Sunshine Shower Chapter 103

After returning to the car, quite some time had passed before Moon Seoyoon finally called Woo Yeonjae. The air was still cool, but it was undeniably summer, so his cheeks had flushed red. After cooling down, he pressed the back of his hand against his heated eyelids.

“Yeah?”

A quiet voice came from the other side. The call had connected faster than expected, and Moon Seoyoon instinctively called out to Woo Yeonjae.

“Yeonjae.”

Contrary to his expectation of an immediate response, there was a long silence. He had definitely heard a voice, so the call was connected, right? Moon Seoyoon pulled his phone away from his ear to check the screen. The call duration was still ticking away.

“Woo Yeonjae.”

Still, no answer came.

“Can’t you hear me?”

Just as he was about to press the button to end the call and try again, a voice came belatedly.

“Yeah.”

“I thought the call wasn’t going through since you weren’t answering. Or did you already meet Hyunseung?”

“I was just trying to figure out if you cried or not.”

Momentarily at a loss for words, Moon Seoyoon bit his tongue out of frustration. He let out a sigh, trying to be subtle about it, and leaned his head against the steering wheel before asking lightly,

“What do you think?”

“Well, since you called me by my name, Yeonjae, I’d say you probably did cry…”

Since becoming an adult, Moon Seoyoon had mostly used Woo Yeonjae’s full name whenever referring to him. It was fine with other friends, but for some reason, just calling him by his first name felt oddly embarrassing. It was probably due to the ticklish feeling it stirred up inside him.

“But, considering you’re bringing up Kim Hyunseung, maybe not.”

Moon Seoyoon chuckled softly.

“I’m planning to leave soon. I should get to Seoul a little after 5.”

“You’ve been there a while.”

The way Woo Yeonjae dragged out his words made it sound like, “You’ve been crying,” rather than, “You’ve been there a while.” His departure had been delayed because he had taken time to cool his eyes to avoid showing any signs of crying. Instead of showing it, Moon Seoyoon tried to sound casual.

“There was a lot to talk about since it’s been a while.”

“Did you talk bad about me?”

The voice, asking softly, had a hint of laughter in it. It wasn’t too heavy, a tone meant to lift the mood. As Moon Seoyoon listened to the laugh, he fiddled with the steering wheel. It felt like the sensation of fluttering petals was returning to his fingertips.

“I just asked if you were still as pretty, that’s all.”

He barely swallowed the question he almost asked: “Are you the bouquet?”

“Ah, nice…”

The word “nice” lodged itself deeply in his heart.

“Who’s been complimenting you so much?”

Moon Seoyoon slowly lifted his head from the steering wheel.

“It wasn’t me, it was my mom saying you’re pretty…”

He heard a faint sound of laughter from the other end.

“Anyway, where are you? I’ll head straight there.”

He had lost the desire to drink long ago, but canceling plans suddenly would definitely seem inconsiderate. Of course, neither Woo Yeonjae nor Kim Hyunseung would question the abrupt change of plans. They’d probably think it was understandable, assuming his emotions were unsettled because of the anniversary of his mother’s passing.

But showing any signs of being down meant Woo Yeonjae wouldn’t let it go. Even if he didn’t pry with questions, if he tried to comfort him like usual, Moon Seoyoon feared he might break down this time. That was the last thing he wanted.

“Someplace quiet would be better… Do you want wine?”

“Wine? The place we went last time?”

“Yeah. Hyunseung’s been pestering me about when I’m going to take him there.”

Though he briefly considered going somewhere noisy, Moon Seoyoon started the engine and answered.

“Okay. I’ll head over there.”

Since it was the anniversary of his mother’s passing, he figured a quiet evening would be more fitting.

“Hurry up.”

Woo Yeonjae’s voice dragged out lazily.

“Don’t people usually tell you to take your time?”

“That’s just something people say.”

“Then tell me to take my time.”

“No thanks.”

After the slow, drawn-out words, a warm remark followed.

“I want to see you, so come quickly.”

Following the staff’s guidance, Moon Seoyoon went upstairs and headed to the restroom first. As he washed his hands, he glanced at his reflection. Worried that it might be obvious he had been crying, he was relieved to see his face looked relatively okay. He hadn’t been crying for hours on end, so this wasn’t too bad. Though, considering Woo Yeonjae’s sharp eye, he knew he might still get caught, but with the dim lighting, it wouldn’t be too noticeable, and he felt a bit more at ease.

“Ha…”

Lowering his gaze back to the sink, Moon Seoyoon focused on washing his hands. The cold water passed between his fingers several times.

After turning off the water, he checked his face one last time before leaving the restroom.

From the second floor onward, the bar operated in a more private manner. There didn’t seem to be any other customers, and the door was open. Looks like they’re inside. Just as he was about to walk in, a familiar voice stopped him in his tracks.

