Just Twilight

Several times, Seungwoon had casually glanced at her, and their eyes had met. Each time, Seungwoon had smiled kindly, and at those moments, Junyoung had decided to completely abandon the idea of asking him for help.

If Seungwoon truly cared about Beomjin, he would have walked over and shared the news with her directly. But instead, he waited with a smile on his face, waiting for Junyoung to approach him. For her to owe him something.

The moment she realized this, a natural repulsion surged within her. And then she understood. Na Seungwoon wasn’t the kind, gentle prince he appeared to be. He was probably more like her mother than she realized.

Just like with everything up until now, there was no one to lean on. She had to do it alone.

Taking a short breath to steady herself, she quickly stepped back as she heard people coming down the entrance. She hid behind a tree and nervously scraped her sneakers against the ground when she overheard a gruff voice.

“Ugh, I’m exhausted. It’s obvious what’s going on, do we really have to go?”

“Of course, what else can we do? We can’t send him to a juvenile detention center without any proof.”

“Honestly, it seems like the chief’s brother might want to do that.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. There has to be proof first. Let’s go back to the scene and talk to some witnesses.”

“I don’t get it. Why is that guy still keeping quiet? If he just told us what happened, everything would be clear. Not speaking up means he’s hiding something. I’m telling you, he’s the culprit.”

“Then why are we even investigating?”

A deep sigh followed, one that seemed to almost make the ground tremble. Junyoung pressed herself closer to the tree, straining to listen.

“Of all people, he had to target the police chief’s brother. If not for that, he could’ve probably settled it quietly, since he’s a first-time offender and still a minor.”

“There must be a reason. But until we have something concrete, whether it’s evidence or a witness, we’ll have to wait until the victim regains consciousness.”

“I’ll eat something first. My wife’s been doubting everything because I didn’t come home last night. I’ll just show my face and be right back. I can’t believe this neighborhood’s got such problems. My wife doesn’t trust the police.”

A young officer said this jokingly as he ran off. Junyoung rolled her eyes quickly. At least someone in Beomjin’s corner was still left. She took a deep breath and walked forward.

“Excuse me.”

“Hm?”

The man who turned around was a middle-aged man with graying hair. His weathered face had a few wrinkles, but surprisingly, his sharp gaze made Junyoung hesitate for a moment. The man raised his eyebrows as if urging her to speak.

“I lost my wallet and was wondering if it had been turned in or if I could file a report. It’s really important to me.”

“Oh, is that so? Let’s go inside. Was there a lot of money in it?”

“No, it was a photo of my mother when she was young.”

Junyoung spoke quietly, and the man paused as he was about to go up the stairs. He turned around, and Junyoung lowered her gaze. She had to help him imagine what to expect. After a brief pause, the man’s voice softened.

“Let’s go in. We’ll find it.”

“Thank you.”

Junyoung muttered quietly, lifting her head. The door to the police station was opening.

It wasn’t as spacious as the ones on TV, but there were several desks and department nameplates visible. Junyoung quickly scanned the interior.

There was a section behind bars. If that was the juvenile detention area, Beomjin would likely be inside.

“Excuse me, has a wallet been turned in? Do you know what it looks like?”

The man turned to ask. Junyoung raised her voice.

“It’s black, just an ordinary wallet. It’s a bit worn.”

The more common the wallet was, the more likely it would stay for a while. As the man nodded and talked to another officer, Junyoung stretched her neck, trying to catch a glimpse inside.

There was only one person in the detention area. As soon as she saw a man in a black t-shirt lying on his side, resting his arm, Junyoung gritted her teeth.

How can he just lie there like that, without even understanding the situation!?

A sigh escaped her, followed by a small laugh. Seeing Beomjin so relaxed deflated her. She quickly composed herself and put on a sullen expression as the man’s gaze turned toward her.

“We do have a wallet like that, but could you describe it in more detail? Any distinctive features? When and where did you lose it?”

“It’s rectangular, with compartments for bills and cards. I think I lost it last night, but I’m not sure exactly where... I probably dropped it when I was out in the city.”

Her voice was clear but strangely slow, and as she spoke, a few officers sitting nearby turned their heads. When she glanced at the detention area, she saw Beomjin stir and sit up.

The man who had been watching Junyoung chuckled quietly.

“You don’t have to say it so loudly.”

“Oh, sorry. It’s just a habit. I speak louder when I’m nervous, because if I speak quietly, people can’t hear me.”

The officer before her was kind. He gave a smile that seemed to recall the image of an elderly man hard of hearing in a home without his mother.

