Title: "Rekindled Shadows"

Genre: Mystery, Comedy, Romance

Setting: Modern-day Seoul, South Korea

Synopsis:

In the glittering yet shadowy heart of Seoul, where skyscrapers scrape the heavens and secrets lie buried beneath the surface, two former lovers are brought together by a twist of fate and a chilling crime.

Joshua Seo, a cold and aloof businessman with a mafia lineage, has built a life of calculated precision, leaving no room for vulnerability. But beneath his icy demeanor lies the ghost of a love he lost—a love he never understood why he had to let go.

Ryan Lee, a cheerful and fun-loving criminal lawyer, hides a sharp intellect and a soft heart behind his bright smiles. Despite his sunny personality, Ryan carries the pain of a past he cannot forget—a past that returns to haunt him when he walks into his brother's home and finds his sibling lying lifeless on the floor.

Fate throws Joshua and Ryan back into each other’s lives when Joshua, tied to the crime through mysterious circumstances, arrives at the scene of Ryan's brother's death. As old wounds reopen and sparks reignite, they find themselves tangled in a dangerous game of cat and mouse.

While investigating the murder, Ryan’s infectious humor clashes with Joshua’s stoic composure, leading to comedic moments that mask the deeper emotions simmering beneath. As they navigate a web of intrigue involving mafia dealings, hidden truths, and buried betrayals, their unresolved past threatens to unravel their present.

Why did Ryan break up with Joshua all those years ago? What secrets is Joshua keeping that could shatter Ryan’s world? And how does Ryan's brother's death tie into the underworld Joshua has tried so hard to leave behind?

In a story where love and danger intertwine, Joshua and Ryan must confront their deepest fears and most painful truths to uncover the real culprit behind the murder and rekindle a love that never truly faded.

Chapter 1: Bloody reunion.

Ryan’s Brother’s Apartment – Night]

Ryan: Where are you, Hyung? I ordered your favorite food. (Did he go back to the office? What is he working on? I don't even get to meet him once a week. This guy is really busy.)

(Ryan enters his brother's apartment, his usual cheerful energy dimmed by the eerie silence that greets him. He notices the faint smell of metal in the air. A sense of dread washes over him as he steps into the dimly lit living room, only to freeze when he sees his brother’s lifeless body sprawled on the floor. The world tilts, and his voice catches in his throat.)

Ryan: (whispering) Hyung...?

(He rushes to his brother’s side, kneeling and shaking him, but the cold, unyielding body tells him everything he needs to know. Panic grips him as he pulls out his phone to call the police, but before he can dial, the door creaks open behind him.)

Joshua: (calm and cold) I wouldn’t do that if I were you.

(Ryan spins around, his heart skipping a beat. Standing in the doorway is Joshua Seo, dressed in a sharp black suit, his green eyes as cold as the winter night.)

Ryan: (stunned) Joshua? What the hell are you doing here?

Joshua: (stepping inside, unbothered) I could ask you the same thing. But judging by the look on your face, you’re not responsible for this. At least not directly.

Ryan: (angrily) Not responsible?! That’s my brother lying dead on the floor, and you waltz in here like you own the place? Who even let you in?

Joshua: (smirking faintly) The door was unlocked. Sloppy, considering the neighborhood.

(Ryan’s fists clench, but his lawyer’s instincts kick in. He takes a deep breath, trying to steady himself.)

Ryan: (sharply) What’s your connection to this? You show up at a crime scene like you belong here. Don’t tell me you’re involved in... in this.

Joshua: (ignoring the accusation) I’m here because your brother and I had business. Or rather, unfinished business.

Ryan: (suspiciously) Business? My brother was a journalist, not a corporate lapdog. What kind of “business” could he possibly have with someone like you?

Joshua: (meeting Ryan’s gaze with a chilling calm) The kind that gets people killed.

(Ryan’s eyes narrow, his earlier grief now simmering with anger and confusion.)

