Sunshine Shower

Song Jua put a drink in her carrier and handed it over, wondering if her reaction seemed awkward.“Please try this and let the boss know if it’s okay.”“Alright. If it wasn’t just a drink, I would’ve stayed to help. Sorry.”“What are you talking about? Oh, this oppa is so kind, how will you survive in this harsh world?”Song Jua, who had come out from behind the counter, pushed his back.“Now that the exams are over, don’t think about working, go have some fun.”As a customer walked in with the sound of the bell, Moon Seoyoon hurriedly lifted the carrier, feeling like they were getting in the way.“Thanks, Jua. I’ll go. See you on Monday.”“Take care. Welcome!”As they left the cafe with a cheerful goodbye, a gentle breeze blew. Though it was just a spring breeze that couldn’t possibly blow away a hat, Moon Seoyoon pressed the hat down deeply and began walking towards the dormitory.“This is too…”The murmured words that slipped out were swallowed back by biting the lip. Spending time with a lover was natural. Although they knew this in their head, their heart struggled to handle the sudden overflow of emotions.Feeling suffocated by the intrusive thoughts, Moon Seoyoon quickened their pace. As their steps hastened, the ice in the drink rattled. Their gaze naturally dropped. Next to the yellow lemonade was a bottle of milk tea.“…”The color of their emotions must be like this, they thought. Even after filtering out all the impurities, it would still be muddy water.Inside, Nam Taeun came out, a towel around his neck, his hair wet from a recent shower.“You’re back, little puppy.”Moon Seoyoon’s lips moved slightly.“…Hyung.”Even though the hat covered their expression, the tone must have given something away, as Nam Taeun’s eyes widened.“What? Why does your voice sound like that? Who bullied you?”“Please, I…”Moon Seoyoon had no one to rely on.Except for Woo Yeonjae.“Help me.”But now, they desperately needed someone other than Woo Yeonjae.Because Woo Yeonjae was the reason for their crumbling.Moon Seoyoon sat, legs folded, in the narrow space between the beds. Lowering their head, the brim of the hat touched their knees.“Agh, making me crave a smoke.”Nam Taeun, who had been pacing around scratching his head, sat down next to them with a deep sigh. Both were fairly tall, so they had to pull their legs close.“Hey, little puppy. Is it because of them? Your unrequited love?”All Moon Seoyoon could do was move their lips. The unintended plea for help had slipped out, making them bow their head in embarrassment. Sitting crumpled in the narrow space, even though there was plenty of room to sit comfortably, was also because of that.Since childhood, whenever feeling uneasy, Moon Seoyoon would crouch under the piano. This habit of seeking confined spaces and curling up was almost subconscious.“How did you know?”“Because there’s nothing else that could be bothering you. Are you short on money, failing exams, or in a relationship?”Nam Taeun continued talking, grumbling.“And I can see your expression even with the hat on. Just looking at your mouth, I can tell. I saw you bite your lip after asking for help. You think you made a mistake, don’t you?”Even though it had been just over a year, the time spent closely together couldn’t be ignored. While fumbling with their fingernails, not knowing how to start, Nam Taeun suddenly took off Moon Seoyoon’s hat and threw it behind the bed. Startled, Moon Seoyoon looked up, feeling a cold sensation on their cheek. It was the lemonade, covered in droplets of condensation.“Moon Seoyoon, a man doesn’t cry over unrequited love.”“I wasn’t crying.”“Looks like you might. Want to see for yourself in a mirror?”Moon Seoyoon removed the takeaway cup from their cheek and avoided eye contact.“What’s so tough?”Nam Taeun began, lifting the cup off their shoulder. He didn’t seem to want to make the atmosphere heavy, even taking a sip through the straw.“Living long enough to hear Moon Seoyoon ask for help.”“Just think of it as a slip of the tongue.”“Slip of the tongue, my foot. You kept it inside until it festered and burst out.”The sound of the ice clinking against the straw quietly filled the space.“Hey, little puppy. Don’t you trust me?”It was only after Nam Taeun’s voice lowered a bit that Moon Seoyoon looked at him. Though his wet yellow hair and the towel around his neck didn’t make the atmosphere feel serious, his expression was firm.It felt wrong to stay silent in front of someone ready to listen. Especially when they were the one who asked for help. Moon Seoyoon leaned their face on their knees and barely managed to speak.