“Let’s check if there’s a photo inside. Maybe there’s a young woman’s picture in it.”

Junyoung subtly turned her body toward the detention area. Beomjin, apparently sure of what she was about to say, was standing in front of the bars. Junyoung saw his eyes widen in surprise.

Junyoung furrowed her brows. She could tell what Beomjin’s lips were forming. He hadn’t said anything aloud, but it was clear.

She had come to check on him because she was worried, yet he had no idea how that felt. He couldn’t even understand the torment of others!

With her cheeks puffed out in frustration, she turned to face the man, only to lock eyes with him. She quickly bit her lip, but it was too late. His eyes curved into a friendly smile.

“Unfortunately, we haven’t had a wallet like that turned in. If it does come in later, we’ll contact you. You can leave your contact information.”

“No, that’s fine...”

“Do you know Kwon Beomjin?”

Junyoung had been shaking her head, but she froze. The man was smiling, yet his eyes were sharp.

It seemed like it had been noticed. She feared that her relationship with Beomjin would be exposed at any moment, but she could handle it. What mattered was that she could find out why Beomjin was still locked up.

“We’re in the same class. I don’t know him well, but he’s not the kind of person to hit others. He’s more of a fool.”

She had deliberately chosen words that would undermine Beomjin’s image. The man nodded, pausing for a moment before asking softly,

“Did you happen to be with Beomjin in the city Saturday afternoon?”

Her heart sank. Junyoung slowly lifted her gaze, silently meeting his. How did he know that? Why was he asking?

Her mind raced. After blinking several times, her lips parted involuntarily.

“There was a mugging... was that on Saturday afternoon?”

The man simply smiled gently, but it felt like an answer all the same. Junyoung’s mind went blank for a moment, as though her thoughts had come to a sudden stop, and she clenched her fists.

Saturday afternoon.

If the mugging occurred that afternoon, then it was obvious Beomjin couldn’t have been the perpetrator. He had been with her that day.

The vivid memory of the sunlight pouring down and the sandwich so sweet it nearly numbed her mouth surfaced in her mind. Beomjin, sprawled lazily like a leopard on the newspaper after they ate, and her, lying beside him, keeping some distance.

The breeze blowing, and the sense of his presence in the distance—she had smiled without thinking.

But why hadn’t he mentioned they were together? Was he trying to hide something about their relationship from the house?

“Fool.”

Junyoung gritted her teeth and shot a glare toward the detention area. Beomjin was gripping the bars as though he would tear them apart. With a hollow laugh, she spoke,

“Saturday afternoon...”

“Don’t listen to him, he’s just a stalker!”

Suddenly, a loud voice echoed through the room. The man who had been looking at Junyoung turned his head.

“Beomjin, you’re finally going to talk...”

“Hey, damn it, don’t come near me! What the hell are you doing here? Quit babbling and get the hell out of here!”

Beomjin began thrashing wildly, kicking the bars. Some startled officers jumped up and rushed to the detention area. The bars shook with his tremendous strength.

Junyoung took a few steps back without realizing it. Beomjin’s violent shouting continued.

“Damn it, you can’t catch the real criminal, so you lock up innocent people here? I told you I’m not the one! Yeah, I went to the motel, but I didn’t hit anyone!”

“Watch your mouth! Why the hell are you suddenly shouting after being silent all this time?”

“Aha, the motel. You wanna know why I went there? It’s the usual thing men do. It’s none of your business!”

Beomjin kept taunting, kicking the bars again like he wanted to destroy them. The officers finally rushed inside.

“Behaving like this isn’t going to help you. Stay calm!”@@novelbin@@

“Stay calm? Are you gonna let me go? There’s no evidence, so how is this allowed? Damn it, I’m stuck here, and even if I say it’s not me, no one’s gonna listen!”

The desperate scream that followed made everyone cover their ears. He continued thrashing as though he would make sure no sound other than his own would be heard. Three officers quickly restrained him and covered his mouth, but the commotion didn’t stop for a while.

The man, looking stunned, sighed and glanced at Junyoung. Her face was pale, but her expression was neutral. It was surprising that a teenage girl could maintain such a composed look.

But his instinct told him that Beomjin’s outburst had something to do with her. The girl the hardware store owner had witnessed was probably her. The owner had said they didn’t see her face, so confirmation was impossible, but...

That was enough to get information with some persuasion. The man lowered his head slightly and asked,

“So, about what we were talking about earlier. Were you with Beomjin on Saturday afternoon?”