If Mr. Fool's current feelings could be expressed through an emoji, it would probably be the widely shared meme of the screaming marmot.
After all, Lynn's words were no longer just hints; they were almost blatant revelations.
This made Klein awkwardly curl his toes, wishing he could dig a three-bedroom apartment out of the ground on the spot.
'No, I shouldn't be too hasty. Perhaps Lynn is just suspicious and testing...' Klein struggled internally. He knew the self-deception in his thoughts, but he quickly calmed down and his thinking became clear.
Now, Mr. Fool had only two options. One was to admit and confess that he was the Fool, and the other was to continue with the previous strategy: as long as Lynn didn't directly expose him, pretend nothing was known.
The first option would lead to instant social death for Klein, but the second wasn't much better. Either Lynn had already guessed he was the Fool, or would confirm it in the future. Eventually, he would face social death.
Given these two options, Klein naturally chose the second one without hesitation.
Though facing the truth early might be better, Klein felt he needed more psychological preparation to deal with being exposed. Perhaps after experiencing more things, he wouldn't feel so embarrassed.
So, even if he had to face it, Klein wanted to delay it.
And maybe Lynn hadn't confirmed his identity yet, just suspected it!
Mr. Fool optimistically thought, using his Clown ability to control his expression, though his smile remained somewhat stiff, saying, "Indeed, no normal person would think you're the Angel of Secrets, at most they might think you have some connection with the War Angel."
Lynn blinked, not too surprised by Mr. Fool's reaction.
Although he couldn't fully guess Mr. Fool's thoughts through the gray fog, he could see certain special attitudes.
So, Lynn knew that Mr. Fool had probably guessed that he had figured out Mr. Fool's real identity, which was why Lynn had openly hinted and tested just now.
But clearly, the fear of social death made Mr. Fool choose to play ostrich.
Lynn was happy about this because the more Mr. Fool played ostrich, the more material he could gather without any reservations.
As someone who didn't pry too much into friends' secrets, after discovering that his detective friend might be the Fool, Lynn chose to observe and enjoy the show rather than directly expose him.
After all, theoretically, Lynn couldn't be sure his guess was correct. If he guessed wrong, it would be very awkward.
'Moreover, I can completely say that I projected the relationship between Klein and the Fool onto my relationship with the Angel of Secrets... Isn't it the same?' Lynn internally joked, then looked at Klein, thoughtfully changing the subject: "By the way, since you've already advanced to Sequence Seven, shouldn't we contact Sharron and the others to prepare for counterattacking the pursuers from the Rose School of Thought?"
Seeing Lynn change the subject, Klein subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. But at the same time, he felt a bit deflated.
Because Klein could tell Lynn was intentionally changing the subject.
This further indicated that his partner really had guessed the truth.
'Knowing Lynn, if he hasn't directly exposed this, although there might be some consideration for my feelings, the bigger reason is probably that he wants to stir things up...'
Klein, one of the people who knew Lynn the best, quickly guessed a possibility. He recalled Lynn's look of enjoying the show at the Tarot Club and suddenly wondered if he might receive a "gift" years later.
Klein didn't doubt that Lynn would record his embarrassing moments at the Tarot Club. Lynn would definitely do such a thing.
Mr. Fool had already recognized Lynn's nature. After all, Lynn didn't hide his true self too much in front of Klein.
"Maybe I should confess; otherwise, if Lynn creates a Tarot Club diary or something, wouldn't it be more embarrassing...' Klein muttered internally, looking at Lynn, preparing to say something, but Lynn gestured for silence first.
"I know you have some secrets, and you might think you should confess to me, but I think it's not necessary for now," Lynn said with a smile, noticing that Mr. Fool seemed to have changed his mind. "Having secrets doesn't stop us from being friends, right? You've always been mysterious, and I'm used to it."
Lynn, isn't this almost the same as laying all cards on the table?
Klein swallowed his words, thought for a moment, then sighed, "I thought you would be very angry."
Just like before, when Lynn found out Sherlock was a Fool's follower, he was very angry.
"Well, I am a bit angry..." Lynn said, holding his chin and showing a thoughtful expression, then spread his hands, "But I can understand you. Just like I haven't told you my secrets, it's normal for you to keep such big secrets to yourself."
"Friends don't have to tell each other everything. Leaving each other some secrets and space is what true friends do." Lynn said this with a gentle expression, like a model friend who respects and understands his friends—if you ignore that he also wrote the script.
"...I'm sorry." Klein was silent for a few seconds before sincerely apologizing.
"It's okay, as long as you don't get mad at me for hiding things from you in the future." Lynn winked, feeling a thrill like walking a tightrope.
Klein looked up at him and couldn't help but laugh. Although he should feel embarrassed and socially dead after this near-confession, Mr. Fool felt only relief.
Some secrets weigh heavy on the heart, and not sharing them with anyone can be a burden. So, when there's a reliable companion to share them with, Mr. Fool unexpectedly felt a sense of relief.
This made Klein smile as he said, "Sounds like you're hiding a lot from me?"
"Guess!" Lynn, of course, wouldn't reveal anything, only uttered a single word.
'Confirmed, you're definitely hiding a lot from me...' Klein thought, shrugged, "I won't guess. Anyway, I don't think those things would harm me, right?"
Klein knew very well that not only did he have things hidden from Lynn, but Lynn also had his secrets.
Where did Lynn get the potion formulas from, what memories did he recover, and were the old friends around him only the ones Klein knew of... All these were things Klein hadn't figured out. As a former Angel of Secrets, even half-amnesiac, Lynn Sotos was certainly not simple.
But Klein was sure that Lynn genuinely considered him a friend.
That was enough. Klein wasn't the type to pry into others' secrets.
(End of Chapter)
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