The halls of Hexside were buzzing as students hurried to their next classes, but Eda had dragged Raine into an empty classroom, insisting she had a surprise.

“Eda, if we get caught in here, we’re both in trouble,” Raine whispered nervously, glancing toward the door.

Eda waved them off with a grin. “Relax, no one’s paying attention. Besides, you’ll thank me for this.” She pulled out a brand-new cloak and a pair of glasses she had “acquired.”

Raine blinked. “You… got this for me?”

“Yep. You’re not gonna stand around looking like you just rolled out of bed in my school,” Eda said, already draping the cloak over Raine’s shoulders.

“Thank you so much, Eda, but you really didn’t need to do this,” Raine said, their voice soft, almost shy.

“I did. Now hold still,” Eda replied, tugging at the fabric until it sat just right.

When she stepped back, Raine adjusted their glasses and looked at her with a small, nervous smile. “So, how do I look?”

For once, Eda didn’t crack a joke. She gave a confident thumbs-up, her smirk turning warm. “Perfect. Way better than half the dweebs around here.”

Raine’s cheeks flushed as the school bell rang. Eda slung her arm around their shoulders. “C’mon, partner. Let’s go show off.”

And just like that, Raine couldn’t help but feel a little braver walking through Hexside’s crowded halls—because with Eda by their side, anything felt possible.