Sunshine Shower Chapter 95

Moon Seoyoon was caught in a dilemma, unsure how to start the conversation or when to apologize. The sudden shift in Woo Yeonjae’s demeanor, from the previous coldness to now pressing his body against Seoyoon’s, was both startling and comforting. If Woo Yeonjae had maintained his cold attitude, it would have made starting a conversation even harder.

Woo Yeonjae buried his nose in Seoyoon’s shoulder and spoke.

“You smell like cigarettes….”

The smell made Moon Seoyoon self-conscious, reminding him of the times he’d been caught smoking before. He fidgeted with his fingers absentmindedly.

“Did you smoke?”

Woo Yeonjae’s arm, which was draped around Seoyoon’s waist, moved to feel the contents of Seoyoon’s pocket. It was only then that Moon Seoyoon realized he still had Taeun’s cigarettes and lighter in his pocket.

“Moon Seoyoon.”

“Uh….”

Seoyoon stumbled over his words, unsure of what to say, but before he could respond, Woo Yeonjae removed his nose from Seoyoon’s shoulder. Although Woo Yeonjae didn’t straighten his head completely, the dark hair on his shoulder became slightly disheveled. When Seoyoon looked down, he met Woo Yeonjae’s upturned gaze.

“Do you like the taste of cigarettes?”

Woo Yeonjae didn’t appear angry; his tone was gentle. Moon Seoyoon struggled to find the right words.

“No one smokes because they like the taste. They just do it. And I hardly smoke.”

Given how much time they’d spent together, Woo Yeonjae probably knew that Seoyoon hadn’t smoked much recently.

“I’ll go wash up first. We can talk then.”

Even so, nobody likes the smell of cigarettes. Seoyoon thought it would be best to get rid of the smell first, and as he tried to move away from Woo Yeonjae’s embrace, Woo Yeonjae’s arm tightened around him.

“Teach me.”

The arm that had been loosely draped around Seoyoon suddenly became firm, pressing him closer.

“What?”

“How to smoke.”

Woo Yeonjae said this in a calm voice, which was unexpected.

“All of a sudden?”

Moon Seoyoon blinked, wondering if he had heard wrong.

Woo Yeonjae had always disliked the smell of cigarettes, so he never thought he’d hear him ask to learn how to smoke. Although Woo Yeonjae had made a similar comment when he first found out Seoyoon smoked, it was more of a teasing remark rather than a serious request.

“Just.”

Even though Seoyoon was taken aback, Woo Yeonjae’s gaze remained fixed on him.

“Because I’m jealous.”

The unexpected statement triggered a memory.

‘He definitely said he was jealous before. So it must have meant nothing to him, right?’

Moon Seoyoon’s lips parted instinctively, as he realized this was the moment to apologize.

“What….”

But the words that came out were not what he intended. Seeing Woo Yeonjae’s face, with his eyebrows slightly furrowed as he looked up, the words that came out were different.

“Other people are doing things with you that I can’t.”

“….”

“I’m jealous, so I need to learn.”

A question that had occasionally popped into his mind over the past few months now filled his thoughts completely: Why does he go to such lengths for me?

Moon Seoyoon understood the bond between him and Woo Yeonjae. But he also knew that not everyone could act like Woo Yeonjae did, even with that bond. While he felt relieved that Woo Yeonjae still treated him as a special childhood friend, he also felt guilty for harboring such abnormal feelings for someone who did so much for him.

“Woo Yeonjae.”

It was time to apologize, even if he couldn’t fully address his feelings.

Moon Seoyoon shifted away from the sofa and turned to face Woo Yeonjae. By bending one knee and adjusting his position on the sofa, Woo Yeonjae’s arm naturally fell away. The hair that had been crushed against his shoulder fell away with it.

“About that time… I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?”

Woo Yeonjae, with a slightly furrowed brow, also adjusted his position, seeming to mimic Seoyoon’s apology.

“What do you have to be sorry for?”

“Just… I think I reacted too sensitively that day.”

Moon Seoyoon fell silent for a moment before continuing.

“You were just asking as usual, but I ended up saying something that might have upset you. I thought you didn’t like it. I’m sorry.”

Woo Yeonjae continued to frown, one eye slightly squinting.

