Sunshine Shower Chapter 2

It had been almost two years since he last saw his face. But they had spent much longer together. Instinct reminded him that to read Woo Yeonjae’s emotions, he had to look into his eyes, not at his expression. Despite the downcast eyebrows and the gruff voice that seemed impatient, his dark eyes were intensely lively.

Caught off guard by the unexpected reunion, Moon Seoyoon quickly turned away and pushed away the person who hugged him. There were many people passing by near the university. It would look odd for one man to be embracing another.

“Ah.”

Being pushed aside by the person who stood firm and sturdy, Moon Seoyoon, ironically, was pushed away by Woo Yeonjae. Yet he let out a low groan as if in pain. It was a whimper that sounded as contrived as a baby’s fake cry.

“Seoyoon. Are you avoiding me now?” Woo Yeonjae asked, tilting his lips slightly upwards. His tone was as affectionate as ever. Moon Seoyoon stood there dumbfounded, unable to say a word. Just a few minutes ago, he had hoped for a contact, but now that the person he had been waiting for appeared before him, he was overwhelmed with confusion.

It was the real Woo Yeonjae. Woo Yeonjae whom he hadn’t seen in two years.

“You used to hug me so well…”

Moon Seoyoon’s lips were the only thing moving. He couldn’t recall when Woo Yeonjae referred to as ‘before.’ Perhaps it was when they wore school uniforms. No, was it when they were twenty? He was too bewildered; his mind couldn’t function properly.

All that remained were moments of yearning, moments when his pounding heart seemed to lean on me, or moments when he was anxiously trying to control his breath in the ears of a friend who hugged him.

“Is that a different perfume I smell?”

A different perfume smell?

If there was a different perfume scent mixed with Woo Yeonjae’s, there was only one person it could come from. As soon as he realized this fact, his mind cleared up as if cold water had been poured over it. The breeze brushing his cheek finally felt cool.

“…Woo Yeonjae.”

Moon Seoyoon managed to squeeze out his voice.

“It’s been a while.”

Hoping his voice sounded indifferent.

***

The red liquid in the glass shimmered under the light. Moon Seoyoon absentmindedly toyed with the stem of the wine glass, only staring at the liquid inside. In an open space, he might have felt a bit relieved, but being dragged into a private room made him feel suffocated.

“Moon Seoyoon. Are you avoiding me?” Moon Seoyoon finally lifted his gaze. Woo Yeonjae, with his chin resting on his hand, was staring directly at him. Yet his face seemed less angry than a moment ago.

“Just felt awkward seeing you after so long.”

“Awkward?”

“It’s been two years.”

“I don’t feel awkward. Is our Seoyoon being shy?”

Moon Seoyoon chuckled lightly and sipped his wine as if mumbling.

During the drive here in Woo Yeonjae’s car, they hadn’t exchanged a word. Moon Seoyoon had merely tried. Since he recognized the familiar scent of perfume, he had to consciously control his breathing to calm his racing heart. It was from that moment, when he realized that the feelings he thought had receded like rotting fruit were just illusions.

As he cautiously raised his eyes to steal a glance, he met the persistent gaze of the other. Seeing the slight upturn of the eyes, it seemed he was feeling better than when they met in front of the café.

Quietly containing his emotions was one of Woo Yeonjae’s long-standing habits. He would have sorted out his thoughts and calmed his anger while driving.

“It’s been a while here too.”

Moon Seoyoon randomly poked at the salad with his fork, changing the subject. This wine bar, where Woo Yeonjae sometimes sought solace when he wanted to quietly enjoy a drink away from the noise and unhygienic places, was frequented by Moon Seoyoon as well.

Though somewhat refined for their age of twenty, Moon Seoyoon’s taste tended to follow Woo Yeonjae’s, so it was quite natural.

“Yeah, indeed. Even though I turned down requests to go out with others, Moon Seoyoon was the only one who came with me.”

He’s still a bit peeved.

