Kalila Miracle Hart 

I'm in complete shock, my brain short-circuiting between disbelief and outright panic. He has to be talking about the cat, right? Right? Yeah, that's it. I must've misheard him. There's no way Carcel actually said that. Not him. Not to me.

My mind drifts, unbidden, back to that moment earlier. He had shrugged off his jacket, revealing that damn compression shirt underneath, and I couldn't help but notice how it hugged his body. The dark fabric stretched across his chest, defining every hard line and muscle in his torso, tapering down to his waist. It wasn't fair. He looked ridiculously good— strong like he could throw someone across the room without breaking a sweat.

Ugh, I hate it. I hate how I reacted. What was I even thinking? an then those words echo in my head again.

' like you.'

No, no, no—stop it, Kalila. You're losing your mind. There's no way he meant it like that. He's engaged, for crying out loud! Engaged! and his fiancée probably wants to strangle you into the next dimension right now. Carcel's just... messing with me. Playing mind tricks to get under my skin, like he always does. He couldn't have—he wouldn't—say that and mean it, right?

But what if he did?

I can feel my heart pounding, my thoughts spinning wildly out of control. What if he actually meant it? What if I didn't mishear? How do I just pretend nothing happened when every fiber of my being is screaming that something did? He literally made me wear his jacket, and now I'm wrapped in it, smelling like him.

And that's the worst part—I like it. His scent is overwhelming, and heavenly. It's like cedarwood and leather, warm and heady, and it's sinking into my skin. I'm losing it. I can't like it. I shouldn't like it. But I do. And the more I try to convince myself that this is all in my head, the harder it is to shake the thought that maybe, just maybe, he meant every word.

I had to remind myself—nothing good is going to come from this. When Ciel hears about all this? She's going to blow my head off, no doubt about it. And everything will spiral into a complete disaster. But maybe I'm wrong. I let out a nervous chuckle, trying to calm myself down. Right. Let's just assume he was talking to the cat. No need to jump straight into the pits of hell over this.

My phone beeped, snapping me out of my spiraling thoughts. Grateful for the distraction, I pulled it out, gently tucking the kitten into my pocket. I smiled down at him—he really is cute. I'll think of a name when we get home. For now, I opened the message from Evara

Come to the booth. Now.
Sent at 4:45 PM

What the—? My heart sank a little. It must be urgent. I checked on Mr. Cat in my pocket one last time. His tiny head was poking out, looking all cozy and snug. What a cutie.

"Hang on tight, little guy. We've got to run." I petted him lightly and took off toward the booth, my nerves racing just as fast as my legs.

When I got there, I saw the girls gathered in a tight group. What's happening? My heart was still pounding, not just from the running. I hoped the kitten was okay, cradled in my pocket.

"What happened?" I asked, struggling to catch my breath.

"Oh, where were you?" Evara paused, her eyes scanning my face like she was trying to figure out what I'd been up to.

"They're building the booth back again," Akira said, pointing over to the booth.

I turned to see it, and to my surprise, there were so many admin assistants working together. It didn't just look like they were fixing it—they were building a whole new booth from the ground up. No, scratch that—it looked like they were building a house. The sheer number of people and materials made it clear this was more than just a repair job.

"First off, are you alright?" Sumer asked, eyeing me as sweat dripped down my forehead. I was still catching my breath from running like a madwoman.

"Yeah, yeah," I panted, trying to steady myself. "I thought something bad happened, so I came as fast as I could." Akira and Sumer both turned to Evara with accusatory looks.

"What? I didn't say anything bad," Evara shrugged, totally unbothered by my mini heart attack.

"Anyway, what's going on here?" I asked, turning my attention to the scene unfolding in front of us.

"Well, we thought we'd be the ones rebuilding it," Evara said, glancing over at the admin assistants hard at work.

That's what I thought too. I had no idea the admin would send so many people to help a bunch of scholars rebuild a simple project. But even with Evara here, this was way too much. Six men? For a booth? That didn't seem right.

"Look at those lighting materials and the posters," Sumer pointed out. "We didn't have any of that before, did we?"

We all shook our heads in unison. What the hell is happening? This wasn't a simple booth rebuild. At this point, I didn't know if this was a good thing or a bad thing. 

"Uh, hey, excuse me!" Evara called out to one of the workers. He immediately walked toward us, his smile bright and cheery.

"Yes, ma'am?" he replied politely.

"What are you doing?" Evara asked bluntly. I sighed inwardly. Her communication skills could really use some work.

The worker tilted his head slightly, clearly confused. "Working?"

"No, what she means is that it looks like you're not rebuilding our old booth," I jumped in, trying to salvage the situation before Evara accidentally offended him.

"Oh, but Mr. Dawson firmly instructed us to rebuild it differently," he said innocently, as if that was the most natural thing in the world.

"Firmly?" I repeated, confused. The man nodded without hesitation.

