Sunshine Shower

“What a jerk you’ve been from the start. It seems like Moon Seoyoon doesn’t have many weird cases after all.”As if he would let that slide, Moon Seoyoon smoothly denied, seeming to imply that’s out of the question. No matter how weird someone might be, he never had any intention of doing something foolish like entering Woo Yeonjae’s officetel.“If lifestyles don’t match, it might be tough, but you can adapt.”Initially, it didn’t seem like they would spend much time together in the dormitory. What he needed right now was immersion in something. So, the plan for the time being was to focus on working at a café and studying. That way, he could keep his distance from Woo Yeonjae. Within a boundary where he wouldn’t feel weird.“But we’re not even dating, what is there to adapt to?”There was a hint of incredulity in his voice.Is it really necessary to react to that extent? Suddenly, he recalled the moment when Woo Yeonjae was complaining about communal living. Having lived a life where there was no need to conform to others, he seemed to understand what led to those words.“We’re living together, so there’s no choice.”Perhaps dissatisfied with the response, Woo Yeonjae’s expression subtly soured.“Why do you see it that way?”“Seoyoon.”“Why?”“Don’t try to separate yourself from me.”Moon Seoyoon was momentarily taken aback. It wasn’t just that Woo Yeonjae was trying to tie him down to himself. Given the long-standing connection between them, Woo Yeonjae sometimes included him within the scope of his family.One of his parents’ habits was saying, ‘It would be nice if Seoyoon were our son too.’ So, Moon Seoyoon had never really found it odd. As the time spent together grew, and emotional interactions deepened, it was natural for a sense of familial affection to develop.What was surprising, even knowing this fact, was that Woo Yeonjae seemed to have penetrated his thoughts. It was a feeling even Moon Seoyoon himself hadn’t realized. Subconsciously, it seemed he had contemplated distancing himself from Woo Yeonjae.“Making people upset….”As Woo Yeonjae raised his eyebrows and pursed his lips, a mischievous smile spread across his face, as if asking when he had ever made such a sour expression.“What independence? Are you really trying to take our father’s place?”Moon Seoyoon eventually laughed, making a dismissive sound. Woo Yeonjae throwing jokes like this wasn’t a rare occurrence anymore; now he could easily parry them. It was a habit that had started since childhood, so Woo Yeonjae might not realize how his words sounded. There was just someone who easily swayed by meaningless remarks, nothing more.The price of having his heart stolen was so cruel.“I might just show off when I meet the professor next time. Call me Moon Seoyoon.”It felt like an exchange of wordplay among adults with a three-year-old in front of them. Moon Seoyoon frowned as a sign to stop talking nonsense, but then his phone rang. It was Kim Hyunseung.– Moon! Where are you?“In the dormitory.”– I just finished orientation. Want to grab a meal together?“Yeah, sure. I’m with Yeonjae right now, so the three of us can eat together.”– You’re with Woo Yeonjae in the dormitory?Woo Yeonjae perked up at the mention and Kim Hyunseung seemed to hear his voice clearly due to its volume.“Yeonjae was curious about the dormitory, so I came here briefly. I’ll be leaving now.”– Oh, I’m curious too. Can you show me around?“No, you can’t.”Woo Yeonjae cut him off abruptly. Moon Seoyoon, who suddenly had his phone taken away, looked at him with a questioning expression. When their eyes met, Woo Yeonjae’s smooth lips curved slightly upward.– Woo Yeonjae, go away.“Moon Seoyoon, a roommate came in.”At the word ‘roommate’, Moon Seoyoon turned his head outward. Not even the sound of footsteps was heard, let alone the sound of pressing the door lock. Blatant lies flowed smoothly between his calm lips.– Oh. Really?“I’m leaving now.”Woo Yeonjae, who replied briskly, handed over the phone. The call screen had ended without knowing when it was cut off. Moon Seoyoon, who took the phone in confusion, got up from the bed while checking the missed call that wouldn’t ring again.Whether he was waiting or not, Woo Yeonjae didn’t leave first and stood awkwardly by the shoe rack. When he was alone, Moon Seoyoon hadn’t noticed, but now, with two adult men present, even standing in the corner made the room feel crowded.“Why lie? He thought it was a real person.”“If Kim Hyunseung comes, all the tidying up would be in vain.”Woo Yeonjae gestured towards the bed. Moon Seoyoon, who was putting on his shoes, turned his head to follow. Indeed, if Kim Hyunseung had come, by now the neatly arranged bedding would probably be getting swept off the floor. Snacks might have fallen on the bed, which only had a suitcase placed on it.