Sunshine Shower

“Why are you saying weird things since the morning?”How can you get tired of a person, as if they were just an object? The first thought that crossed his mind was whether it was even possible to get tired of someone. Not necessarily in the context of unrequited love toward Woo Yeonjae.He had heard that even between lovers, family members, or friends, there could be periods of boredom or weariness. But Moon Seoyoon had never experienced such feelings himself.‘My father… that’s more of a complex emotion than a period of weariness.’He found it difficult to understand the concept of growing tired of someone you’ve been with for a long time.“I wish I could get tired of you.”Moon Seoyoon spoke his true feelings as he lightly knocked on Woo Yeonjae’s head. Though it didn’t hurt, Woo Yeonjae winced, looking like a sulky child, probably because his flushed cheeks weren’t cooperating.“What’s there to get tired of? If you’re going to talk nonsense, just go back to sleep.”“You’re not tired of me?”“No, why would I be tired of a person?”“If it’s not that…”Woo Yeonjae slowly lifted his head away.“Stay a little longer.”Faced with such a direct request, Moon Seoyoon found himself at a loss for words.“How could you think about leaving a sick friend behind so heartlessly? It’s really lonely.”The words that followed were typical of Woo Yeonjae.“You don’t like having people around when you’re sick.”Moon Seoyoon frowned slightly. Since Woo Yeonjae wasn’t often sick, he would get annoyed when someone stayed by his side when he was unwell. Having watched him for 17 years, Moon Seoyoon knew this all too well.“Maybe I’m getting older and feeling lonely.”The word “lonely” made him unconsciously bite the inside of his lip. The thought briefly crossed his mind that it might be because he had broken up with his girlfriend. When you’re emotionally vulnerable and then physically ill, it’s natural to crave comfort. Or maybe being emotionally fragile made him more susceptible to getting sick in the first place.“…Alright.”And Moon Seoyoon wasn’t the type to be heartless enough to leave a sick friend behind.As soon as Moon Seoyoon agreed, Woo Yeonjae’s eyes softened with satisfaction, and he lay back down on the bed. Moon Seoyoon watched him for a moment, then let out a short sigh.“If you need something, just ask.”“Why would I ask you for anything?”A playful smile spread across Woo Yeonjae’s face.“I just wanted to see your face.”“…What are you going to do after seeing my face?”“I missed seeing it while you were in the army.”“Only now?”Moon Seoyoon asked with a hint of exasperation, and Woo Yeonjae gave a lazy smile.“But why are you so sick? Your fever seemed pretty bad.”Moon Seoyoon hesitated for a moment before sitting on the edge of the bed. As he leaned against the bed frame, Woo Yeonjae’s gaze lifted slightly.“You keep poking where it hurts…? I told you, I got stood up.”“…I thought you were just saying that. I won’t ask anymore. Sorry.”So, he really was sick. Moon Seoyoon fiddled with the tips of his fingers, offering an apology. He felt uneasy, as if he had asked a question he shouldn’t have to a friend who had just broken up with his girlfriend. At the same time, a sense of self-loathing crept in.Because the truth was, he wasn’t so much interested in the reason for Woo Yeonjae’s illness as he was in knowing whether he had been heartbroken after the breakup.‘I’m really the worst.’He was disgusted by his own messy feelings.“It’s okay, you can ask.”The one who had burdened his mind spoke up as if it was no big deal.“It’s you asking, after all, so I should answer. Are you curious why I got dumped?”“No, it’s fine.”Moon Seoyoon reached out, covering Woo Yeonjae’s heated eyelids with his hand, as if to tell him to rest. As his palm brushed against Woo Yeonjae’s thin eyelashes, he felt a ticklish sensation. But despite the ticklishness that seeped into his skin, his mood remained heavy.He wasn’t really curious about why they had broken up. Whatever the topic, he wanted to avoid hearing about his unrequited love’s romantic life. Watching the relationship unfold up close had been painful enough, but he didn’t want to feel relieved by hearing about the breakup either.It felt deceitful and wrong, not only to Woo Yeonjae but also to himself, and it wasn’t fair to his struggling friend.“If it were Kim Hyunseung, he’d be teasing me to no end by now.”“If he knew you were sick, he probably wouldn’t tease you. …He might tease you later, though.”When Moon Seoyoon added this, Woo Yeonjae chuckled. Moon Seoyoon only removed his hand after Woo Yeonjae’s lashes had stopped fluttering and he seemed to be drifting off.“Woo Yeonjae.”When he called his name, Woo Yeonjae’s eyelids fluttered open as he tilted his head up.