jeon Jae-yeon PD reassured him over and over that nothing like that would ever happen, and Seo-eul nodded earnestly until he could finally pick up the menu. When told to order anything he liked regardless of price, he chose crab fried rice and added kung pao shrimp, figuring someone would eat it anyway.Once the order was done, the real discussion began.“We gathered again today to talk more about the show itself — we didn’t have time to last time. Between the survey and the individual interviews, it must’ve been a whirlwind, right?”That was putting it mildly. The introductions had barely ended before they’d been handed forms and hustled straight into interviews. He hardly remembered what he’d said. There had been so many pages that it felt like being back in high school exams. Seo-eul nodded, and Jeon Jae-yeon PD smiled kindly as she tapped the tablet beside her.“The filming period will be two weeks. All participants will live together 24 hours a day in the ‘Friendly House’ we’ve prepared. But don’t worry — we’re not that kind of intense variety show. It’s a healing-observational format, with a twist: the swapping system.”“I know. I actually watched all the previous seasons.”“What? You did?”During the weeks Sa-heon had been busy, Seo-eul had for the first time watched a variety show instead of a drama or film. Feeling guilty about having done the pre-interview without understanding the format, he’d decided to study — only to regret it immediately. The reason for its guaranteed ratings had been obvious: every season, the cast’s banter was explosively funny. He hadn’t learned much, except how hopelessly unfunny he himself was. Still, at least he’d learned the basic structure.“That’s such an honor! Then this will be easier. You know there’ll be one more best-friend pair besides you and Sa-heon, right?”“Yes. But you’re not going to tell me who, are you?”“You’ll meet them as a surprise after moving in! That’s the whole charm of Best Friend X Swap, hahaha!”The show’s concept involved four total participants — two pairs of “best friends” who would swap partners and live as roommates for two weeks. Because each pair’s identity was kept secret until filming day, it often led to awkward or hilarious reunions.“This season, we’re actually going to interfere even less than before. Aside from interviews, missions, and outdoor shoots, the production crew won’t be ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) entering the house at all. Communication will happen only through the cameras we install and the phone app.”That was different from past seasons, where staff had handed out mission envelopes or made direct calls. As he nodded attentively, photos of the house — presumably the “Friendly House” — appeared on the screen, followed by a QR code.At her cue to install it now, Seo-eul took out his phone, downloaded the app, and entered the code the writer read out loud, accessing the main screen.Below the title written in cute font, “Best Friend☓Swap,” were several menu options:Today’s Best Friend (NEW!)Friend Swap HistoryFriendly Market? ? ?? ? ?“When you see a NEW tag, that means the ‘Today’s Best Friend’ event is active. You’ll get a notification when it’s sent urgently. Want to try tapping it now?”Following Jeon Jae-yeon PD’s guidance, Seo-eul pressed the button labeled “Today’s Best Friend.”Ding!With a cheerful sound, the screen changed, and a familiar phrase appeared:>> Event <<You came alone to the pre-meeting.Your first variety outing feels scary, doesn’t it?Need a reliable ally?You can get one by swapping your best friend!It was the show’s main theme — the swap event. When he first heard the title Best Friend X Swap and about the paired cast, he had assumed it meant they’d simply trade friends for missions. The reality hit like a slap.They really did swap them.What? My best friend.When he tapped the screen, glittering effects popped up, followed by a confirmation window and a warning:Would you like to swap Seo Sa-heon for [Reliable Ally]?Reward: 3 Coins⚠ Warning: Your best friend might [ ] you...

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