AHEIAID Chapter 62: The Clown is Actually Me (Part 1)
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There is a public secret in District 13.
Of course, secrets are not rare in District 13. The most private and undisclosable secrets of various individuals are piled up in the database.
For the safety of employees, even their last names and identities are secrets to one another, known only to their superiors.
So, secrecy is not the key issue—the key issue is that it’s ‘public.’
They wouldn’t reveal it to outsiders, nor would they speak of it openly. Everyone simply understood it tacitly. Only when a new employee joined District 13 would a senior secretly tell them the secret to help them navigate their probation period.
It might not necessarily be useful,
But... it was closely related to that man standing at the top of the pyramid…
“Ahhh—what exactly is this secret—”
“Is it about Garius’s past romantic affairs? Or his ex-lover? Or maybe his first love when he was young???”
“Damn! This kind of unspeakable secret is no different from an urban legend; it’s driving me crazy with curiosity!”
A chaotic mess of puzzle toys and snacks had completely taken over Garius’s office, occupying two-thirds of the space. Despite Amon’s countless protests and Garius’s boundless indulgence toward the tiny human, the once-imposing Signal Tower’s 66th floor had turned into a pigsty.
And the pig was now sprawled out on a pink fluffy blanket, wailing.
The man, pausing his work, looked worriedly at the listless figure, wanting to get up and offer comfort but remembering how he had just been yelled at with a tearful “Go away!” by the little human. He stopped in his tracks, a slightly cold expression now furrowed with deep lines of concern.
“Joey…”
He tried to call out softly.
“Don’t talk to me!”
Joey heard his voice and turned back in a rage, glaring at him with teary eyes, baring his canine teeth, and fluffing up his curly hair.
“If I find out your past flings, I swear I’ll make you kneel on a washboard!”
“…I have never had any lovers.”
“I don’t believe you! Everyone knows about it.”
“……”
Garius’s frown deepened.
He had heard the rumors circulating in District 13, but to say the secret was about his romantic history left Lord Heine himself both bewildered and innocent.
With his exceptional appearance, noble background, and unwavering determination paired with noble virtues, Lord Heine had been ridiculously strict with himself.
Especially from adolescence to early adulthood, while others were learning to browse the internet and go out for meals with classmates, Garius had already been forced by his father to accumulate knowledge, train his physique, and survive under extreme conditions.
Those scars that Joey had seen beneath his clothes each had a grim backstory.
Not only did his responsibilities prevent him from indulging in romance too early, but even his energy had no room for it.
Meanwhile, the system was equally puzzled and asked Joey, “How are you so sure this secret is about Garius’s romantic history?”
Joey explained, “Look, everyone knows about it except me. That means it must be about the past, right? And since this secret is related to Garius but isn’t necessarily useful, it must not be about serious matters or weaknesses. Right? And one more thing.”
Joey squinted his eyes, speaking in a low tone.
“Who am I to Garius?”
“Uh, his spouse.”
“So why is everyone keeping it from me and refusing to tell me?”
“…Tsk…”
“This has to be suspicious!”
“……”
The more the system thought about it, the more it seemed to make sense. It scratched its head, temporarily convinced by Joey’s logic. But after thinking carefully, it still didn’t seem like a big deal.
“Every man has a past, and even if you find out, what can you do? You two have such a great relationship, plus a big goose kid. Learning this secret will only make you upset. If it causes a fight, then it’s better not to know.”
That would be self-inflicted misery.
“I understand.”
After a brief silence, Joey sat up, turned his back on Garius, and tugged at his curly bangs, lowering his head to hide his emotions.
The system clicked its tongue. “If you understand, then—”
Joey: “But I’m jealous.”
The system: …
Who doesn’t know that obsessing over an ex is annoying and can lead to arguments?
Who doesn’t know that, at times like this, they should be generous, say they don’t mind, and project confidence in front of their partner?
But—he was jealous!
He was possessive!
Even though he wasn’t that outstanding, he still wanted the person he liked to focus entirely on him… Joey admitted that it was a little unreasonable and self-indulgent. Plus, Garius’s integrity had always given him a great sense of security, so he really shouldn’t overthink it. But… love was complicated and uncontrollable…
He would wonder what stories Garius and she had, whether they had loved passionately, whether their interactions were filled with tender and romantic moments, followed by soft smiles.
Had they embraced, kissed, been intimate?
Did she receive the same affection that he did…?
Loving someone was both generous and selfish.
He could give them all his feelings, but if they spared even a sliver of theirs for someone else—even in the past—it would stick in his throat, making him petty.
“I know finding out won’t change anything, but I have to find out.” Joey stood up, pressing his lips together firmly.
For the first time, he was being as stubborn as a mule. Muttering to the system through his communicator, he turned to leave.
“Wait, Joey, I’ll go with you.”
Garius also got up. Joey’s body had just recovered, and after everything that had happened before, Garius didn’t want him to go somewhere unknown or out of his sight.
Joey paused, holding onto the door, then turned back to look at him. His tone was firm, “No need. If you come, they definitely won’t tell the truth.”
Then he turned away without waiting for the worried man behind him.
For the first time, Lord Heine, who had always been calm and composed, felt a sudden marriage crisis!
Garius—calm on the surface but utterly panicked inside—immediately dialed his butler, Lucian, completely forgetting that Lucian currently couldn’t speak. As soon as the call connected, his tense voice came through:
“Lucian, Joey hates me. What do I do?”
Lucian, who had been asked the same question by the previous lord: …
Ah, such a familiar situation.
...
Joey wandered around District 13. He didn’t know many people but first thought of Ammon and Saxis, so he turned towards Saxis’s squad lounge.
Just as he stepped inside, he heard a furious shout.
“Brother, did you know? Bard actually had an ex-girlfriend, and he still keeps photos of her! I saw them!”
The fiery red-haired, sexy, and bold Reina slammed the table in anger, her beautiful face even more animated with fury.
Joey: …
The system: …
Holy crap, did the whole world get possessed by ex-lover drama overnight?!
T/N: Please give support on my ko-fi page, thank you🍊🍊🍊
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