Read Just Twilight Novel Translation Chapter 5

(Just Dawn | 그저 여명일 뿐 )

Romance, Drama, Slice-of-life, Josei, Mature

Original: Woo Jihye | Translation: Genie

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It was Seungwoon who had called out to him. Kwon Beomjin’s eyes moved slowly as if he had anticipated finding someone inside.

Junyoung realised that Beomjin’s gaze had stopped on her hand resting on Seungwoon’s arm. Flustered, she instinctively pushed Seungwoon away, feeling an inexplicable embarrassment flood her face.

“What’s up? Did you come here because you’re not feeling well? The teacher’s not here right now.”

Even as Junyoung’s push momentarily drew his attention, Seungwoon spoke to Beomjin.

Junyoung had never seen the two talk in the classroom before. Beomjin didn’t really “talk” with anyone at school.

At least, not at school.

Considering who Kwon Beomjin was in the context of their school, Seungwoon’s ease in speaking to him—even with his intimidating demeanour—seemed unusual.

Was he just naïve? Perhaps he didn’t know fear because he had never been hurt by others.

But when Beomjin walked toward them with an expressionless face and Seungwoon subtly stepped in front of her, Junyoung almost laughed. Subtle as it was, even Seungwoon was nervous.

Does he really think Kwon Beomjin is going to do something to me?

…Not that I can claim he doesn’t give off that vibe.

Junyoung watched Beomjin approach, her expression slightly stiff. Is he going to acknowledge me? Surely, he didn’t come here out of concern.

However, Beomjin simply turned aside and opened a drawer without a word. The sound of him rummaging through medicine bottles echoed in the otherwise silent infirmary.

Having found what he was looking for, Beomjin took something out and left the infirmary without a glance at either of them. His indifferent attitude was palpable as if they didn’t exist.

Even though he had only entered and left, the pressure left behind was unmistakable. Junyoung pursed her lips slightly.

And yet, if I glare at him hard enough, he’d still do my laundry.

Seungwoon exhaled briefly, as if shaking off his tension, and turned back to her with an awkward expression.

“I’m still a bit awkward with Beomjin.”

It’s as if you’re the only one in this school who feels that way.

Junyoung kept her face neutral and walked slowly, deliberately. She thought to herself, *I’ll ask him later if he’s feeling okay,* as Seungwoon quietly fell into step beside her.

“I’ll walk you home. Let’s go together—”

“No, that’s fine.”

Her curt response came out sharper than intended. The mere thought of Seungwoon seeing where she lived sent chills down her spine.

Avoiding his surprised expression, Junyoung muttered shortly, “Just don’t bother worrying about me.”

Seungwoon didn’t follow as she left the infirmary. As Junyoung walked down the hallway bathed in the red hues of the setting sun, a long sigh escaped her lips, stretching behind her like a shadow.

***
The forest house had a padlock on the door—an indication that Beomjin wasn’t there. Junyoung stepped inside alone, closed the door, and placed her bag on the desk. She felt completely drained of energy.

Exams were approaching, and though it might seem like stubborn pride, she didn’t want to give up her title as the top student in the school until graduation.

It was her only hard-earned and well-deserved achievement. If she couldn’t be the best at a school like this, she couldn’t forgive herself.

Still, her eyes kept drifting to the second floor. She was hungry from skipping lunch, but more than that, she was overwhelmingly sleepy. A faint fever crawled up her spine again.

When will he come? If he does, he’ll wake me up, right?

“No way he’ll try to kill someone for sleeping in his ‘territory,’ especially after they just collapsed.”

But still, why did he have to show up at that moment and make things so awkward?

The scene in the infirmary replayed in her mind, and Junyoung scowled.

What would he have thought, seeing me practically clinging to Seungwoon? His expression didn’t seem shocked or mocking, but then again, he wasn’t exactly the expressive type.

Regardless, solving her exhaustion took priority. Blinking drowsily, Junyoung cautiously climbed the stairs.

Since the day she first encountered Beomjin, she hadn’t been up to the second floor. She hadn’t had a reason to use the bed.

Despite being familiar with the space, it felt strangely foreign. The nervousness was unexpected. Carefully, she climbed all the way up, glanced around as if checking for someone, and then quietly sat on the bed.

Why does it feel like he’ll walk in at this exact moment?

She fiddled with the edge of the blanket, trying to resist lying down, but her patience quickly wore thin. With a resigned sigh, she flopped onto the bed.

It was just a mattress on the floor, but it was surprisingly comfortable. The centre dipped slightly, but the simple act of lying down made her body relax, and sleep washed over her like a tide. Even if it were a cold stone floor, it would still be better than her home.

