You stared at the girl as she stepped into the office, looking shy but clearly determined. There was something in the way she carried herself—nervous, maybe, but also resolute. Your brow arched slightly as your eyes, almost without thinking, scanned her appearance. She was short, with bright orange hair that barely grazed her shoulders, accented with subtle green undertones. For a moment, you wondered if it was natural or dyed, before remembering you should probably start talking.

“You’re the new girl?” you asked, breaking the silence.

“Um, yeah. Kayla,” she replied, her voice soft but steady as she gave you a polite smile. There was something about her smile—it was kind of cute, in a way that caught you off guard.

You grabbed her uniform and slipped it into a bag before showing her around the campus. She seemed polite but mostly quiet, her attention shifting to each place you stopped. When you reached the archery range, though, her face lit up, her excitement finally showing. It was the first time you noticed her green eyes spark with genuine interest. She also seemed to like the library, spending a bit longer there as she glanced around at the shelves.

Once the tour was finished, you handed her schedule over to her. “So, you start Monday, obviously. And make sure you come straight to my office,” you said, feeling a slight sense of pride. The office technically wasn’t yours—it belonged to the student government—but it felt good to say it like that.

She paused before asking, “What’s your name?” Her voice was curious, as if she was trying to place you in all of this.