AN: This is not a new chapter, nor is it a sequel to the previous one. I just felt that the previous one belonged in this story more than it did the story I originally wrote it for, since it's Neo/Weronika (Neonika)

"Ay! Yo! Neo! How 'bout that competition we talked about earlier?" Weronika slung herself over the banister and landed with a loud THUD in front of the other girl. Neo barely even quirked an eyebrow at Weronika's… rather grandiose choice of entrance. Weronika was undeterred, flashing a wide, toothy grin at Neo, a silent challenge making her eyes shine like twin flames. Maybe to an outsider, they were as different as sun and moon, fire and ice, day and night, but their hearts beat the same way, and they both knew it.

"What do your eyes see?" Neo asked the day they met.

"The Hell does that even mean!?" Weronika scoffed, crossing her arms and glaring warily at the stranger—the snobby, ugly, little upstart—that dared usurp her throne after just a single song. Weronika was in even LESS of a mood for riddles than normal. "I'm aiming for the world, baby! Bigger, brighter, and better than you'll ever be! All I gotta do is steal back the vote you stole from me, and I'll be golden!"

Neo finally smirked at Weronika, the corners of her lips twitching up by just three centimeters, just like their very first encounter. Elsie and Sophia stood behind Neo, aghast and confused as to why she would choose a fourth and final member in a girl so crass and antagonistic. But that was because they didn't know Neo as well as they thought they did. Neo saw a spark in Weronika, and like a moth to a flame, she knew she wanted the other girl in her collection. Friends close, enemies closer.

Stupid, stubborn, bearish, bullheaded Weronika accepted without a second thought. At first, she was a little put off by Neo's invitation to join Abyssmare, but as soon as Neo issued it as a challenge, Weronika couldn't say no.

"All right!" She finally snapped, clenching a hand into a fist and raising it by her face. "I'll join your stupid, sissy band! But only to prove to you four losers that I'm still the best!"

Even though she was talking to all of Abyssmare, including their manager, Sho, she had eyes only for Neo, and Neo had eyes only for her.

"U-uh-uhh… Neo-sama… Why do you keep accepting Weronika's challenges?" Sophia asked timidly.

"Rather, why haven't you two challenged me to anything?"

Ever since the day they met, Neo kept Weronika around, scarcely acknowledging her existence even though Weronika was otherwise very hard to miss or ignore. And as much as Neo's icy silence burned Weronika, she never stopped trying to steal her legacy back from the other girl. Today was no different, save that this time, Weronika's choice of challenge was very out of the ordinary, especially for Neo.

I'd rather beat her at something SHE'S good at, but… Weronika hated to admit it, her luck against Neo was nonexistent. Even if the victory wasn't as sweet, by that point, Weronika was willing to cut her losses and challenge Neo at something she was good at. And just what did she pick? Boxing. Not beat-boxing, nothing musical today, but actual punching-and-kicking boxing. In her head, the bearish girl grinned wolfishly as she punched her palm as hard as she could.

"So, Neo, whaddaya say? Still too scared to against me? I wouldn't blame—"

"Sure."

"Wh-wh-WHAAA?!"

"Come now, Weronika, do not tell me you are surprised I agreed." Neo flashed Weronika a tiny, cocky smirk. It was a rare thing, something that only Weronika typically got to see, although it was obvious she didn't realize how special that must've made her.

"N-no! It's not that!" Weronika looked away, cursing herself in her head. "Just didn't think you'd agree so quickly!" Yes, Neo was competitive, but she typically liked to protect her Ice Queen personality and reputation.

By contrast, Weronika fancied herself a Fire Goddess! She expected goading Neo into the challenge to be a challenge all its own, and yet Neo completely stole that thunder from her! Well, whatever, I was gonna pound her into the mat anyway… "Let's go!" she grumbled. A still-smirking Neo followed her silently to the school's gym.

Several minutes later, they'd switched out of their normal clothing for the gym uniforms and boxing gear. Intentionally, Elsie and Sophia would not be present. Even though Weronika typically liked a crowd to celebrate her triumphs with her, she knew that Sophia would spend the entire time freaking out watching her throw punches at Neo's face, and Elsie… Well…

That annoying little rat can stay put! She'd never set foot in a place like this… Though for once, Weronika had to agree. High school gyms were hardly the cream of the crop in terms of style or comfort (or hygiene). But that aside, Elsie was just annoying in general. And…

There was something more… intimate and personal about it just being her and Neo… Did it raise the stakes? For some reason, a tiny part of Weronika thought so. "Well, Neo? C'mon! Whatcha waiting for? You get scared? Did the Ice Princess get cold feet?" she teased.

While she was already out and on the mat, Neo was still in the locker room. But another minute later, she glided out with the same languid expression as always. Weronika, meanwhile, felt her jaw and stomach drop, eyes widening slowly. Woah…

Although Weronika never would've admitted it to anyone, even herself, Neo was objectively attractive. The school's Ice Queen absolutely turned heads. But seeing her now, like this, in the gym uniform… No way… I didn't know she had abs like that… Where did she get those?! I know she has to stay in shape because she's a performer and all, but DAMN! I don't think I've ever seen her at any gym before…

A flash of indignation and worry coursed through Weronika. This was supposed to be an easy victory, and yet, already…

"Well, Weronika, scared?" Neo cocked an eyebrow, and her head, and affected yet another cocky smile as she punched her red gloves togethers.

"N-no!" Weronika straightened up and punched her blue gloves together. "Ready to beat your ass! How about you? You scared?!" she taunted.

"Not at all," Neo replied with a grim smile, and Weronika felt her heart jump in her chest because she knew Neo meant her words 100%. It was yet another Weronika loved about Neo, even though she had yet to figure out that it was "love".

