the ember affair

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Fanfiction
Title: the ember affair
Author(s): cinderellacomplex
Date(s): September 2020 - ongoing
Length: 556k words; 20 chapters (ongoing)
Genre(s): Fake/Pretend Relationship, Enemies to Lovers, slash
Fandom(s): BTS
Relationship(s):
External Links: AO3 link
official playlist on Spotify

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the ember affair (sometimes abbreviated as tea) is a popular ongoing Jeon Jungkook/Kim Seokjin BTS fanfic by cinderellacomplex falling under the Fake Dating and Enemies to Lovers tropes. Fans of the fic have created fanworks for it, including art and vids. It was updated from 5 September 2020 with a planned Vmin sequel that was eventually abandoned by the author.

As of May 27, 2024, the fic is the longest jinkook fanwork on AO3, having reached more than 556k words.[1]

The Fic

The summary of the fic on AO3 is as follows:

J.N. Global acquired Seraph Entertainment in an aggressive company takeover. Jeon Jeongguk, current chairman of J.N. and Kim Seokjin, chairman of Seraph, are reportedly dating after the merge. Will their relationship survive? Or will it be another cinder in the ashes?

the ember affair follows Jeongguk faking a relationship with his business rival Seokjin as a PR stunt to divert the media's attention from a drug scandal he is involved into, and being attracted to him despite Seokjin's engagement to Jeongguk's best friend Taehyung. As the story progresses, Taehyung and Seokjin break up, and Jeongguk and Seokjin's relationship turns into a real one, they get tangled in a web of secrets stemming from the past, betrayals, revenge, and a series of murders happening in Seokjin's family.

The first idea for the fic came from Rosaline's part in Romeo and Juliet, with the story including a few references to Shakespeare's work.[2] Titled after Sabaa Tahir's novel An Ember in the Ashes,[3] cinderellacomplex stated that "the ember affair is an idea born out of my excessive love for k-drama (+tropes around it)[,] my urge to tackle dark topics, side of people that's ugly, chaebol groups and other tropes i find interesting"; inspiration came from movies and Korean dramas, which is also the reason why every chapter has at least one theme song.[4] Works that impacted the fic were Alfred Hitchcock's To Catch a Thief, Michael Lehmann's Heathers, Alfonso Cuarón's Y tu mamá también, Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, Park Hoon-jung's V.I.P., as well as Park Tae-joon's manhwa Lookism and dramas Hell is Other People, While You Were Sleeping, The Penthouse, Sky Castle, The World of the Married, and W: Two Worlds.[5] Jeongguk and Seokjin's dynamic was inspired by a quote from Wuthering Heights – "He is more of myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same".[6]

The fic was updated frequently in 2020, with 12 chapters released in just four months; 7 installments were published in 2021 with less frequency as the chapters themselves and the story became progressively longer and more complex, and chapter 20 was the only 2022 release. The 21st and expected final chapter is yet to be posted. Many scenes were scrapped from the final draft, with cinderellacomplex sharing some of them on Twitter.[7][8][9] the ember affair has been praised by readers for its cinematic, movie-like writing and unfolding, multiple POVs, plot twists, double-faced characters, and chemistry between Jeongguk and Seokjin. There are no approved translation of the fic to any other language from English.

Alternate Endings

In the original ending of the fic, Seokjin was going to have an accident and experience amnesia, but it was scrapped feeling that it was cliche and weak.[10][11] Three additional alternate endings were made and all scrapped from the finale as well: in one of them, Jeongguk was going to be killed by Taehyung in front of Seokjin.[12][13]

Planned Sequel

A sequel to the original fic was originally planned, which would have focused on Jimin and Taehyung, but was eventually scrapped and deleted.[14][15] According to cinderellacomplex, this sequel would have been maximum 4-chapters long[16] and centered around the aftermath of the charity ball.[17] Vmin would have been the main pairing, with Jinkook on the side, and Jimin and Seokjin would have plotted something together.[18]

Fan Reviews/Reactions

Twitter Fan Reactions

normally i wouldn't be able to read 100k-worded fics let alone an almost 500k-worded one bc i have a vv short attention span but WOW.... this fic im currently reading is written so beautifully that I just had to spend half of my day today in reading it HUHU[19]

