Soon, Tony Snow followed Victor Sharp into a tall building, took the elevator, and arrived at his apartment.
After changing shoes at the entrance, Tony walked in. The living room alone was very spacious, clearly indicating a well-off lifestyle.
"You can sit down for a bit. I'll go call my daughter," Victor said as he gestured Tony to the sofa, then walked toward a nearby bedroom.
Knock knock knock.
After knocking gently, Victor called through the door, "Lina, I've hired a new tutor for you. Come out and meet him."
There was no response.
"This one's not a female tutor, he's a guy—close to your age. Come on, just take a look."
Finally, movement came from behind the door.
"So her name is Lina Sharp... probably 'Lina' as in delicate," Tony thought as he listened from the living room.
"College student?" came a skeptical voice.
"Yes, a third-year at Northbridge University of Technology," Victor replied.
"Tch. Northbridge Tech isn't even that great. What's he supposed to teach me? I could mess around for the rest of the year and still land a better university than that one," Lina said loudly, clearly wanting Tony to hear her dismissiveness.
Tony raised an eyebrow. So she's the difficult type.
Still, for 300 credits an hour, Tony could tolerate a lot. Whatever she said didn't matter. It went in one ear and out the other.
"Don't underestimate him. He's a solid tutor. One of my staff hired him last year, and their kid improved dramatically. Besides, I've seen your mock exam scores. You think you'll outperform Northbridge Tech while coasting like this? I should've sent you abroad when I had the chance," Victor said, clearly frustrated.
"Oh, sure. You just wanted me out of the country so you could finalize the divorce and find someone new, right?" Lina snapped.
The tension in the air was thick.
"That was after your mother and I split, and you know it..." Victor sighed. "Anyway, just come out and meet the tutor. He'll be helping you Saturdays and Sundays from 2 to 4 PM."
Eventually, he guided his resistant daughter into the living room.
"Tony, this is my daughter Lina. Lina from 'delicate rain,'" Victor introduced her. "Lina, this is your tutor, Tony Snow."
"Hey. Tony from 'tomorrow' and Snow like, well… snow," Tony offered casually.
Victor gave his daughter a stern look. "Say hi properly."
"No need for formalities," Tony quickly interjected. "We're close in age. Just call me Tony."
After a bit of small talk, Victor checked his watch.
"Still early. How about a trial session today? I'll treat you both to dinner after. Payment's on me, of course."
"Sure, but… I wasn't expecting to start today, so I didn't bring anything."
"No problem. Just get a sense of where she's at for now."
Victor led Tony down a hallway. The apartment's layout was expansive: a large living room, kitchen to the right, a hallway at the back with rooms at both ends.
Tony noticed the minimal but tasteful decor—nothing flashy, yet clearly expensive. What stood out most were the surveillance cameras. Three in the living room, two more down the hallway.
What's with all the security?
"Lina, take Tony to your study room," Victor said.
Lina, still frowning, put away her phone and motioned for Tony to follow her into a room across from her bedroom.
It was surprisingly cozy. The right wall held a packed bookshelf—everything from Western classics like Jane Eyre, War and Peace, and The Old Man and the Sea, to childhood adventure series and modern fantasy.
Tony recognized several titles. He'd borrowed many from classmates growing up. When he couldn't afford books, he'd sometimes do others' homework in exchange for reading time.
The opposite wall had a custom-built desk beneath a wide window. Tony also noted two more cameras in the study room.
This place is under constant surveillance. Weird.
Then his eyes landed on something more relatable: comic stickers on the wall. Characters from Steal the Stars, September Sky.
"You read Steal the Stars too?" he asked, breaking the ice.
Lina looked up, surprised. "You've read it?"
"Yeah, at least the early arcs. Fell off halfway."
"March and April are my favorites. Total ship!"
Tony chuckled. "They were pretty iconic."
From there, they moved on to novels, anime, movies, even old TV shows.
Despite the rocky start, the two were surprisingly in sync. Only five years apart, they found plenty of common ground.
For a first session, Tony thought, things could've gone way worse.