Just Twilight

Junyoung stared directly at Beomjin. The white-haired man might have brushed it off as involving a "young guy," but there had to be a reason he had placed Beomjin at the forefront.

And she was curious.

Curious about what had happened to him in the time he disappeared and reappeared like this.

As he met her unyielding gaze, Beomjin’s lips twitched briefly, as if he was about to say something. Instead, he let out a quiet chuckle.

“Just one of the workers, as you can see,” he said nonchalantly.

“The Kim who’s good at cooking ramen,” someone chimed in.

“Seems like the lady’s interested,” another teased.

“Can’t blame her. Kim’s got a good physique,” a third quipped.

The workers had surrounded them by now, watching their exchange like a show, adding comments that Junyoung didn’t find the least bit amusing. She shot them a sharp glare, and they quickly averted their eyes. Beomjin waved his hand dismissively, shooing the others away.

“Alright, let’s get back to work. We need to finish moving the materials before the rainwater starts pooling.”

“Oh, look who’s acting like he’s been working here forever. Coming from someone who sleeps half the time.”

“Keep talking, and I’ll take another nap. Without me, half of you would be hobbling on busted knees.”

Though grumbled, his words carried enough truth that even the white-haired man mumbled under his breath without argument.

Junyoung watched as Beomjin nonchalantly turned to leave. Before she could stop herself, she stepped forward and called out.

“Excuse me!”

“Well, look at that—the lady’s stopping him,” someone muttered, amused.

Before she could glare at the source of the laughter, Beomjin cut in with a warning.

“You should leave. This place is dangerous enough for someone to fall.”

Does he not recognize me?

The thought struck her, leaving her stunned.

It was unthinkable. She had imagined running into him again dozens—no, hundreds—of times. But in all those scenarios, she had never considered the possibility that Kwon Beomjin wouldn’t recognize her.

Could it really be? Have I changed that much?

Or maybe… maybe he lost his memory. Maybe even his name.

She bit her lip to stop herself from spiraling into such melodramatic thoughts. This wasn’t the right place or time to openly call him out.

If only he’d move that infuriating fringe out of his face.

Clenching her fists, she raised her chin and spoke firmly.

“Recommend me a decent place to stay. I’ll be here for a few days to observe everything myself.” She paused before adding pointedly, “Preferably somewhere near where you’re staying.”

The moment the words left her mouth, Beomjin’s lips parted slightly, and a round of teasing whistles erupted from the workers. Even the white-haired man wore a ridiculous expression, caught between amusement and disbelief.

Beomjin sighed, rubbing his temple as though this was all too much. With a crooked smile, he finally replied, “Where I’m staying isn’t the kind of place for someone like you.”

“Well, I won’t know until I see it, will I?”

“It’ll take over six hours to finish things here,” he warned.

“I’ll wait. At the office.”

Kwon Beomjin.

I have so much to say to you. And even more I want to ask.

Her eyes burned with a determination that left no room for argument. Realizing this, Beomjin shook his head and turned away.

“Suit yourself.”

“Alright, everyone, stretch out before we start. It’s muscle ache day today,” the white-haired man called out, gathering the workers and leading them back to the site.

Junyoung stood rooted in place, watching the workers shuffle off while muttering among themselves. A sigh escaped her lips, halfway between frustration and resignation.

She threw the towel she had been holding back into the basket with more force than necessary. Her fingertips trembled ever so slightly.

Kwon Beomjin had appeared—right in front of her eyes.

Her shoulders, tense with the weight of it all, finally slumped as though a bubble had popped. She glanced at the long black T-shirt sleeves that now covered her arms like an oversized jacket.

As the tension left her, an unfamiliar emotion bubbled to the surface, threatening to spill over as tears.

***

How long had she waited that day?

Junyoung swore she had never felt so excited in her entire life. Her heart had been on the verge of bursting like popcorn, so much so that it was almost impossible to sit still. Arriving home first, she couldn't even manage to sit in a chair and had instead spent the time pacing back and forth.

She was confident—completely certain. If Lim Hyuntae had ever been capable of beating her at something, he wouldn’t have spent his whole life failing to come in first place.

Of course, she could’ve waited for her test results before giving Beomjin an answer. But that would take time, and Junyoung didn’t think she could endure with her heart in this state until then. If her heart was bound to explode anyway, it might as well explode now.

What would change if I told you that I like you too?

Would it be stifling to be in the same space together? Or would that suffocating closeness feel wonderful? Perhaps Kwon Beomjin would stop cracking the eggs in his ramen from now on. Maybe, on the way home, they’d hold each other’s hands instead of walking with sticks. Or maybe…

Ah.

