My Unrequited Love Is an Absolute Secret - Chapter 73

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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 73

“We didn’t even get to go on a date.”
“Why not?”
“It’s a long story.”
“I have plenty of time.”
Plenty of time? When we’ve just advanced to the finals?
Shouldn’t the team be throwing a celebration party?
I stood there staring blankly at my phone until my mother scolded me.
[Wash your hands and sit down to eat.]
[Yes, Mom. I’ll do the dishes. You rest.]
[That would be wonderful. But do me a favor—put the phone down!]
[Just one quick reply.]
[To whom?]
[Aemerus.]
At the mention of Aemerus’s name, my mother smiled with a knowing expression.
[I’d prefer a son-in-law as dependable as Aemerus, honestly.]
[Mom…]
[That’s just what I think.]
I shook my head and suddenly remembered something to ask.
[Mom, Robin was contacting Aemerus through your phone. When did that start?]
[Well, Aemerus stayed over at our house on Halloween, remember? He said he’d reach out if anything came up, so we exchanged contact information.]
[Ah…]
[After that, Robin would text asking how you were doing, so I let him call a few times. Robin absolutely loved it.]
[I bet. He wants to be Aemerus’s little brother instead of mine.]
I giggled, remembering how Robin had thrown a tantrum at the airport not long ago, demanding that Aemerus take him along.
[Aemerus even helped Robin get into the Hockey Team class. There were so many applicants that Robin had to wait, but he finally got in.]
[Wait, Robin’s taking the Hockey Team class? That’s wonderful, Robin!]
[Don’t even get me started. He’s already bought all the equipment.]
My mother complained about hearing hockey talk all day long, yet her expression remained bright.
It was the first time Robin had shown such enthusiasm about wanting to do something.
[I should feed Aemerus something delicious. Ask him when he’ll come over for dinner.]
[You told me not to use my phone while eating.]
[Oh, just ask him after you finish eating!]
At her nagging to eat before the food got cold, I quickly picked up my spoon.
After filling my stomach adequately and finishing the dishes, I finally had a moment to myself.
“Are you still there?”
“Yeah, I just finished dinner.”
I entered my room and sent a text message. As if he’d been waiting, a reply came back almost immediately.
“Yeah, I’m still here.”
“I’m trapped on an airplane.”
“Wait, then how are you sending me messages right now?”
“Using WiFi.”
I knew airplane WiFi existed, but I’d never used it since it was paid.
“Wow… I guess rich boys really are different.”
While I was debating whether to tease him, another message arrived.
“I’m bored.”
“Tell me about the date.”
He must have been incredibly bored.
I clicked my tongue and told him the story he so desperately wanted to hear.
“I don’t know what you were expecting,”
“but there really wasn’t much to tell.”
“Jessie didn’t show up at all.”
A phone call would have been easier. Texting made this feel so frustrating.
But I didn’t want to end the conversation with him either.
“???”
Aemerus sent back nothing but question marks.
I could practically see how bewildered he was.
“He didn’t show up at all?”
“I’m not misreading this, right?”
“You’re reading it correctly.”
“I got worried and went to check on him at his house. He was sleeping.”
For a while, Aemerus didn’t send a reply.
He seemed at a loss for words.
“Yeah, I know exactly how you feel.”
I muttered to myself, resting my chin in my hand.
While waiting for his response, I changed clothes and let out a long sigh.
I felt foolish for dressing up in a sundress for what was supposed to be a date.
“I went to so much trouble to look nice today. What a waste.”
I changed into comfortable pajamas and grumbled with dissatisfaction.
He must have been struggling with his response, because as soon as the topic changed, he replied immediately.
“Are you lying because I can’t see you?”
“Send me a photo.”
What photo does he want? Does he actually want to see me?
Of course not—I knew that perfectly well.
But knowing that, I still let out a coy scoff.
“I’m not in the mood to take photos.”
“Enough about me. Tell me about you.”
“Nothing much happened on my end either.”
“We won the match.”
“Tyler broke his front teeth.”
I jolted upright from where I’d been half-reclined against the headboard.
“You’re calling that nothing much?”
His front teeth broke?
I didn’t particularly like Tyler, but I couldn’t remain so composed upon hearing that his front teeth had been broken.
“Shouldn’t he get treatment right away?”
“He stopped the bleeding.”
“He’s getting treatment in New York.”
So that’s why he boarded a flight to New York immediately.
This wasn’t the time to be leisurely throwing a celebration party in Chicago.
“What about you? Are you hurt anywhere?”
I’d only watched the semi-final for one period.
But the atmosphere had been rough enough that a brawl could’ve erupted at any moment.
If Tyler, the enforcer, had his front teeth shattered, then Aemerus, the center, must have sustained some injury as well.
‘His wrist was already bothering him. I hope the injury didn’t get worse.’
I waited anxiously for his reply, my heart in my throat.
“I’m fine.”
“Thanks for worrying about me.”
I was truly relieved.
Only after reading Aemerus’s message did I let out a breath I’d been holding.
“I wish I could’ve confirmed it in person.”
Was Aemerus feeling the same way when he’d asked me to send a photo earlier?
Not being able to hear his voice or see his face felt frustrating.
“There’s nothing I can do about it…”
At least I’d see him at school on Monday.
I consoled myself and wrapped up the conversation.
“You must be exhausted.”
“Get some good rest.”
I planned to remove my makeup, read a bit, and then go to sleep.
“Can we meet tomorrow?”
Upon seeing Aemerus’s reply, I went blank for a moment.
“Huh…? Tomorrow?”
Why was he asking to meet?
Was he suggesting we celebrate together?
I tilted my head in confusion.
“Sorry, I have plans tomorrow.”
The thought of seeing Jessie tomorrow made me sigh heavily, my mood dampening again.
“With JJ?”
“Yeah.”
“Got it.”
That was the end of our conversation, then.
I considered adding a reminder for him to return to New York safely, but the pettiness of my own worry made me drop it.
“I’m happy with how things are with Aemerus right now.”
I didn’t want to recklessly confess my feelings and risk destroying what we had.
Especially not after what happened with Jessie.
“I can be satisfied with this.”
It was less a statement than a vow to myself.
I exhaled deeply once more when my phone vibrated again.
‘Didn’t we just finish talking?’
My eyes widened as I checked the message.
“Sleep well.”
Aemerus had sent a selfie along with the goodnight greeting.
It was a photo taken with Randy sitting beside him.
More precisely, it looked as though Randy had unilaterally photobombed Aemerus’s shot.
Behind them, Tyler was visible sleeping soundly with his mouth hanging open.
“They all look happy.”
Even if Tyler had lost a front tooth…
“I wonder if Robin told him not to bother with Hockey.”
In truth, a broken front tooth was practically routine among Hockey Team players.
Jessie even joked that his teeth survived only because he’d graduated High School early.
“Junior Hockey should be a bit safer, at least.”
Now that I thought about it, Aemerus was the one who’d looked into Hockey lessons for Robin.
It seemed he’d been in separate contact with Robin even before that.
“I should thank him next time we meet.”
There was always something to be grateful to Aemerus for.
I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Aemerus’s face in the photo.

