The evening had gone perfectly—almost suspiciously so. My stomach was full of katsudon, my room still smelled faintly like chocolate cake, and for once, my head was clear. I was sprawled out on my bed, staring at the ceiling and letting myself bask in the victory of making it into UA.

I mean, sure, there was the looming reality of hero training and Kacchan being...well, Kacchan. But that was a tomorrow problem. Tonight was about savoring the rare taste of triumph.

That was until I heard it.

"Mew."

I froze. My head snapped toward the window like it had just personally insulted me. And there it was. The cat. That cat. Perched on my windowsill like it owned the place, its fluffy violet and green jacket practically glowing under the moonlight. Its white-paint-like markings around its eyes gave it an expression of perpetual smugness, and I could almost feel it judging me.

"Oh, no. No, no, no," I muttered, sitting up and pointing an accusing finger at it. "You are not real. You are a figment of my overworked brain. Probably a side effect of too much cake."

"Mew!"

The cat tilted its head, its tail flicking back and forth as if it were laughing at my pitiful attempts to deny its existence. I turned away, determined to ignore it. Maybe if I just refused to acknowledge its existence, it would poof out of reality like a bad dream.

But nope.

"Mew!"

"Stop it," I hissed, throwing a pillow at the window. The cat dodged it effortlessly, clearly finding my attempt at an attack more amusing than threatening. "You're not supposed to be here. Go away. Shoo. Scram!"

Instead of doing any of that, the cat leapt gracefully into my room, landing on my desk like it had been invited. Its paws made a soft tapping sound on the wood as it sauntered over to my pile of notes from earlier.

I stared at it, my hands gripping the edge of my bed. "I swear, if you knock over my study notes, I'm—"

"Oh, don't worry," the cat interrupted in a voice that was way too smug for its own good. "I'm just here to congratulate you."

I blinked. "Wait. What?"

The cat looked up at me, its eyes gleaming with a mischievous twinkle. "Oh yes, Izuku Midoriya, congratulations! You've managed to secure another team member. Not bad for someone with zero experience in this whole magical girl thing."

I groaned, rubbing my temples. "Please, for the love of everything sane, tell me you're not talking about—"

"Corvus Elegance!" The cat chirped, practically purring with excitement.

I nearly choked. "Wait. You're talking about Overhaul? The literal Yakuza boss?"

The cat batted its tail playfully. "Yup! The very same. And you, dear Izuku, have somehow managed to rope him into your magical girl squad."

I stared at it like it had just sprouted another head. "That wasn't brilliance! That was...impulse! A terrible, life-threatening impulse!"

"And yet, it worked," the cat said with a devil-may-care grin. "You subdued him! Corvus Elegance may not have fully realized it yet, but he's already part of your team. What an unexpected twist!"

I groaned louder, throwing my hands up in exasperation. "This is the worst. Why him? Why Overhaul? I'm gonna get murdered in my sleep!"

The cat leaned in closer, its whiskers twitching. "Oh, don't be so dramatic, Izuku. You made an impression. A lasting one, no less. And now, Corvus Elegance is bound to you."

I was shaking my head, half in disbelief and half in dread. "This isn't real. This isn't happening. You're just messing with me. I'm gonna wake up tomorrow, and this whole thing is going to be some crazy fever dream."

"Oh, I don't think so," the cat purred. "This is real, all right. And if you think you're going to get out of this without any consequences, think again. It's already done. The magic girl bond has been formed."

I blinked. "Magic girl bond? You're really going all in with this, huh?"

The cat's ears perked up, its eyes gleaming with excitement. "Oh, I'm all in, Izuku. This is just the beginning. You've got a team now. A powerful team."

I rubbed my face in frustration. "I don't want a team! I don't even want this whole magical girl thing! I just wanted to make it through UA without having a mental breakdown!"

"Too bad, you're stuck with it!" The cat leapt off the desk and trotted over to the window, giving me a cheeky glance over its shoulder. "But hey, don't worry. You've got this, Izuku. After all, you managed to wrangle in Corvus Elegance. You'll do just fine."

With that, it leapt out of my window, vanishing into the night as if it had never been there.

I let out a long, exhausted sigh, flopping back onto my bed. "This isn't real. It can't be real. Overhaul. On my team. I'm going to die."

And yet...there was a part of me that couldn't help but wonder...just how much more chaotic this could get.