Just Twilight

"...You know if I’m not calling from the company line, it’s personal."

“Yes, but I’m still on duty,” Junyoung replied crisply.

Her precise tone silenced Seungwoon momentarily. As she heard him take a deep breath, she opened the report Park Hyungjun had previously submitted. She hadn’t even read two lines when his voice interrupted her again.

“You’re in the provinces, right? When are you coming back?”

“It’ll take a few days. There’s a lot I need to check.”

“A few days? Which hotel are you staying at?”

Her eyebrows arched slightly, and she tapped the pen in her hand against the report. Her voice was calm but pointed.

“Why do you need to know?”

“Could you stop being so formal? Official work hours are over.”

A team leader from Business Planning, of all people, talking about official work hours—what a joke. Even with the rise of flexible working schedules, both the Business Planning and Risk Management teams were among the few departments that couldn’t truly embrace the concept.

“I haven’t decided on a place yet. It was a sudden trip,” she said, unfazed.

“Then I’ll book a week at H Hotel for you. At least get some proper rest. You just got back from an overseas trip, and now you’re sent to the provinces? Manager Sung is being unreasonable.”

As if Na Seungwoon had nothing to do with this trip. But blaming ignorance wouldn’t help. Junyoung shook her head lightly.

“That’s too extravagant for a business trip. I’ll arrange accommodations within my budget. Anything else you wanted to say?”

“Junyoung, I just—”

The sound of a door being flung open cut through his words. A sharp exhale followed, and his voice was drowned out entirely.

Junyoung turned her head, her lips parting slightly in surprise.

There he was—Kwon Beomjin—peeking inside the office, his head tilted to one side. He wore a black sleeveless shirt that seemed two shades more faded than its original color, clinging to his frame as though it didn’t belong to him.

“Is there a problem?”

The staff member, clearly intrigued, moved toward him. Beomjin ignored them entirely, his shirt snugly outlining his well-defined muscles.

“Are you really coming with me?” he asked bluntly, his eyes locking on Junyoung as she sat on the sofa in the back of the room.

She shot up to her feet, narrowing her eyes.

“Of course I am.”

“Then let’s go,” he said, stepping back out and shutting the door behind him.

Junyoung quickly gathered the documents she had spread across the table and shoved them into her bag.

“Junyoung?”

“I have to go. We’ll talk later,” she said curtly before hanging up.

Throwing the strap of her bag over her shoulder, she felt a chill of excitement ripple down her arms.

She wanted to stay composed, but in truth, she hadn’t yet figured out how to approach Beomjin after running into him like this. People often described her as cold and detached, someone who rarely displayed emotion in most situations.

They weren’t wrong. Except when it came to Kwon Beomjin.

Biting her lip, she walked toward the door, her heart thudding loudly with every step.

***

As soon as she stepped outside, Junyoung noticed a car parked with its passenger door open. The sedan was obviously an older model, with dents and scratches marring its surface. She briefly wondered if it could even run, then hurriedly climbed into the passenger seat.

When the door closed, the damp air inside the car seemed to settle heavily around her. It suddenly struck her that she was still drenched from the rain and hadn’t had the chance to clean up. Junyoung frowned slightly.

…What if I smell bad?

“Buckle up.”

At the low command, Junyoung instinctively reached for her seatbelt while sneaking a glance at Beomjin. He was staring straight ahead, hands on the wheel. To her surprise, the car moved smoothly as he turned the steering wheel.

Sitting here, riding in a car driven by Kwon Beomjin—it was surreal. In her mind, he was still a high schooler.

Seeing him now, she couldn’t believe it. Watching him in silence, she let out a quiet laugh, unsure how to process the strange mix of emotions twisting inside her.

“Can you even see with your hair like that?” she asked, her tone playfully sharp.

“I can drive this route with my eyes closed,” he replied dryly.

“How long have you been working here?”

“A little over a month, I think.”

“Did you get in through an agency?”

“Something like that.”

“And before that?”

As he turned on the windshield wipers, Beomjin cast her a sidelong glance. Junyoung didn’t look away, keeping her gaze steady on him. His overgrown bangs obscured half his face, making it impossible to read his expression even from up close. She pressed again.

“What kind of work did you do before this?”@@novelbin@@

Exhaling shortly, he turned his head back to the road.

“That has nothing to do with the company.”

“It might,” Junyoung said firmly. “Your resume wasn’t in the office files I checked, and I doubt Choi Yeongbok passed you off to me without a reason.”

The first thing Junyoung had done upon arriving at the office was dig through the workers’ records, looking for something—anything—that could shed light on Beomjin’s life. But after poring over hundreds of pages, she found no documents bearing his name or photo.

