Best Friend X Swap

“Hyung, did the talk end well?”
Click. Just as he was leaving the CEO’s office after roughly sorting things out, someone spoke up as if they’d been waiting for the chance. Startled, Seo-eul—half-dragging Seo Sa-heon out by the wrist—turned toward the voice.
It was his manager, Heo Gun-soo.
How long had he been standing there like that? Seo-eul blinked at him, dumbfounded, seeing him planted quietly beside the office door without a sound.
“Gun-soo, why are you here? Were you waiting for me?”
“Yup! I thought you’d be out soon. You’re heading home now, right? I’ll drive you.”
Gun-soo grinned, spreading out the hand that had been clenched into a fist. A car key dangled between his fingers. He must have been standing guard so Seo-eul wouldn’t leave without him. Even though Seo-eul had told him to go home early—since there were no schedules tomorrow—he had clearly ignored that order again.
Knowing he’d been waiting all this time, not knowing when Seo-eul might come out, made Seo-eul feel uneasy. It was as if he’d left the kid standing in the hallway as punishment. Having been his manager for over a year now, Gun-soo was the type who was almost excessively devoted to his artist.
Enthusiasm was good, but this was too much. No matter how many times Seo-eul told him he didn’t have to, it never stuck.
“I told you to go home, didn’t I? If I need something, I’ll contact you.”
“Aw, but you won’t. I feel better this way anyway. You looked upset earlier, and besides, I’ve got nothing to do at home.”
“……”
If he had nothing to do, couldn’t he at least rest?
Still, since he’d waited out of worry, Seo-eul couldn’t scold him further. He exhaled a faint laugh without realizing, and Gun-soo’s face brightened immediately, as if that were a signal.
“You’re not mad, right?” he added playfully, but his gaze kept flicking toward the person behind Seo-eul like a magnet. Seo-eul had no choice but to nod, because he could already picture the next line coming.
“But it’s a good thing I waited! I got to see Sa-heon hyung too—two birds with one stone, right? Heh-heh. Hyung, have you been well? You look perfect as always.”
“Yes.”
There it was.
Unable to contain his fanboy energy any longer, Gun-soo greeted Sa-heon with sparkling eyes, and Seo-eul couldn’t help but chuckle.
Everyone in the agency knew Heo Gun-soo was a diehard Seo Sa-heon fan. Just look at him now—on the verge of tears at a single, emotionless “yes.”
Sa-heon, on the other hand, looked half-dead.
“I bought four copies of Mono last week!”
“Just buy one.”
The tone could only be described as “you’re wasting paper,” but Gun-soo immediately launched into a passionate defense. One copy? Impossible.

“Ugh, how could I do that? There’s the collectible, the display copy, the reading copy, and the burial copy—so four total! You’re on the cover for the fourth time already, right? Sold out again, of course! The Cardé collab was basically made for you, hyung! My heart’s been racing nonstop—whew! You know what I mean, right?”
“Arrhythmia.”
“Hyung, your sense of humor is insane. That’s so good.”
“Why do you assume it’s a joke?”
“Ah, you’re killing me!”
Ah, the power of devotion. Even when faced with Seo Sa-heon’s brand of insolence, Gun-soo laughed like he’d just heard the funniest thing in the world. The man could give anyone arrhythmia, and yet Gun-soo was fearless. Seo Sa-heon, who couldn’t tell a joke to save his life, had somehow become a world-class comedian.
Which, of course, left Seo-eul in an awkward position.
Sneaking a glance at Sa-heon out of concern—sure enough—his face was already cold.
Then go to the hospital, why don’t you.
Seo-eul tugged sharply at the wrist he was still holding, as if to stop him before he inflicted actual injury. Sa-heon’s gaze slid down toward him. Seo-eul gave a small shake of his head: don’t. Sa-heon lifted a brow, then—miraculously—kept his mouth shut.
He really did know when to listen.
Amused despite himself, Seo-eul looked back at Gun-soo. The younger man, who had stopped laughing, now sighed wistfully.
