Sunshine Shower

“Who is it?”As Moon Seoyoon stared at the screen, Nam Tae-eun skillfully snatched the phone away. Confirming the name, he grinned mischievously, raising his eyebrows playfully.“Woo Yeonjae? Is that him? The one you’re calling.”The handover of the phone was smooth.“No, it’s not.”“Our puppy, even if others are fooled, I can’t be. You’re staring so dreamily, but it’s not him? From the name alone, it seems like quite a tangled love affair.”Apparently, there was a misunderstanding, mistaking Woo Yeonjae for a girl. Thinking his face might have given him away, Moon Seoyoon absentmindedly rubbed his cheek. Meanwhile, the phone continued to ring incessantly. If he had been alone in the dorm, he would have definitely answered the call.“Moon Seoyoon, just hang up.”With a grumpy expression, Nam Tae-eun, who was eating yukhoe, finally took the phone from his hand.“When you drink with me, consider it confiscated.”Moon Seoyoon glanced at the phone, which displayed Woo Yeonjae’s name, and eventually nodded. He no longer had the courage to answer with a tender voice.***Yeah. Instead of a gentle voice, a harsh mechanical tone settled in his ears, indicating the call couldn’t be answered. Woo Yeonjae pressed the end call button and stared blankly at the screen. After a few moments, a motionless face appeared on the now pitch-black display.After stubbornly staring at the unresponsive phone for a few minutes, he dialed another number. Just before the connection was cut off, the voice of the other party came through.– Hey, Moon Seoyoon. It’s been a while.It was Moon Seoyoon’s father, Professor Moon.“Professor. How have you been?”Woo Yeonjae greeted him with a gentle and polite voice, which didn’t quite match his cold demeanor.– I’m always doing well.“I called to say hello since it’s been a while.”– Haha. Thanks. How’s Seoyoon doing?His cold gaze transformed into a thin predator’s gaze, sensing something amiss.“He’s always doing well. Didn’t he mention me?”– He should consider coming after that brat moves into the dorm.It meant Moon Seoyoon hadn’t gone home.Woo Yeonjae skillfully obtained the information he wanted and received the conversation with a nonchalant tone instead of a sarcastic laugh.“Oh, maybe you haven’t seen Seoyoon lately.”– It might be next week at the earliest that we see each other again… Shall we have a meal together?“Sure. Please let me know through Seoyoon.”– Alright, then.The reason for calling Professor Moon was simple. If he had gone home, he should have received a call by now, but there had been no contact. Not only that, but there was no response to the calls, and when he checked, he found out that Moon Seoyoon hadn’t visited home.Why did he lie?“And when would it be a good time for my father to join us altogether for a meal?”– The chairman? Sure, that sounds good.“We’ll discuss the details later, but for now, let’s meet with Seoyoon.”– Okay. The chairman must be busy, so let’s take our time with that conversation and just meet after a long time.“Then please go ahead, Professor.”– See you next time.Woo Yeonjae slowly raised his gaze from the blackened screen.“Why do you keep running away, our Seoyoon…?”It wasn’t difficult to look down at the school building glimmering in the distance from the high-rise apartment. He muttered to himself as he brushed his wet hair back, the hair thrown carelessly.“Two years should have been enough.”Annoyance crept into the weary voice stretching out.Moon Seoyoon always yearned for affection.His mother tried hard to give him affection, but her fragile body couldn’t keep up with her heart, and his father’s attention was completely focused on her. The only time his affection briefly shone was when Moon Seoyoon played the piano.That’s why Moon Seoyoon loved the piano.His earliest memory was sitting next to his mother, pressing the keys together. When his father, who came upstairs upon hearing the piano, embraced the two from behind, the clumsy melody was interrupted with laughter, making the melody even more meaningful. It was an extremely happy and precious memory.“Seoyoon was born because of the piano.”“How so? People aren’t born because of the piano… They’re born because of love.”Six-year-old Moon Seoyoon, nestled in his mother’s arms, asked his innocent question.