Sunshine Shower Chapter 89

It was still a pretty decent day up until the moment Woo Yeonjae went to buy a bouquet of flowers.

“What kind of flowers would you like? Do you have a specific type in mind?”

“I’m going to give them to someone I’m cheating with, so it’d be nice if the flower language matched that.”

The woman blinked, startled. Woo Yeonjae added with a friendly smile.

“I’m just preparing a prop.”

“Oh, I see. You gave me quite a scare. Are you preparing for a play or something?”

The woman let out a hearty laugh, glanced into the fridge as if in thought for a moment, and soon pulled out an armful of flowers. They were a mix of purple and white, not a common type like roses or tulips, flowers that everyone knew by name.

“These are anemones, and their flower language is ‘betrayal.’ They usually bloom around May, but because of the weather this year, they bloomed a bit late. Luckily, we happen to have some in stock.”

“They’re beautiful. Please make the bouquet with those.”

“Of course. Just a moment.”

It wasn’t like Woo Yeonjae was putting deep meaning into the bouquet. The gift was intended to offend, provided the person knew the flower language, but most people didn’t care about flowers much. And even if they did, it was rare for someone to memorize their meanings. Even if they felt uneasy about the large bouquet, they wouldn’t suspect any particular intent behind it.

Woo Yeonjae carelessly tossed the beautifully wrapped bouquet onto the back seat of the car. The wrapping crinkled as it got crushed.

Woo Yeonjae’s emotional range usually followed a straight line—no major highs or lows. Since Moon Seoyoon returned from the army, there had been occasional dips, but lately, things weren’t too bad.

Their relationship had been back on track for about two years now, so there was no particular reason for any unpleasantness. It was only a bit annoying whenever Moon Seoyoon entered his dorm, but counting the remaining days made it somewhat bearable.

Besides, today was the final exam of the first semester, which meant Moon Seoyoon wouldn’t be going back to the dorm anymore, staying out of his sight.

So the day seemed to be going by without too much trouble.

“…”

But that smooth line crashed down to the ground in an instant. A thick, dark unpleasantness filled the gap in just a few seconds.

A strange scent of perfume brushed past his nose. It was as if someone had sprayed a harsh chemical blend right in his face, instantly ruining his mood. Instead of openly showing his disgust, Woo Yeonjae simply stared at the brown hair flattened under a hat.

It wasn’t a scent he remembered giving. All the perfumes Moon Seoyoon owned should’ve been gifts from him. Suspicious.

‘All of them…’

Realizing he couldn’t be so certain anymore, his mood plunged further. Woo Yeonjae could no longer be sure about Moon Seoyoon. A gap of one year and six months made that impossible.

When he entered Moon Seoyoon’s room for the first time in two years, he was already irritated. The usual scent lingering in the room was completely overshadowed by the wretched smell of that perfume.

But it wasn’t the right time to confront Moon Seoyoon. He had mentioned something to Professor Moon without consulting him, so until Moon Seoyoon fell for his trick, he had to pretend to crawl back in, playing nice to achieve his goal.

The carefully feigned composure shattered the moment he spotted something familiar on the shelf.

Woo Yeonjae picked up a bottle of perfume he didn’t recognize. Examining its shape closely, a vague memory surfaced. At first, he thought he was mistaken since nothing came to mind immediately, but it was indeed one of the perfumes he’d gifted. The perfumes he gave Moon Seoyoon were limited to specific notes, so it was strange not to recognize one.

That’s why, when he smelled the unfamiliar scent, he instantly knew it wasn’t a perfume he had given. He hesitated for a moment, but, as expected, his dirty suspicion proved to be correct.

‘Figures.’

Since Moon Seoyoon hadn’t been home, it was unlikely he’d find the origin of that strange perfume here.

There was no need to think deeply. One place immediately came to mind—the damned dormitory.

“If you’re sorry, play the piano for me.”

“Out of nowhere?”

He, who was adept at concealing his emotions, skillfully used Moon Seoyoon’s feelings. Half out of spite, he nagged him to play the piano, knowing it would stir up guilt.

“You used to play for me whenever I came over. Now that I’m at your place again, it reminds me. Did you get rid of it?”

“No, it’s still here… but my fingers are probably stiff by now.”

“I wouldn’t know if you messed up.”

As expected, Moon Seoyoon couldn’t refuse. Stirring up guilt by bringing up old promises had been quite effective.

Woo Yeonjae followed his friend, who was wearing a scent that didn’t suit him, into the next room. Inside, a piano stood all by itself.

Moon Seoyoon opened the window, then moved silently toward the piano and sat down. His hesitation was evident, but as if determined to keep his word, his fingers softly rested on the keys.

Finally, when his long, white fingers pressed the keys, the clear sound resonated in the quiet room. The tone matched well with the sunlight pouring in through the window.

“What are you going to play?”

Leaning against the windowsill, Woo Yeonjae asked. The sunlight poured in, drenching his hair and flowing down his shoulders, warming his body.

“Just whatever comes to mind.”

As if loosening his fingers, Moon Seoyoon continued to press the keys.

How long had it been? He seemed to have made up his mind. With both hands now resting on the keys, Moon Seoyoon shot a glance at Woo Yeonjae.

“Don’t laugh if I mess up.”

