Just Twilight

The construction site, now abandoned by the workers, was eerily silent.

The accident site was on the landing of the fourth-floor staircase, near the west exit. The walls hadn’t been built yet, and the handrails were merely temporary forms. Visualizing the spot based on the blueprints she had studied, Junyoung moved slowly toward it.

Jung Mansu had fallen at approximately 8:50 PM. It had been a night when the delivery schedule for materials was disrupted, leading to the assembly of a night shift crew. Although it was just past 8 PM now, Junyoung wanted to see the scene as close to the conditions of the fall as possible.

Her knee stung more than she expected.

As she climbed the stairs carefully, she glanced down. The fourth floor was quite high. The safety lights scattered here and there provided enough illumination to see her footing, but she recalled that it had been drizzling on the morning of the fall, leaving the platforms wet. It was entirely plausible that someone carrying heavy materials could have slipped.

At least he survived—that’s something.

Squinting her eyes, she paused to catch her breath when she reached the fourth floor. With the space entirely open, even being on the fourth floor was unnerving. Holding onto the railing, she felt the breeze cool the sweat on the back of her neck. From here, she could see the roof of the office where she had been earlier.

First, she thought, I’ll deal with the overly inquisitive administrator, then visit Jung Mansu. Maybe I can take the weekend to rest. My body’s not in great shape, so seeing him on Monday should be fine…

A noise interrupted her thoughts, and she instinctively turned her head. She nearly screamed. A dark figure stood behind her. Fortunately, the figure spoke before she could make a sound.

“What are you doing here?”

“Ah! You scared me!”

Clutching her chest, Junyoung leaned against the railing. Her heart was pounding. Wearing a black t-shirt, Beomjin had blended into the shadows so well she hadn’t noticed him. She had half a mind to tear that shirt to shreds.

“Why didn’t you make any noise? Where did you even come from?”

“I asked what you’re doing.”

His tone was stern, his brows furrowed. Junyoung replied grudgingly, “I was checking out the site. And waiting for you.”

“For me?”@@novelbin@@

“Well, we came to work together, so I figured we’d leave together.”

With an incredulous sigh, Beomjin shook his head. Junyoung shrugged nonchalantly and gestured toward her knee.

“My leg’s hurt, remember? And even if I took a taxi, I wouldn’t know what address to give.”

“If you can climb to the fourth floor on your own, I’m sure you can walk home just fine.”

“What are you doing here, then?”

She cut him off, crossing her arms. When he didn’t answer immediately, she pressed on.

“You didn’t come looking for me, did you?”

“…What makes you think that?”

His eyes narrowed as he asked in a slow, deliberate tone. Junyoung rolled her eyes, drawing a deep breath.

“I didn’t think you’d just leave me behind. And…”

She locked eyes with him, speaking quickly before he could react.

“I didn’t hear any footsteps. You sleep here often, right? You probably saw me from the railing while I was looking at the office, and then followed me here.”

It was a baseless claim, but not entirely impossible. The more audaciously she said it, the less awkward it felt.

He didn’t laugh or react. He simply stared at her in silence before clicking his tongue and stepping back.

“Dream on. Get down.”

“You’re close with Foreman Choi Yeongbok, right? He said he took you in and taught you the ropes.”

As he started down the stairs, Junyoung’s words made him pause and glance back. His expression showed no intent to answer. Rubbing her neck, she pushed forward.

“And Jung Mansu? Have you met him before?”

For a moment, his gaze seemed to change. Slowly, he turned to face her again, his voice cutting through the still air.

“Are you trying to prove it wasn’t an accident?”

“The company might want to. It would cost them less that way. But they wouldn’t want the mess of a drawn-out dispute, especially since it’s not a difficult sum to cover. But why does it matter to you whether it was an accident or not? You seemed pretty invested in safety issues the other day.”

“Because it’s a matter of life and death. Tomorrow, the person falling could be me.”

“When did you start working in construction?”

His eyes narrowed further, but Junyoung didn’t stop.

“Since the foreman said he taught you, I’m guessing you’re new to this. What were you doing before? And why start a new job here, of all places?”

“Yoon Junyoung.”

He called her name, his tone dry, perhaps realizing she wasn’t planning to stop. She looked up at him as he stepped closer.

“Do you need a man?”

“…What?”

She blinked, stunned. Before she could react, he had closed the distance. Slowly, he extended both arms and placed his hands on the railing, trapping her in between. The heat radiating from him made her heart tighten. Her frown deepened as he leaned in, his voice low and sharp.

“You’re too curious. I get that running into me here is surprising, but don’t get too annoying.”

Junyoung let out a strained, bitter laugh as he stepped back, his cool gaze lingering on her.

Frustration bubbled up inside her, as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water on her chest. Gritting her teeth, she grabbed his arm.

“If you’re so desperate to get rid of me, explain yourself. Why did you disappear? What have you been doing? I need to know—”

Before she could finish, dizziness overwhelmed her, and her legs gave out. She staggered, only to feel his arm catch her firmly.

Junyoung gasped for breath, her head spinning. It felt as though all the blood in her body had rushed to her feet. His voice came from above, sharp and urgent.

“Do you have a fever? Why is your body so hot?”

