Just Twilight

As soon as the class ended, Junyoung stood up and grabbed her bag. The teacher had said there was something urgent to confirm, so if Beomjin had come out of the police station, he would definitely be at his house.

She needed to hear about it quickly and get it out of her head, otherwise, she felt like she wouldn’t be able to focus on anything properly. Grabbing her bag, she left the classroom at a brisk pace.

“Junyoung.”

She heard Seungwoon’s voice following her after walking only a short distance down the hallway. Junyoung ignored him and continued running down the stairs. When she was about to leave the first-floor entrance, Seungwoon hurriedly blocked her path.

“Where are you going?”

“Home.”

“You said you had something to talk about.”

“Talk. Briefly. On the way.”

Junyoung bypassed him and kept walking. Some kids were crossing the playground. To get to that house quickly, she needed to exit through the back of the school, but with Seungwoon around, she’d have to take a detour.

“What’s the rush?”

Seungwoon’s normally calm voice had a sharper edge to it. Junyoung, without even glancing at him, responded mechanically.

“There’s a test coming up soon. I want to save every minute to study. So, if it’s nothing important, can you just go your way?”

“Not going to the police station?”

Junyoung’s feet froze as if they had been stopped by an invisible force when Seungwoon’s words hit her. She narrowed her eyes and turned to look at him. His face was strangely twisted.

“Why would I go to the police station?”

She asked back, but Seungwoon, who had been silent as if he didn’t want to say it, slowly spoke.

“You’re worried about Beomjin Kwon.”

“Why would I worry about him?”

“That’s...”

Seungwoon raised his voice, and a nearby student turned to look in surprise. After waiting for the student to move further away, Seungwoon spoke quietly.

“I know you’re close. I’ve seen it.”

At that moment, Junyoung’s mind raced with countless thoughts. He’s seen it? Where?

If he saw Beomjin and me together, that means he knows about the house too. When was he there? Did he follow me?

Was Na Seungwoon the type to do such a shady thing? Why would he go that far?

“You must have seen it wrong.”

The core of a lie is denial. Junyoung said firmly, clenching her fist. Seungwoon’s round eyes furrowed in confusion.

“No. I saw it clearly.”

“I—”

Junyoung tilted her head and smiled sharply.

“When and where were you with Beomjin?”

“That is…”

“And…”

Taking a step forward, Seungwoon’s pupils widened. Junyoung leaned closer, poking his chest with her finger.

“What does that have to do with you?”

Their gazes locked, and Seungwoon’s lips trembled slightly. Junyoung stared at him, piercing him with her gaze. The tense standoff was broken by a voice from the outside.

“Master.”

Seungwoon, startled, shifted his gaze. Junyoung recognized the voice.

“Director Kim.”

As she slowly turned her body, Junyoung saw a familiar face: a woman wearing glasses and a black business suit.

“Director Kim, this is it. We’ve come to pick him up.”

The expressionless woman spoke in a stiff tone. Seungwoon, whose tension had eased, cleared his throat and asked.

“Were you supposed to go somewhere today? I didn’t hear anything about it from my mom.”

“For now, he won’t have evening self-study and will be taken straight home. For safety.”

“Safety?”

Seungwoon’s voice rose in surprise, and Director Kim, glancing at Junyoung, spoke in a flat tone.

“A few days ago, there was a mugging incident near the downtown area. It seems one of your classmates has been identified as a suspect. It’s Madam’s judgment that it’s better to be cautious.”

“What?”

Seungwoon’s lips opened wide. Words like "mugging" and "suspect," so unfamiliar to him, made the situation even more chaotic.

But soon, his mind pieced together who the classmate in question was. His eyes instinctively turned to Junyoung. Her pale face had gone even paler.

“Let’s go.”

“Wait a minute.”

It wasn’t Seungwoon who stopped Director Kim. Junyoung, her wide eyes fixed on her, asked, her voice unwavering.

“Who’s the suspect?”

Director Kim briefly scanned Junyoung up and down before turning away. She seemed to convey an attitude that this wasn’t worth answering. Seungwoon hurriedly approached.

“Director Kim.”

With a slight bow of her head, Director Kim spoke.

“I heard it’s a student named Beomjin Kwon.”

“That’s impossible.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Junyoung responded with such force that it seemed she would crush them. Seungwoon, noticing Junyoung’s trembling fist, saw how much she was rejecting Director Kim’s words.

“He doesn’t do those kinds of things.”

Junyoung said clearly. Her face showed no signs of hesitation, and it was hard to notice the trembling of her hands. But just revealing her relationship with Beomjin, which she had denied until now, made Seungwoon realize how shaken she really was.