How would I even look him in the eye?

The sky was as clear as it had been the day they had their first picnic. All the thoughts she’d pushed aside during exams came flooding back, breaking the dam wide open. Junyoung, lost in her daydreams and laughing softly to herself, only realized how much time had passed when she snapped back to reality.

Why isn’t he here yet?

Did he get into trouble picking something up? Maybe someone really hit him with an egg?

As time dragged on, her anxiety grew, but she tried to calm herself. There was no way. She was sure no one in this town would dare go that far. Besides, the rumor about the mugger being caught had already spread. There was no reason anyone would target Beomjin now.

…Could it be the strawberry jam?

She suddenly remembered there had been only one jar of strawberry jam left the last time they’d bought some. There had been plenty of grape jam, but of course, I just had to insist on strawberry, didn’t I?

Regretting her last words to him, Junyoung sighed. Alone in the quiet and cozy space, the exhaustion of exam week began to weigh heavily on her.

He’ll come eventually. Even if he’s late, he’ll come. I’ll lie down for just a bit, and when he wakes me up, I’ll scold him for being so late. Then we’ll make sandwiches with plenty of strawberry jam.

With those thoughts in mind, Junyoung climbed up to the second floor and lay down. When she woke up, it was the middle of the night.

Kwon Beomjin hadn’t come.

Not that night, nor the next day.

Junyoung, with no explanation, endured a few days of waiting. She told herself there must be a reason. Meanwhile, the kids at school started making up new rumors about why he wasn’t coming to class.

Eventually, she went to their homeroom teacher to ask what had happened. She was afraid their relationship might be exposed, but the fear of his sudden disappearance was far greater.

The teacher told her that Beomjin’s guardian had said he was sick and would be resting at home for a few days. The answer left her baffled. She wondered if he’d been hurt after all, but going directly to his house felt too risky.

A week passed, and Beomjin still didn’t return to school.

On the day she received her usual report card with top grades, the homeroom teacher told her he had officially withdrawn from school.

At that point, she didn’t care about rumors anymore. Using the excuse of retrieving something she’d lent him, Junyoung found his address and went to his house—only to find it empty.

Inside, the house was a mess, as if someone had hastily packed and left. An old brass basin and a pair of slippers were left abandoned in the yard.

She went straight to the police station without realizing she was crying. She barely remembered what she had said to Giyong, who rushed over to her, recognizing her immediately. All she could recall was repeating over and over that something must have happened.

Later, she learned that Giyong had been investigating two mysterious sedans spotted lingering around the village. The men inside—large, intimidating figures—were clearly no ordinary townsfolk.

Even in the midst of his other tasks, Giyong did his best. He managed to find a resident who had seen an old couple driving a truck out of the village in a hurry. It wasn’t confirmed, but it was possible Beomjin had been with them.

When Giyong discovered that one of the large men was affiliated with a notorious gang from the metropolitan area, the gang members had already vanished from the village. Only afterward did he learn about Beomjin’s father and who he was.

He told Junyoung that Beomjin might have fled to escape a dangerous situation. Though he couldn’t guarantee Beomjin’s safety, he had no choice but to offer her that reassurance. Her pale, expressionless face looked like it might shatter at any moment.@@novelbin@@

It was a cruel time in Junyoung’s life.

Before she could even figure out how to process Beomjin’s absence, another tragedy struck.

Her mother collapsed from an unexplained seizure near the end of a hot, unbearable summer.

“...Ms. Yoon. Deputy Yoon.”

Lost in her thoughts as she stared at the documents before her, Junyoung slowly lifted her head. The staff member overseeing the construction site office looked at her with an awkward expression.

“Your phone’s been ringing nonstop.”

“Oh, right.”

She nodded awkwardly, glancing toward the window where the rain still streamed down. The world outside had grown dark; the sun must have already set.

Letting out a short sigh, Junyoung glanced at her phone, which was vibrating on the desk. The call ended just as she picked it up.

The screen displayed a perfectly written name: Na Seungwoon.

It was the fifth missed call.

It might be urgent. Or not. It was highly unlikely that Seungwoon, from a different team, would call her about something work-related.

As she debated internally, the phone rang again. Junyoung pressed the call button.

“This is Yoon Junyoung speaking.”

• “Where are you? Why haven’t you been answering?”

Though his voice was calm and low, there was an unmistakable urgency beneath it.

Junyoung idly flipped through the documents in front of her as she replied, “I had my phone on silent and missed the calls. Do you have urgent instructions for me?”