Also on AO3 for those who prefer reading there. This story has been about two years in the making, and I finally got around to cleaning up. Yet I still have more. A slow burn, enemies to lovers Yukari x Ia. Long live Yukaria!

Thank you so much for clicking/reading, and I would love to hear what you think so feel free to leave a review!

The frail, small person watched the lavender girl every morning on the train.

The first time their paths crossed, Ia noticed the stranger's out of code uniform. Surely, no school would let their students wear a band t-shirt under the prim and proper white cloth, she thought. The skirt was the usual, basic plaid with an... abnormal accessory. Resting on top of the article was a black leather belt, dripping in silver chains and (what Ia hoped) fake spikes. Flashy, gaudy bracelets sat upon her thin wrists, and as soon as her gaze continued down, she was met with a pair of chunky Mary Janes. If it wasn't for their unusually large bottoms, the light blonde would have taken a liking to them - she loved sweet, almost dolly-like clothes like that.

The outfit was peculiar and a bold choice, but the purplette seemed to be minding her own business, so there was no reason for Ia to be distraught. Once she really thought about it, the girl was probably a model or some type of fashion person - it seemed like the most probable situation. She had the funky style to match, and Ia would be lying if she did not acknowledge her beauty; maybe she saw her in a magazine sometime, somewhere. The 'edgy' aesthetic was getting more popular with teenagers these days, wasn't it? On Ia's off days from school, she would see her classmates wearing something similar occasionally. Although, she'd never have the guts to rock anything close to it.

But most importantly, the lavender girl was not going to an academy dressed like that. Ia let out a sigh of relief as she turned her attention away from the extrovert, feeling at peace with the situation - the young woman was a model, not a student. She wasn't going to show up to a place of education with that get up and break the rules apologetically, defiling everything they stood for. There was nothing for her to be concerned about anymore. Therefore, she opted to stare out of the train's window and not at the stranger; silently, she hoped the lavender girl didn't notice her eyes locked onto her previously. She would not want to draw any orbs to her own presence, or make anyone feel uncomfortable and uneasy.

She was so pretty it was hard not to take notice, though. If Ia wasn't extremely shy, she would have complimented the purplette and wished her luck on her upcoming shoot.

The second time their paths crossed, Ia noticed the lavender girl's lack of jewelry. The decorations around her wrists weren't bands of silver, gold, or anything in between, but something that would lay on her skin permanently.

A tattoo.

Ia's eyes widened at the discovery - surely there was no way she had gotten that illegally... right? She squinted, desperately trying to make out the design. It was a quote. No, an animal. No, some type of abstract art piece...? Dang, if the light blonde didn't miss her eye appointment due to getting ill, she would not be having trouble with her glasses right now... but no matter what the tattoo was, she just couldn't justify breaking the law for it! Ia knew tattoos were okay and sometimes celebrated in certain countries, so perhaps the girl had a bit of foreign blood in her and got it elsewhere? Even if that was that case, she should still cover it up... did she not know those things are connected to gangs in Japan, Ia's homeland?

It made her feel queasy every time she looked at it. Doing something illegal was not only careless, but plain wrong. A little picture on one's body was not worth the danger and selfishness of the act; it was not worth the slap in the face to everyone who unintentionally viewed it.

That day, Ia worried about the lavender girl - the girl she did not know the name of. Many young people get mixed up in horrible circumstances, and she hoped she wasn't one of them.

The third time their paths crossed, Ia's ears consumed thrashing heavy metal without her consent. The purplette was wearing headphones, but it was still so incredibly loud she could make out the lyrics... if it wasn't entirely startling screeching and noise. Maybe she didn't know everyone could hear it, and maybe she didn't know how bad that was for a human's eardrums.

Tap on her shoulder, Ia, say something... she thought, her eyes swirling at the unpleasant situation. She didn't want anyone to be disturbed, and felt extreme embarrassment for the lavender girl... there was no way she knew, right? No one would do that on purpose, right? Would she be worsening the situation by drawing attention to her and speaking? Talking was disrespectful too, Ia would never want to do anything that could even be interpreted as slightly rude.

The light blonde was abruptly thrown out of her own mind when someone politely (and quietly) asked the lavender girl to turn it down, in which she replied with a brief nod with a dash of condescending. That wasn't nice, that wasn't nice at all... the train wasn't made exclusively for her, this wasn't her room, the passengers weren't friends with common interests.

The fourth time their paths crossed, she heard the lavender girl's voice for the first time. "Hello?" she answered her phone in a feminine tone that was sweet, yet raspy. The sudden sound caused Ia's ears to perk up as she was drawn out of her book, her heart starting to palpitate. It was the very first time she was hearing her voice...! It was melodious and pleasant, she could almost say she liked it... but it was rude to talk on the train, this was everyone's quiet time before work, school, and things of that nature... why was she answering? Why didn't she have it on silent? Why wasn't she at least trying to keep her voice down?