THE EMBER AFFAIR 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵😵😵😵😵😵😵😵😵😵😵😵😵😵😵😵😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 this shit is LITERATURE. MY GOD.[20]

oh sweet jesus this fic will literally murder me lord help me
i didn't even want to read it because person a is already in a relationship and i hate love triangle shit but i'm already on chapter 2 and person a and person b's chemist[r]y is just HBFNDHFNDNNNNN but they aren't even together and i just /know/ it will be a painful 577k words ride[21]

this fic is so good
it's so well written,, i'm loving the use of analepsis and the way it compliments dialogue and current situations,, i don't even know hOW to explain it 😭 and the characters are so complex and every chapter you get a new revelation of what they truly think or smth abt their past
it messes with your head cause you kinda assume where it's going based on what you've learned abt the characters motivations so far but at the same time,, you don't know aNYTHING about them cause they act so mysteriously and wow i'm so sossososoosos amazed by it
i can't believe i kept pushing it aside because it wasn't completed (still isn't,, final chapter to go) but i'm only like one third in and it's already an all time favorite for me... it's just WOW... i truly had to take a break just now cause i'm in awe[22]

Archive of Our Own Fan Reactions

Spoiler Warning: This article or section may contain spoilers. If this bothers you, proceed with caution.

After learning about how TaeJin [Taehyung and Jin] got together...I’m just gonna go ahead and say that my heart is already breaking for them if JinKook is indeed the endgame. TaeTae [Taehyung] is just absolutely the sweetest; I want to reach into the story, reel him in, and hug him real tight. Excellent chapter. I am completely convinced TaeJin are very in love; however, I know their story will be painful. Worse when JinKook finally fall in love.
JinKook...tho. Oh my god, their sexual tension IS the blue flame. I can’t recall how many times I’ve LOL’ed at their jabs towards one another. Their dialogue is so witty, funny, and oddly endearing. I’m already invested on how their relationship grows, and how they as individuals grow as well. I also really love how you’ve characterized Jin to be so savvy, confident, but also vulnerable. JK [Jeongguk] is actually quite similar to Jin as well, but much rougher around the edges. They’re both perfect, but also kinda flawed...if that make sense. And he’s already fallen for Jin, hasn’t he?

PenPaperHeart on Sun 20 Sep 2020 09:15AM UTC on Chapter 3[23]

Honestly, i really hate affairs but jinkook is making me think of otherwise (where's my moral? Gone with the wind) We really are all sinners in here, huh? That scene behind taehyung's door was so hot ngl. I really feel the thrill of getting caught, danger, and lust in there. The palpable attraction they have for one another, their sexual chemistry is insane!! WTF! This is so vivid and im so fcking loving every bits of it!! [AND YES! THEY ARE BEING INTERRUPTED BY TAEHYUNG. AGAIN!!! WTF????????!!!!!!] but yes, the flashbacks of jinkook's steamy lovemaking makes it all up, why thank you

seokjinoun on Fri 23 Oct 2020 06:16PM UTC on Chapter 8[24]

WOOW. I just read all this in like two or three days and?!?!?! I'm OBSESSED. Like I generally only read romcoms and happy feeling stories BUT throughout reading this story I was genuinely soooo hooked on it. I think the moment I realized how great it was was when the audio recording of Tae saying he always hated Jungkook and then just that shift in Jungkook's character??? Truly fantastic. There's so much drama and intrigue and like.... I genuinely am sooo in love with this story and just everything about it. I love the whole persimmons references shared between Jungkook and Tae, all the secrets between the characters and those yet revealed to the readers, and just all of it. Like I love this! And finally Jin is running away with Jungkook?? Like OMG. I'm literally enthralled! I have not written enough words and I'm sure when I reread it or read parts I'll see even more things I love about this that I missed.

Thatdragonrider on Fri 23 Oct 2020 07:21PM UTC on Chapter 8[25]

Nah at this point idk which one is more insane,, u or jinkook ....BUT SRSLY THO WTFCUK I HAVE NO WORDS I LITERALLY JUST WANNA SCREAM MFS KILL FOR EACH OTHER THATS SOME TOXIC SHITS BUT ITS SO HOT OMGGG I DEADASS NEED A HEALTH CHECK ,, n e ways i think i have a crush on ur brain on god no cap this chapter deserved an award

novhubi on Thu 26 Nov 2020 05:55PM UTC on Chapter 11[26]

Omg!! Spectacular. Amazing. Enthralling. Such a thriller. These are not empty compliments. Thank you for this, your writing is truly a gift to your readers!! ♡

I don't particularly like reading and i most definitely don't read fast. The word count scared me but great stories are always an exception. I'm absolutely addicted and I just Binged the whole thing. I'll be waiting and looking forward to the next updates! Take care!

P.s. this whole thing is so sick. From the murders, to the abuse, to the fucking. It's so dark and everyone is out for blood. But somehow, I'm laughing and cackling even through these scenes (like the last scene you left us with? Omg) It's sick and amazing how you write it like that, mixing comedy, humor into this. I feel sick for laughing during a murder scene. Makes me really feel how lunatic these characters are. (Wait, does this make sense) Anyway, point being, they are so desensitized to these things and I felt the same way while reading, it made me sick but in a good way. It's monstrosity. I'm hooked.