Man, she really doesn't back down from ANYTHING! Weronika thought in disbelief, but a second later, Weronika lunged. She wasn't going to hold back. It was Neo's funeral if she wound up underestimating Weronika.

Neo smiled, body tense in anticipation. As soon as Weronika struck, she dodged nimbly out of the way. Good. She isn't holding back.

Of course, Neo knew Weronika's pride would never let her, but it was still refreshing to witness. The usual crowd Neo hung with were more reflective of Elsie and Sophia, the people who called her "-sama" and were always too afraid to go against her. Typically, Neo liked the confidence boost their cowardice and submissiveness afforded her, but sometimes…

Weronika howled in despair as Neo continued to effortlessly dodge her every strike. Even in the few times Weronika did manage to land a solid punch, Neo would block it or shake it off quicker than she should've been able to.

"Cheater! How are you so good at this?!" Weronika whined as she continued her onslaught offensive. It was relentless enough that a normal student would've folded long ago, but Neo was far from normal.

"Strength training," Neo replied with a smirk. It was exactly as Weronika speculated. Being a performer required more physical capability than it seemed. Neo just preferred private trainers to gyms, hence why Weronika never saw her at any. But it was more than just Neo's past experience with working out that made her so unusually fit.

I can see the way Weronika looks at me, and other students, whether she realizes it or not… Neo's decision to come out of the locker room in only short black shorts and a red sports bra was premeditated. She smiled grimly. Typically, she was not one to fight in this way, to use that particular physical charm of hers, but with Weronika, she would make an exception. Let's dance!

Neo finally took her turn to get in the first swing, catching Weronika by surprise and scraping her chin with a punch.

"Not bad!" The words left Weronika's mouth before they left her brain. A second later, she looked ready to slap her blue glove over her face.

"Thanks," Neo smirked, knowing exactly why Weronika's eyes had widened in such horror and humiliation.

"Shut up!" Weronika growled, then she swung again, but Neo was somehow picking up the pace after all of her evasion tactics earlier and she answered Weronika blow for blow.

As frustrated as Weronika became the longer the match was drawn out, she was lost in the dance of battle and continued to throw hands with Neo long after the hands of the clock signaled the end of their allotted gym time. The only reason they stopped was because Neo finally decided that she'd had enough. She allowed Weronika to swing a few more times, luring her into a steady, repetitive attack pattern. Then, as soon as she was ready, Neo broke the chain and gave a right hook. This time, it did more than graze Weronika's chin.

"OW!" She cursed as she dropped to the ground, jaw feeling like rubber from the blow.

"I guess that means I win." Neo stared down at her, face and voice flat, but Weronika knew that she was burning in the flames of glory and triumph on the inside, no longer the Ice Queen she once was.

That was supposed to be MY fire! "How? HOW?!" That entire competition had been a setup, hadn't it? Weronika glared at Neo's abs.

But Neo only shrugged, still playful and teasing even though an outsider would've seen no emotion from her.

"W-well, first is the worst, second is the best! I lasted longer than you!" Weronika was still flat on her ass on the gym mat, shaking a blue gloved fist up at the blonde towering and smirking over her.

"If that is what helps you sleep and night and makes you feel just a little bit closer to me, a little more like a winner…" She extended a red glove to the blue one. For a moment, Weronika recoiled with a hiss and snarl, but Neo only gave a soft huff of laughter.

Are you really going to be so petty, Separack? Her teasing blue eyes asked as her eyebrow and lips quirked.

N-no… Weronika pouted. In her heart, she wanted nothing more than to unleash the sorest loser that Neo had ever seen, but she knew Neo would never let her live it down if she did. And as much as Weronika would deny it, she did care what Neo thought about her. They were rivals, after all, so in that way, they had to be equals too. Or at the very least, they couldn't be too far out of one another's league. That would've been lame!

But even though Weronika was a consistent loser in every engagement they had, Neo did not consider Weronika as inferior, at least not significantly. I am the best, the blonde thought smugly, however, she is only one ladder rung beneath me.

In Weronika's mind, she should've been at least one above, but she was lucky Neo didn't place her any lower, where everyone else was.

Come along, Weronika, you may not yet be ready to rule by my side, but perhaps someday… It made Neo smirk even harder, knowing how disgusted Weronika would be if Neo ever voiced that sentiment out loud (not that she would, they both had images to uphold).

"Oh, wipe that smug, stupid smirk off your face before I do!" Weronika growled as Neo hauled her up. They were standing face to face, sweaty, breathing hard, chests nearly touching as they heaved. A blue boxing glove rested in a red one for far longer than it meant to, just as a dark red gaze lingered on a bright blue one far longer than it meant to. But Neo's impossibly soft chuckle was loud when Weronika was standing so close. There was nothing else except silence, and Weronika's ears were, for better or worse, finely tuned to catch Neo's voice.

"What?" she demanded, at last breaking the silence. Neo only shrugged and cocked her head at the gym door, dropping Weronika's hand at the same time. Weronika made a comically disgusted face upon realizing that she'd still been resting her hand in Neo's, and she cursed herself for not being the first one to let go. Man, why am I such a LOSER?! Ever in second place.

But Neo would've begged to differ. Perhaps it is as she said. First is the worst, second is the best. The irony made her chuckle again, but this time, Weronika didn't hear it over the sound of Neo clicking off the gym lights while Weronika closed the door behind them.

AN: I know the "canon" ships are Neo/Sophia and Elsie/Weronika because of D4's habit of pairing the vocalists and DJs (and then pairing the spares, LOL) but TBH, I prefer Neo/Weronika because I prefer their dynamic, even though I haven't written much for it.