"The principal told you if I showed up in my custom uniform again he'd suspend me?" she drew out the words she wanted to for emphasis, followed by a penetrating chuckle. Her voice was smooth and slightly deep, and one thing Ia noticed about her speech was the lack of an accent... she was 100% Japanese, she knew her behavior was wrong.

Upon coming to the realization and letting everything fully sink in, her blood began to boil... how can a person know what they are doing is disrespectful, and still do it? She was disrupting every individual person on this train! How was Ia going to do her best at school once she arrived at her stop, knowing these... these people exist! "No way, how dare that old man! He realizes that'd be a vacation for me, though, right?" she paused for a few seconds, most likely listening to the receiver's sentences, before letting out another piercing giggle. "Oh, I'm coming to school, don't worry! If he suspends me who cares, I'll have more time for my art anyway. Plus, you really think I'm gonna let that asshole win?" she smirked, her vulgar words gushing out for everyone to hear.

The sound of the train alerting the passengers of the next stop approaching added to the noise of the vehicle, as Ia intently watched the business men and women begin to grab their items. She desperately wished this could be her stop too, she wanted off more than anything in that moment. She just wanted to go to school so this nightmare could be put to an end...

Upon hearing the doors open, the introvert decided that an extra bit of exercise could be beneficial for her physical and mental health. Without looking back, Ia got off at a stop early. She would still arrive on time.

The fifth time their paths met, she was left with merely the thought of her. Ia silently wondered if the lavender girl had gotten suspended after what she heard... eavesdropping. It was not like that was what she had intended to do, and it was not like she enjoyed it, either. She simply took notice of her absence on the morning train - any human would, especially when referring to a person who caused a ruckus.

Ia tried to relax, she really did, as she sank back into her seat as she limply held her untouched book, but it was pointless being relieved. Even if their previous encounter was truly the last time they would meet (which she had doubts of it being), she already knew too much. She felt as if she knew her entire life story practically, and Ia didn't want to be involved... yet she was, with a bad kid she gave a nickname, at least in her mind.

Perhaps the lavender girl didn't pay attention to her prying irises. Maybe she knew but didn't care; that attitude seemed like her behavior. No matter what outcome the light blonde thought of, she still felt... off about the situation. Almost like the extrovert's presence still lingered even if she wasn't physically there, and it bothered her to no end. Ia didn't want to get angry, there was no reason to since some people never change - besides, she didn't know the lavender girl personally. But knowing how recklessly she was living, with no disregard for other people... well, it was incapable of making Ia feel apathetic.

Ia played possible scenarios out in her head like they were on DVD. What if they happened to have the same stop one day, and she educated the lavender girl on why her behavior was careless as soon as they stepped off the train? Would she reject the idea, get upset, start a fight? Or would she be accepting, sympathetic, and understanding? Would they become enemies? Or would they befriend one another?

Or maybe... would they become something more?

—

"I'm home, One!" Ia called out to her sister, expecting her to be at the house by now. One was a few years younger than her, and while the elder attended a high school, the youth attended a middle school that got out a bit before her big sister's. Their parents were on constant business trips and practically worked nonstop due to their demanding jobs, so most of the time it was just the two of them. Because of that, Ia and One considered themselves to be closer than the average siblings, especially Ia. She took pride in being a good role model for her kid sister, and had a tendency of babying her a bit, even though One was growing up so fast. It was primal for Ia, since they were on their own from young ages.

She heard the sound of a TV being turned off and quiet footsteps, before the short haired girl revealed herself. "Welcome home, Ia!" her little sister warmly smiled followed by a bow, which Ia returned before removing her shoes. "Are you ready to study with me?" One asked kindly, recalling their tradition of studying together anytime they could. Ia acted as a teacher doing overtime, not only helping the younger girl with her homework, but sharing what they were learning in high school.

"Yes! Is your homework still in your bag?" One nodded to her sister's question. "One, you should at least go over it, even when I'm not home yet..." she semi-scolded her, knowing the girl had a tendency to goof off if her work wasn't urgently begging to be done.

One stuck her hands out in defense. "Hey! Just because it's currently in my bag doesn't mean I didn't look at it! I could've put it back in when I heard you come in, you know, to keep it safe!" she justified.

"I'll give you the benefit of the doubt," Ia giggled cutely, clutching onto her book bag that remained faithfully on her back. "Come on, let's head to the table. I want to know about your day before we get started, though," she softly stated, making her way to the kitchen table as One followed. Luckily, her little sister's bag already awaited their arrival, as it sat delicately in one of the chairs.

