3.ANGER AND HATRED

A few weeks later, Ty needed a break. He couldn't find peace at home, so he went somewhere quiet, away from distractions.

Meanwhile, Zoey had improved—she was now 60% human, but the remaining part of her still behaved like an animal. Her instincts remained strong, guiding her actions in unexpected ways.

That evening, she wandered upstairs in search of her room. The doors looked different, but she followed a familiar scent into one of them. Inside, the room smelled pleasant, comforting even. She headed straight for the wardrobe, digging through the clothes, searching for something specific, though she didn't know what.

She found trousers and, without thinking, forced her arms into them, stretching her hands outward. Rrrripp! The fabric tore apart instantly. She grabbed another pair, did the same, and shredded them too. Over and over, she tore through every trouser her hands touched, yet she still wasn't satisfied. Something was missing.

Eventually, realizing it wasn't here, she restored order as best as she could—placing the torn clothes back where she found them—before leaving to continue her search.

Hours later, Ty came back, feeling slightly refreshed. He walked straight to his room, rolling his shoulders to shake off the tension.

But something felt… off.

The air carried a different scent, and his wardrobe wasn't closed properly. His gaze lingered on it for a moment, but he shook his head, deciding it wasn't worth the trouble.

Too exhausted to care, he grabbed a pair of trousers from his wardrobe without paying attention and slipped them on. Unbothered, he walked downstairs.

The moment he stepped into the room, all eyes locked onto him. A heavy silence filled the space.

His boxers were visible.

Carlton's jaw dropped. Someone stifled a laugh. Whispers spread like wildfire.

"Who did this? Ty never dresses like this!"

Just as the shock settled, Zoey—guided purely by instinct—suddenly reached out and touched his butt.

Ty froze.

His expression darkened, muscles tensing. In a flash, he turned around, his gaze sharp and dangerous. Zoey stood there, her eyes curious but unreadable.

Without hesitation, Ty shoved her backward.

Zoey hit the ground, but she didn't flinch. Her head tilted slightly as if studying him.

Gasps echoed around the room. Everyone stopped cleaning, frozen in shock.

"What's going on?" someone finally dared to ask.

Ty's voice thundered, "Continue cleaning!"

Without another word, he spun on his heel and stormed back upstairs.

Back in his room, Ty yanked off the trousers and reached for another pair—but this time, he noticed something odd.

His entire wardrobe was a mess.

Trousers were turned inside out. His neatly folded clothes were ruffled. Even his special occasion trousers, which he kept safely tucked away in a box, were now wrinkled beyond saving.

Ty clenched his jaw.

Someone had touched his things.

His mind went back to the strange scent from earlier.

After changing into a proper pair of trousers, he headed back downstairs. He scanned the room, his sharp gaze sweeping over everyone.

"Who messed with my clothes?"

The air grew thick with tension.

One by one, everyone denied it.

"We've been cleaning together the whole time," Carlton insisted.

Ty's lips curled into a slow, knowing smile. But he said nothing.

He just watched them.

And that was somehow more terrifying.

The next day, after their half-hearted attempt at cleaning, they all gathered in the living room, watching an action movie. None of them noticed that the leaf girl had quietly joined them, sitting among them, watching just as intently.

Kelvin, however, suddenly grabbed the remote and turned off the TV.

"How do y'all expect to find love when all you ever watch is action?" he scolded dramatically. "Be like me! Watch romance movies, okay?"

Kendrick smirked. "And how many girls have you actually been with?"

Kelvin puffed out his chest. "None! You know it's a long process."

For a second, there was silence. Then, they all burst into laughter.

Kelvin, unfazed, switched to a romance movie. His eyes sparkled with excitement, curiosity filling his mind as the story unfolded. The scene on the screen grew intense—the female lead suddenly jumped onto the male lead, wrapping herself around him. Instinctively, the guy held onto her tightly, preventing her from falling.

Kelvin, completely absorbed, jumped up, shouting, "Bro! Hold her tight! Properly, man! Tight!"

Just then, Ty walked in.

He had gone shopping earlier, replacing the trousers that were destroyed yesterday. The moment he entered, everyone turned to look at him—but only for a second. They quickly pretended to focus back on the TV.

Only Kelvin seemed distracted, his attention flickering between Ty and the screen.

As Ty walked past them, out of nowhere, the leaf girl jumped on him.

She latched onto him in an attempted hug, just like in the romance movie.

Kelvin, still in the movie's mindset, instantly yelled in excitement, "Ty! Hold her, bro! Tight, tight!"

But Ty didn't hold her.

Instead, he shoved her off immediately—with no hesitation, no concern about whether she got hurt. She hit the ground with a soft sound.

