Sunshine Shower

“No, hey…”“Then I’ll let Hyemi unnie know you’re coming. Oh! Sunbae, if it’s okay, could you save my number?”Moon Seoyoon hastily saved Seo Jieun’s phone number.“I do have your number, senior, but just in case. If anything comes up later, please let me know. I’ll post the time and place of the freshman orientation on the group chat.”“Thanks.”“See you later then.”Seo Jieun bowed his head slightly and disappeared. It was already chaotic on the first day of the semester. Moon Seoyoon got up from his seat following Woo Yeonjae and grabbed his arm.“What’s up?”“What?”“You’re going to the freshman orientation?”“Why, am I embarrassing you?”Woo Yeonjae furrowed his brows, making a grim expression.“What’s embarrassing about it? It’s just that you don’t like crowded places, especially noisy gatherings with no substance.”Moon Seoyoon lowered his voice. There were many people around here who might overhear because of Woo Yeonjae, so he had to speak quietly.“I went to the freshman orientation last year too. And…”As if asking when he ever made a pitiful expression, Woo Yeonjae raised his eyebrows.“You’d be bored without me, Moon Seoyoon.”“…I wouldn’t be bored.”“You wouldn’t be able to refuse drinks anyway.”Unable to speak, Moon Seoyoon absentmindedly touched his cheek. There were times when Woo Yeonjae knew him too well, and this was one of those times.As they stepped outside the building, a lively atmosphere enveloped them. It wasn’t even the second semester yet, but newly enrolled students were chatting excitedly all around. Moon Seoyoon passed by the chattering crowd and checked his timetable. It was in disarray, typical for the beginning of the semester.Lost in thought about what to do, he suddenly felt a movement beside him, as if someone was lowering their head. Startled, he instinctively took a step back, then forced himself to steady his body by tensing his shoulders. He felt stiff from head to toe.He probably didn’t show his surprise. After stealing a glance, Moon Seoyoon realized why Woo Yeonjae had inclined his head toward him. He was looking at Moon Seoyoon’s timetable displayed on his phone.“You’re free until the fifth period. What should we do?”It sounded like he would be with him all day. Though he knew it was meaningless, his fingertips still itched. After some hesitation, Moon Seoyoon finally spoke up.“…Won’t you hang out with your girlfriend?”“Sunju?”As soon as he opened his mouth, his lips were pressed together. He couldn’t understand why he even brought up the existence of a girlfriend, let alone why he felt upset after saying it.Whether it was because of the mention of his girlfriend or not, Woo Yeonjae furrowed his brows slightly and twisted his lips.“Why are you suddenly bringing up Sunju? Moon Seoyoon, you’re acting weird today. If you get a girlfriend, you won’t hang out with me anymore?”Girlfriend. Me. It felt like his heart was pounding heavily.Moon Seoyoon pressed his tender flesh under his fingernails. It felt like blood was draining from his fingertips as if they were being scratched. It felt ridiculous to be hurt by words that so casually separated him from the possibility of having a girlfriend. He couldn’t even muster the courage to confess; he felt pathetic.“Having a girlfriend and hanging out with friends… are different.”Moon Seoyoon managed to string the words together.“Yeah. They’re different. So today, I’ll hang out with a friend, not a girlfriend.”Without a lover, only a friend. That’s the relationship Woo Yeonjae defined. It had been like that until now, and it would be the same in the future.Moon Seoyoon discreetly took a deep breath.“Got it. Where do you want to go?”Then, with a casual tone, he exhaled the breath he had just taken in. It was time to figure out the plan.Was it okay to bring him here like this? Moon Seoyoon hesitated as he entered the password he hadn’t been able to change due to his roommate’s absence. The door opened with a beep. The shoe rack was as clean as it had been when he left.“He still hasn’t come back.”If that was fortunate, then it was fortunate. If Moon Seoyoon’s roommate suddenly returned with a friend, they would both be startled. Moon Seoyoon said as he took off his shoes, “Come in.”It was strange to bring Woo Yeonjae here without any particular reason. Whenever he asked why they were at the dorms, he would get a cold response. It seemed his friend who lived in the dorms was curious about the inside because it was his first time.The problem lay with Moon Seoyoon himself. Although the dormitory was relatively spacious, it was only the size of a studio apartment at best. Perhaps because of this, Woo Yeonjae’s presence felt excessively imposing.Awkwardly placing his bag down and turning around, Moon Seoyoon flinched and shuddered when he saw Woo Yeonjae suddenly stop in his tracks. He almost bumped straight into him due to the sudden halt. Unlike Moon Seoyoon, who was startled, Woo Yeonjae leisurely looked around before slowly shifting his gaze away.