Despite his clear face, his voice was rather serious. At his warning tone, Woo Yeonjae silently laughed.

“I told you, I wouldn’t know if you did.”

“What do you mean you wouldn’t know? Even if I press one wrong key, the sound will be off.”

Grumbling, Moon Seoyoon finally began to play the piano.

Woo Yeonjae had no real interest in the piano, yet he was intimately familiar with all the pieces Moon Seoyoon had played. So, it was impossible for him not to recognize a piece that was beloved by many and one Moon Seoyoon often played.

‘Liszt.’

He didn’t care much for the personal lives of composers, but he knew that Liszt had been involved in affairs. And he knew that this gentle melody was famous for being a piece Liszt dedicated to a lover.

But Woo Yeonjae didn’t see the piece as a gift for a beloved. Liszt’s first lover had been an affair, and so had his second.

‘How ‘great’ a love must he have had.’

For love to be considered romantic, there had to be just one person. But Liszt had a second lover?

‘It seems like he was more in love with the idea of being forbidden to love than with the woman herself.’

While Woo Yeonjae believed love was just a hormonal trick derived from a reproductive urge, even by the standards of ordinary people, it was questionable whether Liszt had truly loved the woman. After all, it wasn’t even a normal relationship—it was an affair.

He didn’t condone affairs just because he was skeptical of emotions that were dressed up with fancy names. In fact, Woo Yeonjae found those who committed affairs incomprehensible.

If one promises a future based on the so-called romantic feeling of love, then it made sense to maintain a relationship with just one person, in accordance with human ideals. After all, humans—no different from animals—had created the concept of love to elevate themselves above beasts. It was only logical that they should live by their own standards.

That’s why Woo Yeonjae couldn’t understand why people praised Liszt’s compositions as romantic.

‘Artistic value? What nonsense.’

He didn’t like the piano. He had never felt the so-called artistry, emotion, or inspiration that music supposedly provided.

Emotion in music? How absurd.

The idea that one could feel emotion through something intangible was just a delusion created by people who wanted to experience music in a more sophisticated way.

If their logic were true, then music composed by older musicians would have more value. After all, they would have lived through more emotions over the years and poured them into their performances.

But reality was quite different. Young prodigies often emerged and outshined others at an early age. How ridiculous. How could someone who hadn’t even lived for 20 years claim to convey emotions through music and make people cry? What kind of joy and sorrow could they possibly have experienced?

In the end, the emotions people claimed to feel through music were nothing more than an illusion. It was absurd that the listener would feel emotions that the musician had never even learned to express. There couldn’t be a more laughable contradiction.

Woo Yeonjae’s gaze was fixed intently on his childhood friend, who was playing the piano only because he couldn’t refuse the request. Even though he didn’t believe in the value of music, Moon Seoyoon was a perfect match for the piano, like a painting.

This realization caused his straight brows to furrow slightly.

Woo Yeonjae had Moon Seoyoon all to himself, thanks to Moon Seoyoon giving up the piano.

Although he had received assurance that Moon Seoyoon would never play again, Moon Seoyoon still matched the piano so well that it was irritating.

A wave of discomfort washed over him at the thought that the piano might one day come between him and Moon Seoyoon again.

Perhaps it was because he had felt some emotion from the melody Moon Seoyoon was playing. Strangely enough. How ridiculous, after he had so adamantly dismissed the idea of feeling anything through music.

But without a doubt, what he felt was unmistakable affection.

“…”

The tempo of the keys slowed gradually. With long, drawn-out notes, the piece finally approached its ending.

Woo Yeonjae paid no attention to the melody trickling in like background noise. His focus was entirely on Moon Seoyoon, reflected in his pitch-black eyes. He felt the need to search that pale face to see if the piano had once again taken hold of him. The sight of Moon Seoyoon’s flushed cheeks, as if trembling from some uncontrollable emotion, made Woo Yeonjae feel disgusted.

“It’s embarrassing to play after such a long time.”

Moon Seoyoon took his hands off the keys and slowly turned his head. His eyes squinted slightly, perhaps from the bright sunlight. Below his slightly flushed cheeks, his lips, soaked with affection, moved slightly.

“…”

Their eyes meeting was only natural. Woo Yeonjae’s gaze was always on Moon Seoyoon.

Ah.

The realization hit him in an instant.

His lips curled into a thin smile as the revelation struck him like a bolt of clarity.

Moon Seoyoon didn’t realize what kind of expression he was wearing. He was laying bare his innocent feelings, as if unaware of how transparent he was being.

It was such an obvious expression. The emotion of liking someone was so plainly etched on his face that Woo Yeonjae couldn’t possibly pretend not to notice.

The early summer sunlight seeped into the figure before him, revealing his feelings as clearly as day. The warm rays flowed down onto the cold piano keys and finally faded to the floor.

In that sunlight, the shadows on the floor turned pale. Moon Seoyoon had his foot on the pedal, so Woo Yeonjae was the only one whose shadow remained fully grounded. As the faintly colored shadow slowly turned white, it crept up Moon Seoyoon’s leg, ravenously climbing higher.

Woo Yeonjae laughed. His hand moved up to his face, covering his smiling lips as it pressed against his cheek.

Concealing his true nature always came first.