My Unrequited Love Is an Absolute Secret - Chapter 26

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

Chapter 26

Aemerus’s suspicion held merit.
Every message from the anonymous stalker contained at least one word referring to male genitalia.
As if flaunting that he was a man.
Or deliberately trying to convince her he was one.
“You might be right—the stalker could be a woman.”
Harry exhaled deeply.
“Then we’ll have to narrow down our suspect list regardless of gender and eliminate them one by one. Since this semester started, has anyone grown distant from you or had a falling out?”
Aemerus pondered the question before shaking his head.
Finding the culprit was going to be harder than I’d anticipated.
From what I could tell, Aemerus wasn’t the type to deliberately make enemies.
Despite becoming the most popular boy in school, he remained quiet and unassuming—that alone proved it.
Hitting a dead end, Harry grabbed Aemerus’s shoulders and met his gaze.
“Aemerus, promise me one thing.”
“Anything.”
Aemerus agreed readily, as if he’d accept whatever she asked.
“If we’ve exhausted everything we can do and still haven’t found the culprit, then we tell the adults.”
“Then we will. I promise.”
Truthfully, my conviction that this should be reported to the school or police immediately hadn’t wavered….
But the person directly affected—Aemerus’s wishes—had to come first.
“You must have suffered a lot because of those messages.”
At least I was grateful he’d confided in me.
Of course, I might not be much help, but at least I could listen to his troubles.
“If you need someone to talk to, contact me anytime.”
Harry embraced him gently, her voice warm with encouragement.
The embrace was brief, and she quickly returned to her place.
But someone watching from a distance had witnessed the entire scene clearly.
Randy and Tyler, both hockey players like Aemerus.
“Damn, they said those two would never date even if they died.”
“Aemerus never said he wouldn’t date her…. But why are you taking pictures, you crazy bastard!”
Randy, taking Aemerus’s side, grabbed Tyler by the collar and shook him, but Tyler just giggled.
On his phone was a snapshot of Harry embracing Aemerus.
“It’s funny though. JJ treasured that girl so much, and right after graduation, Aemerus snatches her away.”
“That’s not funny at all.”
“Really? What if I send this photo to JJ?”
“Dude, you’re seriously insane.”
Tyler was the guy who’d gone on about how JJ had crashed hard during the last match like his stock had plummeted, then bounced back like a phoenix.
It’s no great secret that he harbors inferiority toward Jessie.
So regardless of the truth, the sight of Aemerus appearing to steal Jessie’s girlfriend sits poorly with him indeed.
“Do you think Aemerus would let you off easy if he found out?”
“Don’t be such a coward. Besides, Aemerus doesn’t care about this kind of thing.”
“How would you know? Did you ask him? Huh? Did you?”
“You don’t need to ask him directly to know.”
Tyler, who had been speaking in a tone of contempt toward Randy for his timidity, suddenly let out a snort of laughter.
“I sent it.”
“What?”
“I sent the photo we took earlier to JJ. Now you just sit there sucking your thumb and watch what JJ does about it.”
“Ugh. I clearly told you not to.”
Randy recoiled in visible disgust and left Tyler behind, heading out first.
“Chicken.”
Tyler mocked Randy for his lack of nerve.
Then, with arms crossed, he continued watching Aemerus and Harry.
At a glance, it was obvious Aemerus had feelings for her. Whether Harry felt the same was another question.
“If I can tell, JJ will definitely know too.”
The mere thought of how Jessie would react made him grin uncontrollably.
“I’m looking forward to it, JJ.”

