Just Twilight-Chapter 68

"I’m ready to do something real now."

A muscle in Beomjin’s jaw twitched. Seungwoon leaned in and whispered to Mihyang.

"You’re buying shares through JBK Financial, aren’t you?"

Mihyang’s sharp eyes flickered as she studied her son’s face, trying to gauge his intent.

"Mother."

Seungwoon lightly patted her hand, his voice dropping to a softer tone.

"I know you wanted to keep some things from me, even if it was for my own good. But we’re past that stage now. I’m not joining forces with Myeongin Daily just to slap a meaningless ‘director’ title on my name. Your dream—it’s my dream now too."

"Seungwoon."

"So don’t hide things from me anymore. Share everything with me. Whatever it is, let me be part of it. I don’t want to be some clueless son sitting in the background—I want to be your strength."

There was conviction in his voice, a persuasive weight that was hard to ignore. Beomjin, watching Mihyang’s delighted expression as she beamed at her son, furrowed his brows slightly.

The office quickly filled with warmth, but the only thing Beomjin felt was an unsettling sense of discord.

***

"Kwon Beomjin."

Beomjin turned his head as he walked toward his car in the underground parking lot.

Seungwoon was approaching with an easy smile.

"The goodbye in the office was enough, no need for extra formalities."

"I had more to say."

Seungwoon looked around briefly before standing directly in front of him. His eyes still gleamed unnervingly, as if possessed. He shoved both hands into his pockets and tilted his head.

"How much are you getting paid for this job? Must be a hefty sum, huh?"

Beomjin simply looked at him without responding. Seungwoon smirked.

"So what, your job is just cleaning up after rich people behind the scenes? And somehow, even that kind of work gets you an executive title? Feels a little cheap, doesn’t it?"

"Yeah."

Beomjin nodded in agreement, his voice indifferent.

"Didn’t think anyone would pay this much just to get a ‘cheap’ title like that."

Seungwoon’s eyes sharpened. Beomjin added casually:

"Think of it as your way of being a dutiful son."

"You won’t be able to talk like that much longer."

As Beomjin reached for his car door, Seungwoon’s voice sliced through the air like a whip.

"Because I’m going to become someone you could never be."

"You already are."

The sourc𝗲 of this content is freēwēbηovel.c૦m.

Beomjin spread his arms slightly, his expression deadpan.

"Even if I were reborn a thousand times over, I’d never become someone like Na Seungwoon."

Seungwoon’s lips curled in anger, his pupils darkening like an abyss.

"If this entire decision of yours is just because of that, you’re going to regret it. Myeongin Daily isn’t an easy opponent."

"I’ll handle Jang Sera. It’s none of your concern—"

Seungwoon’s words came out sharp, but he cut himself off when he caught the curve of Beomjin’s lips—mocking, knowing.

Beomjin slowly shook his head.

"It’s not Jang Sera you need to worry about. It’s Jang Uitae."

"What?"

"Marrying Jang Sera means putting a leash around your own neck—Jang Uitae’s leash."

A furious spark ignited in Seungwoon’s eyes. In an instant, he lunged, grabbing Beomjin’s collar.

But Beomjin was faster.

With a swift, practiced motion, he wrenched Seungwoon’s grip off him—right at the wrist, where the bandages were still wrapped.

Seungwoon didn’t even get the chance to scream. His face twisted in pain as his arm was bent at an unnatural angle and slammed against the hood of the car.

Pinned beneath Beomjin’s weight, he was completely immobilized.

"You’d better hope that leash has some slack."

Beomjin pressed his elbow hard between Seungwoon’s shoulder blades, his voice dropping to an icy whisper.

"And listen carefully, Na Seungwoon."

Seungwoon struggled, but he couldn’t move an inch. The pressure against his back was unrelenting.

"Don’t lay a finger on Yoon Junyoung ever again. This is the only warning you’ll get."

Beomjin watched the shudder run down Seungwoon’s spine. He could see the goosebumps rise along the back of his neck.

Then, just as suddenly, he let go.

Seungwoon gasped, clutching his arm as he stumbled backward, his face burning with humiliation and fury.

Without a word, Beomjin climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine.

The low, heavy rumble filled the parking lot. Seungwoon took an unconscious step back.

Beomjin pulled out without hesitation, and as Seungwoon disappeared from his rearview mirror, he clicked his tongue.