“…Don’t get sick.”His eyebrows knitted slightly as if the comment had caught him off guard. Moon Seoyoon figured it was a needless remark.Biting his tongue, Moon Seoyoon pulled the blanket over Woo Yeonjae’s face. All that was visible was the top of his dark hair. He didn’t want him to be sick. The idea of someone close to him being ill was unsettling. Maybe it was because of the long struggle his mother had with illness, but whenever someone close to him got sick, it terrified him.And when it came to Woo Yeonjae, this fear was even more intense. The labels of childhood friend or long-time crush didn’t matter. He just didn’t want Woo Yeonjae to be sick.Even in the awkwardness after their recent falling out, the reason Moon Seoyoon came all this way upon hearing that Woo Yeonjae was sick was because of that very reason. Someone who could wear short sleeves in the middle of winter without ever catching a cold was now sick, and that alone was enough to scare him.As he stared at Woo Yeonjae’s dark hair, the blanket slowly slid down, and Woo Yeonjae met his gaze with a quiet look.“Are you scared of me being sick?”“…If you know that, then stop getting sick.”“I’m not that sick.”Woo Yeonjae’s slightly reddened cheeks faintly contorted.“So stop worrying about nothing.”In that moment, Moon Seoyoon instinctively realized that Woo Yeonjae had probably figured out exactly what was going on in his mind.“I’m not going to disappear just because I’m sick.”Feeling like his thoughts were completely exposed, Moon Seoyoon took a shallow breath in and out.“And even if you do get tired of me, I’ll still stick around.”It sounded like a playful joke, but he knew it was meant to be comforting.Moon Seoyoon let out a faint laugh, almost like a sigh. This was why, no matter how much he wanted to distance himself from Woo Yeonjae, he couldn’t. Woo Yeonjae was the only person who could read his worries and anxieties with just a few words.“I’m serious.”“I get it.”“So don’t run away just because you feel frustrated.”The hand that reached out and touched him was warm.Despite not doing much, time passed quickly. Moon Seoyoon got up from the table late in the evening. It was just after they had finished dinner together.“Are you leaving?”“It’s evening. Your fever seems to have gone down, so I should go. There’s no reason for me to stay in someone else’s house.”Whether Woo Yeonjae’s earlier claim that he wasn’t that sick was true or not, his fever had started to subside in the afternoon, and now it was barely noticeable. Although his eyes were still slightly dull due to lingering cold symptoms, it didn’t seem to be anything to worry about.“Someone else’s house? Are you drawing lines again? Is the dorm your home now?”“I live in the dorms, so I’m going back to the dorms.”“Are you going to take a cold shower again?”At the ridiculous threat, Moon Seoyoon frowned deeply.“What are you talking about now?”“Are you hiding something in the dorm?”Woo Yeonjae asked, resting his chin on his hand and winking at him. His tilted head clearly showed his displeasure.“I told you I need comfort, Seoyoon.”“…”“I get lonely when I’m alone.”It was something he had forgotten, having not seen Woo Yeonjae sick in such a long time. Feeling like he had been too harsh, Moon Seoyoon found himself awkwardly frozen by the dining table. Since the fever had mostly subsided, he could probably leave without issue. But Woo Yeonjae wasn’t just physically sick. He had also recently broken up with his girlfriend and had been sick all night, likely as a result.‘What’s the usual way to comfort someone in this situation?’The answer came easily when he thought of Kim Hyunseung. When a friend was heartbroken, you would usually drink together. Since Woo Yeonjae wasn’t in any condition to drink, maybe that’s why he was asking him to stay.The problem was, Moon Seoyoon wasn’t too keen on the idea of being alone with him. It wasn’t because of the argument they had in the car. It was just that being alone with Woo Yeonjae in his space made him uneasy. He feared he might make a mistake, even though nothing had happened yet.In the end, Moon Seoyoon came up with a lame excuse.“I don’t have any clothes. I already feel gross as it is.”“If you had clothes, would you stay?”Woo Yeonjae asked as he slowly got up.“I have some.”“What?”“There are clothes in my dressing room.”He started walking towards the dressing room, and Moon Seoyoon hurriedly followed him, flustered.“What are you talking about? You want me to wear your clothes?”“I don’t mind if you wear mine. Wouldn’t that be more comfortable?”“No… Wait, you really have my clothes?”Woo Yeonjae rummaged through the dressing room and handed him some clothes. They were really his.“These were at your place?”“Yeah, you left them at your family’s house. I had them cleaned along with my stuff, so they should be clean. If they feel gross, you can wear my clothes.”These were clothes he used to wear when he was 20. Reflexively sniffing them, he found they weren’t gross at all, just fresh.“…I grew taller while I was in the military.”His response came out a bit sharp, and Woo Yeonjae smirked as if he found it amusing.“By a centimeter? You’re still shorter than me, though. You’ve been shorter than me since we were six.”The gaze that swept over him from head to toe was unhurried.“Or you could just wear my clothes.”At this rate, he was going to end up spending the night here again. Moon Seoyoon quickly searched for another excuse.“There’s no underwear.”Woo Yeonjae, who had been digging through the dressing room as if he really was going to lend him some clothes, slowly turned around.“Moon Seoyoon.”When their eyes met, the corners of Woo Yeonjae’s lips curved up.“You think I wouldn’t have underwear?”