Oh, wait.

“What if he doesn’t come back…?”

Her half-formed words were barely audible. She recalled Beomjin’s indifferent voice telling her to go home before dark. *I’ve been relying on him so much. Lately, I don’t even bring a flashlight anymore…* That thought drifted away as she fell into a deep sleep.

***

She thought she felt something. A subtle disturbance stirred her senses as if her mind, submerged in a deep sleep, was surfacing.

The sound of heavy steps climbing the stairs sharpened her awareness. Struggling to open her eyes, Junyoung saw a dark figure collapsing toward her and let out a piercing scream.

“Kyaaah!”

There was a guttural grunt, and she thrashed violently, trying to free herself from the hard, heavy weight pinning her down. She was fairly certain she had struck someone’s arms and legs in the chaos.

Though her movements bordered on a full-blown panic attack, she was quickly subdued by firm hands gripping her wrists.

“Yoon Junyoung?”

The voice, slightly out of breath and startled, was familiar. Though she couldn’t make out the figure in the dark, her muscles relaxed slightly at the realisation.

The faint, dry wood scent of Beomjin’s shirt lingered in the air. Of course, who else would come here but him?

The tension drained from her body as she realised she was pinned beneath him. Irritated, she freed one hand and began hitting his chest.

“Get off! Get off me!”

“Wait a second, this isn’t—”

As Beomjin hurriedly moved away to dodge her fists, Junyoung sat up abruptly—only to smack her head on the low ceiling. Beomjin, who had been pulling back, hit his head, too.

The two collapsed onto the bed, clutching their heads and groaning.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!”

Beomjin was the first to yell; his voice filled with frustration. Junyoung rubbed her head, glaring at him.

“You’re the one who fell on me out of nowhere!”

“This is the second floor, *my* territory!”

Growling low, his voice carried an edge, though his expression was invisible in the dark. Junyoung refused to back down, raising her voice in response.

“Even so, shouldn’t you check where you’re lying? What if the floor broke and you fell through?”

“Does that even make sense—never mind! What are you even doing here? Do you know what time it is?”

“How would I know? I just woke up!”

“It’s past 2 a.m.!”

At his exasperated reply, Junyoung gasped. Had she slept that long?

Seeing her shock, Beomjin sat on the edge of the bed and let out a long sigh, rubbing the back of his head. Junyoung awkwardly adjusted her position and sat up as well.

“You could’ve guessed I’d be here. The padlock wasn’t on the door.”

“Who would’ve thought you’d actually be here at this hour? I figured you’d forgotten to lock it.”

“I’ve never forgotten to—”

“That’s not the point! What were you thinking, sleeping here at this hour without locking the door? Are you out of your mind?”

His loud scolding only irritated her further. She let out a scoff and retorted sarcastically, “How was I supposed to lock the door from the inside?”

Beomjin seemed to choke on a retort, growling lowly before snapping at her.

“Then you should’ve gone home to sleep!”

“Why don’t *you* go home? What are you doing barging in here at 2 a.m.?”

Her quick comeback left him momentarily speechless. He chuckled bitterly, patting the mattress with a heavy hand before muttering darkly, “The second floor isn’t your territory.”

If there had been any light, she wouldn’t have had the nerve to stand up to him like this. But in the dark, she felt invincible.

“What territory? If it’s here, I’ll use it. My head hurts, my body feels like it’s been beaten to a pulp, and there’s a bed. You weren’t here, so I used it. Sorry if that’s such a crime. I wasn’t in my right mind, okay?”

She rattled off her words without pause, only to suddenly clutch her temples as her head spun again. Beomjin clicked his tongue in annoyance, turning his head away. A brief silence settled between them.

Fine, I’ll let this go.

Junyoung sighed, stood up slowly, and brushed herself off.

“Fine, I’ll leave. Enjoy the bed all you want. Sleep on it for the next thousand years if you like.”

Since Beomjin was sitting by the stairs, she had to pass by him to leave. She stood waiting, glaring at his broad shoulders. He sighed heavily, his shoulders rising and falling.

“It’s late. I’ll walk you home.”

His voice, now calm and steady, surprised her. She crossed her arms and scoffed.

“No thanks. You were about to eat me alive, and now you’re pretending to care?”

“You collapsed over a dodgeball hit—”

Beomjin started to retort harshly but stopped himself mid-sentence. His large hand, no longer brushing the back of his head but tousling his hair in frustration, caught her eye.

Worry? Is he still half-asleep? I expected him to scoff, not look like… this.