Kelvin paused, hearing the noise, but he chose to ignore it.

Ty expression unreadable, walked away without saying a word.

A few minutes later, Ty came downstairs.

"Kelvin, bring down my box."

Kelvin frowned. "Why?"

"I'm going on vacation," Ty replied, adjusting his sleeves.

Carlton raised an eyebrow. "For how long?"

"A month. Maybe more."

Kelvin tilted his head. "Is this because of the girl?"

"Don't worry," Kelvin added, "we'll put her back in her cage."

Ty ignored that. Instead, he simply said, "Just hurry up. I'm at the garage cleaning the car. Bring it down." Then, he left.

Kelvin sighed but did as he was told. He carried Ty's box downstairs and helped him load it into the trunk.

Just as he closed the trunk, Ty's voice cut through the air.

"Where's the leaf girl?"

Kelvin hesitated. Then, casually, he shrugged. "She should be inside. Or something."

Ty narrowed his eyes.

Kelvin swallowed. "Or… do you want to check inside? We can go."

Ty stared at him for a long moment.

Then, finally, he muttered, "Never mind."

Without another word, he got into the car, started the engine, and drove off.

Kelvin exhaled deeply, feeling the lump in his throat finally disappear.

After a long, exhausting journey, Ty finally arrived at his destination. The trip had been rough, and all he wanted was to rest. With a tired sigh, he set his box down, noticing something strange—it felt heavier than before, and the lid was slightly ajar.

"Must've packed too much junk," he muttered, brushing off the unease. He dragged the box inside, kicked off his shoes, and collapsed onto his bed.

"Finally," he exhaled in relief. "No more mysterious leaf girl haunting my life."

Just as he closed his eyes, the box rattled. Once. Twice. Then violently.

Ty bolted upright, his pulse pounding. "What the—" His words died in his throat as a hand—a very real, very alive hand—emerged from the box.

His heart raced like a "scary snail" (which, in hindsight, made no sense, but fear wasn't exactly logical).

The lid flung open, and the leaf girl climbed out. She didn't move, didn't speak—just stood there, as if waiting.

Ty swallowed hard. His fingers twitched toward his phone. With slow, deliberate movements, he grabbed it and quickly dialed Kelvin's number.

Meanwhile, at Kelvin's House…

Kelvin's phone rang, buzzing loudly on the table. Adrien glanced at the screen

"Kelvin, your phone's ringing," he announced. "It's Ty calling."

Jordan smirked, nudging Kelvin. "I think he's seen her."

Kelvin picked up, barely stifling a laugh. "Hey, bro. What's up?"

Ty's voice came through, sharp and irritated. "Where's the leaf girl?"

Kelvin exchanged amused glances with the others before muttering, "He's asking about her."

"Tell him she's sleeping," someone whispered, grinning.

Kelvin cleared his throat. "Uh... she's sleeping."

Silence.

Then, Ty's voice, laced with disbelief: "Sleeping in my box?"

Kelvin lost it. He burst out laughing, unable to hold it in. Jordan and Adrien cracked up, the whole room filling with laughter.

On the other end, Ty clenched his jaw. "Kelvin, I swear—come get this leaf girl out of here!"

Kelvin took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. "Alright, alright. Which car should I come in?"

Ty rolled his eyes. "How about your car?"

Kelvin smirked. "Got spoiled."

Ty's patience thinned. "Then borrow one!"

Kelvin snickered. "All the cars got spoiled."

Ty exhaled sharply, his voice dark with warning. "Kelvin, when I come over there, I will kill you."

Kelvin tried to respond, but all he heard was the click of Ty ending the call.

Adrien chuckled. "Well, he's definitely mad."

Jordan grinned. "We should probably send backup before he explodes."

Kelvin shook his head, still laughing. "Nah. Let's give him a few minutes to suffer."

Back at Ty's Place…

Ty slowly turned his gaze back to the leaf girl. She was still standing in the same spot, her expression unreadable.

He sighed, rubbing his temples. "Why me?"

Ty ended the call abruptly, leaving Kelvin shaking his head.

"He's fond of cutting calls when someone is still talking," Kelvin muttered.

Adrien smirked. "Or maybe you were just saying rubbish."

Laughter erupted among the group.

Kelvin leaned back with a grin. "Don't worry, guys. He'll get used to her when he returns in a month."

The others chuckled and dismissed the conversation, returning to their activities.

But Ty? He was far from getting used to anything.

Ty sat in his room, eyes locked on the leaf girl. She was creepy. Weird. Completely unpredictable.

For some reason, she kept zipping and unzipping the box, as if expecting something to pop out.

He sighed and left the room, heading to the parlor to clear his mind. He leaned back, closed his eyes, and tried to relax.

