Sunshine Shower Chapter 92

— Anyway. Let’s grab a meal sometime when you’re free. I’m bored these days.

“I’d like that, but I’m only free on weekends since I’m working part-time during the week.”

— Weekends? Hmm.

There was a brief pause. It suddenly occurred to Moon Seoyoon that Nam Taeun’s boyfriend was employed. The reason Nam Taeun was bored might be because his boyfriend worked during the weekdays. With that in mind, Moon Seoyoon hesitated.

“Aren’t you busy dating your boyfriend on weekends, though? It might be hard to find a time that works for both of us.”

He was about to suggest they meet after the new semester started if their schedules didn’t line up, but then he remembered the café’s regular day off.

“Or we could meet on my café’s day off.”

— Nah, how about this weekend?

“This weekend? The day after tomorrow?”

— Yeah.

He didn’t have any specific plans.

“I’m fine with that… Are you sure you’re not busy?”

— You almost sound like you want me to be busy.

“No, I just don’t want to take away your time for dating. We’ll see each other once the semester starts anyway.”

— My boyfriend’s on a work trip this weekend, so I’ve got time. Let’s have a meal, maybe some drinks too.

“Alright.”

Moon Seoyoon agreed easily. Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t gone out much since the end of the semester, aside from work. While he wasn’t awkward with his classmates, spending every day with Woo Yeonjae had made him a little distant from them. And like most guys, his friends from high school didn’t plan things in advance either. It didn’t seem like a bad idea to meet someone and go out for a change.

“Where do you live, hyung? Let’s meet somewhere in the middle.”

— Sure, what do you feel like eating?

“I’m fine with anything.”

— I’ll look for a place. If nothing works out, we can eat somewhere near the school.

“Just let me know once you’ve decided.”

— Got it.

The call ended naturally. It hadn’t felt like they talked for long, but the number on the screen was longer than expected.

“We’ve arrived.”

“Thank you.”

Moon Seoyoon bowed his head and stepped out of the taxi. As he lifted his gaze, the familiar building came into view. Feeling slightly awkward for no reason, he rubbed the back of his neck as he prepared to walk when a familiar scent of cologne wafted from behind. Just as he was about to turn around instinctively, an arm suddenly wrapped around his waist.

“Moon Seoyoon.”

Before he could fully turn his head, Woo Yeonjae rested his chin on his shoulder. Judging by the cologne and his attire, it seemed like he’d been out somewhere.

“Where did you go?”

“My dad called me.”

So he’d been to see his uncle. He’d likely attended some sort of gathering, though Moon Seoyoon wasn’t sure of the details.

Instead of standing there awkwardly, Moon Seoyoon subtly shifted away. Even if they weren’t near campus, he felt it might look strange for two grown men to be standing so close together.

Noticing the deliberate distancing, Woo Yeonjae chuckled and stepped back, tilting his chin toward the apartment building as a signal to go inside.

“You didn’t pick up your phone.”

Woo Yeonjae glanced over as he entered the passcode.

“You called?”

“I thought I’d come pick you up since I was driving.”

“I took a taxi.”

“I saw.”

Saw? That explained why the timing was so perfect. He must have spotted him as he got out of the car. From the way he said he’d come to pick him up, it seemed like his return coincided with the café’s closing time by chance.

Moon Seoyoon followed Woo Yeonjae into the elevator. Though they weren’t awkward around each other, the silence that settled between them felt strangely suffocating.

Why is it like this all of a sudden? Trying to hide his discomfort, he sneaked a glance at Woo Yeonjae.

Was it because of the outfit? He hadn’t seen him in anything other than casual clothes for a while, and combined with the faint scent of cologne in the confined space of the elevator, a tension he couldn’t explain began to creep in.

Though he was used to the cologne, its familiarity made him more conscious of it.

Perhaps it was the tension, but he felt strangely unsettled. Without realizing it, his fingertips trembled slightly. Fortunately, the elevator reached the top floor without stopping.

“It’s nice coming in together like this.”

Woo Yeonjae commented as he punched in the door code.

“Yeah, it is.”

As they stepped into the more spacious apartment, the tension melted away like snow. As he entered, Moon Seoyoon exhaled a quiet sigh of relief, careful not to let it show. The days when he used to hesitate at the door, wondering whether to punch in the code himself or ring the bell, felt long gone. This space now felt familiar.

