Sunshine Shower – Chapter 125

Author: nicotine

As if he had never revealed his emotions fully, Moon Seoyoon was now wrapped in a soft, leather-like demeanor. His calm face, signaling that he wouldn’t allow anyone to cross the line, made it hard for Woo Yeonjae to breathe.

Woo Yeonjae had been optimistic. He believed it would be an easy issue to resolve since he recognized the feelings, albeit in a different shade, as similar to Moon Seoyoon’s. But it seemed that wasn’t the case for Moon Seoyoon.

“Where did it all go wrong?”

The cold water at least helped him think more clearly. Slowly, his mind began to replay the past.

Was it a mistake to casually say that he liked him?

Or was it pushing him to his limit before talking about dating?

‘I should’ve never let it show in the first place.’

He had a rough idea of when Moon Seoyoon had realized his feelings. It was probably on the anniversary of his mother’s death.

Had he overheard back then? Kim Hyunseung had brushed it off as a joke, but there was no way someone like Moon Seoyoon hadn’t sensed the sincerity hidden in his voice.

‘Our Seoyoon really likes me.’

It had been arrogance that burst out without any attempt to hide it. To be precise, he hadn’t even wanted to hide it.

The fact that he had captured Moon Seoyoon’s heart left him so satisfied that he couldn’t resist flaunting it to those who only saw them as ordinary friends. It was too grand a joy to savor alone.

If Moon Seoyoon had heard those words, if that was why he had asked for sex, if that was why he cried like a child, sobbing uncontrollably, then Woo Yeonjae had a glimpse of why their relationship had come to an end.

‘Really, I’m the worst.’

The image of Moon Seoyoon’s tear-streaked face, calling him the worst, came to mind.

He truly was the worst, just as Moon Seoyoon had said.

The only moment that Woo Yeonjae found truly unbearable was seeing his one and only childhood friend in tears. Except for that moment, the last time he saw Moon Seoyoon cry was at the funeral—until Woo Yeonjae made him cry with his own hands.

Normally, Woo Yeonjae would’ve removed the cause of the problem to solve it. But the problem now was that it was his fault Moon Seoyoon was crying. And on the day when Moon Seoyoon was most depressed, no less.

“Damn…”

Unlike usual, he couldn’t quite figure out where to start or how to fix things. The one thing he knew for sure was that he had no intention of being erased from Moon Seoyoon’s life, not even a little.

His wet hand turned off the shower. His eyelids slowly blinked over his eyes, which were so empty they seemed hollow.

The water that had been pouring over his head stopped, but the droplets clinging to his eyelashes slowly ran down his cheeks.

Lately, he felt like he was losing his mind.

***

Moon Seoyoon drove. Perhaps because he had kept telling himself to pull it together, his mind soon calmed, even if his stomach still churned. It could be because it was already a situation beyond fixing.

The message had come just yesterday, sent by the housekeeper.

[Seoyoon, I couldn’t reach you, so I had the piano taken away. Just wanted to let you know.]

It seemed she had reached out because she was concerned.

“How could I have forgotten that?”

As soon as he learned his father planned to get rid of the piano, his relationship with Woo Yeonjae had fallen apart, leaving him no time to deal with anything else. It was only natural that his immediate emotions took precedence over some long-forgotten object.

More than anything, he never expected his father to dispose of it so quickly. At the very least, he thought his father would have mentioned it to him, even if just as a formality. Perhaps, in his desperation to sever ties with his unrequited love, he had wanted to be optimistic. He might have also wanted to believe in his father, just a little.

‘I was so stupid.’

After one year of university, he had enlisted, and after being discharged, he used part-time jobs as an excuse to spend time outside the house. His relationship with his father had grown distant. Ever since his mother passed away, the two of them had spent so little time together that it had been awkward for much longer than he cared to admit.

His father had once announced his marriage like a notice; it was foolish of Moon Seoyoon to expect him to give a heads-up about the piano.

‘Still…’

You could’ve at least told me. Moon Seoyoon gripped the steering wheel, trying not to clench too tightly.

