Friendly Rivalry (2025) s01e01 Episode Script
Episode 1
1
(Shinun Kindergarten)
As I child, I had no presence at all.
I think I realized that
at a very young age.
During a kindergarten field trip,
I insisted on wearing
a princess dress instead of my uniform.
I think we went
to the beach that day.
Was it the East Sea?
Or the West Sea?
Or neither.
It might have been the South Sea.
Actually, I don't really remember.
I just recall that when
I came to my senses,
everyone was gone,
leaving only me behind.
Even now, I occasionally wonder
If I had listened to my mom
and worn my uniform,
would I have avoided
becoming a missing child?
At the orphanage,
I still had no presence.
I often missed mealtime
because nobody cared about me
On those hungry days,
I would sneak to the faucet at night
and drink water to fill my stomach.
But strangely enough,
no matter how much water I drank,
it never made me feel full.
It felt like the water was flowing
somewhere else instead.
Our way of commuting
was quite unique.
The orphanage used a van
to pick us up and drop us off.
If the van didn’t have
the orphanage logo,
we could even lie and say we were
idol trainees living in a dorm.
(Seul-gi, you stink, you orphan.)
Of course, no one would believe that.
Having lived my whole life
like an invisible person,
it was ironic that
I got attention because of this.
It was absolutely miserable.
Did you know?
To orphans like us,
because of our unclear identities,
even finding a normal
part-time job is difficult.
Thanks to a kindhearted orphanage senior,
we were introduced to a job.
Turns out, he was illegally
selling prescription drugs.
We had to go to some hospitals
and even had to use fake IDs.
(Kang Joomi Hospital)
(Name: Lee Min-ju)
(Prescription)
(Pharmacy)
(Prescription)
Are you good at studying?
What’s your class rank?
15th place.
That’s pretty impressive.
Lately, there are about 30 students
in a class, so I can't brag about it.
Hey, what do you want to be
when you grow up?
I don’t know,
I’ve never thought about it.
People should have dreams.
Is your dream to exploit
unfortunate kids by selling drugs?
Take it.
This is the stuff rich people
in Gangnam are scrambling to get.
You’d better study hard.
That way, you won’t end up like me.
If a well-educated, proper adult
had said something like this to me,
I probably would’ve ignored it.
But maybe because
it came from a delinquent,
it somehow felt convincing.
So, for the first time in my life,
I tried studying seriously.
And the result was
Before that, I was only ranked
15th in my class.
(Class Ranking)
But now, I ranked 15th
in the entire school.
I never expected that just because
of a number on a report card,
people’s attitudes towards me
would change so much.
It almost felt like
I was full without eating.
And because of that,
I wanted to do even better.
I wanted to be number one.
(Gyeongsangbuk-do Mathematics Competition – Gold Medal – Woo Seul-gi)
You bitch, why aren’t you answering?
It's not just the adults
who have changed their attitudes towards me.
After I became number one,
even those girls who bullied me for fun
didn't dare to mess with me again.
No matter what happens,
I have to stay at the top.
Because I would rather die
than go back to how things were.
Hey.
Is that all?
What did you say?
Forget it.
Let’s go.
Also, today is my last day here.
Because I’m moving to Seoul.
Seoul? Where in Seoul?
Gangnam?
Did a rich family
adopt you or something?
I found my dad.
The current college entrance exam
for the 2024 academic year
is being called
the most challenging in history.
Although the exam
committee chairman stated
that the difficulty level
is the same as previous years,
students seem to feel otherwise.
Especially, the so-called “boss-level” math problems
were much harder than expected.
For elite students aiming
for medical school
Seul-gi, there’s a call from Seoul.
Okay.
Depending on the selected
test subjects the scoring might vary.
Due to the varying difficulty levels
of different subjects,
the Korean Institute
for Curriculum and Evaluation
will review and respond to
student appeals regarding the questions.
Scores will be announced
on the 8th of next month.
Breaking news.
A committee member for the
2024 college entrance exam has died.
Exclusive report by Kim Jae-wook.
Friendly Rivalry
(Four months later)
Thank you.
