Considering I am such a sucker for childhood friends-to-lovers type stories, I suppose I'm surprised at how intrigued I am at this particular trope, considering its the exact opposite...

Well, maybe because usually the love-hate relationship tends to edge towards mutual understanding before the full-on lovefest? :P I think that people who dislike each other often see a truer picture of how the other really is. *shrugs* Just a theory.