Sunshine Shower

In the end, Moon Seoyoon answered the phone with a sigh. It was nearly impossible to ignore Woo Yeonjae’s calls in the first place.“Yeah.”– Speak.There was a playful tone mixed into the short words. Moon Seoyoon wriggled under the blanket and buried his face in the pillow.“What.”– I thought you said you wouldn’t get that drunk.“…Yeah, you’re right. Did you call just to hear me say thanks?”When he responded grumpily, Woo Yeonjae chuckled softly.– Yeah. I called to hear you say thanks.“Thanks. Happy now?”– That’s not very sincere.“Should I say it more gratefully?”To compose himself, Moon Seoyoon grabbed and released the innocent edge of the pillow. Even though this wasn’t his first call with Woo Yeonjae, hearing his voice first thing in the morning made him feel strange. It felt even more so because he was alone in the room; if his roommate were around, it might not feel as intense.– If you’re awake, eat breakfast.He sounded just like a boyfriend.“I wonder how my father would react if I told him you were acting like my dad.”– Ah, this time I’ll really ask for Moon Seoyoon. I’ll raise you well.“Am I a child?”Moon Seoyoon got out of bed and stood up. Moving his body was the best way to snap out of unnecessary thoughts.– Well, it’s not much different, is it? By the way, we don’t have any overlapping classes today, right?“We’ll probably run into each other even on days when our classes don’t overlap starting next week. You practically live at the business school.”Coincidentally, they ended up taking the same major classes on alternate days. Moon Seoyoon’s schedule was packed with major courses from Monday to Friday, but at least he would see Woo Yeonjae three times a week, which wasn’t too bad.Just yesterday, he was surprised to hear that Woo Yeonjae, a third-year, was taking second-year courses. It was amusing how quickly his feelings had flipped overnight.– True. Now I can see Moon Seoyoon anytime I want. You can’t escape since it’s on campus.Moon Seoyoon, momentarily flustered, just bit his lip. Woo Yeonjae laughed shortly again, perhaps intending to fluster him.– See you tomorrow, then.“…I’m hanging up.”Moon Seoyoon tossed his phone onto the bed and sighed as he headed to the bathroom. Dating Woo Yeonjae? Imagining such a thing with someone who already had a partner felt shameless.***The days flew by in a blur, and before he knew it, it was Friday. Moon Seoyoon passed his bed, confirming that the position of his suitcase hadn’t changed. With orientation week ending, it seemed his roommate planned to move in next week. He was starting to get curious about what kind of person they would be.“I guess I’ll see them next week.”Thinking nothing of it, he left the dorm.It was the first full three-hour orientation of the semester. Sitting in a classroom for that long again was tough. He found himself wondering how he’d manage his studies.“Seoyoon.”Woo Yeonjae glanced over as he looked at his phone. Moon Seoyoon raised an eyebrow, silently asking what he wanted.“Want to grab dinner before heading back?”“At this time?”It was a bit early to call it dinner.“Sunju said she wants to have dinner with you.”At the mention of Sunju’s name, Moon Seoyoon’s mouth went dry. He had vaguely anticipated this day ever since Woo Yeonjae introduced her as his closest friend, but he hadn’t expected to meet her so suddenly.“Now?”Moon Seoyoon tried to stall for time with any words he could muster. He needed to come up with a plausible answer, but his mind was in turmoil due to the unexpected situation.“You said you’d start working evenings next week.”“Oh, right.”“How long will you keep the job? I was hoping you’d spend more time with me.”Woo Yeonjae pouted slightly, though his gaze was playfully mischievous.“I’m going to keep working… Let’s go, then.”Moon Seoyoon managed to force the words out of his throat. Avoiding a meeting with Kim Sunju forever was impossible. Making excuses to postpone the inevitable would only work for so long.It was clear that her interest was piqued by the title of long-time childhood friend and best friend. Since they weren’t in the same department and wouldn’t frequently cross paths, it seemed better to satisfy her curiosity quickly.This was something he had to face sooner or later. It was better to get it over with quickly.“What do you like to eat, Seoyoon?”Kim Sunju, sitting in the passenger seat, turned around with a gleam in her eyes. Moon Seoyoon, who had been staring out the window, turned to look at her.