“But is Moon okay? Today’s the anniversary of his mother’s passing, right?”

Moon Seoyoon quickly halted his steps. It would have been easy enough to walk in casually, joking that they were talking about him, but unfortunately, he didn’t have Kim Hyunseung’s knack for acting nonchalant.

“He doesn’t seem to be doing too well.”

“Should he even be drinking?”

“Let him. It’s probably better to let him drink and then get him to sleep.”

When should I go in? Moon Seoyoon thought it would be best to wait until they finished talking about him, so he held his breath, remaining as silent as possible.

“Is Moon a child? Get him drunk and put him to bed?”

“So, Hyunseung, do you give alcohol to kids now?”

“Screw you, man. When you put it like that, I’ve got nothing to say.”

Listening to the bickering, Moon Seoyoon’s lips curled into a silent smile. Despite how they seemed to clash, they got along well, which is probably why they had stayed friends for so long.

“By the way, did Moon go there alone?”

“Probably.”

“You should’ve gone with him. I know he’d refuse if I suggested it, but if you had offered, he might’ve gone with you.”

Hyunseung’s objective reflection stung a bit. Like Woo Yeonjae, he was also a good friend, but since they only met after high school, it was hard to talk about the anniversary of his mother’s passing with him. A sudden wave of guilt washed over him—had Woo Yeonjae felt hurt?

“He insisted on going alone, so I didn’t press him. But I went separately.”

“By yourself?”

“In the early morning.”

Just as he had suspected, it seemed the bouquet had been left by Woo Yeonjae. Leaning against the wall, Moon Seoyoon stared at the tips of his shoes. It felt like those soft petals hadn’t been placed under the tree, but had instead settled in his heart. Even though he felt guilty about his emotions, it was strange and amusing how he could still feel a flutter of excitement.

“Really? Well done. You know, Woo Yeonjae, sometimes I think you’re a damn good friend. I think I’m starting to understand why Moon puts up with your terrible personality.”

“If you think my personality is terrible, then you, Kim Hyunseung, aren’t really one to talk.”

“Yeah, but I’m generous enough to let it slide.”

Kim Hyunseung chuckled as he continued.

“But seriously, you should stop acting like Moon’s dad. Saying you’ll put him to bed after drinking? Who talks like that to a grown man?”

“Dad?”

“Yeah, sometimes you treat Moon like a kid. Just like earlier when you said you’d get him to sleep after drinking. Who says that to an adult man?”

“Oh, that.”

Woo Yeonjae let out a low laugh, almost like a scoff.

“I didn’t think it was a big deal.”

“I’m serious. Are you Moon’s dad or something?”

“Hmm… Actually, it’d probably be better if I were his dad. A dad is a first-degree relative, right?”

At the lighthearted joke, Moon Seoyoon couldn’t help but let out a bitter smile. Sometimes, even close blood relations or family ties didn’t mean much. He relied more on Woo Yeonjae than on his own father, though not because he harbored any romantic feelings for him. Even without such emotions, Woo Yeonjae was simply the person he could lean on more.

“Man, you’re such a crazy bastard.”

Kim Hyunseung clicked his tongue, responding as if he could perfectly imagine the expression Woo Yeonjae was making—probably shaking his head in disbelief as he glared at him.

The mood seemed to have lightened, as if they had never touched upon a heavy subject. It seemed like a good time to walk in. Just as Moon Seoyoon was about to step forward, Kim Hyunseung threw in another joke.

“Why not just say you’re getting married? Married couples are non-relatives, right? You’d be closer than first-degree family.”

His steps, which had been moving naturally, suddenly stopped, like a malfunctioning robot. If he walked in now, his expression would betray him. He was sure he’d ruin the mood by acting overly awkward.

“And besides, Woo, you’re an American citizen, right? Can’t you get married in the States?”

Instead of the usual witty comeback, a cold silence followed. The abrupt quiet pressed down on Moon Seoyoon’s lungs, making it hard to breathe.

“Hey… why so serious?”

Kim Hyunseung, also feeling the weight of the atmosphere, tried to ease the situation with an awkward voice.

“I only said it because you brought up the first-degree relative thing. Alright, I get it, I crossed the line. My bad.”

“……”

“But honestly, wouldn’t Moon be more offended than you, Woo Yeonjae…?”

“Would he?”

Moon Seoyoon’s steady breathing faltered, his heartbeat quickly spiraling out of control. Woo Yeonjae’s response had been light and casual, yet Moon Seoyoon found himself instinctively lowering his head and biting the inside of his cheek.

“What the hell? What are you even talking about now?”

“Should I just go to the States and marry Moon Seoyoon?”

The frantic pounding of his heart came to a sudden halt. Moon Seoyoon blinked. It felt as if he were drowning in a vacuum, gasping for breath.