“If only I could manage both of you,” he murmured, sounding genuinely regretful. It was almost endearing how much he adored Sa-heon.
Still, it was time to cut this off before it went too far.
“Hey, Gun-soo—”
“Seo-eul’s coming with me, so you can go home.”
But Seo-eul didn’t get the chance to finish. The firm voice came from beside him, cutting cleanly through Gun-soo’s chatter. The manager blinked in surprise, clapping his hands together as if he’d just remembered his job. Then, as if a bright idea had struck, he smiled wide.
“Oh, you drove? If you’re tired, I can drive instead! I don’t have any outside work tomorrow.”
“I see. Go home.”
“Yessir!”
Being an old fan of Seo Sa-heon, Gun-soo knew better than to test his patience. A repeated order meant danger. If you didn’t want to “retire” from life early, you left now.
He quickly stepped aside, clearing the path. Sa-heon moved forward at once, pulling Seo-eul along by the wrist.
Caught off guard, Seo-eul stumbled after him. “Uh, wait—uh—” He turned back just in time to see Gun-soo smiling and waving with both hands.
“Okay—see you! Thanks for today, Gun-soo! …Hey! Slow down!”
Sa-heon’s stride was far too long, as if he were showing off his legs. Seo-eul, nearly shouting the words after him, grumbled under his breath. The moment he loosened his grip to pull free, Sa-heon’s hand clamped tighter around his wrist again. What the hell was this?
“Why are you like this? Someone chasing us?”
“Yeah.”
“There’s no one here…”
The eighth floor, where the CEO’s office was located, was empty except for the two of them. Yet Sa-heon had the nerve to answer straight-faced. Seo-eul started to mutter a retort, only for another nonsensical line to follow. Maybe it was because no other staff were around that he showed this side of himself.
Bickering, the two of them disappeared down the hall.
Gun-soo stood there the whole time, hand still raised, expression unchanged.
***
“Don’t get too close to him.”
They had just climbed into Sa-heon’s car, parked deep in the underground lot, when he said it. Seo-eul, fumbling with his seatbelt, blinked in confusion. The only person they’d just met was his manager.
“You mean Gun-soo?”
“Yeah.”
“What, are you managing your fanbase now?”
Fan management and Seo Sa-heon—two words that didn’t belong in the same universe. The corners of Seo-eul’s mouth lifted without his permission. Sa-heon, watching him quietly, reached over and snapped the seatbelt into place himself. Then, with one hand, he cupped Seo-eul’s small face and pressed both cheeks together until his lips poked out like a beak.
Only then did Seo-eul finally stop laughing, nodding as best ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) he could. Whenever Sa-heon didn’t want to hear something—or got a little irritated—he always did this. It made talking impossible.
Even so, he didn’t let go right away, instead squeezing alternately at each cheek until Seo-eul smacked his hand away. Only after the light slap did Sa-heon withdraw, and Seo-eul rubbed at his burning face with a glare that wasn’t entirely unfond.
The car started up and pulled smoothly out of the garage.
“Why? He’s just being nice. He likes me, sure, but he’s a good kid—just a little overzealous.”
“……”
“You say that, but you get along with him fine. You don’t even talk to people you actually dislike.”
They’d even exchanged numbers and texted, so this reaction was strange. Especially since earlier, Sa-heon had answered Gun-soo—something he almost never did with strangers.
Maybe something had happened between them?
But nothing came to mind. As Seo-eul puzzled over it, the car slowed to a stop at a red light. Staring ahead at the glow, Sa-heon said offhandedly,
“He’s your manager. That’s the only reason.”
Otherwise, what would they even be talking for? It was just because of you.
That last line came quietly, but it froze Seo-eul’s face completely. Thankfully, he was turned toward the window—otherwise, his expression would’ve given him away.
He knew. He knew there was no deeper meaning behind those words.
And yet, the stupid thump in his chest made him bite his lip in frustration.
Then, as if reading his thoughts, Sa-heon murmured,
“You know what I mean. There’s never been a single person who liked me and stayed sane.”