Read Just Twilight Novel Translation Chapter 3

(Just Dawn | 그저 여명일 뿐 )

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

Original: Woo Jihye | Translation: Genie

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“What are you… what…?”

“Wear this while I wash your shirt. I’m done eating anyway.”

With a nonchalant expression, Beomjin handed her his t-shirt. Junyoung stared blankly at the oversized shirt, big enough to wrap around her entire body, and asked, “Are you serious?”

“You just need to scrub it with some dish soap, and it’ll be fine. Do you want me to wash it or not?”

It didn’t seem necessary, but the thought of his broad frame scrubbing her shirt made her want to laugh. Rolling her eyes, Junyoung gestured toward the door with her chin.

“Wait outside, then.”

“Seriously…”

“Hey!”

Seeing Junyoung’s sharp glare, Beomjin let out a scoff, opened the door, and stepped outside. The breeze slipping through the crack in the door felt chilly. That’s when she realised he had nothing on his upper body. Lowering herself behind the desk, she hurriedly began unbuttoning her shirt.

Washing clothes at night was always a hassle, especially here. The water wasn’t heated, and the chill in the mountain air made the icy water almost unbearable in the mornings and evenings.

If someone else was willing to save her that trouble, why not?

After slipping off her shirt and pulling on Beomjin’s t-shirt, warmth spread down to her knees. His body heat lingered in the fabric, suggesting his temperature ran high. Though it was clearly a short-sleeved shirt, the sleeves nearly covered her wrists. It smelled faintly of wood, not dust or cigarettes, which was a pleasant surprise.

“All done.”

Junyoung called out toward the door, and it swung open moments later. Beomjin walked in and stopped when he saw her holding out her shirt. His expression turned slightly sour. Junyoung mirrored his tone with a blunt remark.

“What? You offered to wash it. Changed your mind already?”

Beomjin’s eyebrows twitched as he stared at her, now clad in his black t-shirt. Grumbling, he snatched the shirt from her hand with a bit more force than necessary.

“Don’t say things like that to anyone else.”

“What things?”

Junyoung asked, puzzled, but Beomjin stubbornly avoided her gaze and didn’t respond. He turned toward the sink, turned on the water, and began scrubbing the shirt with detergent.

As she watched him out of the corner of her eye, Junyoung slurped her ramen. Whenever he exerted effort, the muscles on his broad shoulders and arms bulged with tension. The veins running along his long arms seemed to pulse as though brimming with vitality and strength far beyond anything she could imagine possessing.

It was as if his body could do anything and feared nothing.

Beomjin’s physique was… beautiful. She found herself thinking that suddenly. The smoothly sculpted muscles covering his well-proportioned frame displayed a kind of artistic balance. Even his tanned skin appeared to gleam with a healthy sheen.

“Yoon Junyoung.”

Startled, Junyoung snapped out of her daze, her eyes darting up to meet his. Beomjin, who had been wringing out the shirt, now tilted his head toward her with a crooked grin.

“Are you drooling over my body?”

“This ramen is so spicy. How much chilli powder did you put in? Pass me some water.”

Junyoung frowned deeply, smacking her lips after a bite of the overly spicy ramen. Beomjin chuckled, filled a cup with tap water, and handed it to her. She downed the entire glass in one gulp, trying to catch her breath. For some reason, the back of her neck felt warm.

***

After eating ramen, their movements naturally divided between the first and second floors.

At first, Junyoung wondered if she needed to announce her departure to Beomjin while he was sleeping upstairs. However, before she could decide, he seemed to sense her packing her bag. Slowly waking up, he let out a big yawn and came down the stairs.

“You leaving too?”

“It’s pitch dark outside. How am I supposed to get home?”

Junyoung, who had been somewhat tense, awkwardly asked, “Wait… are you worried about me? Are you planning to walk me home?”

At her words, Beomjin’s expression shifted as if he had just been hit in the back of the head. His gaze turned harsh and intimidating, making it difficult for her to meet his eyes. Avoiding his stare, she waved the flashlight she had brought.

“I’ll just use this to light the way.”

“That’s exactly why I’m asking. Don’t bring that thing.”

Beomjin snatched the flashlight out of her hand and threw it into her bag. Seeing her brows knit together in irritation, he explained, “Do you realise how visible flashlight beams are at night?”

“Oh.”

Junyoung nodded, reluctantly acknowledging his point, though her frown deepened. Then how was she supposed to navigate the dark path?

As she pondered this, Beomjin suddenly grabbed a long wooden stick leaning in the corner. Junyoung froze as he carried it over. She had let her guard down, assuming he was harmless as long as he spent his time sleeping like a hibernating bear. But he was still Kwon Beomjin—the infamous figure involved in a violent altercation with over a dozen people.

“I can see fine at night. Just hold onto this and follow me.”

