Her Rebirth.

Amelia sighed, dropping her pencil onto the table. Scattered across the surface were sketches, half-finished designs, and crumpled sheets of discarded ideas. Fashion Week was approaching fast, and now that she was co-designing with Damien, the workload had doubled.

She stretched her arms, rolling her shoulders to ease the stiffness. When she glanced at the clock, she realized it was already 6 p.m. He had mentioned going to the café earlier. If he was on the evening shift, he was probably going to come back by 9 p.m.

Tapping her fingers idly against the table, she frowned. The house felt oddly empty without him.

Maybe she should go to the café? She wasn’t particularly hungry, but she could read a book to pass the time.

With that decision made, Amelia quickly dressed and headed out.

---

The familiar scent of freshly brewed coffee greeted her as she pushed open the café door.

Her gaze immediately landed on Kai, only to find him smiling warmly at someone.

He was standing behind the counter, leaning slightly toward a young woman with a gentle smile on his face. Amelia recognized her, it was the same barista from one of her previous visits.

She wasn’t sure why, but something about that easy, warm smile that he showed her made her feel... unsettled.

Brushing the thought away, she walked toward him. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Kai noticed her immediately and turned his attention to her.

"Amelia? What are you doing here?"

"I got bored at home," she replied casually. "Thought I’d come by and pass the time."

Kai’s expression softened, but before he could respond, Annie turned toward Amelia, her eyes lighting up with recognition. Her gaze flickered between Amelia and Kai before lighting up with excitement.

"Oh! Brother Kai, is this your girlfriend?"

Amelia opened her mouth to deny it, but before she could, Kai smiled and said, "I guess you can say so."

Annie’s eyes widened with excitement. "No way! I really thought you’d stay single forever with the way you reject every girl who confesses to you and throw away lots of love letters . But it turns out you already had a girlfriend, that’s why you did it!"

Amelia raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Lots of love letters?"

Annie visibly tensed, realizing she might have said too much. "Ah—! I didn’t mean—"

However, unlike what she had expected to happen, Amelia merely nodded. "Well, that’s understandable. He is handsome, after all."

Both Kai and Annie looked completely dumbfounded.

"That’s enough, Annie. Haven’t you finished your shift?" Kai cut in smoothly.

Annie pouted. "You’re always kicking me out."

Ignoring her grumbling, Kai gently took Amelia’s wrist and led her toward the bookshelves before Annie could say anything else.

"You want your usual...?" he asked, scanning the shelves.

Amelia shook her head. "Something light today."

Kai hummed before pulling out a few options. "How about Seaside Romance? Or The Garden of Letters?"

She glanced at it but then reached for another book instead.

"Love Sick?" Kai read the title aloud. "Well, it’s a good one."

"I’ll take your word for it," she said simply, taking the book and heading to her usual spot.

A few moments later, Kai placed an espresso beside her, just as he always did. She offered a small smile in thanks before getting lost in her book.

Hours passed, and the café grew quieter as closing time approached.

As soon as it hit 9 p.m., Kai wiped down the counter, then gathered the trash, heading outside to dispose of it. As he neared the bins, a faint rustling sound caught his attention.

Frowning, he crouched down and pulled open one of the bags.

Inside was a small white kitten. It trembled lightly. A thin rope was tied around its frail limbs, and its fur was dirty and matted.

Kai’s expression darkened.

"What kind of bastard does this?" he muttered under his breath.

Loosening the knot carefully, he scooped up the kitten, cradling it gently in his hands. It let out a weak, pitiful meow, pressing against his palm as if seeking warmth.

"Poor thing," Kai murmured, his tone unusually soft. "Guess I found you just in time."

Amelia was just closing her book when she saw Kai walking toward her, something white and tiny curled in his hands.

"What’s that?" she asked, setting her book down.

Kai gently placed the kitten on the table. "I found it in the trash. Someone abandoned it."

Amelia’s brows furrowed as she reached out, running her fingers gently over the kitten’s soft fur. It shivered slightly but leaned into her touch, letting out a small purr.

"We should take it to a vet," she said firmly.

Kai nodded. "Yeah. But... should we keep it?"

Amelia smiled. "Why not? We can adopt it."

Kai smirked, rubbing the kitten’s tiny head. "Good idea. Then, we’re officially its parents."

Kai picked up the kitten again, adjusting it in his arms, and said, "Now, what should we name it?"

"You can name it," Amelia offered.

Kai thought for a moment, then suggested, "How about Snowball?"

Amelia wrinkled her nose. "Too cliché."

"Mr. Cat?"

"Really?"

"Mr. Fluff?"

Amelia stared at him, unimpressed. "You’re really bad at naming things."

Kai let out a defeated sigh. "Fine, you pick a name."

Amelia looked at it thoughtfully. "How about Cutiepootie?"

Kai looked at her, then let out a loud, amused laugh. "You are worse than me."

"Hey, it’s a cute name."

Kai clutched his stomach, unable to restrain himself.

Amelia looked at him, aggrieved. Cutiepootie was a nice name.

Once Kai stopped laughing, he looked at her again, a smile still on his face. "You get another chance. Pick again."

Amelia thought for a moment. "What about Poppy?"

Kai tilted his head. "Why?"

"Poppies represent hope."

Kai was silent for a moment before nodding. "Poppy, huh? I like it."

He cradled the kitten gently, rubbing its tiny ears as he murmured, "Poppy, you now have a new mom and dad."

Amelia stiffened slightly at that phrasing, feeling warmth creep up her neck.

Damn, don’t tell me I’m blushing because of this.