My Unrequited Love Is an Absolute Secret - Chapter 101

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 101

Everyone was busy sharing their impressions of Devon Knox in person and what it felt like to see him up close.
In the midst of it all, Harry’s quiet, contemplative demeanor made Aemerus uneasy.
Even though Devon Knox was a man with two children, his handsome features and charming smile remained intact.
Perhaps Harry might reconsider dating Aemerus.
Only Harry felt wronged by such absurd suspicion.
“I didn’t even know he had brown hair!”
“Come on, that’s not true. It’s right there in front of your eyes.”
Randy chuckled and refuted her from beside Harry.
He was infuriating—not only unhelpful but actively fueling the misunderstanding.
Harry glared at him fiercely before turning to Aemerus.
“It’s nothing like that. I was just thinking about who our children might resemble if we had them later.”
“I had no idea you were thinking about such things.”
I should have at least brought a ring if I’d known.
Aemerus swallowed nervously, his face flushed.
“When I heard that Devon Knox’s daughter resembles her father and his son resembles his mother, it made me think. I inherited my father’s looks, after all.”
Strange. Why was Aemerus’s face turning red?
Harry was puzzled but simply shrugged and continued.
“But Aemerus, you and your older brother are the same way. Looking at your father and your uncle, it might be different.”
The men of the Huntington Family all looked identical, as if cast from the same mold.
Harry rested her chin in her hand, staring intently at Aemerus.
“Whether it’s a daughter or a son, will they all resemble you?”
This was essentially… a proposal, wasn’t it?
Randy, listening from the side, gave Aemerus a thumbs up to show his approval.
Though Aemerus’s eyes were fixed solely on Harry, leaving him no room to notice anything else.
“…The Huntington genes are indeed strong.”
Aemerus’s gaze grew distant as he too imagined the face of a child born between them.
‘What an idiot.’
Here he was, spouting such a dazed response.
Watching his hopelessly clueless friend, Randy’s chest grew tight with frustration.
‘I’ll show him how it’s done.’
He puffed out his chest and smiled toward Melissa across from him.
“Aren’t you curious what our child would be like?”
“Not at all. We’re not the kind of people to wonder about such things.”
Melissa was indeed unyielding—that was her charm.
Randy called out eagerly.
“Then what are we? Just friends?”
“….”
“Not even friends…?”
Randy’s earlier momentum evaporated in an instant, and his shoulders sagged.
Watching Melissa bite her lip to stifle her laughter, I couldn’t help but smile as well.
A pleasant premonition washed over me that tonight’s party would be just as enjoyable as this moment.

