Seo Tae-yang deserves better in Spring of Youth—Second lead syndrome is real again

Spring of Youth is the latest K-drama tugging at our heartstrings with a blend of teenage dreams and blooming love. Focusing on high school students, the series features Ha Yoo-joon as Sa-gye, Park Ji-hu as Kim Bom, and Lee Seung-hyub as Seo Tae-yang as they navigate the most confusing time in their lives.

But while many are swooning over the main love line, one character quietly steals the show and our sympathy. Here, I'm talking about Seo Tae-yang, the kind and charming man who has been secretly in love with Kim Bom since middle school.

Fans who're already in love with Spring of Youth know how directly Tae-yang told Sa-gye that he loved Kim Bom for years. But instead of getting the girl, he's watching her getting drawn to Sa-gye.

This is the classic K-drama heartbreak that hits the second hardest, and many fans, too, including me. Seo Tae-yang has everything. From good looks to a kind heart, he's the one who knows Kim Bom better than Sa-gye.

But as the drama is unfolding, it's becoming obvious that Tae-yang might soon face a heartbreak. What's even sadder is that Kim Bom knows nothing that's happening inside him, and now she's forced to push him away because of Tae-yang's father.

Keep reading to explore more about Tae-yang and his journey so far.

---

I can see it coming: Seo Tae-yang's love story in Spring of Youth was doomed from the start

It's happening again, the second lead syndrome that leaves viewers heartbroken and yelling at their screens for justice. Last time, I felt the same for Han Seo-jun in True Beauty, and now it's Seo Tae-yang in Spring of Youth, the recent K-drama.

The story begins with Sa-gye now transformed into a global star but soon facing a downfall in his music career. This setback leads him to Kim Bom, the very girl who appears in his dreams and the one who made the unique sound Sa-gye has been searching for.

However, we're not talking about Sa-gye's journey in Spring of Youth, but Seo Tae-yang. As previously mentioned, he has been passionate about music since the beginning, as it's also something that connects him with Kim Bom.

Tae-yang has been in love with Kim Bom since middle school, and his feelings just keep on growing stronger. Especially now that he's getting sidelined by Sa-gye and watching him get most of Kim Bom's attention.

And the worst part? Tae-yang doesn’t even get the space to feel heartbroken, because life is already drowning him in pressure. He's torn between his love for music and the suffocating expectations placed on him by his father, who’s dead-set on making him a doctor.

And just when Tae-yang needs a moment of peace or support, his emotional world is flipped again — Kim Bom gives the lead guitarist role in their new band "TwoSagye" not to him, but to Sa-gye in the third episode of Spring of Youth. Ouch.

Also Read: This K-pop idol almost took the lead in Queen of Tears - But turned it down

---

Seo Tae-yang is trying to hold everything together in Spring of Youth

What makes Tae-yang's journey in Spring of Youth even more painful is how quietly he's suffering. He never confesses his feelings, not because he doesn't care, but because he's trying to hold everything together.

His dreams, his father's expectations, and his growing heartache. As seen in Episode 3, Kim Bom asked him to leave her house and go back to live with his father, as he told her to do so.

Tae-yang's father is also connected to the mystery surrounding Kim Bom's mother's death and he doesn't want to get caught. So, he's doing everything to keep his son away from her, even if it means hurting Tae-yang.

It's no wonder fans are feeling second lead syndrome hard. Tae-yang’s love is genuine, but Spring of Youth is showing us that sometimes, even the purest hearts get left behind.

---

Also Read: Goblin meets Descendants of the Sun: Gong Yoo and Song Hye-kyo’s new K-drama in the works

Continue exploring Soap Central for regular updates on TV series, films, and more!