Sunshine Shower

It was then that he averted his gaze. His awkward fingers fiddling with the band, his eyes softened as if seeking approval, his lips slightly parted and then closed.‘I’m pretty sure I’ve paid enough attention to you to notice any of your habits.’The fact that the person involved was unaware of this was extremely irritating.‘If Moon Seoyoon really thinks that, I’d be so upset. We’ve known each other for years…’And the fact that he’s lying because of some useless bastard.‘I’ll talk to you later. I’ll wait until you’re ready to tell me.’Woo Yeonjae knew himself very well. If he continued the conversation, sharp words would inevitably come out. He couldn’t scare off his one and only childhood friend, so he obediently let Moon Seoyoon go.“So pathetic…”He had anticipated this topic when Seoyoon said he had something to say. Though he never expected him to talk about someone he liked.Sighing, Woo Yeonjae let out a mixture of a bitter laugh and a sneer. He wasn’t hoping for a confession. He had hoped Seoyoon would deny it again.This time, even if the lie was obvious, he would have let it slide. It was a decision he reached after constantly thinking and rethinking following their last parting.It wasn’t a sudden declaration but a confession with a grace period. Having sorted out his thoughts to some extent, he could let it pass this time as if nothing had happened. Just like always, he could fend off those who approached Moon Seoyoon with impure intentions.If his only childhood friend could interact with harmless people, he too would be at ease.‘It’s a company employee who visits around quitting time.’Woo Yeonjae touched his stiffened cheek with narrowed eyes.“A company employee, huh.”Moon Seoyoon wouldn’t fall for someone he had no interactions with. Unless he had a personality that fell in and out of love easily, it took him time to open up to someone. Even with Kim Hyunseung, who was famous for his sociability, it took quite a while to become close, and now he’s supposed to like someone he only sees for a few minutes each day? And a man, no less.Curses were chewed between his teeth. Just imagining Moon Seoyoon with a man made his stomach churn. After crying so much because of some worthless bastards, now he likes a man?Woo Yeonjae vividly remembered Seoyoon’s white face as he cried until his eyes were red from a trivial prank. Every tear that fell from his round eyes evoked indescribable emotions. Emotions so dark he couldn’t clearly name them.Moon Seoyoon had to live without rough edges. He was too gentle by nature to live roughly.What if he got involved with some bastard of dubious background? Usually, those kinds of people had a knack for finding vulnerable targets. As soon as they spotted Seoyoon, they would forcefully dig into his soft corners and swallow him whole.Even though there was a fence called Woo Yeonjae, he couldn’t understand why Seoyoon would willingly walk into a thorny path. But even so, he couldn’t let Seoyoon end up in such a state.Why would he like another man? In a society revolving around heterosexuality, a man liking another man was unusual.Moon Seoyoon had to live a normal life. Without standing out.He didn’t want to see Seoyoon suffering over some trivial matter because of a fleeting emotion. Luckily, it wasn’t mutual love. It was a one-sided crush, so it would be enough to bury it alone.“Ha, fuck…”He tried to think rationally, but he was already at his limit, unable to stop the curses from slipping out. So who the hell was it?The problem wasn’t Moon Seoyoon. It was the bastard who seduced his innocent heart.Woo Yeonjae wondered if Seoyoon wouldn’t hide his feelings. If it was after his discharge, it hadn’t even been a year. …If it was someone he met after his discharge.His barely sane mind blared sirens.Suddenly, that night’s memory resurfaced. He couldn’t recall what cigarette smoke tasted like at all. The only familiar sensation in his memory was the texture of the white object between his lips. Slightly damp and moist.“Damn it, seriously…”He thought of the cigarette he didn’t even smoke because his mood was foul.Woo Yeonjae bit his lips. For some reason, his throat was dry.“Hey, fuck. Don’t go hitting people outside. You’ll end up in jail. Why are your punches getting stronger?”Lee Jinhyuk quipped as he took off his headgear. Woo Yeonjae glanced at him and wordlessly grabbed a water bottle. Thanks to moving his body around, he managed to somewhat control his emotions.Crack. The sound of the bottle cap opening sounded a bit harsh.“Seriously, our young master has such refined hobbies. Still has a habit of beating people up when he’s pissed?”“I don’t think a pro has the right to say that to a regular person.”The water he took from the freezer was cold. Woo Yeonjae nonchalantly replied as he drank the ice-cold water. Lee Jinhyuk chuckled and rubbed his belly. It seemed to be where he got hit during sparring.“What’s gotten on your nerves this time?”“…”“I’ve known you since middle school. You think I can’t tell when you’re pissed?”The man who was nearly ten years older was a professional boxer. To Woo Yeonjae, he was always just an old guy, both back then and now. True to his image as a neighborhood guy, he was also someone with an endless meddling nature.