Friendly Rivalry episodes 5-6 recap: How did Jae-yi find Seul-gi’s information?

Friendly Rivalry, starring Lee Hye-ri and Chung Su-bin, debuted on February 10, 2025. Adapted from a webtoon, this mystery thriller unfolds at Chaehwa Girls’ High School, an elite academy reserved for South Korea’s top 1 percent, where relentless academic pressure tests students' endurance.

Chung Su-bin takes on the role of Woo Seul-ki, a provincial orphan who transfers to Chaehwa High but struggles to adapt. Opposing her is Lee Hye-ri as Yoo Je-yi, the school’s most powerful student—wealthy, brilliant, and shrewd. Je-yi develops a particular fascination with Seul-ki, sparking a complex dynamic that teeters between friendship and obsession.

In episodes 5 and 6 of Friendly Rivalry, Seul-gi confronts Jae-yi about her having her information on her phone. Jae-yi found it by sneaking around at her father's office.

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Friendly Rivalry episodes 5-6 recap: Seul-gi confronts Jae-yi

Episode 5 of Friendly Rivalry starts with a flashback of Choi-kyung's life. After her annoying rival and deskmate left her school, Je-yi entered and Choi-kyung had to be second to her throughout her life. In fact, even her school crush approached her for Je-yi's number.

In the present, Je-yi wakes up and finds Seul-ki gone. She checks her location using the tracking device she has put on her. Wondering whether it was her father's doing, she asks him about it, but he denies it. Je-yi also asks him about her sister and whether she decided to move out.

At school, Seul-ki avoids Je-yi. When Na-ri comes to get her transfer, she suggests they go say their goodbyes, which Jae-yi willingly does.

When the teacher distributes the graded essays, Seul-ki is the only one who gets an A+. Seul-ki hides the essay from Je-yi, who then suggests they go for lunch. Meanwhile, Ji-ri takes an early leave and goes to her harp class. Unable to pay her bills, she gives her teacher her branded bag.

After lunch, a copy of Seul-ki's essay is presented on every student's desk. Frustrated, Je-yi starts snatching the essay from them. Seul-ki asks her to come and talk to her. Seul-ki asks her why it bothers her so much that her essay and with it, her past has been revealed to all students. She shows her the pictures she found on her phone of her childhood missing poster and her father's information.

With it, there was also a video of Je-yi blackmailing Na-ri using her drug usage against her. Seul-ki asks her why and how she has the information about her.

In episode 6 of Friendly Rivalry, in a flashback, Je-yi is shown going into her father's office and finding information on Woo Do-hyuk, Seul-ki's father, and a missing child poster with it. In the present, Je-yi refuses to answer the question and in response, Seul-ki tells her that she was the one who distributed the essay and leaves.

Choi-kyung reminds Seul-ki that they have to go to the student council. There, Choi-kyung tells Seul-ki about the lawsuit that her stepmother filed against J Medical Centre and Je-yi's father for medical negligence. Choi-kyung's mother is the lawyer handling the case. They assume that Je-yi's attempts to be close to Seul-ki were a plan to get the lawsuit dropped.

At home, Seul-ki finds the papers of the lawsuit and confronts her stepmother at dinner. She accuses her of using the lawsuit to get money and then starting over. She asks her to let her stay till the college entrance exams.

As midterms approach, Seul-ki feels the need to take her medications. However, no hospital or clinic prescribed it to her without a test. Looking for it on the internet, she finds a page that sells the medicine illegally. The page asks her for a code, which she finds in a paper bird that was given to her by one of her classmates. She is given a location from where she can collect the medicine.

At the location, she finds Je-yi who tells her that she could not find the medicine and has given her a stronger one. After thinking twice, Seul-ki refuses but Je-yields promises to tell her how she found out her information if she beats her in the midterms.

Seul-ki takes the medication and starts hallucinating as episode 6 of Friendly Rivalry ends.

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The next episode of Friendly Rivalry is scheduled to be released on February 19.