"The rain, nearly getting hit by a motorcycle, barely sleeping all night... Do you really think my body would be fine after all that?"

Junyoung grumbled in a low voice, leaning her head against Beomjin’s chest to steady her dizziness. She could feel the rise and fall of his chest as he let out a deep sigh.

Even with her eyes open, her vision was pitch black. She became acutely aware of how tightly he was gripping her arm and frowned.

This guy’s words and actions never match. Should she believe what he said or trust what he did? She couldn’t tell.

Trying to calm her racing mind, she mirrored his breathing, taking slow, steady breaths before speaking.

“I’m just curious. I’m not trying to bother you. It’s just... I’ve never wanted to know something so badly in my life. I’ve never felt this frustrated, or this helpless, before. Why did you disappear? How have you been living? I mean...”

Opening her eyes, Junyoung tilted her head back to look up at him. Her gaze met his cold, unreadable expression as she continued.

“...because back then, I liked you.”

Her quiet confession, one she had never properly voiced before, made his dark eyes ripple, like a pebble dropped into still water.

When she twisted her wrist, his grip loosened. Startled, he released her arm as if it had burned him. But as his hand began to retreat, she quickly caught it, her voice dropping to a whisper.

“So whatever it is, just tell me. If you want me to let go of who you were back then.”

Their eyes locked for a long time. He didn’t try to pull his hand away. Instead, he stood motionless, staring at her in silence.

Time seemed to both stretch and stop entirely. Just as his lips moved, as if to finally respond, the sound of her phone vibrating inside her bag shattered the moment.

The fragile sandcastle they’d been building crumbled in an instant. The atmosphere dissolved completely. Quickly regaining his composure, Beomjin stepped back, his expression calm and distant.

“Answer it.”

“Not until you talk.”

“Just answer it,” he said firmly.

Grinding her teeth, Junyoung yanked her phone out of her bag, mentally kicking whoever was calling her. Her irritation deepened when she glanced at the screen and saw the name displayed.

…The door that had almost opened had shut tight again. Completely.

Na Seungwoon, you bastard.

“I work at the same company,” she blurted, her voice low. “I graduated school thanks to a foundation run by Seungwoon’s mother. After you disappeared, a lot happened—”

“No need to explain. I’m not interested.”

His tone was softer than before, but the slight curve of his sharp eyes suggested it wasn’t out of warmth.

“Take the call and come downstairs. I’ll drive you home.”

Without giving her a chance to respond, he turned and walked briskly down the stairs. His steps were quick and confident, even in the dim light.

Junyoung let out a long, frustrated sigh and slumped back down onto the landing. She didn’t know many curses, but at that moment, she wanted to hurl every single one she knew.

She glared at the still-vibrating phone before answering it with barely concealed irritation.

“Hello?”

• “Junyoung? Are you done with work?”

“Yeah.”

• “I heard you officially requested a business trip. Isn’t that technically someone else’s responsibility? Team Leader Sung is trying to wrap up the TANDOZ case you were handling alone. Should I step in?”

“I can’t talk for long.”

She pressed her fingertips to her pounding temple, her tone clipped.

• “Didn’t you say you were done?”

“I’m on a date.”

The line went silent, as if the phone had lost its signal. Slowly, Junyoung stood up, moving cautiously to keep her dizziness at bay. Her knee throbbed, her headache was worsening, and her patience was wearing thin.

“And I’m not your teammate. Getting involved in another team’s work is overstepping. It could lead to unnecessary rumors. I wouldn’t want to cause trouble for you, especially not right now. What would I say to your father?”

• “...My father?”

His voice sounded like it had surfaced from deep water. Junyoung stared blankly at the air as she replied.

“The marriage talks with the Myungin Daily family.”

She knew her words were like a hammer blow.

It wasn’t something she had ever brought up with Seungwoon directly—she’d only discussed it with Mihyang. But eventually, it was bound to come up. And now seemed as good a time as any.

“So don’t worry about me. I can handle this on my own. Goodbye.”

Without waiting for a reply, she ended the call and looked down into the darkened construction site below.

It wasn’t as if she hadn’t considered this tactic before. But bringing a man like Kwon Beomjin into the equation, investing time in convincing Seungwoon, had always seemed less efficient than simply humoring him.

However.

Seungwoon occasionally mentioned Beomjin’s name. Casually, as if it were a passing thought: How strange that he just disappeared like that. I wonder how he’s doing.

It always sounded like innocent curiosity, but Junyoung knew better. It was his way of probing her. She knew he harbored a quiet inferiority complex toward Beomjin.

After all, he had seen her frantically visiting police stations, trying to track down Beomjin after he vanished.

As she slowly descended the stairs, holding onto the railing for balance, she noticed a long shadow leaning against the wall at the bottom. Her legs trembled, but she pressed on. Her voice came out shaky, thick with fever.

“You asked if I needed a man?”

“…What?”

His reaction mirrored hers from earlier—confusion and disbelief. His face blurred in her fevered vision as she staggered toward him.

“If I said I did, would you be my man?”

She couldn’t see his expression clearly, but when she reached out blindly, she felt his hand catch her wrist.

“Then at least get me home,” she murmured, her voice fading.

She wasn’t sure if she finished the sentence. Before she could say anything more, her knees gave out, and she collapsed into darkness.