“It’s not that… It’s an unsolvable problem. I felt sorry for whining to you, asking for help with something you can’t fix.”“Just tell me what’s bothering you first. Why did your mental state suddenly break?”Beyond Nam Taeun’s shoulder, the bottle of milk tea caught Moon Seoyoon’s eye. Unless the cap was opened and poured out, it would remain sealed inside its hard walls forever. Like their old, unresolved feelings.“We met yesterday, but…”“But?”“He was jealous of me.”“Jealous of you? Why?”“I received something from his partner, and he got jealous when he saw it. He told me not to accept such things.”“Hmm, that’s understandable.”So it was understandable. Well, Woo Yeonjae was just an ordinary person, so he could feel jealousy.“But I never thought he would get jealous, so it felt strange to me.”It wasn’t just strange. It was an emotion that couldn’t be named with a single word.“And when I went to the cafe earlier, I heard that his partner was there yesterday… with his partner.”“Yeah.”“It’s normal for a couple to go on dates, but it just felt odd, so I mentioned it to you. It felt even stranger than when I first heard he got a partner.”Moon Seoyoon carefully chose their words.“Back then, I could only vaguely imagine him with his partner, but now I know exactly how he looks when he’s with them.”Having said it, it felt pathetic. Feeling ashamed of asking for help over something so trivial, Moon Seoyoon rubbed their cheek to hide the awkwardness.“Is that all?”Nam Taeun squinted his eyes, as if trying to gauge something, like he was searching for a secret. Did it sound too pathetic?“Does there need to be another reason?”“No, it’s just… It seems to me there’s a fundamental issue, and that’s why you’re more hurt.”Fundamental issue. Moon Seoyoon immediately understood. The issue was that both they and Woo Yeonjae were men.If he had been of the opposite sex, they might have confessed. It was a common feeling between friends, and if they could give up their feelings, they had a high chance of returning to their original friendship. But since both were men, that wasn’t possible. They didn’t want to lose a friend they had spent their life with over a simple feeling of affection.Moon Seoyoon bit the soft flesh inside their lips, unable to speak. Even though Nam Taeun wasn’t the type to spread rumors, it was a difficult topic to bring up.“Little puppy.”“Yes?”“Ha…”Nam Taeun stared at the wall in front of him and let out a deep sigh. After a long silence, he fiddled with the back of his neck before finally turning to Moon Seoyoon.“Listen, don’t misunderstand.”His voice, hardened, was rather serious.“Is he a guy?”“…What?”“Your childhood friend.”Blood seemed to drain from their body, and their fingertips turned cold. Did it show that much? Seeing the surprise written on their pale face, Nam Taeun nudged their leg.“Hey, don’t be shocked. I don’t have any prejudice. I’m not going to misunderstand and think you like me. Some jerks think all gay people like them.”“Ah, no… How did you know?”Although they hadn’t planned to confirm it, the question slipped out. Perhaps it was because of Nam Taeun’s nonchalant expression.“Woo Yeonjae is pretty famous at school.”Nam Taeun clicked his tongue as he shook the lemonade.“Seoyoon, I’m not the kind to blab around, so don’t worry. When I was at the department room, the kids were talking about Woo Yeonjae from the business department. Naturally, I thought of you.”“Ah…”“And they mentioned you two being close. So I had my suspicions… Remember the first time we drank together at the dorm? You said your friend called.”“Yes.”“I don’t remember what was said, but I remember the voice. It was definitely a guy.”Moon Seoyoon vividly recalled that day. They had been hurt by Woo Yeonjae’s words, cried pathetically, and someone else had witnessed it all.“And seeing you like this today, I figured it wasn’t just friendship, so I asked.”Nam Taeun sipped his drink through a straw, watching carefully. He seemed worried that Seoyoon might feel anxious or embarrassed. Though they were surprised that someone else had discovered their feelings for Woo Yeonjae, their heart remained surprisingly calm.Perhaps it was because the person in question was Nam Taeun. He might seem rough around the edges, but he was deep. Most importantly, he was someone Woo Yeonjae didn’t know, which was reassuring.“I’m telling you this so you don’t worry. I have similar people around me… so don’t worry about me spreading rumors.”“I’m not worried. I know you, Hyung.”Finally reassured, Nam Taeun grinned and leaned back against the bed again.