There’s no hellscape quite like high school. Script reading stills and poster are out for Studio X+U’s upcoming thriller, Friendly Rivalry, giving us a glimpse into the lives of our teen frenemies Hyeri (May I Help You) and Jung Soo-bin (Chief Detective 1958).
Woo Seulgi (Jung Soo-bin) is an orphan who suddenly finds herself transferring to the prestigious Chaehwa Girls High School, where students with the brightest minds and biggest wallets strive for high CSAT scores. Her unconventional entrance shakes up the school, drawing the attention of other students like Yoo Jae-yi (Hyeri).
Jae-yi is the queen bee of the school and everything Seulgi isn’t: rich, pretty, and intelligent to boot, ranking in the top 0.1% of students. She approaches Seulgi despite her being an outcast, but even though she appears friendly, in a school this cutthroat Seulgi can’t help but be suspicious of the motives of her new “friend.” The poster spells out their dynamic with Seulgi asking “Do you think I’m being sincere?” and Jae-yi responding with “Do you think I have good intentions?”
Our duo are joined by their classmates, such as the school’s princess Joo Ye-ri, played by Kang Hye-won (Boyhood), who cares more about her looks than studies, and Choi Gyeong, played by Oh Woo-ri (Way Back Love), a model student who struggles with constantly being ranked second-best to Jae-yi. Together, our four classmates will teeter between their desires for true friendship and their obsession for success.
Rounding out our cast we also have our men Kim Tae-hoon (Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born) and GOT7’s Youngjae (Love & Wish).
This drama will be based on a webtoon of the same name written by Song Chae-yoon. Directed by Kim Tae-hee (Reborn Rich), who also worked with Min Ye-ji (Bland You) on adapting the screenplay, Friendly Rivalry will premiere on U+Mobile sometime in February.