"If you don't make it brand new and beautiful, I'll kill you all," he paused, hugging himself and shivering a little. "That's exactly what he said."

Our jaws dropped. No, he didn't just threaten this poor guy, did he? Doesn't Carcel realize people would take him seriously? He can't just throw around jokes like that—especially considering his status. People might actually think he'd follow through.

"Guys, you might not believe it, but I can literally hear Carcel's voice when he said those words," Sumer said, clutching her chest dramatically. "I think I might go crazy."

"Well, that's actually pretty normal, ma'am," the man responded to Sumer, nodding like he completely understood. "I still hear his voice too," he added, smiling politely.

"Are you alright?" Akira asked, clearly concerned for the poor guy's sanity. He just nod his head, still smiling.

"If there's nothing else you need, I'll take my leave," the man said before heading back to work. We all thanked him, but I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Poor guy. It was like he'd been traumatized by Carcel's intense personality.

"Well, I guess he's feeling guilty about what his fiancée did," Evara pointed out. "I didn't expect him to go this far, though."

I shifted nervously, trying to calm the growing unease in my stomach. He's doing it out of guilt, Kalila, don't be nervous. But I couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't just guilt.

"Speaking of which," Evara suddenly said, turning her sharp gaze to me, "That jacket looks familiar."

Damn it. Why does she have to be so insightful? I looked away, doing everything I could to avoid her piercing stare. My heart was racing again, and I could feel the heat rising to my face. There was no way I could explain this without making it worse.

"That's Carcel's jacket, right?" Evara asked, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow. Her gaze felt like a spotlight, and suddenly I felt like I was a kid caught stealing candy.

"I, uh..." Why was I stuttering so badly? "I borrowed it!" My voice came out louder than I intended.

"You're nervous," she said, leaning in closer, her sharp eyes never leaving mine. "Why is that?" Her question only made my heart race even more.

Get it together, Kalila!

"I borrowed it because I found him!" In a desperate move, I pulled the kitten from my pocket, practically shoving the little furball in front of me. Thankfully, the girls' attention immediately shifted to the kitten. 

Saved by Mr. Kitty.

The girls took turns holding the cat, and I breathed a small sigh of relief. Thankfully, the kitten didn't seem to mind being passed around, looking entirely content. He was friendly, purring softly, and—honestly—he was too cute for his own good.

"Where did you find him?" Sumer asked, her voice soft as she cradled the tiny ball of fluff.

"Just outside the main building," I said, shrugging. "I tried to look for his mom, but he seemed completely lost."

"Well, I wish I could raise a cat," Sumer said wistfully. "But I can't because I don't think the Sinclair's are too fond of having pets around."

"I actually tried raising one," Akira chimed in. "Her name was Sandy."

"You tried?" I asked, surprised.

Akira nodded. "I have seven huge dogs."

"Seven?" I nearly choked on my words. How did she even manage that?

"Yeah, they're cool with her, but they play really rough, and I was scared they might accidentally bite her head off because she's so small." She laughed, and we all joined in, chuckling at the ridiculous but somehow adorable mental image.

"How about you, Evara?" Akira asked, noticing Evara's intense focus on the kitten.

"I never really thought about it," Evara said, still gazing at the kitten with a newfound fascination. "But looking at this little guy... I might get one." She beamed, something rare and genuine lighting up her face. "Not now, though. I'm still busy moving into my new place."

Oh, right! I completely forgot I promised to help her pack. I winced, mentally kicking myself.

"Speaking of the kitten," I said, eager to change the subject, "he still doesn't have a name."

The girls immediately started throwing out ideas, eager to christen our new furry friend.

"Well, I named all my dogs after food," Akira said casually. "So it's easy."

"Tiny?" Sumer suggested, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "Because, you know, his tiny."

"But he'll probably grow," I said with a soft laugh.

"How about Theo James?" Evara said out of nowhere, her face lighting up as if she'd just come up with the world's best idea. We all burst into laughter.

"Why? I love him!" she defended, feigning offense.

"Definitely not naming him that," I said between laughs, shaking my head. "I'll think about it when I get home." 

"So, tomorrow's the last day of Foundation Day," Evara said, a determined glint in her eyes. "Let's give it everything we've got and ace this project." We all grinned, sharing a moment of excitement.

As much as I was happy to hear those words, a tiny part of me felt sad that it was all coming to an end. Despite the drama and all the complications we faced, I had fun—more fun than I'd expected. Sure, there were moments where I fucked up big time, but none of those mistakes left me with regret. Well, none yet.

Being this close to Carcel, though... that might be the one thing I end up regretting. But for now, it hasn't spiraled into any major disaster. Yet.

We all headed home, riding the high of anticipation for the last day of the event and our newly rebuilt booth. But honestly, what I was most excited about? My new little furball. I couldn't wait to settle him in properly, make sure he felt at home. I'd need to pick up some supplies this weekend—definitely going to spoil him.