“Well, because your mom met dad because of the piano, right? Your mom played the piano as a hobby, and the teacher she was introduced to happened to be your dad.”“Dad was a piano teacher?”“Yeah. At that time, he was a teacher. Later, he became a professor.”It was quite a romantic love story. Thinking about their meeting, it might have been natural for their child to start playing the piano.“He definitely has talent. It would be nice to raise our son as a pianist.”In the middle of the night, the child, who woke up to drink water, hid at the sound of his father’s voice. He had a mind to jump out with a “whack” sound, to surprise his parents. As he entertained the thought of playing a prank, he heard his worried mother’s voice.“Has he already decided on our child’s future? I hope Seoyoon does what he wants.”“Dear, he should start in the arts from a young age.”“It’s enough that the child shows interest. Don’t try to fulfill your own ambitions.”“Would you let talent go to waste?”Though not raised voices, the argument between the two was unfamiliar. Sensing the chilly air, the child wiggled his toes instead of jumping out beyond the wall.“It’s not about that. Let’s think about it when Seoyoon wants to continue playing the piano. It’s too grand to call him a pianist already. It’s parental ambition.”“It’s also a parent’s role to nurture a child’s talent. You focus on your care. I’ll take care of Seoyoon’s education. You’re already weak enough.”“Seoyoon is only six. Even if you give him lots of love, it’s not enough. What if I struggle a bit? I’m happy as long as I see you and Seoyoon happy.”The tension in the air softened. The child listened to his parents’ conversation and fidgeted with his fingers. The way his hands moved in the air resembled playing the piano.‘Wouldn’t Mom and Dad be happy if I kept playing the piano?’Understanding the conversation about career and talent was difficult for the child. But he believed that if he played the piano, both Mom and Dad would be happy. Since the argument between Mom and Dad seemed to be about the piano. So, Moon Seoyoon inserted the piano into his mental treasure list.“Seoyoon.”“Yeah?”“Hand.”As if it meant to hold hands, Moon Seoyoon grabbed the hand that was extended to him. The person who reached out became a childhood friend added to his mental treasure list. They met and played together every day, so he forgot when and how they first met, but now they were irreplaceable friends.“Where are we going?”“In the backyard.”Thanks to the day’s play, Moon Seoyoon felt like he could find the destination even with his eyes closed now. However, he didn’t let go of Woo Yeonjae’s hand and followed him cheerfully. The warmth of their clasped hands was comforting.Just as they arrived at their destination, rain suddenly began to fall. Woo Yeonjae, who was a step ahead, glanced at the sky and then lowered his head to survey the surroundings, leading their hands under a large tree.The two children crouched down under the broad tree. The large tree and its lush leaves were enough to shield them from the light rain.“It’s raining. Why is it raining when the sky is clear?”Moon Seoyoon muttered to himself, extending his palm to catch the raindrops.“It’s a sunshower.”“A sunshower?”It was a new word for Moon Seoyoon. He withdrew his damp hand, looking at his friend sitting beside him. Despite being born in winter, Woo Yeonjae was taller than him. He seemed like he would be the tallest in first grade when he entered elementary school next year.“They call it a sunshower when it rains on a clear day.”“It’s a pretty name. How are you so smart, Yeonjae?”“I read books.”Woo Yeonjae replied with a somewhat sheepish expression. Moon Seoyoon didn’t usually smile easily, so he just thought about it. Yeonjae was pretty, so he would look even prettier if he smiled…“I guess you have to read a lot of books to be smart. I only know how to play the piano.”“Just do what you’re good at. I don’t know how to play the piano.”“If you come to my house, I’ll play for you.”Moon Seoyoon chuckled and pulled his knees together. Leaning his cheek on them, he looked at his friend sitting beside him. Woo Yeonjae frowned as if he didn’t understand why he was being stared at so intently.“What?”It was a look of not knowing why he was being stared at.“Nothing, you’re pretty.”