(Neighborhood Map)
(Chaehwa Girls' High School)
(Security Check in Progress)
(Chaehwa Girls' High School)
Contact me again
in the afternoon after class.
I’ll come pick you up.
We’ll see.
Hey, Choi Kyung!
Wait for me.
Who was that guy just now?
Geez, Kyung, you always act like
you don’t care about me all day long.
I met him at a concert last week.
So I think you’re about to
break up with him.
Yeah, I just dumped him.
But he still hasn’t accepted it.
Poor guy.
“Namo Amitabha”.
(Translator's note: Buddist chanting)
But can I ask you something?
Why are you walking so fast?
We’re in our final year now.
Instead of getting stuck in traffic
and waiting at lights, it’s faster to walk.
I knew it.
At this pace, I can get from my home
to my seat in class within 20 minutes.
Choi Kyung, wait for me!
Hello.
Who are you?
I transferred here today.
What is your ranking?
(University Rankings in Korea)
A senior-year transfer,
coming alone without her parents
Go to Classroom 2.
Also…
Yes?
At least wear the school uniform tomorrow.
Yes.
Excuse me, where is the
senior-year classroom?
(Chaehwa Girls' High School Entrance Ceremony)
Hey.
Buy some of my flowers.
Sorry.
Would you like to buy a flower?
Attention, the entrance ceremony
is about to begin.
Why aren’t you getting rid
of this street vendor?
Yes.
Grandma, you can’t sell flowers here.
Please leave.
I won’t leave.
Not until I sell everything.
Grandma, please stand up.
You can’t sell flowers here.
- I said I’m not leaving!
- I’ll buy them.
Grandma.
I’ll buy all of them.
How much in total?
10,000 won per flower.
Here you go.
Happy now?
Get up.
Thank you.
Come with me.
Good morning, freshmen.
And welcome to Chaehwa Girls' High School.
I'm Yoo Je-yi, the student party president.
Our school is the most prestigious
private high school in Korea,
boasting 117 years of history and deep tradition.
It is also considered a great honor
to become one of Yoo Je-yi's junior.
Don't you agree?
That was a joke.
Okay.
Freshmen and other guests,
may I have an attention, please?
Before we begin the
entrance ceremony,
we ask everyone to
observe a moment of silence.
Mr. Woo Do-hyeok, who taught at
Chaehwa Girls' High School for four years
and passed on valuable
knowledge to his students,
has sadly passed away
not long ago.
To us, Mr. Woo was
an outstanding and upright educator.
We will always
remember him for that.
His main concern was with the
learning atmosphere on campus
so that we wouldn't be
affected by this kind of situation.
So, according to the wishes of his family,
we will now observe
a brief moment of silence together.
Everyone, please bow your heads.
Now
Let us begin our 2024 orientation
of Chaehwa Girls' High School.
If you are a student from another school,
please leave immediately.
Now, we will begin the orientation.
After exploring our history,
shall we proceed to a campus tour?
One of our campus highlights
is the outdoor amphitheatre.
You can join over 40 diverse student clubs,
including the medical club.
At here
Through academic excellence and a little bit of friendly library
28% of our students are admitted
to medical schools every year.
Furthermore,
we have consecutively swept both national
and international academic competitions.
Every single one of you
should be proud to be here.
I sincerely look forward to your bright future
at our prestigious Chaehwa Girls' High School.
Thank you.
Next, we will present the scholarship certificates.
Name: Han Jung-won.
Why are you so late?
Find a seat quickly.
March 4, 2024, PTA President Yoo Tae-jun.
Congratulations.
Next, Kim Yeon-su.
First-place student
Kim Yeon-su will receive,
in addition to the certificate,
a scholarship of 3 million won.
Congratulations.
(Chaehwa Girls' High School Scholarship – 3 million won)
Please give her a round of applause.
(2024 Chaehwa Girls' High School Academic Calendar)
On 7th – First Interview Strategy Class
Students must fill out their top three university choices in the academic counseling form.
On 10th – Pre-study Evaluation Report Release
On 28th – First Mock Exam
Students must submit
their semester activity plans
and outline their
intended achievements in school.
Let's see how many of you
will get into medical school
Any other questions?