“Is it because of that friend again?”Woo Yeonjae frowned as he pushed back his sweat-drenched hair.The reason he met Lee Jinhyuk in the first place was because of his father’s order, “If you want to throw punches so badly, do it with a pro, not causing trouble.”It wasn’t a bad deal for Lee Jinhyuk either, as he was promised sponsorship in return for babysitting the young master in an unusual way. The deal included the current boxing gym he ran.Most of the reasons for Woo Yeonjae’s temper involved Moon Seoyoon, so he had some knowledge about the young master’s old childhood friend.“Why? He’s done with the army, right? No one would mess with a veteran. Is he dating?”The confession about a one-sided love came to mind. There was no mention of a confession or dating, but who knew.Interpreting the silence as an affirmation, Lee Jinhyuk whistled as he tidied up the gloves.“He’s at a prime age. Let him date. When else will he experience young love if not during college?”If the person were a woman, he wouldn’t have said anything. He could judge for himself whether she was decent by meeting her, and if she wasn’t, he could discreetly get rid of her without Moon Seoyoon knowing. The problem was that it was a man.“Well, you’re pretty picky about people. If not, why not introduce him to someone yourself?”Woo Yeonjae crumpled the empty water bottle and tossed it into the trash can. Even though he had barely managed to control his rampant emotions, he still felt like crap. Lee Jinhyuk, reading his unpleasant expression, clicked his tongue.“Is that what you call friendship?”“I never said it was friendship.”“Oh really? Then what is it?”“It’s familial love.”Their relationship couldn’t simply be called friendship. If it were just friendship, he wouldn’t be so invested.Woo Yeonjae defined his possessive-like feelings towards Moon Seoyoon as familial love. They met when they were young, spent most of their days together, and had known each other for a long time, so it wasn’t entirely wrong.The innocent possessiveness that only a child could have had transformed into familial love as he grew older. Moon Seoyoon wasn’t just a friend. The relationship was too precious to be merely called friendship.“Yeah, right. Anyone would think you lived together under the same roof.”“If he were added to my parents’ family register, they’d actually be happy. Ask my father how he feels about it if you meet him.”“Hey. When would I ever meet your father? Seriously, you’re peculiar because you’re a young master.”Though Lee Jinhyuk seemed skeptical, it wasn’t an exaggeration.Since there was no need to elaborate, Woo Yeonjae turned away. Having sparred since parting with Seoyoon in the afternoon until almost midnight, he wondered if there were any messages from him. Just as he was about to check his phone, Lee Jinhyuk, who had followed him, slung an arm over his shoulder.Woo Yeonjae brushed off the sticky, sweaty contact with irritation. Even if it wasn’t sweaty skin, he hated physical contact.“Young master. Didn’t you say your girlfriend was an art major?”Knowing Woo Yeonjae’s temper and fastidiousness, Lee Jinhyuk got straight to the point instead of being flustered.“Or was that your ex? You know, the girlfriend you had when you were twenty.”“She’s the same one. Yes, art major.”“Oh. Then she must have visited a lot of art museums in Europe?”“She was out there all last year. Why, are you interested in art?”“No, my girlfriend wants to do an art museum tour if she goes to Europe, and I’m curious where an art major would recommend. All I know is sports.”There were no new messages. Woo Yeonjae frowned and turned off the screen. Despite drinking water, he was still thirsty, likely due to sweating so much.“I thought it’d be better to ask someone who’s majoring in it.”“I’ll ask her when I see her.”Having mostly achieved what he came for, he thought about heading back. Even though he felt grimy, it was better to shower properly at his studio apartment than use the shared shower here.“Hey, anyway.”Feeling awkward about his embarrassing request, Lee Jinhyuk patted Woo Yeonjae’s shoulder, this time precisely over his clothes.“I don’t know why you’re so pissed, but don’t worry about unnecessary things. You’re still young, and if something goes wrong, it’ll sort itself out with time, no matter what it is.”The issue wouldn’t resolve since it was fundamentally flawed.Woo Yeonjae didn’t bother to respond, as he hadn’t come here for counseling.“Also, why are you worried so much when you’ve got nothing to lose like Moon Seoyoon?”Got nothing to lose like Moon Seoyoon.A soft, cynical laugh escaped from between his lips. To others, it must look that way. Born an only child into a wealthy family, what could he possibly lack in this world?It was somewhat true. Before meeting Moon Seoyoon, he had never known the feeling of fear.Woo Yeonjae first recognized such an emotion after meeting Moon Seoyoon.‘Woo Yeonjae. I, hu, what do I, hic, do now…?’The moment he saw the crying face, the sensation of fear struck him for the first time.