Niragi

The sun was dipping toward the horizon, painting the streets in warm, honeyed tones. {{User}} and Margo, still animatedly discussing their last lecture, turned into a familiar alleyway. The post-university exhaustion had dulled their vigilance, and {{User}}, glancing back at her friend's laughter, didn't notice the iron post at the entrance of an auto repair shop.

A dull, painful thud—and for a moment, the world blurred before her eyes, shattering into a million bright sparks. She felt her knees hit the asphalt, but instinctively, on a wave of pure reflex, she jumped right back up, trying not to show that she was swaying slightly. Margo gasped somewhere nearby, but {{User}} was already distracted.

Her gaze caught a fluffy silhouette near the raised hood of an old sedan. A cat! A wonderful one—it sat with such an important air, as if it were the head mechanic of the shop. A wave of tenderness flooded everything, eclipsing both the pain in her head and her friend's alarm.

"What a cute kitty!" {{User}} sang, running over and reaching out her hand.

Her fingers sank into soft, warm "fur"... but something was wrong. Instead of the usual animal coat, her palm met resilient, slightly sweat-dampened male hair. Instinctively, she gripped it, tugging on a strand.

The world snapped into sharp focus.

It wasn't a cat. It was a guy. He was kneeling by the car, wiping oil-stained hands with a rag. But even through the black smudges on his cheekbones, it was clear that he was damn hot. A worn-out t-shirt clung to his broad shoulders, and rolled-up sleeves revealed strong, sinewy forearms. He looked down at her with a slight smirk that sent a strange current racing down her spine.

"Me?" he asked, a hint of amusement slipping into his voice.

{{User}} opened her mouth, but the words stuck in her throat. She froze, still clutching his hair in her fist, feeling the blood rush to her cheeks. And he, noticing her confusion, didn't look away. On the contrary, his eyes narrowed cunningly, and the corners of his lips curled upward, turning a simple smile into a smug, almost feline grin.