Ryan: (sarcastic) Oh, great. That’s comforting. You’re still as cryptic as ever, aren’t you? Why don’t you try something new and actually explain yourself for once?

Joshua: (with a slight smirk) And ruin the suspense? Not my style.

Ryan: (snapping) Damn it, Joshua, this isn’t a game! My brother is dead! Do you have any idea how it feels to lose a person dear to you? He was my only family. (screaming)

(Joshua’s smirk fades, replaced by a flicker of something unrecognizable—remorse? No, it’s gone too quickly.)

Joshua: (softly, but firmly) I do. More than you think.

Ryan: (bitterly) Spare me the riddles. You disappeared from my life five years ago, and now you show up like a ghost tied to another tragedy. Do you have any idea what that looks like?

Joshua: (voice hardening) If I’m here, it’s not by coincidence. Your brother stumbled onto something dangerous. Something that put him in the crosshairs of people you don’t want to mess with.

Ryan: (skeptical) And let me guess. You just happened to be in the neighborhood to… what? Protect me? Clean up the mess? Or maybe you’re the one who pulled the trigger?

Joshua: (coldly) Careful, Ryan. I’ve tolerated your accusations so far because I know you’re upset. But don’t push me.

(Ryan takes a step back, his mind racing. The Joshua he remembers—the man he loved—was cold but never heartless. Could he really have changed this much?)

Ryan: (softly) What happened to you, Joshua? You weren’t like this before...

Joshua: (averting his eyes) People change. Circumstances change. You, of all people, should know that.

(A heavy silence fills the room as the two men stand on opposite sides of the same tragedy, their shared history hanging between them like a ghost.)

[Sound: Doorbell rings.]

Joshua: (glancing at the door) Looks like we’re out of time. The police will be here soon.

Ryan: (sarcastic) What, you’re leaving? Afraid of getting your hands dirty?

Joshua: (serious) I’m not afraid of anything, Ryan. But if you want answers, you’ll have to find me. That is if you still have the stomach for the truth. Come with me now. There is no time.

(Joshua turns to leave, but Ryan grabs his arm, stopping him in his tracks.)

Ryan: (fiercely) Don’t you dare walk away again. If you know something—anything—about this, I deserve to hear it. Not later. Now.

Joshua: (pausing, then quietly) Then come along with me, and I will let you know everything you want to hear.

(With that, Joshua slips out to the balcony.)

Joshua: This is the first floor. It won't be a problem. Don’t be afraid; I’ll hold you. Jump. There are my people outside. They will make sure we are safe.

Ryan: Are you fucking kidding me? I’m going nowhere.

(Sound: Doorbell rings again.)

Joshua: You left me with no choice, baby. Your brother was right.

(Joshua jumps back into the room and takes out his phone.)

Joshua: (On phone) Now.

Ryan: What do you mean? What did my brother told you? (Joshua holds Ryan.) Bastard, let go of me! Who is your baby?

(They jump together.)

(Ryan couldn’t believe what he saw outside. He was both shocked and scared.)

Chapter 2: Shadows of the past

[Scene: Outside Ryan's Brother’s Apartment – Night]

(Ryan stumbles slightly as he lands on the ground, aided by Joshua, but his attention is immediately drawn to the sight before him. A fleet of black-suited bodyguards armed with small firearms stand in a protective formation, their presence silent but intimidating. Ryan’s eyes widen in shock.)

Ryan: (in disbelief) What the hell is this? An army? Who the hell are you?

Joshua: (calmly) Insurance. The kind you need when you deal with dangerous people.

(Ryan notices a sleek black luxury car idling nearby. As Joshua ushers him toward the vehicle, Ryan catches a glimpse of a small child, a boy no older than five, lying in the backseat with a tablet in his hands. The boy looks up briefly, his innocent green eyes meeting Ryan's startled gaze.)

Ryan: (stopping in his tracks) What is this? You have a kid?

(Joshua sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose as though anticipating the reaction.)

Joshua: (tersely) Now’s not the time, Ryan.

