It was a quiet night, wrapped in stillness and pierced only by the soft glow of streetlights reflecting off rows of luxury cars.
In a dimly lit corner of the sidewalk, Tan stood beside his sleek black car, staring at his phone with an expression of boredom. His posture was composed, yet something in the way he leaned hinted at a weight he carried within.
Moments later, a young man approached him hesitantly. He stopped directly in front of Tan, breathing slowly, as if struggling against some inner unrest.
Tan glanced up, his eyes sharp with curiosity.
— "Can I talk to you?"
The young man's voice was low, almost hesitant.
Tan quietly ended his call, raising a brow.
— "Who are you? And why are you standing here?"
— "My name is Ji Han," the man replied, pausing before adding,
— "I… I just wanted a chance. A chance to get to know you."
Tan gave a slight, amused scoff.
— "You have a strange way of introducing yourself."
— "I know. I'm probably not making much sense right now… But you're the only person who's caught my attention in a long time."
— "Is that supposed to be a compliment?"
— "No. It's a confession."
They held eye contact for a moment—tense, unspoken words pulsing between them like a static current.
Tan finally said,
— "I have a life. I'm not looking for emotional detours. I'm straight."
— "So am I," Ji Han replied without blinking.
— "Then why?"
— "Because you're different. And I don't want to regret not saying this."
Tan looked away, as if Ji Han's words had cracked something in his carefully composed surface.
— "And what exactly do you want from me?"
— "Just one night."
Ji Han's voice was calm—this wasn't a proposition, but something much more fragile.
Tan let out a quiet laugh, one that trembled slightly.
— "One night? That sounds cheap."
— "Maybe to you. But for me, this night could mean everything."
— "What if I say no?"
— "Then I'll leave… but I'll regret it forever."
Tan stared at him for a long moment, as though searching for a lie in his eyes—but found none.
Without a word, he opened the back door of the car.
— "Get in."
Ji Han didn't hesitate. He didn't know where they were going, but something told him this moment didn't need a destination.
---
…
The night wasn't loud, nor was it filled with cliché romance.
It carried the weight of two strangers who met at the wrong time—
Or perhaps, the most honest one.
A small restaurant.
A warm dinner.
Soft voices.
Quiet laughter.
Long glances.
Then a concert hall.
Music drifting through the air.
Hands brushing secretly in the dark.
Neither of them said, "I love you."
Neither of them promised to stay.
It was a night that didn't resemble anything else.
It was only… theirs.
---
The Morning After
Sunlight slipped quietly through the gray curtains, kissing Ji Han's face as he lay sleeping.
He stirred beneath the sheets and slowly opened his eyes…
He was alone.
The bed still held traces of another's warmth, but there was no one beside him.
He sat up slowly, scanning the room with groggy, broken eyes.
On the small table—an empty bottle of water.
On the other pillow—the faintest scent of presence.
But no number. No name. No note.
Just silence.
And space.
He murmured to himself, as if facing a truth he hadn't wanted to admit:
— "He's gone."
He pressed his hand gently against the untouched pillow and closed his eyes for a long moment, like someone mourning something he never truly had.
Then, almost to the air itself, he whispered:
— "I don't even know your full name."
All he had left from that night… was a single name echoing endlessly in his mind:
Tan.