"Okay! Well, school was like it always is." She unzipped said item, pulling out the contents and pausing briefly while she arranged them. "Oh! I did see something interesting today! When I was walking home from school with my friend, we saw an amazing street performer! Like, she was playing a guitar and everything!" One gushed with an excited, starstruck tone that was hard to ignore. "I liked her mini concert so much I went up to compliment her, and when I did she said I could be in her band when I got older! Do you think she was serious?"

Ia smiled in response. While the older girl had a preference for classical, the younger girl was a big fan of bubblegum pop music. She imagined One in a pink, frilly dress (which was something One would never touch with a ten-foot pole. Odd, as she was a fan of people who wore such things), singing about her favorite kind of pudding among other girls her age, when Ia heard the word 'band.' Idols are supposed to be good influences for children, right?

While her first instinct was to say something along the lines of 'You should put your studies first!' she refrained. Perhaps it would be positive for her little sister to have an interest in that sort of thing. Maybe Ia could be just the tiniest bit of 'lax' in that moment, even if she wasn't fully aware of what was coming over her. Was it... okay to have a dream not involving something academic? She didn't know, but... she didn't need to bring that up to One.

"I'm sure she was," Ia affirmed. "Who knows, maybe you'll be the next..." She stuck her finger out, trying to remember the name of a famous idol. "Hatsune Miku!"

One let out a squeal. "You really think so? I love her!"

"Yes! But, you know, Miss Hatsune focused on her studies before she became an idol sensation."

"Hey, you don't read her magazine articles like I do! You don't know that!" the youth protested.

"One... are you saying your schoolwork doesn't matter?" Ia growled in a low voice, mostly joking, but she would have been lying if she said there wasn't truth there.

"N-No!" she added faster than a lightning strike, stuttering. "I'm- I was- I meant- I'm sorry, Ia..."

"I'm kidding! Your big sister can joke around sometimes," she replied, finally sitting down after what seemed like an eternity of standing, and pulled out her own learning material.

One cracked half a grin. "I know… oh, speaking of school, I need to tell you what I'm learning about in history!" Ia ears perked up. Was she having trouble? Was she enjoying it? Did she want to write an essay just for the fun of it? She could barely wait to hear what she would say. "Okay, so, some people in the old days were dumb!"

And after shooting off the first sentence, she began giving her opinion on the material in her own unique way. Ia wanted to scold her on the use of the word 'dumb' since it didn't fit the important, educational environment, but... One was a good kid. And if this was her way of learning about something as dire as history, she could allow it.

At least she knew One would never be like that lavender girl. She would never have even the slightest interest in that behavior.

That was something that made her big sister proud.

—

The sixth time their paths met, the lavender girl wore a shiny, expensive looking guitar on her back. It was pitch black, decorated with small red stripes here and there, and was clearly treasured. Even though they had never conversed, somehow Ia knew that wasn't because of a school music class. Actually, she had a bizarre guttural feeling she wasn't going to school at all that day - or possibly forever. She wasn't thrilled to see the lavender girl's return, and the more they encountered each other, the more Ia grew tired of having her own emotions raptured because of the situation. It was like the longer she was away, Ia felt something missing without her, and she didn't know why.

She couldn't bear the thought, therefore she forced herself to pretend like the young woman wasn't there - both on the train, and on the Earth. She would never, ever have the courage to say something to her, giving herself some mild peace.

Ia's whole personality existed in her head. She would never talk to anyone, whether or not the subject was good or bad; earning her the reputation as the stereotypical 'quiet girl' at school. She had plenty of love and a big will to share it, but in previous grades, the other kids would go on about how she was 'weird.' They thought the way she was always alone was odd and unapproachable, her constant silence made her creepy, and she was even picked on for her physical appearance. They made jokes about how Ia was a ghost haunting the academy building, that the reason she was different was because she wasn't human. She guessed, somehow, the rumors and teasing carried onto high school.

No one would ask her for notes. Not many people would spare a simple 'Hello," or "Good morning," probably out of lack of familiarity. As she didn't have the courage, feared rejection, and the lack of social interaction pushed her further into a hole of nervousness regarding social situations, she wouldn't do anything about this.

She was simply an observer to the world. Only learning what higher ups provided for her, never creating anything on her own. She didn't hang out with people who weren't One, or some kind of person related to her. After she thought about it, she really only went out when other people wanted her to. Sometimes she worried she didn't know the meaning of that saying - 'hang out.'

Although, it was fine like that. It was just her personality, she thought, and something like that shouldn't and couldn't change. Living a life full of twists, turns and excitement was for others, not Ia.

And before she knew it, the train arrived at her stop.

It would be another ordinary day for her.