And I'm absolutely bragging to Marco about him. I could already picture the jealous look on his face. That thought alone made me smile as I walked home, my heart lighter than it had been in a while.

"Aunt, I'm home!" I called out as I stepped into the living room, feeling a surge of excitement. Aunt Kenzie popped her head out from the kitchen, smiling warmly.

"Oh, hi darling. How was school?" she asked, returning to whatever she was cooking.

"You won't believe what I found!" I said, almost bouncing with excitement as I made my way toward the kitchen. "I found a kitten!"

I carefully pulled the tiny kitten from my pocket, holding him up for her to see like I'd just discovered the most precious treasure. His little head peeked out, eyes wide and curious. I beamed, waiting for her reaction.

Aunt Kenzie's eyes widened, and for a moment, I thought she was thrilled, just as I'd hoped. But her expression quickly changed—her eyes squeezed shut, and she let out a massive sneeze. Then another. My stomach dropped.

Oh fuck.

My heart sank as the sneezing fit hit her hard, and it hit me harder—I'd forgotten. How could I forget? Aunt Kenzie was allergic to cats! The joy from just moments ago turned into full-blown panic.

"Aunt Kenzie!" I gasped, quickly scrambling to put the kitten back into my pocket. "I'm so sorry, I forgot!" I rushed the little guy upstairs to my room, feeling like a complete idiot.

I bolted back down to help her, my chest tightening with guilt. She was still sneezing when I handed her the allergy medicine, and I stood there, watching her suffer because of my carelessness.

"I'm so, so sorry," I said, my voice trembling, on the verge of tears. My excitement now felt like a slap in the face. How could I be so thoughtless? All I wanted was to share this little joy with her, but instead, I'd made her feel miserable.

"It's alright, honey, I'm fine now" Aunt Kenzie reassured me after taking the medicine, her voice soft between sniffs. She looked at me, giving me the gentlest smile despite her watery eyes. "We can still keep the cat. Just keep her in your room, and everything will be fine."

But her kindness only made the guilt worse. I nodded, forcing a smile, but I could barely hold back the tears that were threatening to spill. How could I let something like this slip my mind? She was just trying to make me feel better, but I knew deep down that I'd messed up.

After dinner, I trudged upstairs to check on the kitten. He was curled up on my bed, fast asleep. He looked so peaceful, so content, probably tired or full—after all, the girls had stuffed him with food before they went home. My heart softened as I watched his tiny chest rise and fall. He's so cute.

I couldn't help myself; I picked him up gently, cradling him in my arms. His warmth made me feel so connected to him already, and that realization hit me harder than I expected.

"I'm sorry, buddy," I whispered, my throat tightening. "But I can't keep you." The words shattered something inside me. How did I get attached to him this quickly? I sighed heavily, feeling the weight of my decision press down on me. My hands tightened around my phone as I reluctantly pulled it out.

"It's alright," I murmured more to myself than to the kitten, who was oblivious in his dreamy little world. "You're going to be in great hands." I forced a deep breath and opened my contacts, scanning for anyone who could take him in.

Okay, Akira has seven dogs, no way. I scrolled down. Sumer can't raise pets because of her family. Evara? Still moving... The list was shrinking, and fast. I kept going: Ashton—no. Aunt Kenzie—definitely not. Jade... and that's it.

Damn it... I forgot I don't have many friends.

I let out a frustrated sigh, sinking deeper into the realization that I was running out of options. My chest squeezed as I mentally screamed at myself. I'm seriously doomed.

But then—almost out of reflex—I scrolled to his name. I stared at it for what felt like forever, my thumb hovering over the call button. I still have him and press down the call. But as the phone started ringing, I immediately regretted it. 

What am I doing?

It rang once... twice... I should hang up. My thumb moved towards the screen just as—

"Hello?"

Oh fuck.

"Uh... hi," 

I blurted awkwardly, already feeling like I'd made the biggest mistake of my life.

There was a pause. 

"I'm sorry, who's this?"

I almost choked on my breath. He didn't save my number?

"It's, uh... it's me, Kalila." 

My voice cracked, and I cringed inwardly. This was already going downhill fast. There was some muffled noise on the other end before a new voice came on. 

"Hey, Carcel, someone's calling." 

"Uh, may I know who I'm speaking to?"

I blinked, trying to make sense of it. Wait, this isn't Carcel?

"I'm Jordan, Carcel's friend. I'm sorry, but I think he's already sleeping. He doesn't like to be woken up." 

Jordan's tone was casual, but it only made my heart sink lower. Of course, he's asleep. I should've known.

"Oh... it's alright," 

I said, struggling to mask my disappointment. 

"But could you tell him I have an urgent matter? Ask him to call me back if he can."

"Uh, yeah, sure."

"Thank you... good night." 

I hung up, my hand falling limply to my side as I stared at the kitten in my arms.

Great... now I've probably annoyed him too.