Reluctant Rivals

The rivalry between Jc-a bold, impulsive girl-and Aubrey-a meticulous perfectionist-traces back to their parents' generation. Fated to be rivals even before birth, their families own competing hardware stores that stand side by side, and their mothers and fathers harbor a deep-seated animosity toward one another. For this reason, Jc and Aubrey have clashed in every conceivable competition since childhood.

Everything shifts when they turn twelve. Jc's younger sister, Cream, slips into a nearby pond and begins to drown. Terrified and stunned, Cream is mere moments from disaster when Aubrey acts without hesitation, diving into the water to pull her to safety. From that day forward, their dynamic transforms. Though they maintain the pretense of being enemies in public, the genuine hatred between them fades entirely.

In tenth grade, fate draws them closer when they are placed in the same school music band. But when Aubrey's family uncovers their growing bond, she is sent away to a distant boarding school, tearing the two apart.

Two years later, their paths cross once more at university: Jc is elected freshman class president of the Faculty of Engineering, while Aubrey leads the freshman class of the Faculty of Architecture-two departments with a long-standing rivalry of their own. When Cream learns of this, she pleads with Jc not to let old tensions harm Aubrey, reminding her of the life she saved years ago.

Trouble erupts when their respective friend groups engage in physical brawls, prompting school officials to issue a stark warning: further fighting will result in severe consequences. As leaders of their groups, Jc and Aubrey resolve to work together to keep their friends apart. In the course of coordinating their efforts, their connection deepens, and they eventually fall in love. They begin dating in secret, concealing their relationship from friends and family-until they are discovered, and must confront the fallout from everyone they hold dear.