Teacher.
Which class is Yoo Je-yi in?
Why are you curious about that?
We're curious to know!
- We really want to know…
- Teacher, please tell us!
Yoo Je-yi, you know
I have high expectations for you, right?
I’ll do my best.
255 days until the college entrance exam.
That concludes the morning assembly.
Can you give it back to me now?
Je-yi, your seat is here.
I saved it for you.
Hi, my name is…
I know. You’re Yoo Je-yi.
I heard them call your name earlier.
Thanks to Mr. Yoo’s
annual donations,
the medical club has become Chaehwa’s pride.
It reminds me of when
we first started the club.
Mr. Woo was so full of energy back then.
It makes me wonder
if we should put more effort into his memorial.
It’s truly saddening.
He was on the college entrance
exam question committee,
but he couldn’t even talk
about it with his family, right?
Everything was strictly confidential.
Even the faculty weren’t
allowed to attend his funeral.
Don’t dwell on it too much.
Would you like to come to
my office for some tea?
Let's go.
Hey, transfer student,
you need to switch seats with me.
Don’t listen to her.
Switch with me, please!
You guys are shameless.
Trying to get the seat next
to Je-yi for free?
Transfer student, don’t pick them
and switch with me.
If you agree,
I’ll buy you anything you want.
No price limit.
What do you say?
Kim Na-ri is trying to
buy people off again.
That’s not fair to us.
Let’s settle this properly
with rock-paper-scissors!
If you don’t play, you lose!
Wait, no need to give me anything.
Na-ri, where’s your seat?
Me? Second row,
center of the classroom.
Perfect for hearing the teacher clearly.
And it has the best view of the blackboard.
Alright, I’ll switch with you.
Oh yeah, I got it!
What the hell?
Are you a nerd or something?
Damn, that’s disappointing.
Can I go now?
If you want something,
ask for it now.
Don’t complain later.
Wow, if you really are rich
Then can you buy me a house?
What?
Forget it.
Instead of spending money on me,
you should buy yourself more makeup.
I’ve been looking for you.
Come have lunch with me.
Hurry up, I’m starving.
(Shinun Kindergarten)
As I child, I had no presence at all.
I think I realized that
at a very young age.
During a kindergarten field trip,
I insisted on wearing
a princess dress instead of my uniform.
I think we went
to the beach that day.
Was it the East Sea?
Or the West Sea?
Or neither.
It might have been the South Sea.
Actually, I don't really remember.
I just recall that when
I came to my senses,
everyone was gone,
leaving only me behind.
Even now, I occasionally wonder
If I had listened to my mom
and worn my uniform,
would I have avoided
becoming a missing child?
At the orphanage,
I still had no presence.
I often missed mealtime
because nobody cared about me
On those hungry days,
I would sneak to the faucet at night
and drink water to fill my stomach.
But strangely enough,
no matter how much water I drank,
it never made me feel full.
It felt like the water was flowing
somewhere else instead.
Our way of commuting
was quite unique.
The orphanage used a van
to pick us up and drop us off.
If the van didn’t have
the orphanage logo,
we could even lie and say we were
idol trainees living in a dorm.
(Seul-gi, you stink, you orphan.)
Of course, no one would believe that.
Having lived my whole life
like an invisible person,
it was ironic that
I got attention because of this.
It was absolutely miserable.
Did you know?
To orphans like us,
because of our unclear identities,
even finding a normal
part-time job is difficult.
Thanks to a kindhearted orphanage senior,
we were introduced to a job.
Turns out, he was illegally
selling prescription drugs.
We had to go to some hospitals
and even had to use fake IDs.
(Kang Joomi Hospital)
(Name: Lee Min-ju)
(Prescription)
(Pharmacy)
(Prescription)
Are you good at studying?
What’s your class rank?
15th place.
That’s pretty impressive.
Lately, there are about 30 students
in a class, so I can't brag about it.
Hey, what do you want to be
when you grow up?
I don’t know,
I’ve never thought about it.
People should have dreams.
Is your dream to exploit
unfortunate kids by selling drugs?
Take it.
This is the stuff rich people
in Gangnam are scrambling to get.