Then—a tap on his skin.

His eyes shot open.

The leaf girl was standing over him, staring—her eerie gaze drilling into his soul.

Ty yelped and bolted upright.

What is wrong with this girl?!

Avoiding her, he strode to the fridge and grabbed two cold bananas. Peeling them quickly, he took a few bites, letting the cool fruit calm his nerves.

The leaf girl, however, had not forgotten what he did to her earlier.

She eyed him. Remembered the shove. And made a decision.

Later that night, as Ty lay asleep, the leaf girl silently approached.

She grabbed the leftover bananas, mashed them into a soft, gooey paste, and carefully spread it all over his face.

Satisfied, she stepped back and sat down.

Moments later, Ty's nose twitched.

Then—"ACHOO!"

He sneezed violently, jolting awake. His skin burned. His face itched.

Confused, he stumbled to the mirror. His eyes widened.

His entire face was red.

"Bananas?! You—" He turned sharply, but the leaf girl just sat there, staring blankly.

Ty groaned, rushing to the sink. He scrubbed furiously, applied cream, and muttered angrily under his breath.

As his chest tightened slightly, he took his medication, then stomped back to his room.

He tossed a thick blanket toward the leaf girl and muttered, "Figure it out." Then, without another word, he locked his door, refusing to deal with her anymore.

The next morning, Ty trudged downstairs, expecting to find the leaf girl wandering around. Instead, she was still sitting in the same spot, wrapped in the blanket he had thrown at her.

She hadn't moved.

He stared at her for a moment, then shook his head. "You need a room."

She didn't react.

He sighed and walked to the kitchen, whipping up a simple breakfast.

After setting the table, he turned to Zoe. "Come eat."

She stood but didn't approach the table. Instead, she sat on the floor.

Ty pinched the bridge of his nose. "Not again."

Zoe looked at him, then at the ground.

"I'm not sitting on the floor," Ty stated firmly.

Zoe simply stared.

Ty exhaled. "Fine."

He placed a small portion of food in front of her to test if she could eat properly. But instead of taking a bite, she grabbed all the food from the table and put it on the floor.

Ty's jaw dropped. "You have got to be kidding me."

Keeping his cool, he observed as she cautiously picked up a piece of toasted bread, sniffed it, and—melted it between her fingers.

Then she peered into her cup, swirled the tea around, and sipped it like she was investigating poison.

Ty was already disgusted.

But the real disaster came when she took a small bite of food…

…and immediately threw up all over it.

Ty froze. His stomach churned.

That was it.

Grabbing his phone, he immediately dialed Maya.

"Maya," he said, struggling not to gag. "Come clean this up. Now."

Maya, unfazed, simply replied, "On my way."

He hung up and immediately dialed Collins.

"Bro, Maya's coming. Drive her here."

Collins, amused, responded, "You sound desperate."

Ty ended the call.

Minutes later, the doorbell rang. Ty opened it to find a delivery guy holding a package.

His clothes order.

He grabbed the bag, muttered a thanks, and shut the door.

Heading to Zoe's room, he tossed the clothes onto the bed without looking at her. "Wear that."

Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked back to his room, locking the door behind him.

A few hours later, another knock.

This time, when Ty opened the door, he found Collins.

"What happened?" Collins asked.

Ty exhaled and explained how Zoe vomited all over breakfast.

Collins, trying not to laugh, said, "You can't blame her. She's still adjusting. She's trying to remember things."

Ty crossed his arms. "She's not trying—she's trying to kill me."

Collins raised a brow. "Kill you?"

Ty nodded. "My face turned red. I had chest pain. This girl is out for blood."

Collins blinked. Then realization hit him.

He chuckled. Then he burst into full laughter.

"Bro… She rubbed bananas on your face, didn't she?"

Ty scowled. "Not funny."

Collins was laughing too hard to care.

After Collins calmed down, he patted Ty's shoulder. "Come on, man. We're making progress with her."

Ty scoffed. "We're accomplishing nothing."

Collins shook his head. "We are. You just don't see it yet."

Then, with a smirk, he said, "Come on, let's do something productive. How about a campaign?"

Ty hesitated but eventually nodded. "Fine."

As they prepared, Collins teased, "Promise not to let monkeys near you."

Ty sighed. "I hate you."

Collins just laughed.

Zoe and the others soon left, leaving Ty alone.

For the first time in what felt like forever, he had silence.

And he welcomed it.

But little did he know… it wouldn't last for long.

After some time, Ty finally made his way home.

As he pulled up, Collins got out of the car first. Adrien, spotting him, asked, "Collins, you're back. How was it?"

Collins shrugged. "Nice."