She believes in Beomjin that much?

...Why Beomjin? Honestly, he doesn’t look entirely innocent, so it’s understandable.

Seungwoon felt his face twist, following the distortion of his emotions. He quickly turned his head. Director Kim glanced at him before speaking coldly.

“That’s not my concern. If he’s innocent, he’ll be out soon. Let’s go, Master. Your mother will be worried if we’re late.”

With Director Kim’s clear and cold stance, Junyoung bit her lip and lowered her head. It looked as though she might start crying at any moment. This was the first time Seungwoon had seen her like this. His jaw trembled.

He had a hunch. Even though there was no direct connection, he could feel the atmosphere between them. But it seemed like it was more than he thought.

He knew how cold Junyoung was. Cruelly indifferent to anything that wasn’t of interest, never letting anyone inside her walls. For her to show such an expression over someone like Beomjin Kwon…

“Should I look into it for you?”

Seungwoon spoke before realizing his lips had moved. He waited for Junyoung to look at him. Her eyes locked onto his, and he spoke again.

“Find out what situation Beomjin’s in.”

Surprisingly, Junyoung’s eyes weren’t filled with tears. They just shone intensely.

It felt like he was about to peer into her soul through those black eyes, but somehow, he felt like he was being observed by her instead. Seungwoon couldn’t help but hold his breath. Junyoung, fixing her gaze on him, quickly spoke.

“Forget it. Like Director Kim said, he’ll be out soon anyway.”

Turning around, Junyoung walked off without hesitation. Seungwoon couldn’t take his eyes off her retreating figure.

Director Kim said he would be out soon if he’s innocent. But what basis does she have to say that? So casually.

"He doesn’t do those kinds of things."

Junyoung’s voice echoed, filled with certainty. If you asked whether Beomjin deserved that much trust, the answer would be no. At least based on the image he showed on the outside.

...What do you know about Beomjin Kwon? And how do you know it?

How well do you need to know someone to trust them that much?

“Can I find out?”

Seungwoon quietly asked, and Director Kim slightly furrowed her brow. Still, he kept his gaze fixed on Junyoung’s disappearing figure.

“How certain is the police about this? If they took him during class, they must have solid proof, right?”

It seemed like Director Kim thought his question was inappropriate, as she sighed quietly and her voice lowered.

“Master, there’s no need for you to concern yourself with that. Madam…”

“Director Kim.”

Slowly, Seungwoon called her name, and when she quickly blinked in surprise, he twisted his lips.

“I know just one phone call will do. You’re not that incapable.”

Their eyes met briefly, but Director Kim quickly looked down. Her dry voice flowed low.

“I’ll look into it.”

“Please have it by dinner.”

Seungwoon spoke briefly and turned to walk away. Since he would be eating dinner as soon as he got home, asking for it before dinner essentially meant asking for it immediately.

As he turned away from Director Kim, who was pulling out her phone, Seungwoon swallowed a heavy sigh. The sky was darkening, and he could almost hear a crack forming somewhere deep within him.

***

"…Why do I have to be in a place like this? What exactly are you doing? Get a grip! You're not satisfied with where you are right now, are you?"

Seungwoon froze at the sharp voice of his mother as he entered the house. The sound of something being thrown followed.

Director Kim quickly entered the house. Listening to the faint murmurs, Seungwoon slowly moved forward.

"You're here? Sorry. Mom's been a bit sensitive lately."

Mihyang, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear, gave him a faint smile as she walked towards him. Seungwoon nodded.

"I’m back."@@novelbin@@

"Are you hungry? Let’s eat dinner. For a while, Director Kim will be heading out. That whole ‘simple village folk’ thing? That’s old-fashioned. This place is full of crazy social misfits. High schoolers who don’t know how scary the world is."

Mihyang shook her head, as if disgusted, and walked toward the kitchen. The hem of her dress swayed gently around her calves, complementing her slender figure.

Seungwoon didn’t feel the need to bring up the fact that this place, filled with misfits, was also his mother’s hometown. After putting his bag away and washing his hands, he sat down at the table. As he dished out some salad, Mihyang glanced at him.

"Do you know that guy?"

"Who?"

"The criminal. What was his name? It was Kwon. He’s in the same class as you. Do you know how shocked your mom was? They say he's a troublemaker at school."

Seungwoon sighed quietly as he picked up his chopsticks.

"Have you ever seen me hang out with people like that?"

"You're too kind."

Mihyang smiled and leaned both her elbows on the table, looking at Seungwoon with a grin.

"But that's not what I was asking."

She waited for him to look up before continuing.

"Are you acquainted with that criminal? Yoon Junyoung."