Sunshine Shower

I looked to the side without thinking, and our eyes met immediately. The timing of the traffic light was perfect.“You take digestive medicine before meeting the professor.”“How did you know?”Moon Seoyoon asked, fiddling with the small bottle.“What do you mean how? It’s not like I’ve only had meals with you and the professor a couple of times.”His tone implied that it would be stranger if he didn’t know.“Well, that’s true.”Sometimes he thought that Woo Yeonjae seemed to know him better than he knew himself.It was Woo Yeonjae who paid attention to his minor health issues.“Thanks. I should take it now.”Whenever Woo Yeonjae acted this way, an inexplicable surge of emotion welled up in him. Moon Seoyoon opened the digestive medicine and brought it to his lips. As he slowly tilted the bottle, the sharp liquid flowed down his throat.He had to swallow the tumultuous emotions from deep within along with the unpleasant digestive medicine.When they got off the elevator, the interior had a strong wooden feel. He had been here a few times before, and the place seemed somewhat familiar. It was surprising to recognize it faintly, considering it had been at least two years since his last visit. It was even more surprising that Woo Yeonjae remembered it so well.“Moon Seoyoon.”“This way, please.”Moon Seoyoon followed Woo Yeonjae, who had smoothly given his name, into the room. The staff led them, seemingly to a private room. It felt like he would see his father as soon as the door opened.A subtle tension made Moon Seoyoon bite his lip out of habit. While he was uncomfortable with Woo Yeonjae, just thinking about his father made him uneasy.When did it get like this? He wasn’t sure if his strained relationship with his father was because of his mother’s death or quitting piano. Maybe it was both. Or perhaps it was because of the violence his father inflicted on him.Moon Seoyoon tried to sort out his thoughts, hoping the short corridor wouldn’t end. He didn’t think it was just because of the time his father slapped him. It seemed too much to say that a single act of violence strained their blood relationship.“It’s been a while, Professor.”The soft, pleasant voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Moon Seoyoon realized the door had opened. He quickly lifted his gaze from the floor and met the eyes of a middle-aged man sitting there. It should have felt nostalgic and heartwarming to see a familiar face after so long, but it was strangely uncomfortable.“It’s been a while, Yeonjae. And my son too.”“Sorry for not visiting often. How have you been?”Moon Seoyoon forced a smile as he stepped into the room, trying not to show his awkwardness. The word “my son” from his father’s mouth felt too unfamiliar. He was more used to Woo Yeonjae’s habitual “our Seoyoon.”“I’m the same as always. The school keeps me busy.”“You look well, though.”“Haha, thank you.”Woo Yeonjae adeptly carried the conversation. Moon Seoyoon sat down next to him and exhaled a discreet deep breath.Until just before arriving, he had regretted bringing Woo Yeonjae to the meal with his father. He had barely managed to avoid it by using exams as an excuse, but now he was stuck in this situation.But seeing his father’s face made him grateful that Woo Yeonjae was there. Without him, the table would have been enveloped in silence.“I’ve already ordered the food. Is that okay?”“Of course.”At Woo Yeonjae’s response, Professor Moon shifted his gaze. Moon Seoyoon responded a beat later.“Yes, it’s fine.”“Yeonjae, did you bring the car?”“Yes. Unfortunately, we’ll have to skip the drinks this time. I have to take Seoyoon home.”“You still see him as a kid. You always take care of Seoyoon.”“When will you let me have Moon Seoyoon? I think I’ve earned your approval by now.”Another silly comment. Moon Seoyoon furrowed his brows and glared at Woo Yeonjae. Woo Yeonjae, seemingly watching his reaction rather than his father’s, smiled with narrowed eyes. His lips formed a joyful curve resting on his half-leaning palm.“Haha, that habit of yours.”Just then, the food began to arrive. Since they had declined alcohol, a warm tea and some appetizers were served. Moon Seoyoon waited for his father to pick up his spoon before taking a spoonful of the porridge. The creamy porridge tasted sweet with chestnuts.“Listening to your jokes reminds me of the old days. Yeonjae, you used to hold Seoyoon’s hand and ask me to give him to you.”“My parents have been eyeing him since then. Didn’t you know?”Ignoring Woo Yeonjae’s jokes, Moon Seoyoon focused on eating. He knew he’d have trouble digesting, but it was better than sitting uncomfortably in silence.“Ah, right. Seohyun mentioned something like that.”Hearing his mother’s name unexpectedly, Moon Seoyoon stopped eating. He had a gut feeling that Woo Yeonjae’s gaze was on him.Was it that obvious? Worrying that his father might notice his agitation, he put down his spoon and picked up his chopsticks, pretending to eat.“Seoyoon’s mother used to say that if they were different genders, they would have married them off. Even the chairman was disappointed.”“To be precise, she said if we were born of different genders, she would marry us off.”It was the kind of promise that mothers who had children around the same time would half-jokingly, half-seriously make.“My mother often said she was disappointed when I was born because I was a boy and she couldn’t marry us off. I guess it was even more disappointing for her because she and your mother were like real sisters.”That’s exactly what Woo Yeonjae said. He had grown up calling his mother “aunt” because the two women were as close as sisters.“Yes… Right. How are your parents doing?”The conversation naturally shifted to Woo Yeonjae’s family. Moon Seoyoon chewed on a tender shrimp to swallow his slight embarrassment. It was clear that his father had invited Woo Yeonjae to ask about his parents.“They’re the same as always. When I told them I was meeting you today, they insisted I bring Seoyoon home.”Hearing his name suddenly mentioned, Moon Seoyoon turned reflexively to Woo Yeonjae. Of course, their eyes met.How did the conversation end up here? While he blinked in surprise at the sudden invitation, Professor Moon spoke in his usual friendly tone.“You shouldn’t refuse an invitation from your elders.”In the end, Moon Seoyoon nodded after hesitating for a moment.“If they invite me, I should go. It has been a while since I last saw your parents.”He was curious why Woo Yeonjae was only mentioning this now, but the suggestion didn’t seem strange. He had visited their house so often since childhood that he had never felt uncomfortable around them.Now that he thought about it, it had been a long time since his last visit.“They were upset you went to the military without saying anything.”“Oh…”It was an issue he hadn’t considered. Knowing how much they treated him like a son, he felt a belated sense of guilt. He should have contacted them even if he didn’t contact Woo Yeonjae. It was his mistake.“Sorry, I didn’t think about it. Are they very upset?”“They’ll be fine once they see you. They like you more than me, you know.”“What are you talking about? Anyway, I’ll make sure to visit them sometime soon.”As the conversation began to take another turn, new dishes arrived. The arrival of new food, with the staff coming and going, was a relief. The occasional change in atmosphere was much better than enduring awkward tension. If they were at his family home, he’d be feeling suffocated and fidgeting with his clothes by now.“Come to think of it…”Moon Seoyoon realized belatedly that the seat opposite him was empty. Whether it was because Woo Yeonjae was there or due to some personal reason, the woman who should be sitting next to his father was absent.Noticing this, he found the seating arrangement amusing. The person sitting across from his father wasn’t his son but Woo Yeonjae.It was a relief. Being in the same room with an uncomfortable person seated directly opposite versus diagonally across made a world of difference. Whether or not their eyes met directly made that much of a difference.Moon Seoyoon glanced at Woo Yeonjae as he put the fish wrapped in seaweed into his mouth. It was Woo Yeonjae who entered first and chose to sit opposite his father. It wasn’t a random seating choice but a meticulously calculated one.Just like when he received the digestive medicine, a surge of unidentifiable emotions welled up inside him.This is why he couldn’t bear to lose Woo Yeonjae.