“Oh, I’m not picky.”“Really? I’d like to eat something you enjoy. What should we eat? It’s an awkward time.”“Moon Seoyoon likes seafood.”“Shall we go for sushi then? Seoyoon, is that okay with you?”Kim Sunju, who had been chatting amiably with Woo Yeonjae, glanced over at him again to confirm.“Sure, that’s fine.”“Great, sushi it is. Where should we go? How about the place we went to last time? It was clean and tasty.”Kim Sunju was as sociable as her first impression suggested. Thanks to this, within five minutes of meeting, Moon Seoyoon found himself on a first-name basis with her, speaking informally. It seemed he was the only one suffocating under the oppressive awkwardness of the situation.“Sorry for the sudden dinner invite. I have a lot of night projects, so it’s hard to find time this week. But I was honestly curious since Yeonjae said you two are close.”As Woo Yeonjae started driving, Kim Sunju turned slightly to offer an apology. It wasn’t her fault. Moon Seoyoon had accepted the invitation despite being able to refuse.“No, it’s fine. I was curious too. This is Yeonjae’s first girlfriend since starting college.”Each word he uttered felt like it turned into a thorn, scratching at his throat. Moon Seoyoon pressed the tender skin near his fingernails to maintain the conversation.“Do you study fine arts?”“What? Yeonjae, didn’t you tell him anything about me? Yes, I’m in the Western Painting Department. I took a year off last year to enjoy myself, but this year I don’t have any free time.”Although he knew little about art, Kim Sunju seemed to fit it perfectly. Easels, canvases, and paints suited her charming image.Suddenly, a memory of something Woo Yeonjae had said flashed through Moon Seoyoon’s mind.“If you had insisted on going to art school, I would have prepared for art school entrance exams back then.”Was that why he brought up art? Moon Seoyoon forced a smile to hide his bitterness.Sitting in Woo Yeonjae’s car, in the back seat instead of the passenger seat, felt strangely and unsettlingly unfamiliar.The place they arrived at was the same sushi restaurant they had visited on Monday. A few safe conversation topics came and went. Keeping up with the conversation and managing his expressions was no easy task. Just as the muscles around his mouth were reaching their limit, the arrival of the food provided a much-needed distraction, allowing Moon Seoyoon to lower his gaze.Watching Woo Yeonjae sit next to his girlfriend was far more agonizing than he had anticipated. It was an ordeal that couldn’t compare to just seeing them together on the street.“He’s famous in the industry. If he weren’t gay, many women would have approached him.”It had been a while since Moon Seoyoon had been struggling to focus on his meal, enduring the awkwardness and discomfort. At the mention of the word “gay” in the conversation, Moon Seoyoon involuntarily stopped his chopsticks. Without thinking, he glanced at Woo Yeonjae’s expression. Woo Yeonjae, who had been listening quietly, frowned slightly and spoke up.“Sunju.”Even before the words were fully spoken, Moon Seoyoon had a sense of what was coming.“Talking about being gay or whatever…”They had known each other for over 15 years.“Why would you bring up something like that?”He knew exactly how Woo Yeonjae’s eyebrows moved when he encountered something repulsive, how his nose crinkled, and how his lips twisted.Moon Seoyoon swallowed quietly, like a person placing their neck on the guillotine.“It’s ruining my appetite.”Such a weak defense was too fragile to protect his insignificant feelings.“Why would it ruin your appetite? You’re surprisingly conservative, aren’t you? Is it because you’re in business? I have quite a few openly gay friends around me.”Kim Sunju looked at Woo Yeonjae playfully, her eyes wide as if to ask why he would say something like that. Thanks to this, Moon Seoyoon took the opportunity to fix his gaze on the table.He felt saved.The only thought occupying his mind was relief. Thanks to the distraction created by Woo Yeonjae’s partner, he managed to catch his breath.If it weren’t for Kim Sunju’s voice and a brief silence that followed, it would have been obvious. Even if Woo Yeonjae didn’t realize it was about him, he would have surely sensed that Moon Seoyoon liked men. His face would have turned pale, and he would have become stiff.“It’s disgusting.”His calm voice continued, making a hate-filled statement sound disturbingly serene.“Is it normal for a man to be aroused by another man?”