Just Twilight

A searing warmth spread through his hand, snapping Seungwoon’s gaze upward. Where was he? The darkness around him seemed absolute, and the faint smell of something metallic hung in the air. He blinked a few times, his vision sharp and stinging, as if torn by invisible blades.
His hands were smeared with blood. He must have been hitting the steering wheel mindlessly.

When he opened his mouth, a hoarse, shallow breath escaped. He could remember watching Kwon Beomjin walk away and then driving aimlessly. He didn’t want to risk running into Junyoung after she left her house.
If he saw her face, he might lash out and blame her. And if that happened, Junyoung would take that as an excuse to sever their relationship without hesitation, cutting him off with the sharp precision of a blade.
This wasn’t something he could ever put into words. He knew better than anyone that the fragile parallel lines of their relationship had only lasted this long because he’d kept his emotions buried.

His memory ended there, at the point where he turned the car around. Checking the time, he realized over an hour had passed. Just moments ago, he’d felt like he was sinking into icy waters, but now his heart was pounding, as though it had been jolted awake by the sight of his own blood.
Taking a deep breath, Seungwoon fumbled for his phone. He had called Junyoung twice before arriving here, but she hadn’t picked up.
She hadn’t returned his calls for some time now. And when he brought it up, she’d always respond the same way: “If you’d left a message, I would’ve replied right away. Was it urgent?”

He knew what she meant. He never had anything urgent enough to be considered a real reason to call her.
Staring blankly at his phone, he pressed a speed-dial button and brought it to his ear. His hand throbbed, swollen and stiff. Some of the blood on his skin had already dried.
“Yes, young master…”

“Chief Kim.”
Cutting off the voice on the other end, he called out languidly. A silence followed. Chief Kim must have noticed something unusual in his tone. He was the kind of man who could sniff out a change in demeanor, like a dog.
“Have you found a new place yet? Let me know if you need assistance.”

“Using someone like you to find my home would be a waste.”
“I am still lacking. Please stop by the house. Madam is concerned.”
A bitter smile escaped Seungwoon’s lips. Chief Kim was nothing more than a parrot, endlessly repeating “Madam, Madam.” No matter how much time passed, Kim was his mother’s man, through and through. It irritated him to no end that, even now, the only competent person in his orbit was someone like her.

“Kwon Beomjin.”
As he deliberately flexed his swollen fingers, Seungwoon ground his teeth. His voice, low and suppressed, sounded foreign to his own ears.
“Do you remember him?”

A brief pause followed, but not long enough to irritate him. Chief Kim responded smoothly.
“Yes, the young master’s and Deputy Yoon Junyoung’s high school classmate. The one with a criminal record, correct?”
Occasionally, Chief Kim managed to say things that pleased him. Smirking faintly, Seungwoon leaned his head back against the seat. His vision swirled as if he were on the verge of passing out.
“Find out where he is, what he’s doing, who he’s close to, and his financial situation.”

When no immediate response came, his brows furrowed, and he pressed his lips into a thin line.
“Why aren’t you answering?”
“Is this related to Deputy Yoon Junyoung?”

A dry laugh escaped him. His grip tightened on the phone, the movement sending a fresh drop of blood onto the dashboard.
“Do you argue this much when my mother gives you orders?”
“Madam’s instructions are always clear, so there’s never a need to question them.”

“Do I need to make it any clearer? Look into Kwon Beomjin.”
“I’m only asking because I fail to see the purpose of this. Is this something that benefits the future of Hanyeong?”
He wanted to grab Chief Kim by the neck and shake him until he couldn’t speak anymore. But he knew he couldn’t. Taking a deep breath to calm his rising anger, he focused on controlling his voice.

The silence on the other end stretched for several moments before Chief Kim spoke again, his tone mechanical.
“A new exhibition opens next week at the gallery.”
“I said I wasn’t going to that.”

“If you escort Ms. Jang Sera throughout the evening, I’ll help you.”
Seungwoon’s lips twitched as his eyes flashed. His smile curved softly.
“Fine. A simple tea at the gallery? Or do you want me to take her to dinner afterward and politely see her home?”

“A suite has been reserved.”
The air around him felt ice-cold. His faint smirk vanished entirely as if doused in freezing water. His hand trembled as he stared blankly into space.
“…What?”

“The suite has been prepared to match Ms. Jang Sera’s preferences. Given her social connections in France, it’s unlikely she’s a virgin. You don’t need to feel pressured. Judging by her interest in you, it’s highly probable she’ll take the initiative.”
“Are you seriously suggesting I sleep with her? With Jang Sera?”
His voice cracked as fury and shame roiled within him. His trembling hand almost dropped the phone. Chief Kim’s voice came through, calm and unbothered.

“It’s inevitable. The engagement will be announced next month anyway. Consider it just moving the timeline forward.”
“Cut the crap! Who said anything about marrying her? Cancel it. As for Kwon Beomjin, I’ll handle it through other channels.”
“That would be difficult.”

