Sunshine Shower

There were no new messages today either. Woo Yeonjae turned off his phone screen and briefly wondered if he should pretend not to notice on Monday. He didn’t regret his schedule, packed to the brim with second-year courses to match Moon Seoyoon’s, but his friend might find facing him overwhelming.He should give him some space.The patience he had cultivated over a long time was quite helpful at times like these. Woo Yeonjae skillfully controlled his breathing, as if suppressing his frayed nerves.“The weather is really nice. Days like this are great for walking. I’m glad I wore sneakers.”Kim Seonju said, tossing her empty takeout cup into the trash can. Her thin cardigan fluttered with her movements.“Yeah, the weather is nice.”“How did your car break down?”Certain scenes naturally came to mind: the still air unique to a closed space, the faint noise from the steering wheel and fingers, and Moon Seoyoon sitting in the passenger seat, avoiding his gaze.Whether he had driven it away or left it there, Woo Yeonjae didn’t know. It wasn’t something that bothered him much. It was just a car. Many men placed great significance on their cars, but to him, it was merely a consumable.The only thing that concerned him was Moon Seoyoon, who had probably sat blankly in the passenger seat. Even if the car owner had left it out of sheer disgust, he would’ve taken a taxi home, but it felt unsettling, like leaving a child by the water.Woo Yeonjae knew better than anyone that his one and only childhood friend was an adult man who had even completed his military service. However, once an image was ingrained, it was hard to erase.“Just a minor fender bender.”“What? I thought it suddenly broke down because you said it was in for repairs. Was it a minor accident? You’re not hurt, are you?”Kim Seonju stopped and grabbed his arm, examining his body. Woo Yeonjae shrugged lightly and smiled.“I’m not hurt. You know minor accidents are nothing.”Moon Seoyoon’s emotions would be the same. It was a minor accident. Not everyone experiences it, but if you’re unlucky, you might go through it once in your life. It might be a bit startling at the time, but soon you’ll forget about it—it was just a simple accident.“Did you go to the hospital? Even minor accidents need a check-up.”In the end, it was an emotion that could be healed in some way.Woo Yeonjae believed that was his role.“I don’t like hospitals.”“Who likes hospitals? So you didn’t go? You don’t look hurt… Was it really minor?”“I’m fine.”“I was a bit annoyed when you canceled our plans last minute, but I’ll let it slide this time.”Kim Seonju pouted as she brushed her hair back, and a faint perfume scent wafted over.“Oh.”She habitually touched her earlobe, then tucked her hair behind her ear as if remembering something. She then turned her head the other way, showing it off.“Look at this.”At his girlfriend’s request, Woo Yeonjae looked down. A small white pearl earring dangled from her earlobe. It matched perfectly with her clean T-shirt, jeans, and cardigan. With her keen eye for aesthetics, anything she chose suited her well. He didn’t know why she suddenly wanted him to see it.“Earrings.”“What? Is that all you have to say? Don’t you have anything else?”Kim Seonju straightened her head and asked. Woo Yeonjae squinted his eyes slightly. She didn’t like compliments, so she wasn’t expecting him to say they were pretty.“They’re the same ones you bought me the first time. I lost them in your car and couldn’t find them, so I bought them again yesterday.”“Why buy the same ones? I’ll get you different ones.”“…You really won’t say it.”Kim Seonju frowned slightly.“What?”“Seoyoon said he saw my earrings in your studio. Why didn’t you tell me?”“Oh, that.”Woo Yeonjae responded nonchalantly.“They were thrown away. By the housekeeper.”“Thrown away? They’re not trash; they’re jewelry.”Frowning as if it made no sense, Kim Seonju tilted her head.“But how did they end up at your studio? I still haven’t been to Woo Yeonjae’s studio.”There was a hint of subtle disappointment in her words, which Woo Yeonjae chose to ignore.“They seemed to have stuck to my clothes.”When he was taking off his clothes to shower, something fell and rolled on the floor. He picked up the earring after his shower. Though he considered throwing it away, he decided to return it, thinking it might hold some meaning for her, even if it didn’t for him.He didn’t understand why his girlfriend was so upset over a mere earring, but Kim Seonju didn’t need his permission to feel her emotions.Woo Yeonjae left the earring in his bedroom. There wasn’t any particular reason for it. It was small, so he planned to leave it somewhere visible and take it out later. Kim Seonju’s sudden trip had delayed their meeting, so it had stayed there.If he had known that Moon Seoyoon would get pricked by that small object, he would have thrown it away instead.“On your clothes? Oh, that makes sense. It must have stuck when you got close to unbuckle my seatbelt. You were wearing a knit or something because it was winter.”“I didn’t realize you liked them so much. Want me to buy you another pair?”“No, it’s fine. It’s already over.”Kim Seonju grumbled as she pulled her hand away from her earring.“By the way, is it okay if I go out drinking with my friends tonight?”Why is she asking for permission? Woo Yeonjae answered nonchalantly.“You don’t need to ask my permission to meet your friends. If you want to go, then go.”“But my friend’s boyfriend and his friends will be there too.”Her intent was clear, and Woo Yeonjae slowly lowered his gaze.It’s tiring when she tests me like this. Kim Seonju was a good person. Aside from having an excessive fascination with jealousy, she was an excellent girlfriend.“Seonju, if you want to go, then go.”His voice was kind, without a hint of fatigue, but Kim Seonju stopped in her tracks.“Hey, Woo Yeonjae.”Woo Yeonjae stopped walking one step ahead of her. When he turned his body slightly, his gaze met her eyes, which were full of anger.A moderately warm breeze blew, and the path they walked on was lined with nameless wildflowers, perfect for a romantic stroll.“You don’t care that I’m meeting other guys?”They’d had a similar conversation before. It was the day he had dinner with Moon Seoyoon’s only legal guardian.“What if something happens while we’re drinking?”“Isn’t that something only guys who worry about their girlfriends cheating think about…?”“Are your feelings so neatly compartmentalized? It’s not that you trust me, you just don’t care about me, so it doesn’t bother you.”Kim Seonju let out a hollow laugh and tightly gripped her crossbody bag.“Seonju.”Indifference. Woo Yeonjae mulled over the word before finally speaking.“Haven’t I done everything you asked?”His tone wasn’t sarcastic; he was genuinely curious.“What?”“You asked me to show off that I’m your boyfriend in front of others, so I hugged you in public… I met you whenever you wanted. You asked me to keep weekends free, so I did… I even went to your friends’ gatherings and played the good trophy boyfriend. Didn’t I?”“A trophy?”“You wanted a cool relationship.”Her white cheeks flushed red. Woo Yeonjae didn’t understand her reaction, as he hadn’t intended to embarrass her.Kim Seonju was the one who had suggested they have a cool, detached relationship. He had liked the idea when they started dating.A relationship that didn’t invade personal space, yet appeared convincing enough to keep other interested parties at bay—an appealing proposal, especially in a university environment where unverified rumors spread easily and maliciously.Woo Yeonjae wasn’t particularly concerned with the rumors about him. He had never thought of them as something he needed to care about. However, being entangled in annoying situations because of those rumors was bothersome.“You said we’d break up if I wasn’t the boyfriend you wanted.”“That was something I said when we first started dating. Is that something you say to your girlfriend now? After everything we’ve been through…”“Seonju.”Woo Yeonjae cut her off with a soft sigh.“Mingling in your daily life after just a few months of dating feels overbearing to me.”