Just Twilight

“Remember? My mom used to work at that motel. When she collapsed, there was 1.9 million won in the bank account. Turns out, it was an account in my name, though I have no idea when it was opened. I think about it sometimes. How stupid it is that I’ve been paying back tens of times that amount, all because of that.”

“...Junyoung.”

“I know. It’s the price I pay for my fear. Even though she’s the way she is... the thought of her disappearing terrified me.”

The idea of there being no one left in the world who knew who I was, how I was born, or how I’d lived felt like sinking into a swamp. The emptiness of a world where, even if I disappeared, no one would know, and no one would care.

Keeping her alive, breathing, was, in a way, Junyoung’s own will to live. That was how it felt to her.

Wow, look at me. Just because I’m lying here sick, I’m going on and on. At this rate, I might even cry. Talking about my mom to someone—of course, I’m getting carried away, Yoon Junyoung.

Scoffing at herself, Junyoung repeatedly fiddled with the IV tube, but then she noticed Beomjin stirring. She turned her head just as he stood up.

Leaning over her, almost like he was covering her, Beomjin gently caught her flailing hands and tucked them back under the blanket. The warmth from him didn’t just touch her hands—it seemed to radiate onto her face, and Junyoung blinked. His voice, low and soothing, reverberated softly in her ears.

“Get some sleep.”

“Where are you going?”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

He pulled the blanket up to her chin before sitting back down in the chair. As Junyoung continued to watch him, Beomjin crossed his arms and let out a short sigh.

“Close your eyes. You sleep, I sleep.”

This was pure Kwon Beomjin. Not the Beomjin of now, not anyone else, but the Kwon Beomjin she used to know.

Junyoung obediently closed her eyes, feeling her chest stir with an inexplicable emotion. Was it her imagination, or did she feel his gaze lingering on her cheeks and around her eyes? It felt almost like his eyes were gently brushing against her, tenderly soothing her.

For a moment, she felt like a child. Like a kid with a guardian by their side, someone who would take everything she said—no matter how childish—without question. A child who could lean on that sense of security without a second thought.

Kwon Beomjin.

Don’t push me away.

We’ve met like this, and if I lose you, I know I’ll regret it more than anything.

“So, about Deputy Director Kim Yongjae—”

“I said sleep.”

The moment her lips parted, Beomjin growled, cutting her off. Even his voice made it clear his patience was at its limit. Stifling a giggle, Junyoung squeezed her eyes shut a little tighter. Feeling strangely light, nervous, and touched all at once, she soon drifted off to sleep.

***

How much time had passed since even the sound of steady breathing faded?

Beomjin slowly opened his eyes. Junyoung was deeply asleep, her head turned toward him.

Her complexion still wasn’t good. Thinking back, Yoon Junyoung had always been the type to push herself to the limit. Instead of pausing midway or sitting back to wait for another opportunity, she was the kind to run full speed ahead—even if it meant her heart might burst.

Without any regard for how much her body could take.

Watching her pale, cracked lips, Beomjin silently got up and moved to the other side of the bed. As Junyoung had shifted in her sleep, her phone, previously hidden under her hip, was now peeking out.

Originally, he’d planned to take her home today and then head off to search for his own phone, but that no longer seemed realistic. With fluid movements, he picked up Junyoung’s phone.

Thankfully, it used biometric recognition. Pressing her thumb firmly against the screen, he unlocked it. Checking the most recent photo, Beomjin let out a quiet sigh through his teeth. It was a picture of him, wearing an expression as stupid as could be.

You’re getting better at lying, Yoon Junyoung.

He deleted the photo and dialed a number he had memorized, stepping out of the emergency room. The air of early dawn greeted him. It wasn’t long before a familiar voice answered.

“Who is this?”

“It’s me.”

“And who’s ‘me,’ calling at this godforsaken hour—”@@novelbin@@

“Stop before you say something you’ll regret.”

At his indifferent tone, there was a brief silence, followed by an exuberant yell.

“Hyung! Are you okay? What happened? You’re not in trouble, are you? Where are you right now?”

“Track my phone’s location. I dropped it somewhere.”

Stopping in front of a vending machine, Beomjin heard an unexpected response.

“I’ve already got your phone. I called it, and a cop answered. First time I’ve ever been to the police station for something like this…”

Beomjin’s brows furrowed.

“You came all the way down here?”

“Yeah, three hours ago. I wanted to head over first thing this morning, but the chairman told me to stop by the Sangbong Building first, so I’m late.”

Letting out a silent sigh, Beomjin flicked the vending machine lightly with his fingers. Samdu’s loyalty had always been a little excessive.

“Where are you now?”

