Hyeri Bought Luxury Items for “Friendly Rivalry” Herself, Ended up Shedding Tears

On March 6, Hyeri posted 19 videos and photos on her Instagram account with the caption, “It was a time when I was so happy to be able to live as Yoo Jae-i,” referring to her character in the K-drama “Friendly Rivalry”. Additionally, in the revealed photos, Hyeri can be seen receiving congratulations after finishing filming the drama. In particular, in an included video, Hyeri’s tears of regret at the drama’s ending drew attention.

Sharing her feelings about “Friendly Rivalry”, Hyeri stated, “After watching all the episodes, it’s even harder to let go of our Jae-i. It was a meaningful month because I was able to share all the worries I had with the viewers after meeting Jae-i!” She also continued, “I sincerely thank you for all the love. I believe that the choices and courage I made were not wrong. Thanks to you, I think Hyeri has grown a little more! I will not forget each and every one of you and will continue to act with a more sincere heart. I was truly grateful. Jae-i, I hope you and Seul-gi are happy! I support your freedom.”

Meanwhile, previously on February 7, a video titled “I Need to Watch This Drama Because of the Kiss Scene. Behind-the-Scenes of ‘Friendly Rivalry'” was uploaded to Hyeri’s YouTube channel, featuring guest Kang Hye-won.

Hyeri and Kang Hye-won will both appear in the upcoming STUDIO X+U drama “Friendly Rivalry,” set to premiere on January 10. While revealing behind-the-scenes moments from the shoot, Kang Hye-won shared, “Hyeri unnie would sometimes ask me, ‘How do I look today?’ This is how you’d ask. ‘Am I pretty?’ asking like this with a very expectant look.”

Kang Hye-won continued, “I am the type to tell you if something doesn’t look good.” Laughing, Hyeri responded, “I’m such a strange person, though.” Kang Hye-won added, “At first, ‘Uh… uh, you’re pretty?’ I would say like that, but later on before turning around I would prepare myself. I’ll tell her specifically that this suits her well.” Hearing this, Hyeri joked, “Did you prepare for that more than acting?”

Hyeri then shared the extraordinary effort she put into her role in “Friendly Rivalry.” “The character Jae-i is one of the top 1% at Chae-hwa Girls’ High School, right? Family background, grades, beauty. She’s just at the top in every way…,” Hyeri explained. “I put a lot of effort into her appearance including accessories, bags, and outfits. Actually, when doing dramas sponsorships aren’t easy to get. So I bought everything myself.”

A shocked Kang Hye-won exclaimed, “Oh, really? All of that… They were way too expensive for someone… to just think.. ‘I’ll pay for it myself.'” Hyeri confirmed, “It was all my own purchase. I felt like those details would really bring out the character. So I thought, ‘I can’t miss this,’ and I went around shops buying things that seemed to suit Jae-i one by one.”

Hyeri then joked, “If there’s a flea market… At half price!” to which Kang Hye-won eagerly responded, “Flea market? I’ll definitely go.”

Meanwhile, “Friendly Rivalry,” starring Hyeri and Kang Hye-won, is a mystery-thriller centered on the intense academic competition at South Korea’s top-tier Chaehwa Girls’ High School. The drama follows transfer student Seulgi as she encounters classmates revealing their ambitions, all while unraveling the suspicious death of her father, a former CSAT question setter.