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This light novel is inspired by the beautiful landscapes and cultures of Bolivia and South Korea. However, the characters, events, and situations portrayed are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to real persons, places, or events is purely coincidental. This content does not intend to represent or reflect the historical, social, or cultural reality of either country. The author disclaims any legal liability arising from the interpretation of these elements.
Chapter 53 – An Impostor and a Bug with Attitude
53.1 The Impostor at the Boundary
The pickup trucks stopped amidst the red dust and misplaced boundary markers.
The heat was dry, and the constant singing of birds seemed to measure the time.
Zayra got out first, beside the chief, Pablo.
Ryu followed her with an alert gaze.
A few meters away, the other chief awaited them, surrounded by his people, and a man who was clearly a foreigner.
A well-ironed white shirt, dark glasses, and a self-assurance that seemed rehearsed.
"Pleasure to meet you."
He said with a false smile and an air of superiority that was unsettling.
"I am Justo, representative of the Yarituses del Sur community.
We have been here for over twenty years. These lands belong to us."
Zayra barely listened, her face tensing as she recognized something familiar in that man.
She observed him closely while he spoke.
The warm wind brought back an old memory, a yellow folder opens at Catherine's house, her best friend.
Documents and hours of analysis.
The name she couldn't forget.
Milton Betancourd.
One of the operators of the network of usurpers of former president Ivor Amaro.
A habitual invader.
A swindler with an arrest warrant for fraud and scams.
He had escaped from Cochabamba after appropriating communal lands and selling them under fraudulent titles.
Ryu, for his part, observed the surroundings like someone analyzing a board meeting.
Too many shifty eyes, an insecure leader, and a hidden truth in every gesture.
Zayra raised an eyebrow; she had already recognized the man, remained silent, and let him continue.
Justo kept talking, while the community peasants looked doubtful.
"We have documents that prove our presence, and we have fenced the land according to our rights."
***
Zayra narrowed her eyes, took a step forward, and said, in a firm but calm voice.
"Excuse me, Mr. Milton Betancourd."
He slightly lowered his glasses and looked at her, bewildered.
"Pardon?"
He replied with confusion and annoyance.
Everyone looked at the man, trying to understand what was happening.
Zayra wore a cynical smile.
"Milton Betancourt. Or, as you call yourself now, Justo. Can we speak alone?"
Milton looked at her with indignation, but restrained himself, as they were surrounded by people.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I already told you, I'm Justo."
Zayra maintained her composure, although inwardly she felt indignation and couldn't help but think.
"Wow, this villain…"
She took a deep breath and added.
"Perfect. Mr. Justo, can we talk?"
She motioned with her hand, leading him away from the group, and reluctantly, the man followed her.
Chief Pablo signaled the other chief to wait.
***
Ryu took a step forward without saying a word.
He didn't need to understand the words to recognize a threat.
In his country, a man showed respect by maintaining distance and observing without intervening.
Here, however, close proximity showed authority and support.
He positioned himself next to Zayra, aware that his stance would ensure no one disrespected her.
The three had already moved away from the community members.
Zayra looked at Milton with a seriousness that implied she was not playing games.
"I know who you are.
You worked for the government between 2009 and 2012, in La Paz.
You were prosecuted for fraud and still have an active arrest warrant."
Milton's eyes widened with fury, and he took a step forward.
"Where's your proof? Defame me, and I'll sue you!"
Zayra began to open her briefcase, took out her cell phone, and showed him a photo of him with Ivor Amaro in 2009 in La Paz.
"Do you want more proof?"
Milton froze when he saw the photo with his boss, feeling indignation and powerlessness mix.
He knew he had helped cover it up, but now he was exposed.
"You are threatening me!"
Zayra maintained her firm, calm posture, and with the seriousness that characterized her, added.
"Just so you know, the Judge of Cochabamba has already ordered your arrest."
Milton leaned toward Zayra, his face tense and his hands trembling, indicating he might act.
Ryu intervened without a word, his presence enough to contain him.
Seeing that she was protected by a man much taller than him, his expression shifted to resignation,
and the fury in his eyes turned into cold hatred.
"This won't end here."
Zayra had not allowed herself to be intimidated and said.
"Wait, you need to sign this."
She extended the document to him, cleared her throat, and as if delivering a sentence.
"This is a document where you and your companions agree,
not to return to the boundaries of the Chiquitana community of Besoró.
You acknowledge that the wire fence was placed irregularly and waive any future claims."
The man swallowed hard, looked at his companions.
He whispered something to them that the others couldn't hear.
Some lowered their heads, not understanding what was happening; however, they all nodded.
Finally, Milton, with a frustrated face, took the pen. He and those present signed the document with displeasure.
