My Unrequited Love Is an Absolute Secret - Chapter 69
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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 69
But Harry didn’t hear Ben’s response.
Aemerus had already finished his MRI scan and emerged before Ben could answer.
“Uncle, you’re here?”
“Handsome fellow. Let me see how badly you’re hurt.”
Ben, who had been sitting in the waiting area talking with Harry, jumped to his feet.
“Which hand is hurting?”
“Here, my right wrist.”
Ben examined Aemerus’s outstretched right hand from every angle, then laughed heartily and slapped his back.
“You’re perfectly fine! This guy really knows how to worry the adults.”
Aemerus chuckled at Ben’s confident diagnosis, despite him being no doctor.
Then his gaze shifted to Harry.
“By the way, what were you two talking about?”
Ben and Harry exchanged a meaningful glance simultaneously.
An unspoken agreement passed between them in an instant—keep what was just discussed a secret from him.
There was no way they could tell him they’d been discussing his unfortunate past.
“We were just talking about how you got hurt and your condition.”
“I see.”
Fortunately, Aemerus didn’t seem to doubt Ben’s explanation.
“Aemerus Huntington, please come to the examination room.”
“Already?”
“There are no other patients waiting, so it went faster.”
The MRI results coming back quickly had to be a good sign, right?
Harry entered the examination room with Ben.
The Doctor didn’t seem surprised to see an additional guardian had appeared in the meantime.
“Good news. The MRI results show absolutely no abnormalities.”
“That’s a relief.”
Harry, who had been anxious throughout the hospital visit, let out a breath of relief.
“There’s no bone damage, but temporary pain can occur from strong external impact. If you’d like, I can prescribe painkillers—ones that won’t cause any issues with doping tests since you have a competition coming up.”
“I’ll pass on the medication.”
“Alright then. At this level, you’ll recover quickly with ice therapy and plenty of rest at home.”
“Thank you.”
The three of them left the Hospital with light steps.
I’d wondered if getting an MRI was overkill, but knowing it had put my mind at ease, it felt like the right call.
“How are you getting home? Should I give you a ride?”
“Oh, I brought my car.”
“Is that so? Then could you give Aemerus a ride home? I need to head to the Country Music Club to open up.”
Recalling the Live Club that Ben operated, Harry nodded readily.
“Leave it to me.”
“Thanks. I don’t have much else to offer, so how about some spending money?”
“Really, that’s not necessary!”
Seeing Ben pull out his wallet, Harry was startled.
At this point, it seemed like handing out spending money to everyone they met was simply the Huntington family tradition.
“You should get going.”
“Use it to grab dinner together, you two.”
“I said it’s fine!”
“What, do I look like a loan shark to you?”
While Harry pushed Ben toward the door, Aemerus watched from the sidelines and laughed heartily.
Only after finally seeing Ben off did Harry wipe the cold sweat from her brow and shoot Aemerus a sidelong glance.
“Are you planning to give me spending money too? Tell me now.”
“Will you refuse?”
“No. I think I might accept it from you.”
Harry playfully extended her hand.
Considering that she’d driven Aemerus to the Hospital and waited for his appointment to finish, it seemed like a fair trade.
But what she received in return wasn’t money—it was Aemerus’s hand.
“How about me instead of money?”
“That’s… a bit much.”
Harry rolled her eyes and quickly withdrew her hand.
He was clearly teasing, yet she hated that she’d felt a flutter of excitement for even a moment.
Harry gazed into the distance and sighed, brushing her hair back.
Only after composing herself did she turn back to Aemerus.
“Should we head out before it gets any later? I’ll drive you home.”
“Yeah.”
Aemerus, seeming tired from his appointment at the Hospital, quickly dropped the teasing and got into the car.
As he fastened his seatbelt in the passenger seat, he suddenly spoke.
“I made you miss your date with JJ today. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. We can have our date another time.”
Harry started the engine and replied casually.
“So you’re not saying you won’t.”
“Huh?”
Focused on setting the navigation, Harry missed what Aemerus said and asked him to repeat it.
But Aemerus shook his head, saying it was just muttering to himself.
Harry turned her attention back to the navigation system.
“Your house address should be saved somewhere… Ah, here it is!”
The address to Aemerus’s House that she’d entered the last time she picked him up was still there.
After setting it as her destination, Harry continued their conversation.
“And why are you apologizing to me? The person who should apologize is Tyler, not you.”
Aemerus shrugged his shoulders.
“Well, when you think about it, I have my own mistakes I couldn’t avoid either.”