What she did find was a file for Choi Yeongbok, the white-haired foreman. Forty-seven years old, a veteran of construction sites.

“Foreman,” Beomjin corrected curtly, breaking her thoughts.

“What?”

“Call him Foreman Choi Yeongbok. If you call him ‘Mister Choi’ to his face, you’ll never set foot on this site again.”

“Unless he breaks my legs, that’s not happening,” she shot back sharply.

For a split second, a smirk played on his lips. The sight of his crooked smile hit her like a blow to the chest.

Even after all this time, it felt as though the old Yoon Junyoung—her younger self—was threatening to resurface. She clenched her teeth.

“What’s so funny?”

“Just thinking how lively the site’s about to get,” he replied, leaning forward slightly to check the road as he steered.

The car was now threading its way through a narrow alley. Junyoung glanced out the window, taking in the surroundings. His voice reached her again.

“Just so you know, you’d be better off finding somewhere else. It might take a bit to catch a taxi, but there are decent hotels if you head ten minutes out.”

He wasn’t wrong. The alley was poorly lit, with most of the dilapidated houses dark and lifeless. It reminded her, painfully, of the alley she had once lived in with her mother.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s dirty or cramped,” she murmured under her breath. “I’ve lived in places like this before.”

She felt his eyes on her, though she didn’t turn to meet his gaze. The car slowed to a stop deeper inside the alley. Straightening her posture, Junyoung opened the door and stepped out, her face carefully composed.

“This is it?”

The house in front of her had a low wall and a surprisingly large yard. It looked so run-down that it was hard to tell if anyone even lived there, but it appeared to have multiple rooms and was relatively spacious.

The rain had eased since earlier, though it was still falling lightly. Junyoung followed closely as Beomjin strode ahead without an umbrella.

An elderly woman near an outdoor faucet turned to look at them. The spicy scent of kimchi stew wafted through the air.

“Kim, you’re back?”

“Yes.”

The old woman’s eyes landed on Junyoung, widening in surprise under the light spilling from the house.

“Who’s this young lady you brought? What’s all this about?”

“She’s leaving soon,” Beomjin said curtly, standing under the eaves with his arms crossed. His indifferent posture seemed designed to goad her into giving up, but Junyoung refused to rise to the bait. With a faint scoff, she approached the old woman.

“Hello. I’m looking for a place to stay for a few days. Do you happen to have any rooms available?”

“A room? Oh, no, no, dear. This place isn’t suitable for someone like you. If you go down the road a bit, there are plenty of clean and nice places in the town center. This house used to take guests, but it’s so old now…”

The old woman waved her hands dismissively with a polite smile. Junyoung returned the smile.

“I don’t mind. I can sleep anywhere. Besides, I work with Mr. Kim, and it’d be more convenient to stay close since I don’t have a car. Are there any rooms available?”

“Well, we do have rooms, but… It’s really run-down. There’s only one shared bathroom and wash area. And I haven’t hosted guests in years…”

The old woman trailed off, her eyes darting to Beomjin as if seeking his input. He sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair.

“Stop being stubborn. The company’s paying for this trip. I’ll drop you off somewhere else.”

“Why? I like it here,” Junyoung retorted.

That was a lie. She didn’t like it at all. The fatigue of back-to-back business trips weighed heavily on her, and she was used to far more comfortable accommodations. There was no practical reason to stay here. She had the budget to afford better.

But.

She stared at Beomjin, who looked annoyed beyond belief.

By some incredible twist of fate, she had run into him again. Yet she knew almost nothing about his life now. There was no reason for her to care—but he could disappear again tomorrow. And this kind of chance wouldn’t come twice.

If he vanished, she needed answers before he left. Otherwise, she would spend the rest of her life haunted by regret.

…Just like before.

“Please, ma’am,” Junyoung said, bowing politely.

Her formality flustered the old woman, who glanced nervously at Beomjin. He exhaled heavily, shaking his head.

“She’ll leave after one night anyway. Let’s eat first. Is that kimchi stew?”

“Pork’s in there too, simmering nicely. But the rice isn’t done yet. Why don’t you wash up and rest a bit? Miss, you can check out the rooms in the meantime. This way.”

Junyoung followed the old woman toward the left side of the house, aware of Beomjin’s disapproving stare boring into her back. She smirked faintly, then noticed the old woman’s curious glance.

“So, how do you know Kim?”

“We don’t,” Junyoung said firmly.

The old woman blinked, confused.

“But aren’t those Kim’s clothes you’re wearing? Looked like the same ones he went out in this morning.”