def METHOD_NAME(
    service: str,
    instance: str,
    cluster: str,
    load_deployments: bool = True,
    soa_dir: str = DEFAULT_SOA_DIR,
) -> KafkaClusterDeploymentConfig:
    """Read a service instance's configuration for KafkaCluster.
    If a branch isn't specified for a config, the 'branch' key defaults to
    paasta-${cluster}.${instance}.
    :param service: The service name
    :param instance: The instance of the service to retrieve
    :param cluster: The cluster to read the configuration for
    :param load_deployments: A boolean indicating if the corresponding deployments.json for this service
                             should also be loaded
    :param soa_dir: The SOA configuration directory to read from
    :returns: A dictionary of whatever was in the config for the service instance"""
    general_config = service_configuration_lib.read_service_configuration(
        service, soa_dir=soa_dir
    )
    instance_config = load_service_instance_config(
        service, instance, "kafkacluster", cluster, soa_dir=soa_dir
    )
    general_config = deep_merge_dictionaries(
        overrides=instance_config, defaults=general_config
    )
    branch_dict: Optional[BranchDictV2] = None
    if load_deployments:
        deployments_json = load_v2_deployments_json(service, soa_dir=soa_dir)
        temp_instance_config = KafkaClusterDeploymentConfig(
            service=service,
            cluster=cluster,
            instance=instance,
            config_dict=general_config,
            branch_dict=None,
            soa_dir=soa_dir,
        )
        branch = temp_instance_config.get_branch()
        deploy_group = temp_instance_config.get_deploy_group()
        branch_dict = deployments_json.get_branch_dict(service, branch, deploy_group)
    return KafkaClusterDeploymentConfig(
        service=service,
        cluster=cluster,
        instance=instance,
        config_dict=general_config,
        branch_dict=branch_dict,
        soa_dir=soa_dir,
    )