“Why are you apologizing when it was my fault?”

“Huh?”

“You don’t have to tell me everything that happens to you.”

Moon Seoyoon could only blink in response.

“Why should I care, right?”

The self-deprecating tone sounded almost like he was talking to himself.

“But when I think you’re hiding something from me, I end up getting unreasonably angry.”

Woo Yeonjae let out a sigh as he rested his head on Seoyoon’s shoulder again, his voice soft.

‘I got jealous and got mad at you.’

Moon Seoyoon flinched slightly. It felt a bit odd that Woo Yeonjae was now agreeing with something that Seoyoon had previously set the boundary for. It seemed as though Woo Yeonjae was implying that Seoyoon didn’t need to share everything with him.

“I’ll be more careful from now on.”

Woo Yeonjae, still resting his head on Seoyoon’s shoulder, only turned his head slightly to speak. Seoyoon, still gazing down at him, naturally met his eyes.

“I’m sorry.”

Moon Seoyoon, hearing Woo Yeonjae’s apology, felt momentarily blank. He had intended to apologize, but the unexpected reception left him feeling at a loss.

“No, I was… trying to apologize to you.”

“It was my fault for being a jerk, Seoyoon.”

“…”

“So, make sure to set clear boundaries from now on.”

Seoyoon’s heart sank with a thud.

It was only a few months ago that Woo Yeonjae had expressed dissatisfaction about boundaries. Now, he was telling Seoyoon to set boundaries.

“That way, I’ll keep to them.”

“It’s not that… I wasn’t trying to set boundaries with you.”

Moon Seoyoon, unconsciously grabbing Woo Yeonjae’s arm, tried to clarify the misunderstanding.

“Not really?”

Woo Yeonjae squinted his eyes. His furrowed expression made him look somewhat pitiful.

“No, it’s not that. I didn’t say anything because I thought you didn’t like it… I’ll just be honest from now on.”

Strangely, Moon Seoyoon didn’t want another boundary to form between them. Even though he was trying to set boundaries with Woo Yeonjae, he didn’t want to create any in their long-standing friendship.

“Okay, then.”

Woo Yeonjae slowly removed his head from Seoyoon’s shoulder.

“Still, I was the one who got mad. I’m sorry.”

“… No. I was at fault for lying too.”

Seeing Woo Yeonjae accept the apology so readily was reassuring. The tension that had unknowingly built up in Seoyoon’s shoulders gradually eased. He felt relieved.

“So…”

Woo Yeonjae extended his arm and lightly tapped Seoyoon’s hand.

“Are you not going to teach me?”

What? It took a few seconds for the lingering question to clear up. The mention of learning to smoke came back to him. He had assumed Woo Yeonjae was just making a casual comment, which made him feel somewhat perplexed. Moon Seoyoon frowned.

“There’s nothing good about smoking, so why should I teach you?”

“Why?”

Woo Yeonjae tilted his head, his tone sounding stubborn like a child.

“You’ve learned it yourself already.”

Moon Seoyoon licked his lips out of habit. As an adult, smoking was a personal choice, but it wasn’t a beneficial habit.

“And I’m jealous.”

Watching Woo Yeonjae getting jealous over a mere cigarette made Seoyoon’s heart flutter. It seemed like typical jealousy among friends, yet it was amusing how much it affected him.

However, feeling conflicted didn’t equate to easily agreeing to teach. When Seoyoon hesitated in silence, Woo Yeonjae pouted and grumbled.

“You really don’t want to teach me, do you?”

“…”

“Should I learn from someone else?”

“Hey…”

“Since you’re here.”

Moon Seoyoon hesitated for a long time before letting out a sigh. While smoking a single cigarette wouldn’t immediately lead to addiction, he thought it might be okay to teach him just once. Although he didn’t want to teach something harmful, satisfying Woo Yeonjae’s curiosity might prevent him from pestering him further.

‘He’s bound to hate it anyway. Maybe the jealousy was just a comment.’

Despite his meticulous nature, Woo Yeonjae’s distaste for smoking was clear.

“It’s just something people do. There’s nothing to teach. But fine, I’ll let you have one cigarette. It’s not good for you.”

As Moon Seoyoon adjusted his position on the sofa and stood up, he lowered his leg from the sofa.