Sunshine Shower Chapter 101

They were getting rid of the piano. Moon Seoyoon couldn’t understand why his father hadn’t discussed it with him. Did he think it wasn’t important? Though Woo Yeonjae and his father had played it once when they visited home, it had essentially become a decorative piece over the years. Still, it was something filled with memories of his childhood and his mother.

It was the oldest memory he had in this house, and also the most recent. The memories in this house began with the piano he played with his mother and ended with the one he played for Woo Yeonjae.

“Ha…”

He felt suffocated. Moon Seoyoon ran a hand over his face as if wiping it dry. As his hand brushed past his lashes, he looked straight ahead at the grand piano.

He hadn’t expected his father to think of his mother forever. His father was still young, so Moon Seoyoon always thought he might meet someone else. That’s why he accepted it easily when his father introduced him to someone new.

It was difficult to handle the suspicion that the person might have been involved in an affair with his father, but since he had no proof, he could suppress the swirling emotions to some extent.

Even so, he never imagined his father would treat the memories left in the piano as something so insignificant.

But… is this the right thing? Since his father had started a new family with someone else, should the piano be cleared out, too?

Maybe it wasn’t his father moving forward, but him being stuck in the past. Yet, there was a huge difference between what his head understood and what his heart felt.

Moon Seoyoon gripped his clothes tightly and bowed his head. The piano that had been in his view disappeared between his knees. As a cloud of thoughts flooded his mind, breathing became difficult. He wondered if it was normal for a 23-year-old adult to be so troubled by something like this, but it wasn’t something he could control.

Suddenly, Woo Yeonjae’s voice echoed in his ears.

‘A husband and a child aren’t the same… The professor might meet someone else, but for you… you lost your one and only mother.’

At the time, he thought they were feeling the same pain. They had both lost someone important.

But it was all a misunderstanding. To think that the memories so precious to him would be just as precious to his father—that was a foolish assumption.

The father he remembered had loved his mother sincerely. That’s why he could feel such happiness when he played the piano for the two of them. Though the memory had faded, the fluttering excitement in his heart remained vivid.

“Ugh…”

He should have given up hope the moment he found out his father had met someone else even before his mother passed. The fact that he avoided facing it because he wanted to believe it wasn’t true—simply because they were family—that was his mistake.

He had no idea that the precious memories would be forgotten, just like the piano left behind, untouched by anyone. How foolish.

In the end, love, too, is just like any other fleeting emotion.

It will eventually fade and disappear.

* * *

Moon Seoyoon opened his eyes. He reached for his phone and saw that it was past 9 a.m. Since he hadn’t set an alarm, relying on Woo Yeonjae to wake him up, he had woken later than usual. I hope it’s not too hot today, he thought as he sat up from the bed.

When he went to the kitchen to get some water, he noticed an unexpected quietness. Not only was there no sound of daily life, but there was also an eerie stillness, with no trace of anyone around. Moon Seoyoon drank lukewarm water instead of cold and walked over to Woo Yeonjae’s room.

“Woo Yeonjae?”

He knocked and called out, but there was no response.

Did he go out? Cautiously opening the door, he was greeted by an empty room. The neatly made bed was so clean it made him question whether anyone had slept in it.

“Looks like he went out.”

Familiar with Woo Yeonjae’s tidy habits, Moon Seoyoon didn’t think much of it and headed back to the kitchen.

Standing still and sipping his water, he felt a little strange. It was probably because of the empty apartment rather than the fact that it was his mother’s memorial day.

“He didn’t mention going out yesterday…”

Naturally, his thoughts drifted to the previous evening.

Sensing that something was off, Woo Yeonjae had persistently tried to get him to talk, as if asking him to explain what had happened. But instead of opening up about the piano, Moon Seoyoon had mumbled a vague response. He had felt embarrassed about being upset over something like a piano as a grown adult.

Feeling upset about something tied to precious memories had nothing to do with age. Yet, for some reason, he didn’t want to show that emotion to Woo Yeonjae. Perhaps it was because Woo Yeonjae was the only person who understood what the piano meant to him.

“It’s not like I’m overly attached to it… but since Woo Yeonjae has been visiting our house since we were kids, he’d probably guess how I feel if I brought it up.”

Some people want to reveal their wounds and seek comfort, while others prefer to hide them. Moon Seoyoon was the latter. Above all, he didn’t want to burden a friend who was already paying so much attention to him lately with more concerns.

