My Unrequited Love Is an Absolute Secret - Chapter 87

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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 87

Aemerus’s hair happened to be black as well, so it would look perfectly harmonious without any sense of discord.
Then I suddenly recalled how Aemerus used to nitpick about me liking blonde hair, and a laugh escaped me.
Back then, I thought he was just being difficult, but looking back now, he was simply jealous of Jessie.
‘How dishonest of him.’
Now, whenever I see anything, Aemerus comes to mind first—and I’ll absolutely keep that a secret.
‘Speaking of which, should I buy him something as a commemorative gift?’
I stood lost in thought, touching the gat gently.
Thanks to dramas and films, Korean traditional clothing had become quite well-known in the United States.
Especially during last Halloween, I’d even seen several boys dressed in black hanbok like grim reapers, singing as they went about.
‘But does Aemerus even know what a gat is?’
If he’s learned Korean to that extent, he probably does….
The Hanbok Rental Shop Owner approached me as I stood quietly.
He seemed to have come to help, thinking I was having difficulty choosing a hanbok.
[Don’t you like any of the clothes?]
[Oh, no. There are just so many beautiful ones that I’m having trouble deciding.]
At my words, the owner smiled warmly and brought out several jeogori in pastel tones.
[Young ladies these days tend to like these colors.]
[Wow, they’re beautiful!]
As I admired the pale purple jeogori, I subtly pointed toward the gat.
[Is there any chance I could buy one of these somewhere? I’d like to give it as a gift to a friend.]
[You want to buy a gat? This isn’t just any ordinary gat.]
The owner explained with evident pride.
[It was handcrafted by an artisan certified by the government, so each one costs over a million won.]
[Goodness, that expensive?]
[Of course. I was very careful in selecting each and every one.]
My mother, who had been browsing hanbok nearby, came over and touched the gat as well.
[It’s definitely different from what they sell on Amazon.]
[Goodness, you can’t even compare it to those things.]
Seeing my disappointed expression, the owner, who had been chuckling, offered some advice.
[If you search online, you might find cheaper ones than this.]
[I’m only visiting Korea briefly, so it would be difficult to receive a delivery.]
[Hmm. In that case, try going to Insadong nearby. They sell them there too, though they’re expensive.]
[Thank you for the suggestion.]
I thanked the owner and picked up the pale purple jeogori.
[I’ll go with this one.]
[All right. I’ll pick out a skirt for you too.]
I changed into a deep purple skirt as the Hanbok Rental Shop Owner recommended.
My family members each donned their favorite hanbok and walked all the way to Gyeongbokgung Palace.
[Mom, I feel like everyone’s staring at us….]
[Enjoy it.]
My mother, delighted by this rare vacation, beamed with a radiant smile while linking her arm through my father’s.
My father wore a crimson gonryongpo, and my mother was equally resplendent in a scarlet jeogori.
[This is so embarrassing….]
Robin, holding my hand as we walked, grumbled while covering his face with a black samo.
[Bear with it. Your sister’s putting up with it too.]
Fortunately, the embarrassing moment didn’t last long.
Upon arriving at Gyeongbokgung Palace, we encountered people from all corners of the world dressed in hanbok.
[Lili, Robin. Don’t lose sight of Mom and Dad—stay close.]
[Yes.]
Thanks to wearing hanbok, my family entered Gyeongbokgung Palace free of charge.
[Wow, so many people.]
[It’s even prettier with the snow.]
Gyeongbokgung Palace was far more expansive than I’d imagined.
After passing Geunjeongjeon Hall, the first structure visible upon entry, we toured Gangnyeongjeon Hall and Gyotaejeon Hall, and on the way to Gyeonghoeru Pavilion, Robin began whining about his legs hurting.
[Come here, young prince. I shall carry you myself.]
[Dad, why are you talking like that?]
[How disrespectful. Should you not address me as Your Majesty?]
Watching my father crouch down to make it easier for Robin to climb onto his back, I giggled.
As I laughed, we arrived at the pond where Gyeonghoeru Pavilion stood.
[Should we take some photos here?]
[I’ll take them.]
I pulled out my phone.
Since I’d gone to the trouble of wearing hanbok, it would be a shame not to capture the moment.
Thanks to the snow, the atmosphere was enhanced, and even casual shots turned out beautifully.
‘I wish Aemerus had come with us.’
Suddenly, I found myself curious about how he would look in hanbok.
He would surely have looked magnificent.
With his athletic build, he carried off anything he wore with effortless elegance.
[Sigh….]
The truth was, I wanted to be with Aemerus.
I didn’t need to see him in hanbok—I wanted to be there in person to cheer him on in the championship match.
Once we’d agreed to spend time apart and distance had grown between us, my feelings for him crystallized with unmistakable clarity.
[Lili, you’ve wrapped up the contract so well—why do you have that expression?]
My mother gently linked her arm through mine as I stood gazing absently at the snow-covered mountains in the distance.
[Are you missing Aemerus?]
[Perhaps.]
[Oh my?]
Her mother’s expression turned mischievous in an instant, as if she were about to tease her.
Harry hastily changed the subject.
[It’s getting cold. We should head back now. We’re having dinner with Uncle later, remember?]
Her mother looked at her with an amused expression and laughed.
It was true that the sun set early in winter.
After leaving Gyeongbokgung Palace, they returned their hanbok and headed back to the 5-Star Hotel.
Since there was still some time before dinner, her parents and Robin decided to take a brief nap.
Harry, on the other hand, wasn’t that tired, so she spent some time alone at the cafe on the first floor of the hotel.
[The photos turned out really well.]
Thanks to the white snow, the vibrant purple of her hanbok stood out beautifully.
Harry posted the photos her parents took of her and the family photo on social media.
[Come to think of it, what time is it in New York right now?]
The moment I checked the New York time set on my phone, a sigh escaped me.
It was still the dead of night.
Aemerus wouldn’t wake up for at least another two hours, even with his game coming up.
[I could never do long-distance dating….]
At least Australia had a smaller time difference with Korea.
The United States and Korea had a huge time difference, and the distance was far too great.
I could almost understand Aemerus’s anxiety about me potentially staying in Korea permanently.
‘Here I am on vacation, and I can’t stop thinking about Aemerus all day.’
I was smiling bitterly when my phone vibrated.
What was that? It was a notification that Aemerus had liked her photo.
[Huh?]
Had Aemerus already woken up?
While I was composing a message to send him, another notification appeared—a comment had been posted.