If Na Seungwoon had fully committed to this game, then there were a few things that needed to be reassessed. Mihyang wasn’t a major concern—but Seungwoon was. Unlike her, he carried a personal grudge against Beomjin. That made him unpredictable.

…And just a few hours ago, I was holding Junyoung in my arms.

A sigh slipped out. Beomjin rested an elbow against the car door, pressing his fingers against his forehead.

When he was with Junyoung, the size of the room didn’t matter. None of those details registered in his mind.

How could he even begin to describe what it felt like to watch her sleep peacefully in his arms? The warmth of her skin, the softness of her breath against his chest—what words could ever capture that?

Nothing else mattered.

All he could do was want that moment to last forever.

Taking a slow breath, Beomjin instinctively reached for his phone and dialed Junyoung’s number.

Silence.

She didn’t answer.

After waiting a moment, he clicked his tongue in annoyance and went with his backup option.

"Yeah, boss?"

"Where are you?"

Ah, I’m at the site, doing rounds right now.

"Where’s Junyoung?"

Uh… well…

The hesitation on the other end of the line made Beomjin’s brow twitch sharply.

"She’s not with you?"

She had some work to take care of. She’s gathering information on the other accident victims and said she’d meet us at the office later.

Samdu’s words sped up, as if trying to justify himself.

"So she’s at the office?"

No… she went to meet the Samjin Construction victim.

"Samjin?"

Yeah. He’s the only one who’s already received compensation. She thought he might have useful information on Choi Yeongbok.

"And? What have you found?"

Choi Yeongbok is definitely suspicious. I checked two of the other accident sites, and the workers there all knew him. He would get called in whenever extra hands were needed. He was working at both sites when the accidents happened. I’m on my way to meet the victim now, hoping to learn more about him. Also, I looked into his ex-wife—if Choi Yeongbok did cause the accidents, it probably wasn’t for money. He has some savings, and his ex-wife runs a small flower shop that brings in enough to live on. They’ve never been behind on rent.

"So."

As he turned the wheel, Beomjin’s voice dropped lower.

"You left Junyoung alone when she’s being followed?"

He heard Samdu suck in a sharp breath, clearly realizing his mistake. Panicked, he rushed to explain.

Ah, I—well, it’s broad daylight, and the guy Hankyung put on her is just watching, not acting. And, uh, she kept saying she wanted to wrap this up quickly so she could see you as soon as possible… I’m sorry.

If it weren’t for that last sentence, Beomjin would have chewed him out on the spot. Instead, he exhaled in frustration, shaking his head.

"Was Choi Yeongbok close to the other accident victims?"

They used to drink together. Workers at the sites said they got along well—probably because they were in similar financial situations.

"What if he pushed them to ‘help’ them?"

What?

"He could have shoved them so they’d get compensation to pay off debts."

...Excuse me?

Samdu’s voice shot up in disbelief. Beomjin pressed the gas harder.

"Hurry up and check. I can’t get a hold of Junyoung."

Understood! I’ll head there right after this!

As the call ended, Beomjin scowled.

If this really was Choi Yeongbok’s motive, how could they prove it?

The victims who had received settlements wouldn’t say a word—they had too much to lose. And Jung Mansu, the only one who could testify about being pushed, had no idea who had done it.

There was no concrete evidence.

His frown deepened as he dialed Junyoung’s number again. The longer the call rang unanswered, the heavier the unease settled in his chest.

***

"So, what exactly is this about?"

Kim Cheon-gyu leaned on his crutches, looking significantly better than before. Junyoung navigated around workers carrying supplies, taking in the surroundings. His wife, busy giving instructions, kept glancing warily in her direction.

"I’m Yoon Junyoung from Hankyung’s Risk Management Team. We’re currently handling compensation for a case similar to yours at one of our sites."

"I don’t see what that has to do with me. Can’t you tell I’m busy? I’ve got nothing to say, so just leave."

His expression immediately soured at the word compensation. He waved her off roughly.

"Sir."

Junyoung took a step closer, speaking evenly.

"We’re gathering workers’ opinions to prevent future incidents. There’s a strong push on our end for better site safety measures. We’re particularly interested in hearing from site supervisors and foremen. Even though your accident didn’t happen at our site, learning from similar cases can help improve safety standards for everyone. For the sake of your fellow workers, I’d appreciate it if you could spare me some time."