As he was taking off his shoes, he noticed a small paper bag in Woo Yeonjae’s hand. Looks like he bought something. He didn’t think much of it as he headed into the living room.

“Here, a present.”

“Out of the blue?”

Woo Yeonjae handed over the bag. Caught off guard, Moon Seoyoon instinctively opened it to check the contents. Inside was a small box, just the size of his palm.

“I thought of you when I saw it.”

“Oh… Thanks. What is it?”

It wasn’t a situation where he could decline, even out of politeness. As Moon Seoyoon took the box out and opened the lid, he asked, “Perfume?”

The moment the reply came, a sleekly designed bottle appeared, the transparent liquid inside shimmering.

“Why perfume?”

“When I went to your place last time, I noticed all the stuff I gave you was still there.”

“Oh…”

It was true that he hadn’t brought any of the gifts to his dorm since he didn’t use them often. He felt a mix of awkwardness and guilt, realizing he’d left the gifts unused.

“You don’t have any other perfumes, right? Do you have one you use?”

Moon Seoyoon fiddled with the perfume bottle cautiously. Either way, he felt good since it was a gift from Woo Yeonjae.

“You don’t, Seoyoon.”

It wasn’t until Woo Yeonjae repeated the question that Moon Seoyoon looked up. Their eyes met, and he realized this was the first time their gazes had really locked all evening. Outside, it had already grown dark, and in the elevator, they had only exchanged quick glances. Woo Yeonjae, as usual, was smiling in his gentle, easygoing way.

A beat later, Moon Seoyoon finally answered the question.

“No, I don’t. You know I don’t really use perfume.”

He instantly regretted the slip of the tongue. It wasn’t something you said to someone who had just given you a gift. Unsure of how to recover, he glanced nervously at Woo Yeonjae, who asked another question.

“What about gifts?”

“Huh?”

“Has anyone else given you perfume?”

“No. Who would give me perfume?”

Maybe girls gave perfume as gifts, but not many guys did. Moon Seoyoon quickly added, “Anyway, I’ll use it. Thanks.”

“Smell it.”

Without hesitation, Woo Yeonjae took the perfume and grabbed Moon Seoyoon’s wrist, spraying it with a soft “spritz.” The fine mist mixed with the scent of the perfume Woo Yeonjae was already wearing. The blend of fragrances filled the air, and Moon Seoyoon involuntarily shivered at the sensation of his wrist being held.

Whether it was because of the late hour or the unusually quiet space, he felt strange. Perhaps it was because Woo Yeonjae brought Moon Seoyoon’s wrist to his nose and inhaled the scent. The sensation of him breathing in so close made Moon Seoyoon’s fingertips curl slightly.

“It suits you.”

“You told me to smell it, but why are you the one smelling it?”

Afraid his nervousness would be noticed, Moon Seoyoon casually twisted his arm free. Imitating Woo Yeonjae, he brought his wrist to his own nose and caught a faint whiff of the scent. It was a pleasant fragrance, yet all he could focus on was the sudden heat rising to his cheeks. Instead of appreciating the perfume, he found himself more aware of the lingering scent of Woo Yeonjae’s cologne.

“It’s nice. I’ll use it.”

When he gave this neutral response, Woo Yeonjae smirked crookedly.

“Yeah. Don’t use crappy stuff. Stick to what I pick for you.”

Was Taeun hyung’s cologne really that bad? He didn’t think it was terrible enough to warrant that reaction. Still, considering Woo Yeonjae’s taste, Moon Seoyoon just nodded quietly.

“What are you doing this weekend?”

Woo Yeonjae asked as he handed the perfume back to him.

“Why?”

As he accepted the bottle, Moon Seoyoon reflexively asked.

“Why?”

Woo Yeonjae echoed, slightly furrowing his brow in surprise. His voice had a hint of disbelief, as if he hadn’t expected to be questioned.

“We live together, and I can’t even ask that?”

“No, it’s not that you can’t ask. It’s just sudden. I’m meeting a friend on Saturday, I think.”

He couldn’t bring himself to say it was Nam Taeun, so he answered vaguely. Woo Yeonjae’s gaze met his, his eyelashes fluttering as his eyelids lowered slightly.

“Which friend?”

“Just…”

“The bastard you were on the phone with earlier?”

His dark eyes narrowed, as if trying to dig out a hidden truth.