After finishing his cup and washing it clean, Moon Seoyoon went back to his room. He planned to take a shower, change clothes, and then go see his mother, bringing a bouquet.

In the midst of the chaos, he was thankful he had brought clothes from home. Moon Seoyoon checked once more to make sure his appearance was neat. His grandfather had given him a suit as a gift when he entered university, but wearing it felt too burdensome for his age, so he opted for a white shirt and black slacks instead.

“This looks neat enough, I suppose.”

Just as he was about to leave, the cologne that Woo Yeonjae had given him caught his eye.

Moon Seoyoon hesitated before spraying some on. It had been a while since he’d visited his mother, and he wanted to show her a more mature side of himself.

“Not that wearing cologne makes me more mature or anything…”

With a sheepish laugh, he muttered to himself.

Considering how awful he had felt yesterday, Moon Seoyoon’s condition was surprisingly fine. Perhaps it was because he had been mentally exhausted and had slept deeply. Plus, after taking an unusually long hot shower, his body felt a bit lighter.

Moon Seoyoon grabbed his black jacket as he left the room. He glanced at Woo Yeonjae’s door for no particular reason before heading toward the front door. But before he got too close, the lights flicked on, and a familiar figure appeared. It was, of course, Woo Yeonjae.

The moment Woo Yeonjae unexpectedly appeared, Moon Seoyoon froze in surprise. As their eyes met, Woo Yeonjae, who was taking off his shoes, looked back at him.

“You’re awake. I was going to call to wake you, but I didn’t.”

“I’ve only been up for less than an hour… Where did you go?”

Woo Yeonjae was dressed in a suit. Even though he was only 23, the black suit fit him perfectly, as if it were made for him.

Thinking back, even when he had shown up at the funeral, it hadn’t felt awkward. Moon Seoyoon hadn’t had the luxury to notice his friends’ appearances at the time because he was struggling to hold back his tears, but he vividly remembered that Woo Yeonjae in a suit hadn’t seemed out of place.

That memory was still clear because, unlike him, who had looked awkward in his suit, Woo Yeonjae had seemed completely at ease. More than anything, Moon Seoyoon could never forget how grateful he had been that, unlike the other friends who had come in their school uniforms, Woo Yeonjae had shown up in a proper suit.

The black mourning clothes had made Moon Seoyoon feel undeniably different from his friends. The gap between them had brought on a sense of sadness and anxiety, but the moment he saw Woo Yeonjae in his black suit, those feelings had quickly faded away.

He wasn’t exactly sure how to define the emotions he had felt at the time, but perhaps it had been relief. The relief that came from knowing he wasn’t so alone—brought on by something as simple as Woo Yeonjae’s clothes.

“I had some errands to run, so I went out for a bit. It’s not as hot as I thought. It should be a good day to visit your mom.”

“It’s not hot? That’s a relief.”

Woo Yeonjae walked over with long strides, casually cupping Seoyoon’s cheek and brushing his fingers under his eyes. The sudden touch made Seoyoon want to pull back, but with his face held, moving away would be too obvious.

“What’s wrong?”

In the end, Moon Seoyoon reached out and held Woo Yeonjae’s wrist, hoping his voice wouldn’t tremble. It was difficult to avoid his steady gaze, and all he could do was blink slowly, trying not to let his fluttering eyelashes and rapid blinks reveal his unease.

“You didn’t cry. I thought maybe you had.”

As Woo Yeonjae’s intense gaze finally left his face, his hand gradually dropped away too. Seoyoon awkwardly muttered under his breath.

“I’m not a kid anymore… Anyway, when did you go out?”

“Early this morning.”

“This morning?”

Did someone pass away? Moon Seoyoon glanced over Woo Yeonjae’s outfit again. But his white shirt and black suit didn’t particularly scream “funeral.” Besides, if he had gone to a funeral, he probably wouldn’t have come back so soon.

“The sun rises early these days.”

“Well, that’s true… Anyway, I’m heading out now.”

“You sure you don’t want me to come with you?”

Just as Moon Seoyoon was about to leave, Woo Yeonjae spoke again, one eyebrow raised slightly.

“I’m really fine.”

As Woo Yeonjae quietly stared down at him, Moon Seoyoon smiled once more.

“Yeonjae, I’m really okay.”