***

Despite having no appetite, Harry finished the bento box completely.
It was my way of repaying my mother for packing it so carefully.
Aemerus shared the same sentiment on that front.
Thanks to that, I returned to the Classroom carrying a noticeably lighter bento box.
“Oh, I forgot.”
As I hurried out of the Restroom after gargling, I suddenly remembered something I hadn’t told Aemerus.
I’d been so caught up showing him my lyric notebook and talking about the stalker attached to him that I’d completely forgotten the important matter.
“I need to remember to tell him later.”
The jacket he’d lent me at the last homecoming had finished being cleaned.
The Laundry Shop Owner had refused to wash it at first, saying such expensive fabric might get damaged—I can’t even describe how troublesome that was.
In the end, I’d lied and insisted it was my father’s clothing until he finally agreed to take it.
‘Such an expensive piece of clothing…’
Aemerus had handed the jacket to Harry without hesitation, and he hadn’t even pressed her to return it.
Looking at it objectively, it seemed he might have even forgotten he’d lent it to her in the first place.
Harry clicked her tongue inwardly and headed into the afternoon class.
But even after class started, I couldn’t concentrate at all.
‘A stalker—who could it possibly be?’
The shock had been greater than I’d anticipated.
When Jessie was still at School, he’d been popular too, but he’d never had a stalker.
‘He was just lucky.’
There was truly no other way to describe it besides saying he’d been fortunate.
‘But Aemerus…’
He hadn’t been blessed with the same luck as Jessie.
When I recalled Aemerus’s wounded expression, an unwarranted guilt weighed heavily on my heart.
‘I need to help him.’
It would be difficult for Aemerus to deduce the culprit alone.
So I resolved to carefully observe the people around him from now on.
But not long after I began my observation, something happened that made me reconsider my assumption that all the female students at School adored Aemerus.
“Aemerus, you were so cool at the last match. I’m looking forward to the next one.”
“What are you doing before the next match? If you have time, want to hang out with us?”
“We invited Randy and Miguel too. So don’t feel pressured—come whenever you’re comfortable.”
After class ended, the female students in the Hallway were making every effort to get Aemerus to come along.
Moved by their touching determination, I found myself cheering them on as well.
‘Aemerus shouldn’t have to give up his everyday life just because of one gloomy stalker.’
I stood a little apart from them, my eyes gleaming with hope.
I waited for Aemerus to accept their invitation to hang out, but he remained silent.
Even though he clearly knew the girls were waiting with bated breath for his answer.
Then, as if he’d sensed my gaze, he suddenly turned to look at me.
Thinking this was the perfect moment, I mouthed the words.
“Say yes.”
But the problem was that I’d only mouthed the words without making a sound.
“Aemerus?”
“Where are you going all of a sudden?”
Aemerus walked straight toward me without even excusing himself from the girls he’d been talking to.
Caught off guard, I opened my locker door and hid behind it.
‘Please just leave. Go quietly.’
I prayed desperately in my heart, but it was no use.
“What are you doing?”
I was done for. At the sound of that familiar voice from above my head, I squeezed my eyes shut.
“What about you? Go finish your conversation.”
I waved my hand frantically to shoo him away, but he didn’t budge an inch.
“JJ asked me to tell you something. I forgot to do it at lunch.”
“Huh?”
Jessie? My eyes widened.
My hand, which had been fluttering to drive Aemerus away, stopped.
“Oh, so you had business with Lili.”
“Tell me later, Aemerus.”
The girls, who had been watching intently to see if there was anything between Aemerus and me, relaxed and turned away.
‘I almost had my DMs flooded with insults.’
I patted my chest in relief and looked up at Aemerus.
“So what did Jessie want to tell me?”
“Nothing.”
“What?”
“I lied.”
Aemerus’s face was so brazenly confident as he admitted to the lie.
I never would have dreamed he could lie so shamelessly.
“Why would you tell such a lie?”
I barely managed to ask before Aemerus shrugged his shoulders.
“It was a convenient excuse to avoid an annoying conversation?”
If he’d made an excuse that he had something urgent to discuss with me, things would have gotten complicated.
People would have misunderstood that he was treating me specially, and then I would have fallen out of favor with the girls.
In the end, using Jessie’s name was the right call.
I let out a small sigh.
“Still, wouldn’t it be better if you were a bit kinder to the girls? You could at least answer whether you like them or not.”
“Not interested.”
“….”
Scratch what I said about all the girls at our school liking you.
I should actually be grateful that there’s only been one truly obsessive stalker clinging to you all this time.
As I shook my head, Faye happened to come into view.
‘Come to think of it, I found one person who definitely hates Aemerus.’
Watching Aemerus with a glare that screamed utter disdain, a sudden thought flickered through my mind.
“Aemerus. I just had a brilliant idea. Want to hear it?”

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