You’d better study hard.
That way, you won’t end up like me.
If a well-educated, proper adult
had said something like this to me,
I probably would’ve ignored it.
But maybe because
it came from a delinquent,
it somehow felt convincing.
So, for the first time in my life,
I tried studying seriously.
And the result was
Before that, I was only ranked
15th in my class.
(Class Ranking)
But now, I ranked 15th
in the entire school.
I never expected that just because
of a number on a report card,
people’s attitudes towards me
would change so much.
It almost felt like
I was full without eating.
And because of that,
I wanted to do even better.
I wanted to be number one.
(Gyeongsangbuk-do Mathematics Competition – Gold Medal – Woo Seul-gi)
You bitch, why aren’t you answering?
It's not just the adults
who have changed their attitudes towards me.
After I became number one,
even those girls who bullied me for fun
didn't dare to mess with me again.
No matter what happens,
I have to stay at the top.
Because I would rather die
than go back to how things were.
Hey.
Is that all?
What did you say?
Forget it.
Let’s go.
Also, today is my last day here.
Because I’m moving to Seoul.
Seoul? Where in Seoul?
Gangnam?
Did a rich family
adopt you or something?
I found my dad.
The current college entrance exam
for the 2024 academic year
is being called
the most challenging in history.
Although the exam
committee chairman stated
that the difficulty level
is the same as previous years,
students seem to feel otherwise.
Especially, the so-called “boss-level” math problems
were much harder than expected.
For elite students aiming
for medical school
Seul-gi, there’s a call from Seoul.
Okay.
Depending on the selected
test subjects the scoring might vary.
Due to the varying difficulty levels
of different subjects,
the Korean Institute
for Curriculum and Evaluation
will review and respond to
student appeals regarding the questions.
Scores will be announced
on the 8th of next month.
Breaking news.
A committee member for the
2024 college entrance exam has died.
Exclusive report by Kim Jae-wook.
Friendly Rivalry
(Four months later)
Thank you.
(Neighborhood Map)
(Chaehwa Girls' High School)
(Security Check in Progress)
(Chaehwa Girls' High School)
Contact me again
in the afternoon after class.
I’ll come pick you up.
We’ll see.
Hey, Choi Kyung!
Wait for me.
Who was that guy just now?
Geez, Kyung, you always act like
you don’t care about me all day long.
I met him at a concert last week.
So I think you’re about to
break up with him.
Yeah, I just dumped him.
But he still hasn’t accepted it.
Poor guy.
“Namo Amitabha”.
(Translator's note: Buddist chanting)
But can I ask you something?
Why are you walking so fast?
We’re in our final year now.
Instead of getting stuck in traffic
and waiting at lights, it’s faster to walk.
I knew it.
At this pace, I can get from my home
to my seat in class within 20 minutes.
Choi Kyung, wait for me!
Hello.
Who are you?
I transferred here today.
What is your ranking?
(University Rankings in Korea)
A senior-year transfer,
coming alone without her parents
Go to Classroom 2.
Also…
Yes?
At least wear the school uniform tomorrow.
Yes.
Excuse me, where is the
senior-year classroom?
(Chaehwa Girls' High School Entrance Ceremony)
Hey.
Buy some of my flowers.
Sorry.
Would you like to buy a flower?
Attention, the entrance ceremony
is about to begin.
Why aren’t you getting rid
of this street vendor?
Yes.
Grandma, you can’t sell flowers here.
Please leave.
I won’t leave.
Not until I sell everything.
Grandma, please stand up.
You can’t sell flowers here.
- I said I’m not leaving!
- I’ll buy them.
Grandma.
I’ll buy all of them.
How much in total?
10,000 won per flower.
Here you go.
Happy now?
Get up.
Thank you.
Come with me.
Good morning, freshmen.
And welcome to Chaehwa Girls' High School.
I'm Yoo Je-yi, the student party president.
Our school is the most prestigious
private high school in Korea,
boasting 117 years of history and deep tradition.
It is also considered a great honor
to become one of Yoo Je-yi's junior.
Don't you agree?
That was a joke.
Okay.
Freshmen and other guests,
may I have an attention, please?
