Just Twilight-Chapter 60

“Not that it matters. It’s not like we’re going together anyway. He’ll probably send Samdu to stick by my side again.”

But does he even plan to go that far?

Her thoughts spiraled, replaying recent events. She knew why Beomjin kept trying to push her away—it wasn’t exactly a mystery. What stung more was that, while her own heart had raced uncontrollably after their brief kiss, his expression had remained unreadable, almost indifferent.

Back then, he definitely liked me more than I liked him.

Her grip tightened on the pouch in her hand as a familiar electronic beep echoed from the door. Someone was entering the password to her apartment.

Junyoung sighed, already guessing who it was.

The warning buzz indicating an incorrect code followed soon after. She had changed her door code the day Seungwoon last visited, anticipating his impending engagement with Myungin Daily. She had no intention of getting caught up in unnecessary scandals.

As the doorbell rang, her phone vibrated on the table. The memory of Seungwoon’s forlorn gaze as Mihyang had pulled him away flashed in her mind.

Avoiding him wouldn’t solve anything.

“I know you’re in there, Junyoung. Open the door. Let’s talk,” came Seungwoon’s muffled voice from the other side.

Clicking her tongue, Junyoung stood and walked to the door. After taking a deep breath, she opened it, finding Seungwoon poised to knock again. He stepped back at the sight of her, his expression sour.

“You changed the code,” he muttered.

“I have to head to Busan soon. I’m busy packing,” she replied curtly.

Her detached tone made his eyes droop with an almost pitiful resignation. Bowing his head, he murmured, “I had such a rough day, Junyoung. Can’t you give me just ten minutes?”

Junyoung stared at him silently. If this was going to be a conversation to tie up loose ends, she supposed it was worth sparing a few minutes.

“Let’s talk outside,” she suggested.

“Why?”

His reflexive question was followed by a sudden, sharp movement as he yanked the door open wider, forcing her to stumble back.

“Na Seungwoon! What are you doing?”

He ignored her protests, stepping inside and scanning the apartment. Opening every door, he checked every corner until he finally stopped in the middle of the living room, his gaze settling on her half-packed suitcase.

“Really packing for Busan, huh?” he muttered, crouching down to examine the luggage. His hand reached toward the pouch containing her underwear, prompting Junyoung to snatch it away immediately.

Seungwoon stared at his now-empty hand, then looked up at her with a blank expression.

“Whether Kwon Beomjin is here or not has nothing to do with you,” she said sharply. “And I have no reason to hide it if he was.”

“But you didn’t tell me,” he replied softly, blinking slowly. “You didn’t tell me you met him again.”

Junyoung felt her chest tighten as she let out a bitter laugh.

“I didn’t hide it, but I had no reason to report it to you either.”

“‘Report’? Junyoung, it’s not about reporting. Friends tell each other these things. And I’m the only person in your life who knows who Kwon Beomjin really is.”

“Then I guess your definition of friendship is different from mine,” she said bluntly.

“Yeah,” he admitted, nodding quietly. “It’s been different from the start.”

Seungwoon rose to his feet, his dark gaze locking onto hers.

“You’ve always known, haven’t you? Why I’ve stayed by your side under the name of friendship?”

His face twisted painfully, and he ran a hand down his face as if to steady himself.

“Junyoung, you’re the only one for me. You’re different from anyone else. You’ve been that way since the day I met you. I wanted to get close to you, so I tried—so hard. I can’t deny that.”

Her breath caught as he stepped closer, his words dripping with emotion.

“I’ve tried to let go. I’ve tried dating other women, even spending the night with them. But it didn’t work. Even in those moments, you were the only person I missed.”

Some might have been moved by such heartfelt words. After all, how flattering it was for someone to hold onto feelings for her for so long.

And it wasn’t just anyone—it was Na Seungwoon. Handsome, wealthy, and earnest, a man who had everything and still wanted only her.

Seungwoon reached for her hand, lifting it gently.

“Come to me, Junyoung. I know I’m not enough, but I’ll try. I’ll work harder, climb higher, and give you the best of everything. If you’re by my side, I can do it. Just stay with me.”

Junyoung stared at the hand holding hers, feeling the rough texture of the bandages wrapped around it. His gaze bore into her, intense and unwavering.

Finally, she spoke, her voice calm but firm.

“That’s not what I want.”

The color drained from his face. He opened his mouth, but she cut him off with a dry tone.

“I’m sorry, Na Seungwoon. I’ve never thought of you that way, and I never will.”

“Because of Kwon Beomjin?”

His lips twisted bitterly, his words laced with disdain.

“That man will never live a proper life. He’ll drag you down into the mud with him. You don’t even know what kind of life he’s living.”

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“If I was your ‘only one,’” Junyoung said, calmly twisting her wrist free from his grasp, “then Kwon Beomjin is mine.”

His clenched jaw trembled slightly as her words sank in.

“I thought I’d never see him again. I didn’t even know if he was alive or dead. I couldn’t understand why I couldn’t forget him, why those simple memories of sharing meals, studying together, and talking lingered so strongly.”

Her wrist ached faintly as she cradled it with her other hand.

"I never told you this, but I hate thinking about my childhood memories," Junyoung said, her voice steady but her gaze icy. "I can count the good ones on one hand—if that. Especially high school. Every single day was miserable. It felt like if the world suddenly ended one day, I’d just think, ‘Oh, so it’s over now,’ and move on like nothing happened. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t escape that place. It felt like sinking deeper into a swamp every day—helpless and hopeless."

Her expression hardened as those memories surfaced. Clenching her fists, she continued, her voice cold and unflinching.

"But Kwon Beomjin was there. Because of him, I could laugh sometimes. Even when going home felt like walking into a nightmare, he made me laugh. Sometimes, he even made my heart race, made me dream of something better.”

“...Stop it,” Seungwoon interrupted, his voice trembling.

“He was the only person who was completely on my side back then. Around him, I could feel free.”

“I said stop!”

Seungwoon’s shout rang out, his shoulders quaking as he breathed heavily. The air between them grew thick and tense. Junyoung regarded him with an unyielding gaze before her lips parted again.

“Do you remember two years ago, when you went on a month-long business trip to San Diego?” she asked. “You came to my place and passed out drunk one night. You were already wasted, but you insisted on finishing a bottle of wine from my house. Then you collapsed on my couch.”

His brow furrowed deeply as if struggling to recall the memory. He wouldn’t remember. She’d confirmed that much the next day. A faint, wry smile tugged at her lips.

“You always talk about Beomjin when you’re drunk, but that night was different. You told me about the day he left.”

The trembling in his body stilled, replaced by a growing rigidity. His eyes widened, the unease in them unmistakable, as Junyoung pressed on.

“You said he probably died that day. That he left in a car so mangled it looked like it wouldn’t even make it down the street. You knew, didn’t you? You knew what kind of people started hanging around the neighborhood after he disappeared.”

“That’s not… I never said—”

“You did,” she cut him off, her tone quiet but resolute. “You were sitting on my couch, rambling about how you were supposed to pass along a message. You asked if I wanted to hear it. I didn’t answer. I pretended I didn’t care. And then, even after finishing that bottle and dragging yourself to the couch, you didn’t say it aloud. But as I stood there, you mumbled something in your sleep.”

Seungwoon’s throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, unable to look away from her piercing gaze.

“It sounded like his last words,” she said softly, her voice tinged with something unreadable. “You said, ‘I’m sorry for leaving you alone.’”