When Woo Yeonjae got annoyed, he would often call out his name instead of using the usual ‘you.’ It seemed like an unchanging habit reflecting an unchanging relationship, so Moon Seoyoon faintly smiled and drank the remaining wine. Despite the two-year gap, there was no change in their relationship, confirming the fact that the liquid touching the tip of his tongue tasted sweet.

Maybe this is better.

Perhaps. Despite not contacting each other for the past two years, Moon Seoyoon didn’t try to avoid Woo Yeonjae. It wasn’t about avoiding; it was just that he didn’t initiate contact, and he didn’t try to run away from a friendship. It would be more accurate to say that there was no intention to avoid since the relationship remained unchanged.

“You’re finally smiling now.”

“I thought you were mad at me because you called out my name. It’s funny to realize that nothing has changed from before.”

“What could have changed? It’s not like I went to the military like someone and came back.”

For some reason, Moon Seoyoon felt a pang in his heart and once again sipped his wine.

It was difficult to confess that he ran away to the military after being shocked by the fact of his father’s affair. It had been two years, and he didn’t want to bring up such a story in front of his crush, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time. Moreover, if he were asked why he didn’t say anything back then, he would have to remain silent.

If he said it was because of a girlfriend, it would seem strange. Since there was no point in showing excessive consciousness, keeping quiet was the best option.

Despite not feeling awkward, an awkwardness surged, making it difficult to keep his hands still. Moon Seoyoon simply toyed with the wine stem as he did a while ago. Perhaps because he felt pricked, his gaze naturally turned there.

But it was only for a moment. Meeting Woo Yeonjae’s persistent gaze, Moon Seoyoon reluctantly met his eyes.

Though the atmosphere was slightly different from when they were twenty, Woo Yeonjae remained the same. His black hair, untouched by dye, covered his handsome forehead, and his black eyes, like his hair, remained horizontally elongated in his features. Seeing his subtly raised eyes, Kim Hyunseung’s voice came to mind, saying, ‘Woo Yeonjae, that guy looks like an ancient gumiho, driving people crazy, doesn’t he?’ He certainly had a face that was closer to splendid beauty.

Whether it was satisfying to meet his gaze quietly or not, his lips, which slightly lifted even when expressionless, parted slowly.

“By the way, you’re still so pale even though you’ve been discharged.”

“It’s been a while since I was discharged. I tanned while in the military.”

Moon Seoyoon took his hand off the wine glass and toyed with his exposed wrist. Woo Yeonjae was also on the fair side for a guy, but his skin was noticeable enough to understand why he would bring up such a topic.

“I’ve been eagerly waiting for Seoyoon to contact me.”

“It’s not like I only didn’t contact you.”

As words failed him, a lame excuse popped out. It wasn’t a lie since he really didn’t only not contact Woo Yeonjae.

Even after discharge, he felt restless. It must have been because he needed to adapt. It was more about adapting to the changed living environment than adjusting to life after shedding his military status.

It had been about a year since his father held the wedding. Moon Seoyoon didn’t attend the wedding. It wasn’t intentional nonattendance. It was just difficult to match his leave. Anyway, his father getting married meant that a stranger had entered the house. So, Moon Seoyoon had to get used to the unfamiliar smiling face awkwardly.

Although his mother, who had been in charge of the household, hadn’t quit her job, there was nothing significantly different. However, he couldn’t help but worry. It was strange that he wasn’t concerned about his father’s affair. It took him a full three months just to adapt to the new member in the house.

“But why do other people know that you work part-time at the café?”

“Probably because I happened to bump into Kim Hyunseung. I meant to contact you too.”

“But you didn’t.”

“That’s… ”

“I was even quietly waiting, without causing an accident, for Moon Seoyoon to welcome me.”

–

T/N:

For the word, avoid, Woo Yeonjae uses the word, 내외해, which is used in the cases where a wife and a husband wishes not to see each other. It is only used in formal settings, to describe a married couple, for example.

Also, in the line without causing an accident, it loosely means that Woo Yeonjae didn’t wreak havoc since Seoyoon went to the military without telling him.