When Jun fell silent, a hush settled over the room. Levi had spent the entire time tending to Jun's wounds, cleaning and wrapping them carefully. Then he had slowly taken a seat across from Jun and listened intently to every word he shared.
As Jun began to tell his story, a strange ache started growing inside Levi—one that had now become unbearable with the silence that followed.
Levi was angry—at himself, at life.
"I'm… disgusting."
The thought of sending Jun back out to the streets, even considering it…
"I hate it. I hate myself."
He glanced over at Jun, who was silently crying, his head bowed.
The pain Jun had carried for years now sat right in front of Levi. And Levi didn't want to touch that wound—not because he didn't want to heal it, but because no words could ever reach that kind of pain. The pain of being abandoned by one's own family—no sentence could hold up to that.
Levi simply swallowed hard. It felt as though every sentence he might say would fall short, every word meaningless.
He stood up and walked to the kitchen without a word.
He returned with two cups of tea and silently handed one to Jun.
They drank the warm tea in deep silence.
Outside, darkness had long since fallen. The streets had grown quiet, nearly empty.
Jun slowly placed the cup on the table. He hadn't wiped away his tears—perhaps because he no longer felt ashamed, or maybe because he simply no longer had the strength to hide them.
For a moment, Levi lost himself in those tear-stained eyes that stared into the teacup.
He noticed Jun's hands were trembling. Maybe he was cold, or maybe he was just shaking from within.
In that moment, without fully realizing what he was doing, Levi leaned closer.
Jun lifted his head to meet him. His eyes were still misty, but when he saw Levi's eyes so close, he froze for a second.
Levi's lips drew nearer—slowly, yet with certainty. Jun closed his eyes softly...
As Levi leaned in, the scent of their peppermint tea lingered in the air. But then, a sudden feeling overcame him.
This wasn't right. This wasn't a curtain to draw over Jun's pain.
He couldn't.
"No… this can't be. We're both men. This isn't allowed. I… I can't do this."
He stopped. For a moment, everything stood still. Jun, eyes still closed, didn't yet realize what had changed.
Levi slowly pulled back. Every part of him resisted the distance, but he had no choice. Even the law forbade this.
"We should sleep. Good night," Levi said.
And the door of the clinic closed behind him.