Legal Disclaimer
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.
Content Warning: This chapter includes a scene involving tobacco use.
Chapter 72 - The Waiting that Hurts
72.1 Why this happen?
Ryu arrived at the hotel with a frown.
His hands clenched into fists for an instant,
as if trying to contain the whirlwind he felt inside.
Every step seemed to carry a thousand doubts.
He lit a cigarette and let it burn down between his fingers.
It wasn't the cigarette he sought, but something to anchor him to reality and give him strength to face his thoughts.
He felt the ash graze his fingers.
"Is it so important that I say it now?
If I told her 'I love you' without being sure...
But is silence not a worse harm?"
He didn't want to hurt her.
Only to protect her from his doubts...
Zayra lived in the pulse of the present.
He, conversely, lived in the stillness of the future.
And although their love was born quickly, the fear of uncertainty forced him to remain silent.
"How to explain to her that his silence was also a way to protect her."
He looked at the clock, watching time move slowly, almost conspiring against him.
He felt his jaw tighten, breathing deeply to calm himself, though the anxiety was pressing harder and harder.
"Why did this have to happen..."
He murmured to himself, exhaling smoke wearily.
The room held a mutism broken only by the hum of the air conditioning.
The bed seemed to hold Zayra's warmth, but she was gone.
He slumped into the chair with a heavy sigh.
Rested his elbows on his knees and ran a hand over his face, as if trying to clear the confusion.
"What did I do wrong?"
He asked himself softly, pressing his lips together.
A slight tremor ran through his fingers, the first visible crack in his mask of calm.
He lay down, but sleep wouldn't come; his mind wouldn't stop, turning in circles.
Anxiety tightened in his chest, like an invisible fist.
***
Hours passed.
Close to two in the morning, a knock on the door pulled him from his reverie.
Camila entered, looked at him with a certain concern on her face, and asked.
"Ryu... How are you?"
His gaze settled on her, and for a second, the hardness in his look faltered,
but it hardened again so as not to show weakness.
Her eyes rested on Ryu with a mixture of compassion and worry;
she looked at him without knowing exactly what to say.
However, she knew very well that if she didn't tell him what was happening,
the bridge that she and her sister had struggled to build would possibly collapse.
She inhaled deeply,
and like someone about to give bad news, she added,
"Zayra will spend the night at Alejandra's house; she's avoiding seeing you."
Camila explained, letting the silence echo.
He stood up, his gaze fixed on her.
He clenched his fists, breathed deeply, trying to calm the knot in his throat.
"Why?"
He asked, his voice dry and broken.
Camila lowered her voice, as if sharing a secret.
"More than angry, she's thinking about moving back to our parents' house and reconsidering your relationship."
The stillness returned to take over the space, heavy and suffocating.
Ryu closed his eyes for an instant, feeling a chill run down his spine.
"What should I do?"
He asked with a fractured voice, looking for a sign in Camila's eyes.
She looked down, took a breath, and replied firmly.
"Fix it, or she will leave and never return."
He stood still, feeling something break inside.
He was not a man of many words, but this time he knew he had to re-evaluate his point of view.
Or he would lose her forever.
72.2 A Revelation.
Camila already had Zayra's suitcase in hand;
however, she stood for a few seconds in front of the closed cabin door.
Seeing that Ryu wasn't moving from his seat, his gaze fixed on the floor,
she sighed deeply and went back inside.
"Can I sit for a moment?"
She asked calmly, without overly softening her voice.
Ryu nodded, without looking at her.
Camila sat beside him, in silence.
She looked at him out of the corner of her eye.
The tension in his shoulders was evident,
though his face remained as serious as ever.
"I don't want to intrude, but if I don't tell you, no one else will."
She said.
Ryu barely blinked, his eyes darkening for an instant,
preparing his mind for what he was about to hear.
She paused briefly, as if searching for the most precise words.
"Ryu... She told you she loved you from the heart, and you only doubt her feelings."
His fingers gripped the back of the chair, searching for an anchor amidst the emotional storm.
An almost inaudible sigh escaped his lips, as if that small gesture was his way of accepting the truth.
The silence in the room became denser.
"Listen up…."
She continued, her voice firm.
"I know you don't talk much and keep everything inside, but for Zayra, it was a stab;
she wasn't looking for an echo, but to open up emotionally to you."
