Netflix released its new Korean horror series If Wishes Could Kill on April 24, 2026. The show tells the story of a mysterious app called Girigo that makes wishes come true. But there is a very dangerous price to pay. The first episode sets up the horror with a shocking death that happens right inside a high school classroom. Viewers see a normal group of friends turn into victims of something they do not fully understand. The episode runs for 43 minutes and introduces the main characters before everything goes wrong.
The Story Begins With a Tragic Video From 2005
The first episode opens on March 12, 2005 inside a school locker room. A high school girl named Do Hye-rung is alone at night. She uses a knife to carve her name and the date on a locker door. She then records a video on her phone. She talks about writing down her birth details or saju to make her wish stronger. Her wish is dark and full of anger. She says she wishes every one of you would just drop dead. After making this wish, she uses the knife to take her own life. This scene is very intense. It tells the audience right away that the Girigo app has a bloody history. The violence is sudden and real. This moment from the past connects directly to the terrible events that happen 20 years later.
Meeting the Five Friends in 2025
The story then moves to June 12, 2025. Viewers meet Yoo Se-ah, a high school girl who is good at long jump. She lives with her aunt who works as a nurse. Se-ah has a secret relationship with her neighbor Kim Geon-woo. He is also an athlete but struggles with high jump because of a mental block from a past disqualification. The two try to keep their relationship hidden from their friends. They meet at the elevator every morning and share small kisses when no one is looking.
Their friend group includes Lim Na-ri, a rich girl who has a crush on Geon-woo. She does not know that Geon-woo and Se-ah are already dating. Another friend is Kang Ha-joon, the smartest student in the class. He seems to have feelings for Se-ah as well. The group also includes Choi Hyeong-wook, a funny and friendly guy who struggles with his grades. His family puts a lot of pressure on him to perform well in school. These five friends share a normal high school life. They joke around, tease each other, and deal with everyday problems.
Hyeong-wook Shows His Friends the Girigo App
During a math class, the teacher announces that the class ranked first in the city on a mock exam. Two students got perfect scores. One is Ha-joon, which everyone expects. The other is Hyeong-wook, which shocks everyone. His friends cannot believe it. Na-ri even suggests that he cheated by copying from Ha-joon. Ha-joon quickly denies this and says Hyeong-wook did not copy from him. Hyeong-wook then tells his friends about a secret app called Girigo. He explains that he made a wish on the app for good grades. His wish came true.
He shows them the video he recorded for his wish. The rules are simple but strange. A person must write their name and saju or birth details on a piece of paper. Then they record a video making a wish. After sending the video through the app, the wish comes true. His friends do not believe him. They call him childish and walk away. Se-ah stays behind for a moment. She tells him to stop relying on an app for his grades and to study hard like everyone else. She cares about him like a brother. But she does not believe the app is real either. Hyeong-wook notices a timer appear on the app after his friends leave. He thinks it might be a cooldown period before he can make another wish.
Problems Start Growing Within the Friend Group
The episode shows that not everything is perfect among the friends. Na-ri openly says she does not like Hyeong-wook. She does not want to go to his birthday party. Hyeong-wook overhears her saying bad things about him to Se-ah. He pretends not to hear and acts normal. But the pain stays inside him. There is also tension between Se-ah and Na-ri because both of them like Geon-woo. Se-ah feels insecure about leaving Geon-woo alone with Na-ri when she has extra training.
Later that night, during a prep class, Hyeong-wook cannot focus. Ha-joon notices him taking pills. Nobody knows exactly what the pills are for. They could be for depression or to help him focus. Then Hyeong-wook receives a phone call from Se-ah. But he does not speak to her directly. Instead he overhears Se-ah and Geon-woo talking about him. They say negative things. They make fun of him. This breaks Hyeong-wooku0027s heart completely. He tries to call Se-ah many times. He calls her 39 times according to the episode. But Se-ah is busy celebrating her selection for the national reserve team with Geon-woo. She does not answer.
Geon-woo Makes a Joke Wish on the App
Se-ah learns from her coach that she has a chance to join the national reserve team. She is very happy. But she also feels sad because she will have to train on weekends. This means she cannot attend Hyeong-wooku0027s birthday party. She shares this news with Geon-woo while they eat chicken at her apartment. Geon-woo tries to cheer her up. He jokes that he will make a wish on the Girigo app for her training to be canceled. He takes out his phone and records a silly video making this wish. Both of them laugh about it. They think the app is just a scam. They have no idea that this joke will lead to something terrible. Meanwhile Na-ri goes to a nightclub with older friends. She uses a fake digital ID to get in. She is living a very different life from her friends.
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The Deadly Timer Runs Out in the Classroom
The next morning, everything seems normal. Se-ah and Geon-woo go to school together. Na-ri is absent from class. But Hyeong-wook looks very different. His face shows fear. He keeps staring at his phone. The Girigo app has a timer counting down. It has less than two minutes left. The teacher tells him to pay attention. Ha-joon tries to get him to focus. But Hyeong-wook ignores everyone. He stands up suddenly when the timer gets close to zero. His body starts twisting in unnatural ways. His friends rush to help him.
Then he pulls out a paper cutter. He pushes Geon-woo away when his friend tries to calm him down. He looks at the empty seat where Na-ri usually sits. He seems scared of something that no one else can see. He charges at Se-ah. They fall through the classroom door together. Hyeong-wook begs Se-ah for help. He tells her that he does not have control over his own body. He says please help me before something takes over him again. But it is too late. He slits his own throat with the paper cutter. His blood sprays onto Se-ah. She tries to stop the bleeding. She holds his wound with her hands. But he dies right there in front of her. The timer on his phone hits zero as he takes his last breath.
The episode ends with Hyeong-wook dead on the floor. Se-ah is covered in his blood. She is screaming and crying. The other students are frozen in shock. The Girigo app has claimed its first victim in this group.
The episode makes it clear that the app is not a joke. It is a death sentence. Hyeong-wook just wanted to relieve his academic stress. He was a normal student dealing with normal problems. But the app turned his wish into a nightmare. Geon-woo also made a wish as a joke. His timer has started counting down too. The episode ends with no answers about how to stop the curse or why the app chooses certain people to die. The only clue comes from the opening scene from 2005. Something dark started long ago with Do Hye-rung. And now that darkness has found a new group of victims.