“Fascinating.”“What is?”Moon Seoyoon asked, slightly distancing himself. It was at the same time Woo Yeonjae’s lips parted slightly.“Since you’ve entered, Moon Seoyoon, you smell?”At the mention of smell, Moon Seoyoon instinctively sniffed his sleeve. What could be causing a smell? If he had used perfume, it would be the smell of perfume, but he wasn’t the type to use it often. Although he had received a few gifts, he only sprayed them two or three times a year, and even then, he left them all at his family home. He did laundry frequently… It couldn’t be the smell of the building since it was a newly constructed building.“What smell?”From his sleeve, there was only a faint scent of fabric softener. Worried that there might be a smell of cigarettes, Moon Seoyoon discreetly watched Woo Yeonjae’s reaction. If he found out Moon Seoyoon had learned to smoke in the military, it would cause a fuss. Although he only smoked one or two cigarettes a week while working part-time at a café, he didn’t want Woo Yeonjae, of all people, to find out.Whether it was amusing to see Moon Seoyoon sniffing his sleeve or not, Woo Yeonjae smiled thinly and approached closer. He casually rested his arm on Moon Seoyoon’s waist and leaned slightly towards the exposed nape of his neck. Any effort Moon Seoyoon made to create distance seemed futile.“This smell.”As he heard the breath near his nape, Moon Seoyoon took a quick breath. Woo Yeonjae had always been the type to pull people close as if it were natural, probably because he had known him since childhood. Moon Seoyoon, too, had memories of quietly snuggling up to him as if it were nothing, so what was the point of pushing him away now, only to startle him? It would seem strangely conscious.Of course, since realizing his one-sided love, Moon Seoyoon had been cautious even with minor skinship like hugs. However, Woo Yeonjae seemed to conclude that the subtle distance Moon Seoyoon kept was due to other people’s gaze. In spaces where only the two of them were present, he would often press his body against him without hesitation, occasionally making him uncomfortable like this.Moon Seoyoon gently pushed Woo Yeonjae away. This much wouldn’t seem like an overreaction.“You can just say it’s the scent of fabric softener. I was startled when you suddenly said I smelled.”It was fortunate that he was still wearing thick clothes because the weather was cold. If he had worn thin clothes like a T-shirt, his skin, which was probably slightly flushed, might have been exposed.“I didn’t specifically mention fabric softener.”Woo Yeonjae naturally stepped back, glanced around the room again, then headed towards the bathroom. Moon Seoyoon wiped the area where his breath had touched and followed Woo Yeonjae’s footsteps. His nape felt hot, unlike his hands that were slightly damp from sweat.“It’s in the opposite direction of the bathroom.”“I know. Just checking if there’s anything worth living here.”His behavior of checking the bathroom made him seem like a parent sending their child off to college. Feeling relieved for some reason, Moon Seoyoon chuckled and joked.“What’s with the dad vibes?”“Should we steal Professor Moon’s seat?”With a nonchalant reply, Woo Yeonjae thoroughly inspected the bathroom before returning to the room. His gaze lingered on the black suitcase on the bed.“It’s my roommate’s.”Even with the short answer, a hint of bitterness seeped through. Moon Seoyoon guessed it was because of the suitcase placed on the bed, not on the floor, and sat on his own bed, sticking his butt out. He didn’t forget to gesture towards the chair in front of the desk, knowing that Woo Yeonjae, who was in casual clothes, wouldn’t sit on the bed.“I haven’t seen his face yet.”As Woo Yeonjae turned the chair towards the bed and sat down, he raised an eyebrow. Despite only a slight change in expression, the bitterness felt even more pronounced.“Isn’t he a weirdo?”“Jua says there are quite a few people coming in after the orientation ends.”“Jua? Oh, that guy who works at the café.”Woo Yeonjae replied dryly, resting his chin on his elbow on the desk. His gaze, which had been briefly fixed on the empty suitcase on the bed, soon returned to its original position. The subtle folding of his long eyelashes accompanied the slight furrow of his brows.“If he’s an asshole, you can come to me.”