White Night

A man returns to Korea after two years away, holding onto unresolved memories of his life here. He seeks a chance to reconnect with a past love or friend he left behind. The weight of his departure and the stigma attached to his sexuality shadow his every step.

Inside a cafe, the man encounters the mustached figure from his past. They navigate a tense conversation in which both hint at different relationships while still acknowledging old wounds. The exchange reveals the fragility of their connection and the pain of what was left behind.

As tears threaten the main character’s eyes, the past connection becomes too painful to finish a conversation. He abruptly leaves the cafe, failing to say goodbye as his companion goes back to place an order. The moment underscores the character’s difficulty in facing his history.

Later that night, a man in an orange jacket approaches him; their online conversations seem to have prepared the path for something more. The encounter quickly shifts toward a sexual undertone as curiosity and longing collide. The tension marks a new, uncertain turn in the night.

The orange-jacketed man notices a scar on the main character’s shoulder, and the mood shifts as he becomes tentative. The main character decides he does not want to engage sexually, but he still seeks company, keeping the door open for a different kind of night. The moment highlights the fragility of consent and self-protective boundaries.

After some back-and-forth, they head to a bar where casual company and conversation can replace a sexual encounter. The atmosphere is uneasy, but both men are trying to navigate real emotion amidst fear and vulnerability. This shift deepens the uneasy bond forming between them.

In the bar, the main character spots a man he recognizes and begins to chase him through the urban streets. The orange-jacketed man follows, still uncertain about what he has stumbled into. The sequence accelerates the sense that something dangerous from the past is nearby.

It is revealed that the main character was stabbed in a homophobic attack, and the person pursuing him knows the assailant and where he currently hides—in a pool hall. The revelation also explains why the main character left Korea, turning his life upside down. The chase becomes a conduit for confronting old trauma.

Against the odds, the two men head to the pool hall where they confront and beat the man who stabbed the main character long ago. The act is brutal but cathartic, offering a risky sense of closure. The fight brings an uneasy relief and a new closeness between them.

After the violence, they still bicker, but a mutual sense of affection begins to surface. They talk about their pasts and the possibility of a different future together. The night grows intimate as trust slowly forms between them.

In the park, the main character admits he is seeing a 24-year-old in Germany, implying he is actually single and too hurt to commit. The confession reframes what the relationship could be and underscores the scars carried from prior deception. It also shows his reluctance to be fully open.

The man in orange finally reveals his name, Lee Tae Joon, and the two share a moment of honesty as they connect. They have sex, and before parting ways Tae Joon hands over his number. Kang Won Gyu learns Tae Joon’s name only at this moment, hinting at a fragile, newly formed bond.

The film ends on a cliffhanger as Kang Won Gyu sits in a taxi watching a payphone, contemplating whether to call Lee Tae Joon. The moment leaves their potential future unresolved, leaving questions about pursuit and connection in the air. The unresolved choice mirrors the film’s ongoing tension between risk and desire.