Zayra smiled politely.
"Thank you for your understanding. Have a good day."
Milton felt indignant but knew that it wasn't convenient for him to talk too much, as the others might discover his facade.
"This doesn't end here." He muttered.
Zayra observed him coldly and responded with feigned cordiality.
"Let's hope it does."
As they walked, Zayra noticed how the dust on the road slowly settled,
and each step seemed to clear the tension that still hung in the air.
Ryu walked by her side, alert, making sure no one followed them too closely.
He reflected on how she transformed chaos into order without losing her calm.
"That is the kind of leadership that isn't learned… you are born with it."
The dust on the road slowly settled, and with each step,
the tension of the confrontation seemed to move a little further away.
53.2 A Bug with Wings… and Attitude.
The pickup truck stopped in front of the community center.
The sun began to set, painting the sky with warm tones.
Zayra and Ryu got out, followed by the chief and his people.
The atmosphere was quiet but charged with respect.
The community chief carefully observed Ryu as he walked beside Zayra.
With that serene judgment of men who have seen too many moons pass.
He remembered the years when Siraya, his former fiancée,
chose another path, that foreigner with a calm gaze who not only stole her heart but had also saved his father's life.
Now, looking at Zayra holding the hand of that young man from the East,
he felt that history was repeating itself, although without pain.
Maybe she wouldn't be Yandé's wife, as everyone in the community imagined.
But she was with a man who knew how to care, respect, and be silent when necessary.
Pedro barely nodded, silently accepting what was already evident.
Sometimes destiny is not wrong… it just changes its path.
***
The road back to the hotel felt lighter, as if a great burden had been lifted from the air.
Upon arrival, fatigue set in.
Zayra could barely keep her eyes open, and without saying much,
she went straight to the bathroom for a much-needed shower.
Ryu collapsed onto the bed, closing his eyes for a few seconds, recovering energy.
Then, suddenly, a sharp scream cut the silence.
"AAAAAHHHHHH!!! NOOOO!! GET IT OUT, RYU, PLEASE GET IT OUT!"
The scream made him sit up immediately.
His mind, trained for emergencies, activated before his heart.
He didn't imagine he would face his most ridiculous enemy.
Opening the door, he saw Zayra with wide, startled eyes, pointing to a small beetle buzzing in the air.
He analyzed the situation with amusement.
"Even she could be scared."
"What's wrong?"
He asked, suppressing a smile.
"A beetle! It's flying right here!"
She said, her voice trembling, her eyes wide open.
"Is that all?"
He moved quickly, but with surprising calm,
catching the beetle with the towel and releasing it out the window.
While Zayra was still holding her breath, she stepped down from the toilet,
still surprised, touching her chest as if her heart were about to leap out.
Then she let out a nervous, almost incredulous laugh.
"Even I don't understand why I screamed like that… I've faced much worse things.
But that bug… that bug really had attitude."
She whispered.
"Of course, the warrior can also be scared by a beetle."
Ryu replied, approaching her with tenderness in his eyes.
She adjusted her towel, and they sat together on the edge of the bed; the day's tension had dissolved.
"Thank you for being with me today,"
Zayra whispered, leaning her head on his shoulder.
"Always."
Ryu answered.
At that moment, she took a deep breath.
Then she straightened up slightly,
like someone deciding to reveal something she had been holding back for too long.
"Ryu… all this, what we experienced today, is only one part.
He looked at her with absolute attention. He leaned slightly forward, as if afraid of missing a single word.
"Ten years ago, when Ivor Amaro came to power, he promoted laws that favored his inner circle,
leaving traditional communities defenseless against their abuses.
Those who defended their rights became obstacles to be eliminated."
Ryu nodded, processing the information in silence.
"So the fight you saw today… is just the beginning of something much bigger."
Zayra, looking out the window, and as if she had heard Ryu's thought, added.
"You know Ryu, with people like you by my side, I know I can help make a change happen."
Ryu looked at her for a long time before speaking.
"You are not alone."
She was surprised; it was the first time she felt someone supported her with something so important to her.
She took his hand, and with eyes full of hope, she said.
"Thank you very much I really apriciated."
For an instant, Ryu remained motionless, as if he feared breaking that moment.
His fingers tensed before responding to the contact, but then, without thinking, he intertwined them with hers.
An unknown warmth ran through his chest, something between surprise and peace.
The night closed with that silent promise.
He looked at her without a word, like someone contemplating something he hadn't expected to find.
For the first time, he didn't think about leaving, but about staying.
But even as she settled in beside Ryu, a chilling premonition ran down Zayra's back.
This was only the beginning of something much bigger.