CRIMINAL LOVE||L.HS X S.JY

S2: E I G H T H

SEASON TWO: EIGHTH: THE TRUTH UNTOLD PT.2

'LEE HEESEUNG'

I hadn't been back to the old house in years. The memories there were thick, like the dust that settled on forgotten furniture. This place had once been a sanctuary—a home shared with my best friends, a place of laughter and late-night talks, of dreams we built together. Now, it stood abandoned, its walls echoing with ghosts of a past I wished I could forget.

As I pushed open the heavy oak door, it creaked in protest, revealing the dim interior. The air was stale, a mix of mildew and decay, with the faintest hint of cologne I remembered all too well. Mario. What the hell was he doing here?

He sat in the living room, casually perched on the edge of the couch we once fought over during movie nights. A bottle of whiskey dangled from his hand, his eyes dark and calculating as they locked onto mine.

"Heeseung," he greeted, a smirk tugging at his lips. "It's been a while."

I didn't respond immediately, my mind reeling with the absurdity of the situation. Of all people, why him? Why now? Mario had been my closest friend once, but things had changed. He had changed. Now, he was nothing more than a snake—an enemy I could never trust.

"What are you doing here, Mario?" My voice was cold, betraying none of the anger simmering beneath the surface.

He chuckled, raising the bottle slightly in a mock toast. "Just reminiscing. Thought you might want to join me for a drink."

I eyed the bottle warily. There was no way I was about to lower my guard around him, not after everything that had happened. "I'll pass."

His smirk widened, eyes glinting with something sinister. "Come on, Heeseung. For old times' sake."

"Old times are dead," I snapped, crossing my arms. "Just like the trust we used to have."

Mario's expression flickered, a shadow passing over his face before he quickly masked it. "Fair enough," he said, shrugging as he took a swig from the bottle. "But maybe you’ll reconsider after you hear what I have to say."

My patience was running thin. "Get to the point, Mario. Why are you here?"

He leaned back, his gaze never leaving mine, the air between us thick with unspoken tension. "I want what’s mine. My property, my gang—it all belonged to me. But Venom took it. My own brother, stealing what was rightfully mine."

My eyes narrowed at the mention of Venom. That name alone was enough to set my blood boiling. Venom had always been a problem—a dangerous, calculating bastard who took what he wanted without care for anyone in his way. But to hear Mario talk about him like this, with such bitterness, was new.

"And what does this have to do with me?" I asked, though I had a sinking feeling I already knew the answer.

Mario’s smirk returned, though it didn’t reach his eyes. "I need an ally, Heeseung. Someone who can help me take back what’s mine. And I know you have no love for Venom either."

I scoffed, the idea of teaming up with Mario as laughable as it was infuriating. "You think I’d work with you after everything? After you turned your back on all of us?"