***

After a leisurely dinner, we arrived at the venue to find it bustling with Riverside School students dressed to the nines.
“I heard Wharton School rented a cruise for their party. What is this compared to that?”
Tyler grumbled, deliberately comparing our venue to Wharton School, one of the most prestigious institutions across the entire United States.
“Then why don’t you just enroll at Wharton School right now?”
Melissa’s quip silenced him completely.
Of course, our party venue—the Ballroom of the Price Hotel in the heart of New York—was quite impressive in its own right.
“Look, there’s the photo booth! Let’s hurry and get in line!”
As if they’d forgotten Tyler’s complaint entirely, they eagerly rushed over to queue at the photo booth.
While waiting for our turn, I admired the interior, which was decorated entirely in gold to match the Oscar Awards theme.
“Wow….”
A massive crystal chandelier hung from the center of the ceiling, which was adorned with elegant frescoes.
Smaller chandeliers arranged symmetrically around it scattered light in all directions.
It reminded me of the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles, which I’d visited as a child when traveling with Jessie’s family.
If one were to host an Academy Awards ceremony, there couldn’t be a more fitting venue than this.
“It’s really beautiful.”
“Should we get married here?”
“What?”
I laughed out loud at Aemerus’s words.
“Isn’t it a bit too early to be talking about marriage?”
“Is it…?”
Aemerus tilted his head in confusion.
My standards were puzzling to him—apparently it was acceptable to discuss having children, but marriage talk was premature.
‘What’s the difference?’
He was pondering this internally when it happened.
The Oscar trophy that I’d thought was merely a decoration at the photo booth suddenly moved, causing me to yelp and burrow into Aemerus’s embrace.
“Wow, I was really startled!”
The massive trophy turned out to be a person painted like a golden statue.
It seemed their role was to move unpredictably at intervals, startling those taking photos.
“Look at that photo!”
The image we’d just taken appeared on the projection screen mounted on the stage.
Seeing my friend screaming as if captured during a free fall on a roller coaster, everyone burst into delighted laughter.
Aemerus was far more satisfied by the fact that I had sought refuge in his arms than by anything else.
“Welcome to the stars of Riverside School who have graced our awards ceremony tonight!”
After taking our turn at the photo booth, the main event finally began.
“The awards ceremony will commence shortly. Distinguished guests inside, please take your seats.”
Since there were no assigned seating arrangements, we gathered at an empty table.
“Oh, there’s even a program. This really does feel like a proper awards show.”
We all eagerly checked the schedule printed in the program.
There were musical performances, dances, magic acts, and even a theatrical production.
“If we sit through all of this, when are we supposed to dance?”
Harry’s initial excitement quickly faded into boredom.
“And the magic act is performed by the vice principal? At this point, aren’t we just being used as an audience?”
“Come on, let’s go grab some punch. We’ll need something to drink to get through this.”
While some of the boys went to get drinks, the performances began.
We applauded readily when familiar faces took the stage, but as time wore on, the tedium became unavoidable.
“This isn’t very entertaining, is it?”
I stifled a yawn and whispered to Aemerus.
“Want to step outside with me? I know a place that’s much more fun than this.”
Aemerus chuckled quietly at the conversation that echoed our last homecoming.
Even as we whispered to each other, the stage performance continued without pause.
“Next, we present a theatrical homage to ‘La La Land’ — ‘Lili Land.'”
Someone in the audience let out a sudden cry.
“No spoilers! I haven’t seen ‘La La Land’ yet!”
“The movie came out over ten years ago. If you haven’t seen it by now, you probably never will.”
The retort drew a burst of laughter from the crowd.
Even the student council president struggled to suppress his chuckles as he continued his remarks.
“By the way, a familiar face will be making a surprise appearance, so everyone, prepare yourselves!”
The student council president left the stage with that tantalizing hint of anticipation.
Soon, the red velvet curtain rose as it was drawn upward.
The audience stirred as they recognized the figure emerging from behind the curtain.
“Is that JJ?”
“It’s JJ!”
Jessie Jackson, who had graduated last year, stood center stage.
“Hey. My face probably looks familiar, but that’s probably just your imagination.”
Everyone burst into laughter at Jessie’s playful pretense of being a stranger.
“Let me introduce myself. I’m Jack, nine years old. I came to watch baseball with my family.”
A baseball was suddenly thrown from the audience onto the stage.
As Jessie moved to catch it, a woman appeared from the wings.
Both of them reached for the ball, but it ultimately fell into Jessie’s hands.
Seeing the woman step back in disappointment, he said to her:
“I’ll give this to you.”
“…Thank you.”
The girl smiled shyly and took Jessie’s hand, stepping to the center of the stage.
“Hi. I’m nine too. My name is Ceri. Ceri Ritz.”
“Ceri Ritz.”
Jessie repeated her name, his face breaking into a bright smile.
“Can I call you Lili instead?”
“I’d love that!”
The two of them held hands contentedly and disappeared offstage.
The backdrop shifted.
A dark night sky studded densely with stars.
Jessie and Lili sat before a backdrop painted with rolling blue fields.
“Hello, I’m Jack and I’m ten now. Everyone, say hi to my friend Lili.”
“Hi.”
Lili waved toward the audience, then looked back up at the night sky.
“Lili, what are you doing?”
“Making a wish on the stars.”
“What kind of wish?”
Lili gazed upward, then turned to Jessie with a radiant smile.
“I wished that we could always play together like this. You make a wish too.”
“Okay.”
Jessie closed his eyes and clasped his hands tightly as if in prayer.
“What did you wish for?”
“Well…”
“What, is it a secret? Don’t be like that—tell me. Come on!”
Lili grabbed Jessie’s arm and shook it playfully, and he laughed, pretending to be dizzy.
“It’s the same as yours.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I wished that we could become a real family.”
“What are you talking about? We’re already like family now.”
Then, turning away from Lili to face the audience, Jessie smiled sadly.
“At ten years old, I didn’t yet know that the moment you speak a wish aloud, it can never come true.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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