A coldness suddenly invaded the place, and then she turned her face toward him,
looked at him seriously, and added.
"Where is the Ryu who knelt for love? Is it pride, fear, or past wounds?
What is preventing you from saying the most important thing?"
A masterful silence fell. And the atmosphere felt colder than usual.
"Do you know what the worst part is?"
She added.
"When a woman tells you 'I love you' and you don't reciprocate,
she feels unvalued, and that opens deep cracks in her heart that won't close,
even if she stays by your side and smiles."
Ryu didn't answer.
He just squeezed his hands.
His chest began to burn with a mix of discomfort, guilt...
And something he couldn't explain.
Camila stood up gently.
"I'm not telling you this to obligate you,
but because if you love her and don't see it now, it might be too late when you do."
She opened the door without making a sound and before leaving, looked at him one last time and commented,
"Words may not be worth much to you, but for her, they are bridges that are now breaking."
And with that, she left.
Ryu remained alone, pinned to his seat,
with the echo of those last words beating louder than the silence of the whole night.
"Cracks in the heart... Did I hurt her so much by not saying it?"
And in that instant, something changed within him.
His chest burned with the certainty that silence was no longer an option;
he had to break down his walls, or lose her forever.
This is how he was finally understanding what was at stake... it wasn't just the commitment.
It was her.
72.3 A Whisper Among Feathers and Roots.
Dawn gave way to a shy sun.
After a breakfast he barely touched, Ryu went out to the garden, seeking clarity.
The Bolivian heat felt heavier, enveloping him like a persistent memory.
He walked aimlessly,
as if wanting to clear his head, but the weight in his chest was still there, constant, sharp.
Then he felt it.
A presence.
A different silence.
He looked up and saw him.
Julio, the peacock.
He was there, walking elegantly in the morning breeze,
his iridescent plumage shimmering under the sunlight.
He stopped and looked at him,
with that mix of calm and authority that only animals who seem to know more than they should possess.
Ryu frowned slightly.
Something about that animal made him uncomfortable...
Not because it was threatening,
but because he felt it was observing him with eyes that penetrated his soul.
"How does that animal show its splendor without fear while I hide behind a wall?"
***
Julio advanced slowly, passing by him.
Without thinking,
Ryu followed him, and so they arrived at the Toborochi tree.
The great tree stood imposing, with its robust and curved trunk.
The roots jutted out like extended, protective arms.
Ryu rested his hand on the rough trunk of the Toborochi.
He felt a slight warmth, as if the tree was silently speaking to him.
He closed his eyes, and quick images came to mind: the time Zayra firmly protected him,
the gift of the stone for his mother, the trip to the sunflower field, her trembling voice saying "I love you."
Every small gesture of hers the silent protection, the tenderness in the everyday,
had slowly torn down the walls he had built to protect himself.
It was not about changing who he was or giving up his principles; but about understanding that to walk together,
both had to yield without losing their essence.
It was a delicate balance, like the strong and flexible roots of the Toborochi.
In that instant, he understood that his love was not a fleeting impulse,
but a firm root, like the tree he was touching.
***
Ryu's hand trembled.
"Why wasn't I capable of saying it?"
He thought with anguish.
Behind him, Julio spread his tail, a fan of vibrant colors that looked like a royal crown.
It was a hypnotic spectacle.
He observed it, and for the first time in a long time,
he felt something clear and urgent:
He had to act.
He sat at the foot of the tree.
His back touched the warm bark.
Then inhaled deeply.
"For her, they were not just words, but promises.
Am I losing her now?"
A slight sound emitted by Julio broke the silence.
Like a warning.
Ryu opened his eyes.
For an instant, the Toborochi seemed to vibrate.
Not with sound, but with meaning.
"You won't find a woman like her again."
The thought arose voicelessly, like a whisper.
Ryu's heart gave a strong beat.
He remained silent.
"Zayra..."
Finally, he stood up.
His eyes reflected a new, firm, clear determination.
He straightened his shoulders, his gaze full of new clarity.
"I won't let fear steal what I want most."
Julio looked at him one last time, as if approving his resolution,
and walked away with a serene step toward the thicket.
But Ryu knew that now he had to face more than his doubts.
Would words be enough to save him?
He turned toward the hotel.
Because this time, he wasn't going to keep silent about what he felt.