Ryan: (angrily) Not the time? There’s a literal child in your car! Are you seriously going to kidnap me while playing happy family on the side? What the hell are you playing at?

(Joshua’s expression darkens as he steps closer, his voice low but firm.)

Joshua: (coldly) Watch your words.

Ryan: (sarcastic, bitterly laughing) Oh, I’m sorry. Am I supposed to ignore the fact that you’ve clearly moved on? Got yourself a wife and kid, huh? Guess that’s why you didn’t bother showing up for five years.

(Joshua’s jaw tightens, his patience fraying.)

Joshua: (dangerously calm) You’re making assumptions you don’t understand, Ryan.

Ryan: (pointing at the car) Oh, I understand plenty. You’re still as sly as ever, dragging me into whatever twisted game this is while keeping secrets. Typical.

Joshua: (grabbing Ryan’s arm) Enough.

Ryan: (trying to pull away, Joshua grabs his waist tightly and twists his wrist back and pulls him towards him) Let go of me! What the hell do you think you are doing you piece of shit.

(Joshua doesn’t let go, instead pulling Ryan forcefully toward the car. The bodyguards shift slightly, prepared for action but staying silent. Ryan struggles but is ultimately pushed into the car, landing ungracefully on the leather seat next to the boy, who is watching with wide eyes.)

Joshua:Letting go of your little claw, ha? Your still handy, aren't you? Not like the version I know back then.

Ryan:Bullshit!! (furious) You can’t just force me into your car like some kind of criminal!

Joshua: (getting into the car, slamming the door) Watch me.

(The car begins to move, the tension inside is palpable. Ryan glares at Joshua, his frustration boiling over.)

Ryan: (sarcastically) Great. Kidnapping and child endangerment. You’ve really outdone yourself this time.

Joshua: (sighing) The boy is my nephew. Not my son.

(Ryan blinks, caught off guard by the sudden revelation.)

Ryan: (slowly) Nephew? Then why—

Joshua: (interrupting, sharply) Because his parents are dead. Just like your brother.

(The bluntness of the statement stuns Ryan into silence. Joshua’s voice softens, but his words carry a weight that lingers.)

Joshua: (quietly) You think you’re the only one who lost family tonight? I’ve spent years protecting him from the same people who just killed your brother.

Ryan: (hesitant) Then why involve me? Why drag me into this?

Joshua: (leaning forward, meeting Ryan’s gaze) Because your brother knew something. Something that could either save us—or destroy us all. And right now, you’re the only lead I have.

Ryan: (defensive) I don’t know anything! He never told me—

Joshua: (cutting him off) Exactly. He didn’t tell you because he knew you wouldn’t care.

(Ryan flinches, the words hitting harder than he expected. Joshua’s tone grows colder, his frustration spilling out.)

Joshua: (accusingly) You’re acting like you’re heartbroken, but where’s the fire, Ryan? Where’s the anger? Your brother’s dead, and all you can do is yell at me like this is some petty argument from college.

Ryan: (angrily) That’s not fair—

Joshua: (leaning closer, voice low and dangerous) Life isn’t fair, Ryan. And it sure as hell doesn’t wait for you to decide how you feel.

(Ryan clenches his fists, his emotions swirling—grief, guilt, and anger all tangled together. He looks away, unable to meet Joshua’s piercing gaze.)

Ryan: (softly) You think I don’t feel anything? I loved my brother.

Joshua: (leaning back, voice softening slightly) Then prove it.

(The car falls into silence, the weight of Joshua’s words settling heavily in the air. The boy, sensing the tension, turns back to his tablet, the faint sound of a game filling the quiet.)

Joshua: (after a pause) I didn’t come back into your life to hurt you, Ryan. But if you want to find the people who did this to your brother, you need to stop running from the truth.

Ryan: (looking at him) And what’s the truth?

Joshua: (meeting his gaze) That your brother died protecting something bigger than both of us. And if you don’t want to end up like him, you’ll trust me.

(Ryan hesitates, the weight of the situation pressing down on him as the car speeds into the night.)