It was another beautiful autumn afternoon. The golden leaves fluttered in the crisp breeze, painting the world in shades of amber and rust. A soft mist clung to the air, mingling with the faint scent of old books and ink.
Carrie sat by the grand arched window of the library, her gaze locked on the ancient oak tree just outside. The way its branches stretched elegantly, speckled with golden foliage, reminded her of a masterpiece in a museum. There was something about fall that always made her feel at peace, like she was a character in a story yet to be written.
Lost in the moment, she didn't notice her pen rolling off the table.
"This must be yours," a deep yet smooth voice interrupted her thoughts.
Startled, she turned to see a hand holding out her pen. Her gaze followed the hand up to its owner—Ryan Oliver.
Carrie took the pen with a small smile. "Thank you. I didn't even realize it rolled off."
Ryan tilted his head slightly, studying her. "You seem to like the atmosphere." He pulled out a chair and sat directly across from her.
"I do," she admitted, still slightly caught off guard.
"Ryan Oliver," he introduced himself, watching for her reaction.
"Carrie Evans," she responded.
A knowing smirk tugged at Ryan's lips. "You must be my tutor."
Carrie blinked, realization settling in. "So it seems. Where shall we begin?"
Ryan leaned back, his fingers tapping lightly on the wooden table. "The teacher never asks a student what they want to learn… or do they?"
Carrie raised an eyebrow. "That's correct, but in this case, I'm your tutor, not your teacher. They're quite different. My responsibility is to help you understand what you've already learned—or what you struggle with." She smiled slightly. "Or am I wrong, Ryan?"
A flicker of amusement crossed Ryan's face. "Hmm. Smartly countered. Impressive. Most of my tutors are book-smart but lack wit." He shook his head with a dramatic sigh before flashing a grin. "Alright, tutor. Let's start with literature—texts, case studies, and historical writings."
"Let's get to it, then." Carrie pulled out her notebook, already making mental notes about his personality.
---
Later that evening, Carrie returned home, feeling mentally drained yet oddly intrigued. The session had gone smoother than expected, though Ryan's sharp-witted personality had made it anything but ordinary.
As she climbed the porch steps, she found Ava sitting cross-legged right in front of the door, her arms crossed, looking as if she were expecting a highly anticipated package.
Carrie let out a breath. "What are you doing?"
Ava finally looked up, her expression serious. "I was waiting for you."
Carrie raised a brow. "For me?"
"Of course. How could you?" Ava shot up dramatically, her eyes narrowing.
Carrie stared. "What… exactly did I do?"
Ava threw her hands in the air. "You didn't tell me you were going to be tutoring the most popular guy at school!"
Carrie sighed. "Oh. That's what this is about." She shook her head in disbelief and stepped forward. "Bye."
But before she could escape, Ava blocked her path.
"How was it?" Ava demanded.
"The library?" Carrie asked innocently.
"No! Your meeting with Anli?"
Carrie frowned. "You mean Ryan?"
"No one calls him that," Ava said in exasperation. "He's Anli—the An from Ryan and Li from Oliver. Everyone calls him that."
"That's ridiculous." Carrie shot back.
"It's iconic."
At that moment, Jae-wook appeared in the sitting room with his normal demeanor. "What kind of name is that?" he commented dryly and walked past.
"It's an amazing name. Jae-wook just doesn't like him," Ava replied, ignoring his disapproval.
Carrie shook her head. "Honestly, I think the name is kind of dumb." She brushed past Ava.
Ava gasped in horror. "It's not about the name, Carrie! You two would make a perfect match!"
Carrie stopped mid-step, turned to Ava, and stared at her blankly. "And when did you suddenly become a matchmaker?"
Ava grinned mischievously. "Since forever."
Carrie scoffed, stepping inside. "No, thank you." She promptly shut the door in Ava's face.
Ava pouted. "She'll thank me later," she muttered to herself.
Carrie had barely settled into her desk when her phone buzzed. She picked it up, expecting some random group chat messages, but her heart stopped when she saw the notification.
Unknown Number: You owe me another tutoring session, Miss. Wit
Her brows furrowed. She had a feeling she knew exactly who this was.
Another message popped up.
Unknown Number: You also forgot something at the library.
Carrie sat up straight. "Forgot something?" she muttered.
Before she could reply, another text arrived, this time with a picture. It was of her notebook, lying on the library table.
"You stole my notebook?" Carrie replied to the text.
Unknown Number: Rescued it.
Carrie rolled her eyes.
"I'll get it tomorrow"
Unknown Number: Or… you could meet me now?
Carrie stared at the message, then at the clock. It was late. Dark outside. Cold.
But a small thrill ran through her.
She typed quickly. "Nice try, Anli. See you tomorrow"
She turned off her phone, a small smile tugging at her lips.