The Shadows (Underworld 4) JH

33: I Kissed A Boy

A few days later, Minghao returned to see Jun, his footsteps hesitant as he approached the hospital room. The air was thick with unspoken tension, yet there was a strange familiarity to it, as if the past few days had brought them closer despite everything. When Minghao entered, Jun was sitting up in bed, looking far better than he had when Minghao last saw him, though a certain weariness still clung to his features.

Jun's eyes lit up when he saw Minghao, a genuine smile tugging at his lips. "Hao," he greeted warmly, his voice soft but filled with an unmistakable fondness. "I didn't think you'd come back."

Minghao offered a small smile in return, pulling up a chair beside Jun's bed. "I wanted to check on you, make sure you're healing properly."

"I'm doing better, thanks to you," Jun replied, his gaze never leaving Minghao's face. There was something in his expression that Minghao couldn't quite place—a mix of relief, gratitude, and something deeper, more conflicted.

They began talking, the conversation flowing more easily than Minghao had expected. They reminisced about the past, shared stories, and for a brief moment, it was as if nothing had changed between them. They laughed and giggled, their connection rekindling like an old flame. But beneath the surface, Minghao could sense that Jun was holding something back, something heavy.

After a particularly light-hearted exchange, Jun's smile faltered, and he looked down at his hands, a serious expression crossing his face. "Hao," he began slowly, his tone shifting, "there's something I need to tell you. Something I should have told you a long time ago."

Minghao's laughter faded, replaced by a cautious curiosity. "What is it, Jun?"

Jun hesitated, as if searching for the right words. He took a deep breath, steeling himself before he continued. "Do you remember those gifts you kept receiving? The ones that were always anonymous?"

Minghao nodded, his brows furrowing slightly. "Yes... I never found out who sent them."

Jun's gaze met Minghao's, and the intensity in his eyes made Minghao's heart skip a beat. "It was me, Hao. I was the one who sent them."

Minghao blinked, taken aback. "You? But... why? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to know," Jun admitted, his voice tinged with a mix of regret and longing. "I didn't want you to feel obligated to me in any way. I just wanted you to know that someone out there cared about you... even if it had to be from a distance."

Minghao was silent, processing this revelation. The mysterious gifts, the café expenses being covered—it all made sense now, but it also raised more questions. "You did all of that... for me?"

Jun nodded, his expression earnest. "I did. Because... because I love you, Hao. I always have."

The confession hung in the air, heavy with the weight of everything unsaid. Minghao felt his chest tighten, his emotions swirling in a confusing mess of gratitude, guilt, and something else he wasn't ready to name.

"But there's more," Jun continued, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "Something else you need to know."

Minghao's eyes narrowed slightly, a sense of unease creeping in. "What is it?"

Jun took another deep breath, as if preparing himself for what he was about to say. "I'm... I'm part of a mafia gang, Hao. And not just any gang—I'm part of the Midnight gang, the one that's been at odds with your girlfriend, Yulan."

Minghao's heart lurched in his chest, his breath catching. "What?" The word slipped out before he could stop it, the shock evident in his voice. "Jun, you're... you're with Midnight?"