AmosH
I wish I could be there with you…

Upon seeing his comment, Harry let out a hollow laugh.
[Are you sleep-talking right now or something?]
After sending the message she’d started earlier, a call came through from him.
-Hey, Lili. How’s Korea treating you?
“It’s nice. But isn’t it still dawn in New York?”
-Yeah. It’s past four-thirty.
“Good grief, shouldn’t you be sleeping more? I didn’t wake you up, did I?”
-No. I was going to get up soon anyway. Figured I’d loosen up my body beforehand.
He was warming up already for an afternoon game?
It struck her as odd, but she figured athletes had their own routines and let it slide.
-You said you were going to sign a contract today. How did it go?
“It wasn’t bad. And I ended up taking on one more song project. Isn’t that something?”
Perhaps detecting the excitement in Harry’s voice, he chuckled softly.
-Not really something to be surprised about. I already knew you had talent.
“Um….”
Harry twisted her short hair between her fingers.
With his pleasant voice saying only pleasant things, she didn’t know what to do with herself.
As she fidgeted with her short hair—which was too brief to wind properly around her fingers—Aemerus asked.
-Where did you take those photos?
“Oh, Gyeongbokgung Palace. It’s an old royal palace where the kings of Joseon used to live.”
-So that’s why you were wearing traditional clothing.
“That’s about right.”
-I wanted to see you.
Harry’s mouth snapped shut just as she was about to say something silly about how she’d felt like a celebrity while walking through the streets in her hanbok.
-I wanted to see you, and seeing your photo makes me feel like I can breathe a little easier now.
“What are you… saying things like that so casually….”
-Oh, is it too soon for words like that?
Aemerus laughed softly once more.
His laughter sent a pleasant chill racing up her spine.
“Yeah. If you’re going to say things like that, do it a week from now.”
Though Harry shot back at him with a coy remark, he only laughed, clearly delighted.
-It must be evening there in Korea now?
“Yeah. I’m going to have dinner with my father’s relatives. Tomorrow I’m heading out of Seoul to visit my Maternal Grandmother.”
-It must be nice to see them after so long.
“Nice, huh.”
Harry shook her head.
“I saw my cousins when we were little, so this is basically the first time. It’s going to be completely awkward. I can already picture it. They’ll definitely greet me with formal speech, ugh.”
-Is formal speech a bad thing?
“It’s not bad per se, but it’s the kind of speech people use when they first meet, in formal situations, or when things are awkward.”
-I see.
“Still, you absolutely have to use formal speech with adults.”
-I know.
Aemerus chuckled, and another notification popped up on his phone.
It was an alert that a new comment had been posted.
-Looks like Randy woke up early too.
He checked the comment before I could and let me know instead.
I wanted to talk with him a little longer, but I had no choice but to let him go.

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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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