Yoon He-ra, Jae-i’s best friend, decides to bring Jae-i down after being mistreated by her. In Hierarchy, Ji Hye-won plays He-ra.
He-ra and Jae-i have been best friends for years, but they share a complicated relationship, as Jae-i has everything that He-ra wants.
He-ra fell in love with Ri-an way before Jae-i did, but Ri-an only ever wanted Jae-i. Apart from that, Jae-i occupies a higher position in the school’s social hierarchy than He-ra.
Best friend turned enemy
When Jae-i goes to the US for months and does not contact her boyfriend or friends, He-ra sees an opportunity to make a move on Ri-an.
Eventually, when Jae-i returns, she breaks up with Ri-an, and He-ra believes she might finally get the chance to be with him.
He-ra manages to get Ri-an’s attention by convincing him that pretending to date her will make Jae-i jealous. Jae-i does get jealous when she sees Ri-an kissing He-ra.
Despite He-ra lying to her, claiming it was Ri-an’s idea, Jae-i makes it clear that she will not allow He-ra to date Ri-an.
During this time, Jae-i is a bad friend to He-ra. She orders He-ra around and only seeks her out when she needs something.
Additionally, when He-ra asks Jae-i to introduce her father to hers, Jae-i, angry at He-ra for kissing Ri-an, refuses to do her a favor, leading to He-ra believing that Jae-i never considered her a friend.
It is then that He-ra decides that she has had enough of Jae-i mistreating her. She informs Jae-i’s father about her relationship with Kang Ha, prompting his decision to send Jae-i to the US.
He-ra ends her friendship with Jae-i, her oldest friend, even though it upsets her. She also tells Jae-i about her feelings for Ri-an and her intention to pursue him.
He-ra goes from being Jae-i’s best friend to her enemy, trying to win Ri-an’s heart and planning to take Jae-i’s place in school once she leaves for the US.
Making amends
He-ra throws a party to celebrate Jae-i’s departure. On the same day, He-ra’s happiness is dashed when she finds out that her father’s company has gone bankrupt.
To make matters worse, Ri-an prevents Jae-i from leaving and arrives at the party with her, publicly rejecting He-ra, which infuriates her.
He-ra had become acquainted with Jae-i’s half-brother, Jae-hyeok, as they both wanted to take Jae-i down. He now gives He-ra a compromising video of Jae-i and Ri-an.
Instead of using the video to her advantage, He-ra slaps him for taking it in the first place. She becomes upset on Jae-i’s behalf after discovering that Jae-hyeok has been using it to blackmail her.
Soon after, upon learning about Jae-i’s past pregnancy, her father decides once again to send her to the US. Jae-i promises to go only if he helps out He-ra’s father.
With Jae-i’s father’s help, He-ra’s father gets his business back on track, and He-ra does not have to drop out of Jooshin.
Jae-i also visits He-ra to tell her that she has always thought of He-ra as her best friend. He-ra then realizes that Jae-i never meant to mistreat her.
She now understands that Jae-i only pretends to be cold to protect herself. Furthermore, Jae-i has always accepted her despite He-ra’s meanness, so she should also accept Jae-i as she is.
This realization leads to He-ra reconciling with Jae-i. He-ra gives up on pursuing Ri-an and wishes to be a better friend to Jae-i.
Before Jae-i leaves to live with her mother, she apologizes to He-ra for hurting her. He-ra forgives her and promises to wait for her to return.
Also Read: Jung Jae-i: Hierarchy character explained