Reborn Rookie Episode 5 is yet another fun chapter that is filled with corporate manipulation, family drama and a growing identity crisis for Yong-ho. The soul-swap story is still the main draw of the show, but this episode is more about the business warfare of it all as Yong-ho comes up with one of his most daring plans yet.# Jae-gyeong Gets Suspicious
The episode begins with Jae-gyeong confronting Jun-hyeon after seeing him at the racetrack. She says he has infiltrated her team to sabotage her future plans, convinced he’s secretly working for Sung-jae.
Her suspicions deepened when she saw his high-end lifestyle, including a luxury watch and designer clothes. Yong-ho quickly makes himself at home, claiming everything is fake and that he lives in poverty. He is sufficiently persuasive to raise doubts and depart before matters deteriorate.
But Jae-gyeong doesn’t trust him at all and orders people to watch him immediately.## Sung-jae Learns the Truth
One of the most satisfying moments of the episode is when Yong-ho finally reveals his secret to Sung-jae.
Sung-jae is initially skeptical of the astounding assertion that Yong-ho’s soul has transferred into Jun-hyeon’s body. But when he hears a few personal details no one else could possibly know he is forced to accept the impossible.
The reunion of the two friends offers some of the episode’s most powerful emotional moments. Their loyalty to each other, through all the corporate schemes and revenge plots, is still in place.# Trouble At Home Keeps On Coming
Meanwhile, the Kang family continues to have problems as Yong-ho tries to keep up his cover.
News arrives that his grandmother, Ok-sun, is beginning to forget things. And the warning from her nurse hints at a potentially heartbreaking storyline ahead, but Yong-ho chooses not to intervene directly.
Elsewhere, family tensions continue to simmer. Byung-mo bashes Jae-seong, saying that he will never be able to compete with Jae-gyeong in the business world. Eun-se surprisingly supports her husband, giving him new motivation to fight back.
Finally, this encouragement leads Jae-seong to a big fight over GF Solutions.# The War For GF Solutions Begins
The main story takes place at the struggling technology company GF Solutions.
Jae-gyeong and Jae-seong view the company as a golden opportunity, but neither of them is aware of Yong-ho’s machinations behind the scenes.
Yong-ho then acquires secret money through Bong-ki and begins to set up a complex financial trap. He goes with Bang-geul to meet CEO Kim Sang-do with a plan to exponentially increase the company’s value in the market.
Yong-ho does not allow the business to fail, but invests in it to get things going again and restore confidence in the company. His plan is simple: start a bidding war between the two brothers and get them to pay way more than the company is really worth.
It’s a dangerous strategy, but one that perfectly reflects Yong-ho’s increasing confidence.# Bang-geul’s Feelings Are Complicated
Bang-geul’s subplot is another important one.
As she spends more time with Jun-hyeon, she begins to slowly fall for him. The problem, of course, is that she is responding, unknowingly, to Yong-ho’s personality, not Jun-hyeon’s.
There’s a comedic awkwardness to the show’s treatment of this uncomfortable situation. Bang-geul’s jealousy is becoming more and more apparent, particularly after she learns that Jun-hyeon is secretly seeing someone else.
The longer the truth stays buried, the more emotionally complicated this storyline becomes.# Jae-gyeong Breathes His Own Medicine
But Yong-ho is careful to manipulate each player involved as the bidding battle heats up.
He makes sure Jae-gyeong’s spies see him meeting Sang-do and Jae-seong, letting her believe that everyone is working against her. The missinformation works very well.
Meanwhile, Jae-seong receives more financial support from the father-in-law, putting more pressure on Jae-gyeong to hurry up.
At last, in desperation, she turns to the one man she has distrusted all along, for help.
In one of the episode’s more satisfying moments, Yong-ho refuses help until he gets an apology. Showing just how vulnerable she has become, Jae-gyeong swallows her pride and agrees.## A HUGE DEAL CHANGES EVERYTHING
The climax is the sale of GF Solutions for an incredible 300 billion won.
Jae-gyeong knows the price is too high but she will not let Jae-seong win. The acquisition is a guarantee for her, but also places a lot of money right where Yong-ho wants it.
Most important, Smile Investments is taking a large stake in the company, providing Yong-ho with another powerful financial tool to wield as he moves ahead.
The deal is a major victory for his long-term plans.## A new power struggle starts
The consequences of the sale are creating new problems right away.
Jae-seong, crushed by the loss, starts looking for ways to get back at his sister. Meanwhile, Jae-gyeong is growing ever more reliant on Yong-ho’s advice, oblivious to the fact that she is being played from within.
At the end of the episode Yong-ho appears to have a firm hold of the board.
At least for the present.## Final thoughts
Episode 5 throws away the supernatural premise and is almost entirely about strategic corporate warfare. The gamble pays off, fortunately. The GF Solutions storyline is surprisingly engaging and it’s very entertaining watching Yong-ho play both Jae-gyeong and Jae-seong to his advantage.
Yong-ho and Sung-jae’s friendship also remains one of the highlights of the show. Their reunion puts a heart into a story that could have been swallowed up by business deals and revenge plots.
The biggest question about the future is what Yong-ho really wants. His actions show that he is recovering stolen money, while at the same time weakening Jae-gyeong’s power. But his ultimate objective remains unclear.
Whatever his end game is, Episode 5 shows that he is always a few steps ahead of everyone else.
Rating: 4 out of 5