Kokoroame97 on Wed 16 Dec 2020 08:55PM UTC on Chapter 11[27]

Fan Creations

Fan Videos

Fan Art

Fan Playlists

References

  1. ^ "Works in Jeon Jungkook/Kim Seokjin | Jin ordered by WordCount". Retrieved May 27, 2024. (Tecnically, Before I Leave You by hollyhomburg is the longest fic under the Jeon Jungkook/Kim Seokjin tag, but they are not the main pairing.)
  2. ^ Comment by cinderellacomplex on Mon 05 Oct 2020 02:36PM UTC on Chapter 4, Archived version
  3. ^ googiepops, (y’all…i’m gonna cry fr fr. let’s all suffer together) ahem. tmi time! i hope u don’t mind…😄 tea’s title actually came from and was inspired by the book /an ember in the ashes/. the title hit me so suddenly, Archived version, Twitter, 19 August 2021
  4. ^ the ember affair opening notes on AO3.
  5. ^ Deleted tweet by googiepops dated 18 August 2021.
  6. ^ Comment by cinderellacomplex on Chapter 13 on Sun 14 Mar 2021 01:38PM UTC
  7. ^ googiepops, i actually have deleted smut scenes…(so many of them, scrapped and discarded. there’s a consensual somno scene i deleted) scenes that didn’t make the cut in other chapters, many jinkook scenes that i thought wouldn’t be necessary and are stupid, etc. should i compile lmao, Archived version, Twitter, 19 August 2021.
  8. ^ googiepops, one of the deleted scenes in 🍵19 🙅🏻‍♀️, Archived version , Twitter, 21 August 2021.
  9. ^ googiepops, these are deleted scenes from the fic and they’re all tea jinkoo ✌🏼, Archived version, Twitter, 4 January 2022.
  10. ^ googiepops, whenever i stare at the original ending for tea i go 🥴 wait...this is boys over flowers and hanayori dango level of cliché drama 😭 how did i even manage to come up w something so ironic and predictable like this. in short; tea sj gets into an accident and loses his memory, Archived version, Twitter, 2 July 2021.
  11. ^ googiepops, it’s alternate 🥲 honestly the og ending for tea is tea sj experiencing an amnesia but it’s so cliche and weak i physically cringe from it so i cooked 3 more...all sad. then i rewrote a better one and it’s a ten times better and neutral and happy for all i promise 🧡, Archived version Twitter, 17 June 2021.
  12. ^ googiepops, just logged in to say that tea had 3 alternate endings. all scrapped. i rewrote the wrap up and then settled for the most neutral and happy ending vibed one. alt end 1 has tea jk d wording in front of tea sj 😶, Archived version, Twitter, 17 June 2021.
  13. ^ googiepops, but it is the og ending tho 🥲 tea jk really d worded on my first ending draft and it's tea th that k worded him., Archived version Twitter, 16 February 2022.
  14. ^ googiepops, i’m going hard, hot and heavy on the last update coz then i’ll be saying goodbye to them forever (i trashed the sequel lmao), Archived version, Twitter, 6 February 2022.
  15. ^ googiepops, which sucks coz the sequel is no more so...no smiles for the wicked, Archived version, Twitter, 13 April 2022.
  16. ^ googiepops, it’s a vmin centric sequel 🤪 the first chap picks up after the finale. it’s actually finished, around 4 chaps max., Archived version, Twitter, 7 February 2022.
  17. ^ googiepops, i can provide deleted scenes 🥺 in my outline, finale is the closing of jnkk’s and the transition to vmn’s, since vmn’s (sequel) centers around the aftermath of the charity ball. i think i accidentally spoiled something here months ago 😭 i wanna talk abt tea too but i’m shy 🥺, Archived version, Twitter, 20 December 2021.
  18. ^ googiepops, omg. because in tea’s sequel that i’ve scrapped and deleted, (vmin-centric, side jinkoo) the story centered, at an arc, where it’s suggested them plotting something together, Archived version, Twitter, 18 April 2023
  19. ^ Tweet by seokjiniiess, Archived version
  20. ^ Tweet by saikigoo, Archived version
  21. ^ Tweet by ilysomush, Archived version
  22. ^ Tweet by ocarettt dated 26 July 2022.
  23. ^ Comment by PenPaperHeart, Archived version
  24. ^ Comment by seokjinoun, Archived version
  25. ^ Comment by Thatdragonrider, Archived version
  26. ^ Comment by novhubi, Archived version
  27. ^ Comment by Kokoroame97
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