Thankfully, the car moved steadily toward his family home. Whether someone was there or not didn’t matter; he first needed to check for himself if the piano was really gone.

As soon as Moon Seoyoon parked, he went straight into the house.

“Oh, Seoyoon!”

The housekeeper approached him.

“I only just saw your message. I’m sorry if I worried you.”

“No, it’s fine. But…”

“I’ll be going upstairs.”

He walked toward the piano room. He could hear the housekeeper mumbling to herself, “What a shame,” but he pretended not to notice and continued walking.

He caught a whiff of coffee, which meant his father was likely home. Normally, he would have greeted him first, but this time, he chose to pass by.

Without hesitation, he opened the door.

“…”

The piano was gone, without a trace. Only a large empty space remained.

“Hah.”

Entering the room, Moon Seoyoon let out a soft laugh and held his cheek. The completely cleared-out space spread out before him. The room felt unfamiliar without the piano, which had been there for so long.

“Seoyoon.”

He wasn’t sure how long he’d been standing there, but he heard his father’s voice from behind him. Slowly, Moon Seoyoon bit the inside of his lip and turned around.

“If you’ve come home after so long, shouldn’t you greet your father first? What kind of manners did you learn?”

“You can say that right now?”

Standing behind his father was a woman, looking unsure of what to do.

“You should’ve told me if you were going to get rid of it.”

“Get rid of it?”

“You’re saying this isn’t ‘getting rid of it’?”

It felt like his head was burning. He had never felt anger this intense in his life, as if his emotions were entirely out of control.

“It’s not throwing it away if you cast it aside like it’s nothing?”

Even though it had been used often, it was still a keepsake from his mother. It had been touched by her hands, and more than anything, it was something she had cherished dearly. It couldn’t be anything but a keepsake.

“And you did it without even consulting me?”

“Moon Seoyoon. You… ha.”

Professor Moon looked utterly bewildered, as though he’d been slapped out of nowhere. He ran his hand through his hair, his expression one of rising frustration at his son’s insolence. His eyebrows knit together in growing anger.

“If it was so important, you should’ve made sure I couldn’t get rid of it! If you had kept playing it, I wouldn’t have had to dispose of it!”

“What did you just say?”

“If it’s so precious, then why did you abandon it in the first place? You ignored it for so long, and now you care?”

Moon Seoyoon took a sharp breath. Only now did the realization hit him. When his father had easily agreed to him giving up the piano, he had thought it was because his father felt guilty toward him. That naive misunderstanding had blinded him. At sixteen, he hadn’t recognized the truth—that it had been a gesture of resignation from his father, who had already given up on his disappointing son.

He had no idea that his father had been holding onto that moment, for all seven years since he’d quit the piano.

“Stop it.”

Professor Jung, standing behind them, gently grabbed his arm.

“Fine, I’m sorry I didn’t mention it beforehand. I’ve been so busy with the conference.”

The mention of the conference brought back the moment when the housekeeper had told him that his father was busy. Moon Seoyoon let out a hollow breath. Could someone this busy even remember the anniversary of his mother’s passing?

“Why…”

His words faltered. He felt trapped, stuck in a space that had once been filled with memories of his mother playing the piano, of himself practicing, and of him playing for Woo Yeonjae. Now, with the piano gone, he felt like he was alone in that heavy silence.

“Still, there’s no need to make a scene like this on a weekend morning.”

His head spun at those words. To steady himself, he stared blankly at the floor before slowly raising his head.

“Did you tell Grandpa about this?”

Suddenly composed, Moon Seoyoon looked his father straight in the eyes.

“Why would I tell your grandfather about this?”

“Of course not. You didn’t, did you?”

He knew he should stop, but he couldn’t.

“You were afraid, weren’t you?”

“What?”

“I told you to stop. Seoyoon, let me explain.”

The only people who looked troubled were Professor Jung and the housekeeper, who had rushed over because of the commotion.

“You were scared that Grandpa would take everything he did for Mom away, weren’t you?”