Frienemy

Ian stepped into the classroom, and fate delivered its cruel joke with surgical precision. There, standing behind the teacher's desk, was the face that had haunted countless family gatherings, his uncle.

Pak Iwan's eyes found him immediately, that familiar look of disdain settling into his features like an old habit. Ian's chest tightened as memories flooded back, every sneer, every comparison to his more successful cousins, every moment he'd been made to feel small.

"Don't bring shame to our family name."

The words hit the air with the exact same tone, the exact same dismissive weight Ian remembered from his past life. His uncle hadn't even bothered to acknowledge him as a nephew, just another student to be reminded of his inadequacy.

But something had shifted inside Ian. Where once shame would have burned in his stomach, now there was only cold recognition. This was his past repeating itself, demanding the same old dance of humiliation and defeat.

Not this time.

Ian straightened his shoulders and met his uncle's gaze with steady indifference. He had more important things to focus on than an old man's petty cruelty. This life would be different.

During lunch break, Ian surveyed his classmates with careful eyes. Everyone looked exactly the same, seventeen years younger, full of the same dreams and anxieties he remembered. His fingers drummed against his desk as conflicting thoughts battled in his mind. He wanted to change everything, to grab life by the throat and shake it into submission. But what if his actions rippled outward, altering not just his fate but theirs as well?

After minutes of internal debate, he finally stood and walked toward someone. Aulya sat there, the same studious girl with wire-rimmed glasses and a neat ponytail, his eternal academic rival. In their past life, she'd claimed first place while he'd settled for second, a fact that had always gnawed at him.

"You're Aulya, right?" Ian kept his voice casual, friendly.

She looked up, surprised by the approach. "Yes... and you're Ian?"

"I was wondering if you'd like to study together after school? We could tackle Pak Iwan's assignment at the library."

Her eyebrows rose slightly. "Study together?" She seemed to consider it, then shook her head apologetically. "I'm sorry, but I have to head straight home today."

"No problem." Ian turned to leave, already mentally preparing his next move.

"Wait," Aulya called out, making him pause. "If you really want to study together... you could come to my house instead? I mean, if that works for you."

Ian blinked, caught off guard. This wasn't how he remembered their relationship starting. "Are you sure that's okay?"

"Yeah, it's fine."

As he nodded his agreement, Ian felt a mixture of satisfaction and uncertainty. He wasn't seeking revenge against Aulya, quite the opposite. Despite remembering the next seventeen years, his academic knowledge had grown hazy with time. He needed to lock in, to rebuild the foundation he'd once taken for granted. And Aulya, brilliant as she was, could be the key to achieving that goal.

After school end, Ian found himself standing in front of an apartment building, still processing the surreal turn his day had taken. In his past life, he and Aulya had been nothing more than academic rivals, exchanging polite nods and the occasional small talk, never friends, barely even acquaintances. Yet here he was.

The door opened to reveal an elderly woman with a warm, welcoming smile. Instinctively, Ian reached for her hand and brought it to his forehead in the traditional Indonesian greeting of respect. The woman's eyes widened in pleasant surprise while Aulya burst into laughter behind her.

"I'm Ian, Bu," he said respectfully.

"Ian..." Aulya giggled, "she's my maid, not my mom."

Heat rushed to Ian's face. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Miss. I didn't know—"

"It's perfectly fine, dear," the woman chuckled, clearly charmed by his politeness. "Come inside."

The living room was spacious but oddly quiet, with no signs of parents anywhere. Curiosity got the better of him. "Are your parents still at work?"

Aulya's expression grew softer. "My father works in the United States. And my mom... she passed away."

"I'm sorry." The words felt inadequate.

"It's okay." She shrugged with practiced ease. "I'm not completely alone though."

"You live with just your maid?"

"I prefer to think of her as my older sister. We've known each other since I was born." A genuine smile crossed her face. "Anyway, you can wait in that room while I change clothes."

Ian stepped into what he assumed was a study room and immediately froze. A PlayStation 3 sat prominently on a shelf, surrounded by stacks of comic books. He'd never known this side of Aulya existed. Curious, he picked up one of the comics, an English edition, not even translated into Bahasa Indonesia.

"Find something interesting?"

Ian spun around as Aulya entered, now dressed casually with her hair loose around her shoulders. She looked... different. More relaxed. More beautiful.

What the hell am I thinking? he chided himself internally.

"Ian? You okay?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to go through your stuff without permission."

"It's fine." She set down a tray of snacks and noticed him glancing at the PlayStation. "Oh, you play games too?"

"Well, I want to, but I don't even have a PS2," Ian admitted with a sheepish grin.

"Really?" Aulya's eyes lit up. "My father bought this for me last year. We could play after we finish our assignment, if you want."

"That sounds great, but let's finish the homework first."

"Good thinking," she smiled.

An hour later, they had breezed through their assignment with the ease of natural academic rivals. Ian stretched in his chair, impressed by how smoothly they worked together, although he shouldn't have been surprised, considering they were destined to be the top two students in their class.

"Want to try that FIFA game now?" Aulya asked, already reaching for the controllers.

"Sure, but I should warn you. I'm pretty decent at this."

Twenty minutes later, Ian stared at the screen in disbelief. The scoreline read 4-1 in Aulya's favor, and it hadn't even been close.

"Damn, you're really good at this," he said, shaking his head.

"You weren't bad either," Aulya replied with a modest shrug, though her eyes sparkled with satisfaction.

Ian set down his controller, suddenly feeling guilty. "Hey, am I keeping you from your usual study time? I don't want to mess up your routine."

Aulya burst out laughing. "Study time? This is literally the first time I've studied at home."

"Wait, what?" Ian blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I hate studying at home. I prefer to just pay attention in class and relax when I'm here." She gestured around the room. "Home is for games and comics."

"But... I always thought you were this total bookworm."

"Because of the glasses?" she asked, amused.

"Well, yeah." And because you always get first place, he thought, but kept that to himself.

"Don't judge a cover by its book," she said with a grin.

"You switched that up!"

"Did I really just—" Aulya's eyes widened before she dissolved into laughter.

Ian found himself laughing along, genuinely enjoying her company. This side of Aulya, relaxed, funny, and surprisingly competitive at video games was completely unknown to him from his past life. Back then, she'd been nothing more than the studious girl who consistently outranked him. Now he was beginning to see her as she really was, someone who could not only help him academically, but might actually become a real friend.