Shadows of desire : SVT✅

(82) Love & Ashes

Choi Seungmin and Kim Seokhoon, once the best of friends, hailed from two of the most powerful mafia families in Korea. Throughout their college years, their bond was unbreakable—until they both met a girl named Lee Iseul.

Iseul fell deeply in love with Seungmin. The two shared many moments together, growing closer over time. However, Seokhoon, consumed by jealousy over their relationship, could no longer bear it. In an act of betrayal, Seokhoon exposed all of Seungmin’s illegal mafia dealings to Iseul, shattering her trust. Feeling deceived and devastated, Iseul broke up with Seungmin, cutting all ties with him and leaving him heartbroken.

Seven Years Later:

Life moved on. Kim Seokhoon married Shin Nari, and together they had three children—Kim Seokjin, Kim Namjoon, and Kim Taehyung. Seokhoon appeared to have moved past the pain of losing Iseul, fully dedicating himself to his family and mafia empire.

Meanwhile, Choi Seungmin married Jeon Sara, with whom he had a son, Choi Seungcheol. Despite his outward success and Unhappy family, Seungmin never truly forgot Iseul, the woman he once loved.

Seven years after their college days, Seokhoon unexpectedly ran into Iseul at a company in Busan, where she was working as an employee. The encounter reignited old memories, and they quickly reconnected, sharing conversations about their past. The two reminisced about their college days, and Seokhoon found comfort in talking with his first love once again. However, what started as innocent reminiscing soon escalated.

One fateful night, after a few too many drinks, Seokhoon and Iseul made a mistake—they spent the night together. Iseul later discovered that she was pregnant with Seokhoon's child.

As Iseul struggled with her pregnancy and the weight of the mistake they had made, she crossed paths with Jeon Sara, Seungmin’s wife, at a hospital. The two women, unaware of their deeper connection, began talking and soon became friends. During one of their conversations, Sara confided in Iseul, revealing the pain she endured in her marriage. Sara explained that she has a son, Seungcheol, and was pregnant with a daughter, but her marriage was falling apart because her husband could never let go of his first love—a woman Sara had come to despise without ever knowing her identity.

During one of the hospital visits iseul learns that sara had a miscarriage. Iseul, feeling conflicted by Sara’s pain, decided to visit Seungmin’s home to offer her support. But when she arrived, she was shocked to discover that the husband Sara had been talking about—the man who still harbored feelings for his first love—was none other than Choi Seungmin, her own first love.

Iseul’s world came crashing down as she realized the depth of the tangled web they had all been living in. Seungmin, the man she once loved, had been married to the woman who now considered Iseul her close friend. And Seokhoon, the father of her unborn child, was the husband of Shin Nari, the father of Seokjin, Namjoon, and Taehyung—the three sons who would one day be caught in the same cycle of betrayal by their father.

Seungmin, having rediscovered his love for Iseul, couldn’t bear the thought of losing her again. Yet, the news that the child she carried was Seokhoon’s—the man who had betrayed him and turned from his best friend into his bitter enemy—was a wound too deep to heal. The betrayal Seokhoon had committed all those years ago resurfaced, and now, it was amplified by the birth of a child who would carry his rival’s name.

Despite the tension, Iseul gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. In a quiet moment, she named her Kim Seul, a bittersweet homage to the man who was the father, but whose actions had destroyed the lives of everyone involved. Iseul, filled with love for her daughter, wanted to protect her from the chaos that swirled around them. But the storm had only just begun.