Junyoung, shoulders hunched, watched as Beomjin opened the door and stepped outside. She hesitated for a moment, then noticed him extending the long stick toward her.

…Little did she know this would become a daily routine.

Now, as Junyoung’s hand traced the familiar surface of the stick, she recalled the first night vividly. The next day, after hearing her complain about how rough the stick felt, Beomjin had wrapped its end in blue duct tape.

Though it looked more like a reinforced weapon now, Junyoung accepted it without protest.

Rumours about Kwon Beomjin were as common as gossip about her. However, the Beomjin she knew didn’t match the stories of someone who cursed out teachers or mugged elderly people for their wallets.

At least the Beomjin she knew here wouldn’t do such things. Anyone who saw him meticulously lay a damp shirt under his blanket to dry and press it flat wouldn’t think so either.

One day, after her shirt had been under his back for three hours, it came out looking as though it had been ironed. The faint warmth and the clean scent mixed with a hint of dust left Junyoung unsure how to react.

***

“There’s a pothole here.”

Junyoung slowed her steps at Beomjin’s warning. With only faint light from a distant streetlamp below, it was difficult to see more than the shadows of the trees. She relied entirely on his directions.

“Well, you do look like a feline. And your name even has ‘beom’ in it.”

Her sudden remark made Beomjin glance back at her briefly. Junyoung, nodding to herself, continued, “Cats have good night vision. Their pupils widen to see well even with minimal light.”

“You know the weirdest stuff.”

His scoff echoed softly as Junyoung shrugged. The eerie sound of leaves rustling in the wind reminded her that she wouldn’t have been able to study so peacefully at the house if not for Beomjin.

“You don’t sleep during the day and then at night, too, do you?”

“Are you asking what I do at night?”

Without turning around, Beomjin replied in a tone that made it clear he wasn’t in the mood for the question. Junyoung shook her head.

“No, I was just wondering what I’d do if you suddenly stopped showing up one day. How would I get home at night?”

At her absurd remark, Beomjin let out a soft laugh.

“Go home before dark.”

“…I can’t.”

Junyoung almost admitted why but clamped her mouth shut just in time. Beomjin didn’t react to her abrupt silence, which surprised her.

In the quiet that followed, they walked on, the sound of dried leaves and dirt crunching under their feet. When they finally reached the streetlit road, Beomjin effortlessly swung the stick back and looked at her.

“Go on.”

“Okay.”

She wanted to say “thank you,” but the words stuck in her throat. She had become so used to his curt goodbyes that the moment passed before she could bring herself to say it.

Taking a few steps, she thought about looking back but decided against it. Letting out a small sigh, Junyoung slowly entered the alley that led to her home.

Her house, where she lived with her mother, was a single basement room at the end of a secluded alley. The faint smell of mould mixed with something acrid always lingered there.

She couldn’t hold her breath forever, though. Before going inside, she needed to check if the air smelled of alcohol.

Silently adjusting her slipping bag strap, Junyoung took a deep breath, her brows furrowing as the steel door with its frosted glass window creaked open. Startled, she stepped back and stared at the dark figure looming before her.

“Oh, Mom. You’re still awake?”

Just a little longer…

I should’ve stayed out just a little longer.

As the strong smell of alcohol grew stronger, her mother staggered closer. Junyoung gripped her bag strap tightly, her heart hardening as it slowly curled inward.

***

< 2 >

“Get into position! Once the outfield and infield are set, start the game already!”

The gym teacher, clad in his usual old tracksuit, clapped his hands to rally the students. They moved sluggishly into place.

As Junyoung was finding her spot, someone bumped her shoulder hard, nearly making her stumble and fall. It was Hyesoo, with her long hair pinned back with a ribbon, smirking as she looked back at Junyoung with her arms crossed.

“Oops. Didn’t see you there.”

Junyoung let out a sigh without a word. Slowly raising her hand, she extended her middle finger sharply. Hyesoo’s face twisted in anger.

“Oh, can you see this?” Junyoung deadpanned, her face blank.

“You little…”

Before Hyesoo could retort, the teacher’s whistle blew sharply. Taking the opportunity, Junyoung edged away from Hyesoo’s piercing glare.

On any other day, she might have felt confident enough to deal with Hyesoo, even if things escalated. But not today. After shivering outside for hours that morning, her body felt drained, and the back of her neck was hot with a lingering fever.

I should just collapse and rest properly. The idea of being sent to the nurse’s office didn’t sound too bad, but she feared if she passed out here, Hyesoo might trample her.

Not just Hyesoo—there were plenty of others who’d happily step on me. Maybe dying is the best option.

With this grim calculation, Junyoung moved to a spot where she could easily get hit by the ball. But, to her annoyance, the ball flew in the opposite direction.

As time passed, she realised the other students were deliberately excluding her from the game. The laughter and sneers made it clear—they were treating her as if she didn’t exist.