Before we begin the
entrance ceremony,
we ask everyone to
observe a moment of silence.
Mr. Woo Do-hyeok, who taught at
Chaehwa Girls' High School for four years
and passed on valuable
knowledge to his students,
has sadly passed away
not long ago.
To us, Mr. Woo was
an outstanding and upright educator.
We will always
remember him for that.
His main concern was with the
learning atmosphere on campus
so that we wouldn't be
affected by this kind of situation.
So, according to the wishes of his family,
we will now observe
a brief moment of silence together.
Everyone, please bow your heads.
Now
Let us begin our 2024 orientation
of Chaehwa Girls' High School.
If you are a student from another school,
please leave immediately.
Now, we will begin the orientation.
After exploring our history,
shall we proceed to a campus tour?
One of our campus highlights
is the outdoor amphitheatre.
You can join over 40 diverse student clubs,
including the medical club.
At here
Through academic excellence and a little bit of friendly library
28% of our students are admitted
to medical schools every year.
Furthermore,
we have consecutively swept both national
and international academic competitions.
Every single one of you
should be proud to be here.
I sincerely look forward to your bright future
at our prestigious Chaehwa Girls' High School.
Thank you.
Next, we will present the scholarship certificates.
Name: Han Jung-won.
Why are you so late?
Find a seat quickly.
March 4, 2024, PTA President Yoo Tae-jun.
Congratulations.
Next, Kim Yeon-su.
First-place student
Kim Yeon-su will receive,
in addition to the certificate,
a scholarship of 3 million won.
Congratulations.
(Chaehwa Girls' High School Scholarship – 3 million won)
Please give her a round of applause.
(2024 Chaehwa Girls' High School Academic Calendar)
On 7th – First Interview Strategy Class
Students must fill out their top three university choices in the academic counseling form.
On 10th – Pre-study Evaluation Report Release
On 28th – First Mock Exam
Students must submit
their semester activity plans
and outline their
intended achievements in school.
Let's see how many of you
will get into medical school
Any other questions?
Teacher.
Which class is Yoo Je-yi in?
Why are you curious about that?
We're curious to know!
- We really want to know…
- Teacher, please tell us!
Yoo Je-yi, you know
I have high expectations for you, right?
I’ll do my best.
255 days until the college entrance exam.
That concludes the morning assembly.
Can you give it back to me now?
Je-yi, your seat is here.
I saved it for you.
Hi, my name is…
I know. You’re Yoo Je-yi.
I heard them call your name earlier.
Thanks to Mr. Yoo’s
annual donations,
the medical club has become Chaehwa’s pride.
It reminds me of when
we first started the club.
Mr. Woo was so full of energy back then.
It makes me wonder
if we should put more effort into his memorial.
It’s truly saddening.
He was on the college entrance
exam question committee,
but he couldn’t even talk
about it with his family, right?
Everything was strictly confidential.
Even the faculty weren’t
allowed to attend his funeral.
Don’t dwell on it too much.
Would you like to come to
my office for some tea?
Let's go.
Hey, transfer student,
you need to switch seats with me.
Don’t listen to her.
Switch with me, please!
You guys are shameless.
Trying to get the seat next
to Je-yi for free?
Transfer student, don’t pick them
and switch with me.
If you agree,
I’ll buy you anything you want.
No price limit.
What do you say?
Kim Na-ri is trying to
buy people off again.
That’s not fair to us.
Let’s settle this properly
with rock-paper-scissors!
If you don’t play, you lose!
Wait, no need to give me anything.
Na-ri, where’s your seat?
Me? Second row,
center of the classroom.
Perfect for hearing the teacher clearly.
And it has the best view of the blackboard.
Alright, I’ll switch with you.
Oh yeah, I got it!
What the hell?
Are you a nerd or something?
Damn, that’s disappointing.
Can I go now?
If you want something,
ask for it now.
Don’t complain later.
Wow, if you really are rich
Then can you buy me a house?
What?
Forget it.
Instead of spending money on me,
you should buy yourself more makeup.
I’ve been looking for you.
Come have lunch with me.
Hurry up, I’m starving.