Encounter with the Dusk

It had been almost three days since I last saw Nayeon. The girl seemed to have vanished without a trace. I don’t know when it started, but the gravitational pull had grown stronger on both of my eyes. They always fell on Nayeon’s simple figure.

I had no idea which faculty she was in. Who was I supposed to ask? The administration office would definitely refuse to tell me.

"Nayeon hasn’t come back yet? It’s already the third day."

I didn’t expect that the two girls waiting for their food, just like me, were apparently reading my mind.

"I’m getting curious why she goes to Jeju every year even though it’s not at the same time."

Jeju? That’s my hometown. What was Nayeon doing there? But wait a second, was the Nayeon they were talking about the same Irene I knew?

"Excuse me, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but are you in the same class as Im Nayeon?" I asked somewhat politely. Wow, really. I was doing something like this for a Im Nayeon. Thank you, my curiosity.

They looked at each other before one of them finally answered, "Yes, who are you?"

They were really unfriendly in the way they asked me. I then gave a very thin smile. "Ah, just a friend. I just wanted to know why she hasn’t come to campus."

They didn’t follow up on me. Both of them hurriedly left after getting their orders. That was understandable. They probably thought I was a stalker or something. Lately, things like that happened a lot. They must also be worried that their friend was in danger.

But I didn’t think I looked like a stalker. My face clearly wasn’t suspicious. Oh well, it didn’t matter. At least now I knew where the girl had gone for these three days.

It was already evening when my last lecture ended. I was ready to go home and enjoy my night in peace, along with a bit of longing perhaps.

Oh, damn. I forgot that I didn’t bring my car today. I had no choice but to get stuck on the afternoon bus.

After waiting a few minutes at the bus stop, a bus finally arrived. I quickly got on and took the very back seat. I leaned my head against the window and watched the busy evening streets.

Not long after, someone pressed the bell. I was startled, and for some reason, my eyes moved to see a girl getting off the bus.

Damn, it was Nayeon! How could I not have noticed her earlier? I hurriedly got off too and followed the girl’s steps slowly from behind.

I was so happy I could see Nayeon before going to sleep tonight. Destiny really loved bringing us together in unexpected ways.

It turned out Nayeon was heading to a hill that I often visited too. Especially since the sun was about to set soon — it would definitely be very beautiful there.

Once there, Nayeon immediately sat on the long bench provided. There were several other people besides us, so I wasn’t worried about being caught.

But I really wanted to talk to the girl. Even just asking how she was would be fine.

"Wow, you like watching the dusk here too?"

Great, Y/n. You’ve never joined a theater club but you can act this well. It looks natural and a bit impressive. I had been trying many things I had never done before after meeting Irene.

Nayeon turned to me, clearly surprised. After that, she quickly looked away, choosing to focus her attention on the beautiful glow of the purple dusk.

Without asking permission, I took the spot beside Nayeon. Enjoying the sun as it descended from its throne and sank with all its beauty.

"Are you okay?" I asked. The curiosity gnawing at me could no longer be held back.

She shook her head slowly without looking at me. That meant the answer was no. Right?

"Did something happen?" Once again, this curiosity of mine took full control of me.

"The dusk is so beautiful that it makes me feel bad."

I didn’t understand. I might be among the students with a fairly high GPA. But to understand Nayeon’s theory, I would need an IQ as high as Albert Einstein.

"What do you mean?"

Nayeon didn’t answer a single word. She remained lost in thought until the sky grew dark. I also didn’t want to ruin the girl’s mood by keep asking questions.

Even so, that didn’t mean I didn’t catch the look of sadness that was once again reflected in Nayeon’s obsidian eyes. And also, a silver necklace that she had been clutching tightly made me certain that this girl was hiding something from the people around her.