My Unrequited Love Is an Absolute Secret - Chapter 85

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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 85

Aemerus’s physique as a Hockey Team player was undeniably impressive.
Even in a bomber jacket that could easily look unflattering or sloppy, he carried himself with the grace of a model.
Moreover, Aemerus was tall.
I had to rise onto my tiptoes just to barely meet his gaze face-to-face.
“You’ve really grown well.”
Words that sounded like something Aemerus’s mother would say tumbled from my lips.
“I could have sworn you were shorter than me back then. Am I remembering that correctly?”
“Yeah.”
“Your knees must have hurt terribly from all that growth.”
Jessie certainly experienced that.
As he shot up day after day, he’d constantly complain about knee pain from growing pains.
Meanwhile, I grew up without even knowing growing pains existed.
“And you trained incredibly hard, didn’t you?”
I knew this because of Ricky, Faye’s ex-boyfriend—I’d inadvertently seen the Hockey Team’s training attendance records.
Aemerus had never missed a single training session, even long before becoming captain.
‘Of course a body like this doesn’t come easy.’
I laughed while running my hand over Aemerus’s firm, muscular arm.
“I won’t deny that you look good now. But I didn’t think you looked bad as a kid either.”
When I visited Aemerus’s House, I’d noticed how he’d flipped his childhood photos face-down on the floor.
Of course, I had several embarrassing photos from my own childhood that could be called shameful.
Especially my elementary school graduation photo was the worst.
Still, it was something I could laugh off lightly as a joke.
But Aemerus… his eyes back then held such utter self-loathing.
“You were actually cute. So don’t hate your younger self so much.”
I reached out and gently stroked his tousled hair.
“Sorry if I’m reading this wrong.”
“No, no, it’s not.”
His cheeks flushed, he silently bent down.
Making it easier for me to pet him.
‘Ah, how adorable.’
Just as I was enjoying the sensation of petting a large dog, Robin returned and interrupted us again.
He’d come back because the two of us still hadn’t appeared despite being told to come down for dinner.
[What are you doing up there!]
[Got it. I’m coming down. We’re coming down.]
I reluctantly lowered my hand from stroking Aemerus at Robin’s insistent calls.
[You’re staying for dinner with us, right?]
[Yes.]
[Let’s go.]
Unlike when I’d climbed to the second floor by gripping Aemerus’s sleeve, I held his hand on the way down.
It wasn’t a conscious decision on my part.
He’d simply taken my hand, and I’d left it there.
I only let go when I spotted my parents waiting for us, but they’d already witnessed everything.
“Looks like you two sorted things out well.”
My mother teased me with a mischievous expression, as if she knew all about it.
‘Come to think of it, those two deceived Aemerus.’
They hadn’t mentioned that the trip to Korea was just brief, that I’d be back in a week—which was why Aemerus had been trembling with anxiety.
When I shot my parents a sharp look, my father, caught red-handed, cleared his throat awkwardly.
“Misunderstandings should be cleared up directly between the people involved.”
“Yes, yes.”
“Never mind that—come sit down. The food will get cold.”
My mother gave my back a gentle pat and turned to Aemerus.
“I heard you have the finals coming up. I boiled some pork to give you strength.”
My eyes widened as I surveyed the table.
‘That’s not a little bit.’
The table legs looked ready to collapse at any moment.
It was a joint effort between my quick-handed father and my generous-handed mother.
[Thank you for the meal.]
As Aemerus took his seat and offered the traditional greeting before eating, my parents’ eyes went wide.
[You can speak Korean too?]
[A little.]
[I already knew that.]
Robin, for some reason, became smug and puffed out his chest proudly.
[Did we, um, happen to say anything embarrassing?]
[No.]
Aemerus smiled politely at my father’s question.
When he’d first visited this house, I’d heard my parents express doubt about whether he was really Jessie’s friend.
But it was a natural attitude for parents with a daughter, so it hadn’t bothered me much.
[But what made you want to learn Korean?]
At my mother’s question, Aemerus glanced at me.
[Because I like it.]
[Oh my!]
Anyone could easily tell that the subject he’d omitted wasn’t ‘Korea’ but ‘Harry’.
‘Why is he like this in front of the dinner table.’
I’d have to say something to him later.
While I buried my face in my rice bowl in embarrassment, my mother picked up a perfectly cooked slice of pork and placed it in front of Aemerus.
[Try eating the meat with kimchi. And don’t worry—these chopsticks are new.]
“Mom, Aemerus can’t handle spicy food well.”
“Is the kimchi too spicy?”
“I’ll try it.”