“What?”
Raising his voice made the dizziness worse. He felt as though his heart were pounding inside his head. Pressing his free hand against his temple, he struggled to steady himself as Chief Kim continued.
“We conducted a brief investigation into Kwon Beomjin several years ago. The last official record we found was his transfer to your high school. After that, he obtained his driver’s license in Mokpo at twenty-one. That was the end of his trail.”

Seungwoon’s heartbeat slowed unnervingly. He blinked, his throat dry.
“What does that mean?”
“It means there’s no record of him leading a normal life. In such cases, it’s usually one of two things: either he’s dead…”

Chief Kim paused briefly before adding in a clipped tone.
“…or he’s not an ordinary person.”
Swallowing hard, Seungwoon’s mind involuntarily flashed to the image of Beomjin walking toward his car in the darkness. He was far more intimidating than Seungwoon remembered. The oppressive air around him was on a completely different level than the vague unease he’d felt in high school.

His broad shoulders and tightly honed physique weren’t just from manual labor. The way he moved wasn’t that of someone shaped by simple physical work. Because…
The moment Beomjin had knocked on his car window, Seungwoon had instinctively recoiled, bracing as if the window would shatter under the blow.
No ordinary person exuded such an aura. It was a primal energy, something that triggered ancient instincts buried deep in humanity. It was the kind of presence that screamed the other person was stronger, more dangerous, and fully prepared to attack at any moment.

“Madam is asking for you. I must leave now. What do you want to do?”
Chief Kim’s voice quickened, as though urging him to make a decision. Gritting his teeth, Seungwoon’s jaw trembled. His hand, streaked with blood, gripped the phone tightly as a low growl escaped his throat.
***

JBK Financial. Loans, capital, and investment services.
Their website was up and running, but unsurprisingly, there wasn’t a single photo of Beomjin to be found. It wasn’t exactly a conventional company, so it was to be expected.
While she couldn’t figure out exactly what his job there entailed, it was clear that the company was anything but ordinary.

JBK Financial dealt not only with individuals and corporations but also with P2P financing—peer-to-peer lending—a sector that had surged after the passage of the Online Investment-Linked Finance Act last year. Unlike others caught off guard by the industry’s rapid growth, JBK Financial had prepared well in advance, enabling them to expand significantly once the law passed.
They also seemed to have some kind of expert on their team. Their revenue from real estate project financing was impressive, suggesting they had a knack for handling high-stakes investments. Despite pushing the legal limits of interest rate caps, they’d never once faced a suspension of operations—a feat that set them apart from other companies in the field.
If she were to invest in a company, this would be the one. It was sharp, young, and strategic, run with an intelligent and calculated approach.

Yawning widely, Junyoung stared at her phone. Even after drinking last night, she hadn’t been able to sleep until late. The fatigue weighed heavily on her.
Sometimes, I really do overdo it, she thought to herself.
Reflecting on how uneventful and dry her life had been until now, she shook her head, half in disbelief at herself.

Still lying down, she pulled the blanket over her head and blinked at the darkness. Her lips curved slightly.
That expression was priceless.
Ever since they were young, Beomjin had always been stoic. His default expression was a mask of indifference, like a stone statue. He never laughed heartily, and of course, he never cried either. At most, she’d seen him smirk a few times.

And yet, she had managed to leave him frozen in shock. Me.
A small laugh escaped her as she thought about it. Tossing the blanket aside, she sat up. Morning light was already creeping into her room. From the sound of footsteps crossing the yard, she knew that Beomjin was in the bathroom, likely washing up.
Kneeling on the bed, Junyoung stared at the tightly shut door. She’d acted impulsively last night, but she hadn’t been drunk. The unopened soju bottle beside her pillow was proof—she hadn’t even finished one bottle. Her actions weren’t the result of alcohol but a response to the realization of what he was thinking. She had simply given in to the urge.

That idiot hadn’t changed. Even back then, he had refused to reveal their relationship to others.
And she knew exactly why. Kwon Beomjin had always believed that his existence would bring her harm.
“Who wouldn’t know why you chose to bring up working at JBK Financial at a time like that?”

Scoffing, she crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes.
He was here to recover the money loaned to Jung Mansu once the compensation came through. But the situation had shifted. If someone had pushed Mansu, it would no longer be easy to pin full responsibility on Hanyeong.
He could have left. He could have ignored her and disappeared, leaving her to flounder in confusion. But instead, he had handed her clue after clue, exposing his position. It was as if he wanted to remind her of the time he had screamed at her from inside a detention cell.

Don’t act like you know me.
Stay away from me.
“...And yet, you know what decision I made back then,” she murmured under her breath, her eyes sharpening with resolve.

Kwon Beomjin was, and always had been, the most selfish choice she could make. The only choice she could make when she thought solely about herself. A choice that allowed her to shut her eyes to everything else for the sake of her own happiness.
Stretching, she got out of bed.
It was Saturday.

And yesterday, she had kissed Kwon Beomjin.
Should I take it a step further today?