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The most recent episode of Friendly Rivalry, which aired on February 19, 2025, has got fans talking about an interesting moment between the characters played by Lee Hye-ri and Chung Soo-bin. While the episode was filled with various kinds of scenes, one particular moment made viewers think that there might be something deeper between the two characters than just a friendly relationship.
In the episode of Friendly Rivalry, the two characters spent a delightful day at a funfair, indulging in various attractions and sporting matching cat-ear headbands. However, it was a scene in the ball pit that ignited a frenzy on social media.
As Hye-ri's character, Yoo Jae-i, engaged playfully in the activity, she inadvertently tripped, causing her companion, Soo-bin's character Woo Seul-gi, to fall on top of her. In Je-i's efforts to sit up, the closeness between them intensified, resulting in a notable change in the surrounding ambience. Their eyes met in an intense and lingering gaze, contributing to the palpable tension in the air.
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With their eyes locked, Yoo Jae-i leaned in slightly with a playful smile. Woo Seul-gi, caught off guard, instinctively leaned back but maintained eye contact, which intensified the moment between them. Just as the moment escalated, Jae-i playfully broke the tension by tossing a ball at Seul-gi, who burst into laughter. The two then resumed their lighthearted fun, giggling and throwing balls at each other.
Despite the playful resolution, the brief moment of stillness between them sent fans into a frenzy. Many were drawing comparisons to classic K-drama romantic tropes, especially with the prolonged eye contact and shift in tone. Social media was flooded with reactions, with one fan declaring,
"They are in love, the stop and long stare, this is lovers behavior."
"When Jaeyi looked at Seulgi with eyes full of love and affection, Seulgi herself also realized it. It was those eyes that made S expect a real kiss, but J teased her😌," said a fan.
"i didn't imagine that i'll live long enough to see this kind of scene between two girls in a k-drama 🥹😭, " wrote another fan.
"I was disappointed that there was no kiss, but I understand that it wasn't like that, I hadn't noticed that there were people next to them in the pool," said an X user.
"falling into each other looking into each others eyes??? are you kidding me ur so in love just kiss," added another user.
In addition to the excitement, another scene from this episode of Friendly Rivalry has also been attracting attention. In the scene, while they are watching the fireworks in the sky, Seul-gi looks up and exclaims, “Oh, it’s gorgeous.” Rather than replying, Jae-i just looks at her.
This scene mirrored a well-known K-drama trope and this detail further fueled fans' excitement, increasing their curiosity about the nature of their relationship.
"we got that kdrama scene of one looking at the other instead of the fireworks but with two girls WE F***ING WON," wrote a fan.
"If only they did not get interrupted with that text. A kiss is most likely to happen with all the tension building up. Seulgi was just waiting for jaeyi to initiate just like in her dream," commented another fan.
"When Jaeyi looked at Seulgi with eyes full of love and affection, Seulgi herself also realized that when countless sparkles of fireworks above appeared to make the moment the two looked at each other become extremely romantic.🥰," said a netizen.
Friendly Rivalry: STUDIO X+U’s gripping mystery thriller takes elite school drama to new heights
STUDIO X+U's new drama, Friendly Rivalry, premiered on February 10, 2025. The show is based on Song Chae-yoon’s webtoon, Sunuiui Gyeongjaeng. This mystery thriller takes place at Chaehwa Girls' High School, an elite school where competition is fierce and secrets lie hidden.
At the heart of the story of Friendly Rivalry is Woo Seul-gi (Chung Soo-bin), a girl who moves to a new school after living in an orphanage.. She finds it hard to fit in with the other students, but she gets noticed by Yoo Jae-i (Lee Hye-ri), a popular and mysterious girl at school.
Jae-i is everything Seul-gi is not—she is rich, smart, and always in control. With a confident attitude, Jae-i offers friendship to Seul-gi. However, as they get closer, Seul-gi realizes that trust can be dangerous. Their relationship shifts between friendship and manipulation, leaving Seul-gi to deal with a tricky situation where nothing is clear.
The drama Friendly Rivalry has rapidly garnered attention, broadcasting 4 episodes weekly from Monday to Thursday on U+ Mobile TV. As of February 20, a total of eight episodes of Friendly Rivalry have been released and are currently available for streaming on Viki. As the tension builds and the stakes rise, viewers are eager to see how far Seul-gi and Jae-i’s dangerous game will go.