“That may be true.”As Moon Seoyoon finished putting on his shoes and turned around, he hesitated. With Woo Yeonjae standing still in the narrow shoe rack, it was difficult to take a step forward rashly. Four feet were confined to a small rectangle, making the distance between them excessively close.Moon Seoyoon unconsciously bit the inside of his lip. Instead of Woo Yeonjae’s face, it was his broad shoulders that came into view. Thanks to his natural skeletal structure, his body felt sturdy even without scrutinizing his entire physique.Perhaps it was because Woo Yeonjae knew him so well. Unlike his own thin frame, the muscles tightly wrapped around his skeleton seemed to raise his temperature just by touching his cheek.“And Seoyoon.”The name dropped above his head. Moon Seoyoon finally lifted his head as if startled. The gaze looking down at him softened into a gentle curve.“Don’t casually let other people into the room.”“Phew. I’m dying to go back to school after a long time.”Kim Hyunseung sighed deeply as he took off his hat. It was an opportunity to go for lunch since it was the beginning of the semester and there was enough time to go a little further from school.“But how come you guys are together? Isn’t Management your major course starting from Monday’s first period?”“Because we’re taking the same major.”Kim Hyunseung looked puzzled at Woo Yeonjae’s natural answer.“Hey, Woo. Aren’t you in your third year now? Moon Seoyoon took a one-year leave of absence as soon as he entered the military… Since he was a sophomore last year, he must be in his third year now. But how are you taking the same major? Isn’t it damn tough if you don’t take management as a major in advance?”“He dropped a few majors in his sophomore year.”Moon Seoyoon casually dropped the fact he had only learned two hours ago.“Huh? Are you kidding me? No way Moon Seoyoon is taking it with you, right?”“Not all of them.”Despite Kim Hyunseung’s blunt criticism, Woo Yeonjae remained calm as if it were nothing.“He took some prerequisite courses and major-required courses.”“Even so, seriously. This guy is a real lunatic. So, how many are you taking with Moon?”“I think it was three…”“Nine credits? Insane. You must be having a hard time.”“How can school be fun without Moon Seoyoon?”Kim Hyunseung, now completely fed up, gave Moon Seoyoon a sidelong glance with a suddenly sympathetic expression.“What sins did you commit in your past life to end up with that idiot as your best friend?”“Yeah. What sin did our Seoyoon commit to have Kim Hyunseung tagging along?”“What are you talking about? It’s because of you that he got close to Moon.”Moon Seoyoon thanked the waiter who brought the food, leaving the two of them to their childish banter. Soon, the sushi was laid out before them. It looked appetizing, fitting for a restaurant that catered to Woo Yeonjae’s picky taste.“Hey, but aren’t there a lot of team projects in management? It would be easier with Woo Yeonjae around. Finding team members is a hassle, especially for returning students. They might not like it much.”When Kim Hyunseung nudged his arm, Moon Seoyoon simply nodded. His mouth was full of sushi, making it difficult to respond.“Anyway, it doesn’t matter since he attended school last year. Moon Seoyoon, are you okay? I mean, I’m in the engineering department, so guys tend to stick together, and I’m not sure if it would be much different even if you transferred to our department.”“What wouldn’t be okay?”Moon Seoyoon furrowed his brow as if genuinely puzzled. Despite it being his first year back in university after two years, there wasn’t anything that should make him not okay, but he couldn’t help but wonder what it could be. Moreover, after half a year of working at a café and engaging in social life, he had no trouble adapting.“Wow, Moon… You really don’t know the jealousy of men towards impressive guys.”Kim Hyunseung exclaimed with a loud “Ha!” and shook his head vigorously. He seemed very confident about it. What’s that supposed to mean? Moon Seoyoon didn’t feel the need to argue objectively about being good-looking, but he lost his appetite when his close friend said such things.Moon Seoyoon naturally ignored Kim Hyunseung and continued eating his sushi. He preferred seafood over meat, so it suited his taste.“There are so many underclassmen staring at Moon Seoyoon.”Woo Yeonjae spoke up instead. Moon Seoyoon frowned again at the strange remark.“They’re probably staring at you.”Despite not being close, there were people who approached Woo Yeonjae to greet him.While he wasn’t easy to approach, many seemed to find him attractive not only for his flashy appearance but also for his gentle demeanor and seemingly likable personality. Perhaps because he attended school last year, there were many who seemed to recognize him. Among them, there were also curious glances that seemed to peek.“Our Moon may be clueless, but he’s too clueless.”Kim Hyunseung muttered something incomprehensible.“Are you going to the freshmen orientation this time? Be careful.”He added an incomprehensible warning.“What should I be careful of?”“Hey. Just let it go since they’re just ignorant kids from their freshman year. It won’t be the same after you return to school. There will surely be those trying to intimidate you.”“There are a lot of people living tired lives.”Moon Seoyoon dismissed it as trivial and sarcastically jabbed at Kim Hyunseung to eat his meal. He wondered if such things would happen to him again, unlike with Woo Yeonjae.