***

The next morning came late.
Harry headed toward the Cafe near her house.
Since it was close to the Public Library, it was a place she and Jessie had frequented as their hideout since childhood.
“Lili, over here.”
Perhaps to make up for yesterday’s incident, Jessie had arrived first today.
As I approached the table where he sat, my brow furrowed.
Jessie wasn’t alone.
‘What’s this? Who did he bring without even telling me?’
Confused, I took a seat anyway.
“Welcome. You must be cold. I ordered you a warm latte.”
Jessie fidgeted like someone desperate to make amends for not taking care of me.
“Who’s sitting next to you?”
When I asked, the man sitting beside Jessie responded with brazen nonchalance.
“You don’t know who I am? I’m quite a famous model.”
“I apologize. I’m a student, so I’ve been too busy studying.”
I instinctively disliked him.
The strange scent that even his pungent cologne couldn’t mask bothered me, as did the dark circles beneath his eyes and his dilated pupils.
The man laughed awkwardly at me, answering without a hint of genuine apology on my face.
Hearing that laugh, I disliked him even more.
“I can’t believe Jessie is dating such a model student. That’s really unexpected.”
I pretended not to hear the man’s words and ignored him.
Before the atmosphere could worsen, Jessie quickly stepped in.
“Marius. You said you had something to tell Lili.”
“Something to tell? Oh, right.”
At Jessie’s urging, Marius smiled, revealing his canines.
“About the party held on Friday.”
“It wasn’t Friday, it was Thursday.”
When Jessie corrected Marius’s mistake, he wore an irritated expression.
“Right, the party held on Thursday. That’s what I was saying.”
Does this guy not even remember what he just said?
My expression grew increasingly serious.
“Anyway, that day was my birthday party. I invited Jessie because he’s a younger brother I cherish in many ways.”
“And?”
“It means you had nothing to worry about that day. Of course there was alcohol and women, but all of that was mine.”
….
“Jessie just came by after work to fill a seat for a bit. So many of my friends wanted to see him.”

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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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