Leak only inside the tire
Your tire tube is still subject to the basic laws of physics and logic on this Earth. If air is leaking out of it, then there is a leak somewhere and it is perforated.

There is probably something in your tire causing the damage, especially if this continues to happen. It's also possible that the leak was close to the valve, and whenever the valve was up against the rim of your wheel, it was bent just so to allow the leak.