Wishing Stairs

Jin-sung and So-hee become close friends as they train in ballet at an all-girls art school. So-hee's natural grace earns her faculty favoritism, while Jin-sung works hard to escape her friend's shadow. Despite their differences, they share dreams of a prestigious future together.

A single coveted spot at a Russian ballet school becomes the focal point of their rivalry. So-hee's favored status during auditions grows, intensifying the strain on their friendship. The competition tests their bond and pushes each girl toward a different path.

Jin-sung learns from Eom Hye-ju about an old legend of 28 steps that lead to a 29th, capable of granting a wish to those with enough conviction. She climbs the stairs and discovers the fabled 29th step, fueling her desire for the coveted spot. The discovery unsettles the balance between friends and foreshadows consequences to come.

Upon reaching the 29th step, Jin-sung makes a wish for the spot at the Russian school. To her shock, So-hee is chosen instead, deepening the rift between them and planting seeds of resentment. The atmosphere thickens with unspoken anger and fractured trust.

A heated row ends with Jin-sung shoving So-hee down a flight of stairs. So-hee becomes unconscious and is rushed to the hospital, ending her ballet dreams for the time being. The incident marks the collapse of their once-close friendship and begins Jin-sung's downward spiral of guilt.

Jin-sung attempts to visit So-hee, but is turned away as guilt gnaws at her conscience. So-hee's injuries derail her ambitions and set off a troubling chain of events that extend beyond the dorms. The distance between them widens as the school community turns inward.

So-hee tragically ends her life, a decision that crushes Jin-sung and intensifies the cruelty of their peers who blame Jin-sung for the catastrophe. The deaths and accusations ripple through the school, turning the atmosphere increasingly toxic. The haunting question of guilt lingers over Jin-sung.

Despite securing the berth at the ballet school, Jin-sung finds herself ostracized by fellow students who blame her for So-hee's fate. The weight of guilt and rumor corrodes her social life, and So-hee's ghost begins to haunt Jin-sung most intensely. The victory feels hollow amid the growing isolation.

Hye-ju, now diminished by a wish that came at a personal cost, clings to So-hee's belongings as a memory even as she faces ongoing bullying from Han Yun-ji. The relics become a focal point of the ongoing torment and the fragile fallout of the tragedy. The emotional pressure pushes Hye-ju further toward danger.

Desperation leads Hye-ju to climb the stairs and wish for So-hee to come back, allowing So-hee to possess her and murder Yun-ji. Jin-sung confronts a frightened Hye-ju and flees in fear as the ghost's power grows. The haunting escalates into violent consequences.

So-hee's spirit drives Hye-ju to set a basement fire, unintentionally sealing Hye-ju's own fate as she perishes in the flames. The tragedy frees So-hee's ghost from the living body, leaving Jin-sung to confront the lingering presence. The dormitory becomes a charged scene of memory and menace.

The night before Jin-sung's departure to the ballet school, So-hee torments her once again. Jin-sung climbs the stairs to wish So-hee away, but So-hee grips her tightly in a fatal embrace that kills Jin-sung. Yet the wish is fulfilled and So-hee vanishes, leaving a devastating calm in the aftermath.

A new cello student moves into Jin-sung's former dorm room, and a photo of Jin-sung and So-hee remains. So-hee's irises suddenly disappear from the picture, implying she still lingers in memory, unseen yet present. The haunting continues in the wake of the tragedy.