Maya stepped out, and Kelvin's eyes widened. "Wait. Why is she here?"

Adrien raised a brow. "No idea."

Kelvin's attention snapped back to Collins. "Where's Ty?"

Collins smirked. "No clue."

Kelvin tensed. "That's not funny."

Just then, Ty's car pulled in. He stepped out, tossed his keys to Jordan, and ordered, "Bring my box down."

Kelvin, watching Ty approach, looked nervous.

Ty narrowed his eyes. "Where's Kelvin?"

The room went silent.

Kelvin stammered, "I-I'm here."

Ty stalked toward him. Kelvin took a step back.

"You lied," Ty accused.

Kelvin swallowed. "I was just… joking…"

Ty wasn't amused. "You don't joke about things that nearly kill me."

Maya, cutting in, said, "Sir, I'm done."

Ty shot her a look. "Waiting for money?"

Maya bowed her head. "Sorry." She left.

Ty exhaled, shaking his head. "Alright, let's go on that campaign."

Kelvin, still nervous, asked, "You sure?"

The group got busy preparing for the campaign. Adrien gathered snacks, making sure to pack enough for everyone, while Kevin, still nervous around Ty, fumbled with the tent packaging.

Carlton and Jordan double-checked the equipment, ensuring they had everything they needed for the trip. Kendrick took charge of organizing the research tools, while Collins coordinated transportation.

Meanwhile, Ty remained quiet, overseeing everything without saying much.

Kevin, trying to ease the tension, hesitated before asking, "Ty… you're really not mad at me anymore, right?"

Ty glanced at him briefly. "No."

Kevin let out a breath of relief. "Good, because—uh—can I get a hug?"

Without a word, Ty turned and walked away.

The group erupted into laughter, and Kevin groaned. "Come on, man! Just one!"

Collins patted Kevin's back. "I think you used up your 'Ty hug' quota for the year."

Ty, ignoring them, called out, "Let's go."

With everything packed and ready, the team loaded up the cars and set off on their campaign.

Everyone entered their respective cars, with Zhoey riding with Kelvin, Collins, and Ty. Kendrick drove Adrien, Jordan, and Carlton in another car. As they drove, Ty asked, "Who's with us?"

Kelvin replied, "Zhoey, the leaf girl."

Ty looked at her with irritation but said nothing.

When they arrived at their destination, the group stretched, taking in their surroundings. The jungle was dense and humid, with the sound of birds echoing through the trees. Zhoey, however, looked too exhausted to climb further, her expression unreadable.

Ignoring her, the guys set to work conducting their research. They explored different parts of the jungle, observing some behavioral changes in a few animals, which proved useful for their study. However, as darkness approached and the sounds of nocturnal creatures grew louder, they decided it was best to set up camp rather than risk returning home so late.

Kendrick instructed Jaden and Jordan to fetch the tents. When they brought them, Ty frowned, noticing something was off.

"Wait, how many tents did you bring?" Ty asked Kelvin.

"Four," Kelvin replied casually.

Ty's brows furrowed. "I told you eight."

Kelvin shrugged. "I thought they were big enough to fit more people."

Adrien laughed. "Well, we already paid, so no turning back now."

Ty glanced around, realizing that with the limited tents, they would have to share. Before he could complain, Kelvin smirked and suggested a game to decide the sleeping arrangements. He wrote letters on pieces of paper and handed them out.

When they picked their papers, Carlton was paired with Jaden, Kelvin with Adrien, Collins with Kendrick, and Ty with Zhoey. Ty stared at his paper in disbelief.

"You're kidding me," he muttered.

Kelvin stifled a laugh. "Nope, it's fair. Random selection."

The others chuckled, and Ty, unwilling to argue further, sighed heavily. Without another word, he went to set up his tent.

As the night deepened, some of the group members stayed up a little longer, finishing up notes and observations. One by one, they eventually retired to their tents. Adrien and Carlton fell asleep first, while Jordan fought to stay awake before finally giving in.

"Go to sleep," Ty muttered to Jordan, who smiled sleepily and bid everyone good night.

Collins, Kendrick, and Ty exchanged a few final words before they, too, called it a night.

Ty, exhausted from the long day, crawled into the tent and lay down without saying a word to Zhoey. His body relaxed, and within moments, his breathing steadied—he was fast asleep.

Zhoey remained awake for a while, watching him in silence. Then her eyes moved to his feet. His shoes were still on. Without hesitation, she leaned forward and carefully removed them.

She examined one of them, tilting her head curiously before slipping it onto her own foot. Testing it for a moment, she then set it aside and lay back down.

The forest was alive with distant sounds—rustling leaves, chirping insects, and the occasional animal call. Zhoey listened for a while before finally closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.