𝑯𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑪𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒔

𝐈𝐕

Seo Joon rings the doorbell of the Penthouse on the 100th floor, wanting the moment to pass. He is on the verge of running back to his apartment on the 40th floor but he doesn't as he remembers...

'Seo Joon... You know how Elvira has been home-schooled for 11 years? I can't simply hire a stranger to tutor her, can I? Me and your mom have been friends for a long time and you are the only one I can trust around my daughter. I will also pay you double so please take this job into consideration.' 'Umm... I'll think about it. Thank you for the offer.' Seo Joon politely replied unsure if he was up for the job or not.

He is intelligent, probably more than Einstein himself so that isn't his concern at all but being around people is. And on top of it being the Penthouse Lady's daughter. It is just too nerve-wracking and anxious for him. 

Pull yourself together Seo Joon. It's just a seventeen-year-old girl you are going to tutor not the president of South Korea. 

The large wooden door painted with platinum black, rimmed with silver opens revealing a maid.

 'Good evening Mr. Kim, you may wait in the living room. Ms. Ashton will be shortly here.'

 She gives him a pair of black house slippers as he slowly makes his way in. The house is oddly dark, only one candle is lit up. He carefully sits on the sofa too careful to not break anything and is taken aback by how scary this place looks. Suddenly he hears shuffling behind the couch. Shortly he feels a tap on his shoulder causing him to clutch the straps of his leather bag.

 ... what... is this place? Why are mom friends with such people? 

If that wasn't enough the maid from earlier comes with a knife that has something like blood dripping down from it. He abruptly gets up from the sofa and sprints to the main door as the huge golden chandelier of the living room lights up and Serena Ashton walks down calling for Elvira. 

'Seo Joon I'm so sorry for what my daughter schemed. Don't get scared of her silly jokes.' He greets her with a formal bow. 

'It's okay Mrs. Ashton.'

 Then Elvira's mom escorts Seo Joon to a room that looks like a study room with two desks. 

'Please wait I'm sending Elvira right away.'

 She gives him an apologetic smile as he returns her a nervous one. He takes out his iPad and opens Procreate as he works on one of his recent digital unfinished art to ease his nervousness. Serena storms off to Elvira's room and barges in. 

'See me after your study session in my room.'

Elvira takes her phone and delivers a text in her friends' group chat 'Little Emerald Club' 'Plan failed miserably. Wish me luck...' Her phone starts dinging, but she puts it on mute and walks to the study room. 

                                                                     𝑬𝒍𝒗𝒊𝒓𝒂'𝒔  𝑭𝒊𝒕

There goes my freedom of copying off assignments... 

She pushes open the door to be greeted by her tutor whom she failed to scare away. He has Air pods in his ear and an Apple pencil between his fingers stroking random lines here and there on his iPad screen. Elvira takes a few of her books and intentionally drops them on the table causing a thud to get his attention. He looks up from the screen, his jet-black hair parted sideways but still falling on his forehead as he stands up and bows.

 'Quit the formalities. Don't expect me to bow back. If you want to make your time useful here, go back to doing your thing and let me do mine.' 

She pushes her loose strands of hair back and Seo Joon gets a clear view of her breathtaking brown eyes. He just realizes how arrogant, rude, and beautiful she is.

 Why haven't I seen her before? Her features are heavenly sculpted. How can someone be this rude and pretty at the same time? 

Seo Joon clears his throat.

 'But Ms. Ashton-' 

'Call me by my name.'

 'Elvira, I came to teach. Not sit around and waste my time.' He speaks with his deep yet soft tone. 

'Do you think I'm interested?' She asks with a monotonic expression. 

'You have to be.' He takes her Physics book. 

'Okay let's see. What is meant by acceleration?'

 He asks flipping through the first few pages. It looks like he's the first one going through the book as it feels untouched. 

'Don't know don't care.' She answers, her eyes fixated on the book in her hands All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. 

'Can you please put it down?' He sincerely asks. 

Just then the door opens causing Elvira to drop the book on the floor and open her textbook. 

'Are you studying honey? Is she bothering you Seo Joon?' Serena asks.

 'No Mrs. Ashton we are doing great.' He smiles causing dimples to appear on both sides of his cheeks as she leaves.

 'Guess I'll have to start from the basics?'

 'It's not like I have any other choice.' 

He smiles again and Elvira doesn't find him that annoying compared to the first time she saw him. he starts his lecture with a lot of fun facts and real-life examples. For the first time, she actually understands a topic without having to mess up her brain. And his lectures don't appear boring to her at all. 

 'Okay, I think we should wrap up here.'

 Elvira actually wants to study more but she says,

 'Sure, I don't want to do any more boring studies.' 

'Any questions?'

 'No. Don't come tomorrow. Bye' 

She leaves without even looking at him even once. Serena leads Seo Joon out as she asks.

 'How is she doing?'

 'I think she will do great don't worry.' He bows and gets on the elevator. 

She will do just fine. 

There goes chapter four. Hope you like it I am putting a lot of effort into this book :D