Harry’s Parents were typical Koreans—so accustomed to spicy flavors that they didn’t even register kimchi as hot.
Harry, alarmed, quickly stopped Aemerus.
Having shared numerous meals with him, I had a fairly good sense of his palate.
“Don’t push yourself. What if you get sick right before the match?”
“That’s right. No need to force it. Try some pickled radish or white kimchi instead.”
Following her father’s suggestion, Harry quickly wrapped some pickled radish in a convenient bite-sized portion.
“How is it? Delicious, right?”
“Yes.”
Aemerus, accepting whatever she offered with docile obedience, smiled shyly.
For him, having an entire family gathered around the table sharing a meal together was a rare occurrence.
The Huntington Couple were always busy with their respective work.
On the rare occasions when their schedules aligned for a shared meal, they spoke only of business matters.
That’s why Aemerus often felt like the fifth wheel of a car.
A presence that made no difference whether it existed or not.
But it was different in Harry’s House.
“This is truly delicious.”
“Try the japchae too. It’s the dish I’m most confident about.”
“Mom, Aemerus is an athlete, so he needs to watch his carbohydrate intake.”
While the two women debated, Harry’s Father discreetly slid the japchae bowl in front of him and winked.
To honor his expectations, I secretly took a bite of the japchae. It was delicious.
‘As expected….’
Robin had said he wanted to become Aemerus’s family.
But Aemerus was the one who wanted to become part of their family.
After vaguely envying Jessie from a distance, now that I’d stepped inside the fence myself, my desires only grew stronger.
‘It’s already a miracle that Harry likes me.’
It was troublesome how greed kept surfacing despite knowing my place.
But… Harry had told me that the younger version of me was cute.
So wouldn’t it be alright to indulge in just a little, just a tiny bit more of this desire?
I was eating while stealing glances at Harry from the corner of my eye.
“Robin, why aren’t you eating? Aren’t you hungry?”
Since a guest was present, Harry, who had been periodically checking the table to ensure nothing was lacking, asked.
“I’m sulking because I don’t want to go to Korea.”
“But you were singing about how much you wanted to go to Korea not long ago.”
The answer came not from Robin, but from his parents.
Robin’s already pouting lips jutted out further.
“That’s exactly why! When I wanted to go, we didn’t go, and now we’re going? My hockey lessons…. I already bought a stick and skates….”
“Robin. You already settled this with your parents. Stop it and eat your meal.”
Robin’s sadness deepened at my words.
‘Why doesn’t anyone understand how I feel? Mom and Dad only favor my sister.’
Even Aemerus seemed to prefer her over him.
Robin wasn’t foolish—he understood this perfectly well.
Seeing Robin’s trembling lips, Aemerus quietly set down his utensils.
[Robin, look at me for a moment.]
He gestured silently to Harry’s Parents for permission, then led Robin to the Living Room.
[Shouldn’t you go after him?]
My mother asked, but I merely shrugged.
[It should be fine. There’s something that only works between men, I suppose. Even his own sister gets left behind.]
[He’s at that age, after all.]
While my parents shared a quiet laugh, Aemerus engaged Robin in a serious conversation.
[Robin. Do you really want to play Hockey?]
[Yeah.]
[Then why aren’t you eating?]
Robin was on the verge of sulking, thinking even Aemerus was about to scold him.
Aemerus removed his jacket and rolled up his sleeves, displaying his arm muscles.
[Wow….]
Aemerus allowed Robin to touch and feel his forearms.
[Training is important, sure. But your body needs to be prepared first. That’s how training becomes effective. Do you understand what I’m saying?]
Speaking in Korean, his words naturally carried less impact than they would have in English, his native language.
Fortunately, Robin had no trouble understanding him.
[You said you wanted to become like me, right?]
[Yeah!]
[Go to Korea, eat delicious food, and come back heavier. Then you’ll be able to train better.]
Had Aemerus launched into a lengthy speech about how important this trip to Korea was for me, Robin wouldn’t have relented.
But he didn’t do that.
He focused entirely on Robin, explaining it in a way that mattered only to him.
In other words, it was enough to soothe Robin’s heart.
[Shall we go eat now?]
[Yeah.]
When Robin returned with Aemerus, he ate his meal quietly without a single complaint.
[My goodness. What is this?]
[Aemerus, would you consider doing a homestay at our house?]
My parents marveled as they watched Robin polish off an entire bowl of rice.

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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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