“I’m parked near the place you’re staying. Your car wasn’t out front, so I figured I’d head to the site and ask around in the morning.”

“Ask if anyone knows Kwon Beomjin?”

When he raised his tone, as if to test him, Samdu huffed, almost offended.

“Come on, hyung, I’m not that stupid. Of course, I’d ask about Kim, not you.”

“And if they asked why?”

“I’d say he owes me something and I’m checking in to see how he’s doing. Just like you told me. I remember it word for word.”

Humming quietly, Beomjin nodded to himself. Samdu might not have been the smartest, but he was diligent.

“Bring the phone and come to the emergency room at Hyemyung Hospital.”

“Hyung, are you hurt?”

At the sharp rise in his voice, Beomjin briefly pulled the phone away from his ear and took a deep breath before replying.

“I came with someone.”

“Got it. I’ll be there right away. Should I call you on this number? Whose phone is it, anyway?”

“Just borrowed it. I’m hanging up.”

Ending the call, Beomjin deleted the call log. He placed the phone back behind the still-sleeping Junyoung and stepped outside. A few minutes later, a car sped into the hospital parking lot like a bullet. Someone had clearly been flooring it.

“Hyung!”

The shout, full of emotion, sounded like a long-lost family member reunited after years apart. It even drew a glance from someone just leaving the emergency room. Considering how few people were around at this hour, that was fortunate.

Samdu, as if his parents had somehow foreseen his destiny when naming him, was shorter than Beomjin but built like a block of muscle. While he always wore a crisp shirt and suit pants in line with company rules, no one would mistake him for an ordinary person.

His movements as he ran over, however, were anything but clumsy. As Samdu quickly looked him over from head to toe, Beomjin shook his head.

“If a thug shows up in the neighborhood, someone’s going to call the cops.”

“Oh, hyung,” Samdu muttered sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. “I mean, senior.”

“My phone.”

Once reassured that Beomjin was physically fine, Samdu quickly handed over the phone. Scanning through missed messages and emails, Beomjin finally spoke.

“You came all the way down here just because I didn’t contact you for a day?”

“It’s not like you’d ever go radio silent without a reason, hyung—I mean, senior. And then the call suddenly cut off, and your phone ended up at the police station? How could I stay calm? By the way, it’s good to know people here still care. Leaving a lost phone at the police station? Makes you think this country’s not so bad after all.”

“And the Sangbong Building?”

“It’ll take a bit longer. The chairman hasn’t decided whether to sell it at auction or try to work with the tenants and hold onto it. He mentioned wanting to stop by to see you, too. It’s been a while since you’ve been in Seoul.”

“Does everyone think I’m down here on vacation? What’s this, a sightseeing trip?”

Clicking his tongue in irritation, Beomjin shook his head, and Samdu gave an awkward laugh.

“After what happened last time, the chairman’s just worried. He even told me to stick close to you, unless there’s something urgent.”

At this point, he might as well just let him call him whatever he wanted. Narrowing his eyes at Samdu, who suddenly looked nervous despite his size, Beomjin sighed and slipped his phone into his back pocket.

People rarely repay money with a smile, even if they borrowed it with one. Some cases, where there’s no hope of repayment, are easier to handle because you can prepare for it. The real problem lies with the cunning ones—the ones who hide what they have.

Two years ago, the company had signed a loan agreement with the owner of a mid-sized business. The deal was lucrative, with annual interest in the tens of millions of won and a minimum five-year term. Since it wasn’t a loan rejected by regular financial institutions but essentially a money-laundering scheme, the risk seemed minimal.

The first year went well. But aggressive expansion and a failed product launch caused the business to collapse almost overnight.

As always, such situations come down to a battle between those trying to collect the money and those trying to avoid paying it. When the owner began preparing to flee overseas, it was Beomjin who relentlessly tracked him down.

In the end, just before the man could board a ship, he contacted them, promising repayment. Confident in his abilities and valuing efficiency, Beomjin went to meet him alone, never imagining a dozen armed men would be waiting.

Of course, even without Samdu’s overzealous loyalty and his decision to rush after him, Beomjin’s limbs would have remained intact. Those who didn’t know how to wield knives or bats properly were never a real threat to him.

However, dealing with them might have cost him enough time for the owner to escape. It was thanks to Samdu buying him time that they caught him in the end.

Dragged off the ship by the scruff of his neck, the man bowed his head before a bloodied Beomjin. The money was fully recovered a week later.

To this day, Samdu occasionally brought up that story at drinking parties, his eyes lighting up with excitement. While it didn’t attract much attention—everyone already knew Samdu had joined the company because of his admiration for Beomjin—it was still a story he enjoyed retelling.