Is that why Tyler refuses to apologize and just digs in his heels?
In any case, being too kind isn’t good either.
‘How on earth is he going to survive in this harsh world? I’m worried, truly worried.’
Harry clicked her tongue inwardly and gripped the steering wheel.
“You’ve got your seatbelt on, right? Let’s head out.”
“Yeah.”
Soon the car they were in pulled out of the Hospital parking lot.
He, who had been staring at the navigation system, asked a question.
“It looks like we’ll arrive around dinner time—want to eat at my place?”
“Your place?”
Now that I think about it, he had mentioned his parents were abroad right now.
“Mm.”
Surely it’s fine for friends to share a meal together, isn’t it?
Besides, I have to eat dinner anyway.
And there’s something I want to confirm.
“Okay.”
Harry nodded, recalling the question she hadn’t gotten an answer to because Aemerus had shown up.
***
I had visited the front of Aemerus’s House before, but this was my first time stepping inside.
Harry couldn’t help but marvel at the view visible through the living room windows.
“Wow. You don’t need to pay extra to go up to the Observation Deck.”
Central Park, viewed from above, looked like a plush green carpet, and beyond it, densely packed skyscrapers reflected the sunset in a crimson glow.
The way she stood transfixed by the window view was unmistakably cat-like.
Aemerus chuckled softly and spoke.
“Want to look around for a bit? I’ll go change and be right back.”
“Sure.”
After he disappeared into his room, Harry slowly pulled herself away from the window.
She’d only ever seen a luxury penthouse like this in movies, so there was genuine pleasure in exploring it in person.
Every piece of furniture was positioned with purpose, and not a single decorative item seemed carelessly placed.
“Must be family photos?”
Harry spotted a framed picture on the mantelpiece of the fireplace and drew closer.
The white marble fireplace showed no signs of use.
It seemed more decorative than something actually used during winter.
As Harry’s eyes swept across the spotless fireplace—so clean that not a speck of dust would cling to her hand—they stopped at the frame.
The Huntington Couple and a man in a pristine white naval officer’s uniform.
And a photograph of Aemerus in his High School uniform.
“He really does look like his older brother.”
If not for the age difference, they could have passed for twins.
The genes of the Huntington Family men must be remarkably dominant.
Mrs. Huntington, who bore two sons, might feel somewhat shortchanged.
With that thought, Harry smiled faintly before glancing at the frame beside it.
It had a similar composition to the previous photo, but appeared to be from an earlier time.
Aemerus’s Older Brother wore the famous black uniform of Wharton School.
And Aemerus beside him….
“He wore glasses originally? Does he wear contacts now? I never knew.”
Until now, my memory of Aemerus had been of a quiet boy with glasses and curly black hair.
“Wait, this seems familiar somehow.”
A small, slight Aemerus wearing glasses and Elementary School Summer Camp.
Ben’s words about him being bullied as a child clicked into place, and something vague stirred in my memory.
During fifth grade, someone had gone missing during summer camp.
That missing person had been Aemerus.
“Wow, that’s right…. That happened? I’d completely forgotten about it.”
Contrary to everyone’s fears, Aemerus had been found quickly, and the commotion had died down just as fast.
Most students probably had no idea Aemerus had ever gone missing at all.
“What are you looking at?”
“…!”
Startled by the sudden voice from behind, Harry jumped in place.
Aemerus, now dressed in comfortable clothes, stood with an expressionless face.
“I was looking at your family photos. You really do look like your older brother.”
But Aemerus wasn’t looking at her.
“…I didn’t realize this photo was still here.”
He turned the frame face-down.
As if his past were some terrible scar that needed to be hidden away.
“Are you hungry? Let’s head to the dining room.”
“Oh? Yeah.”
The atmosphere was hardly conducive to Harry cheerfully reminiscing about childhood memories she’d just recalled.
Besides, Aemerus’s disappearance from camp had been due to bullying by cruel boys—hardly something worth celebrating.
‘I should just pretend I don’t know anything.’
Harry deliberately brightened her voice to lift the heavy mood.
“What’s for dinner? Are you cooking? Oh wait, your hand is injured. Let’s just order pizza.”
“Ah, I should have ordered it on the way here.”
“We can order now. Can I choose?”
“Choose whatever you like.”
While Harry sat at the Island Table and ordered pizza on her phone, Aemerus washed vegetables.
‘Is it okay for him to move his hand?’
Shouldn’t he be wearing a wrist brace or something?
Watching him prepare a salad from the washed vegetables, Harry tilted her head in puzzlement.
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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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