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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 49 — An Unexpected Prize.
49.1. We Camba´s are locangos?
The day was hot.
Zayra and Ryu had finished training.
Suddenly, her cell phone vibrated, it was a message from the Chief of the indigenous community.
< "Zayra, how are you?
We need your help, there are border problems with the neighboring community.
Antonio can pick you up at eight.
Please confirm." >
She sighed and turned toward Ryu.
"Ryu, do you want to see my indigenous community?"
He, looked at her curiously.
"Today?"
She moved closer to him and explained.
"Yes, there's a legal problem there, and they asked me to go."
Ryu nodded and responded with resolve.
" Let's go."
Zayra was surprised, but on the other hand, was touched,
as she would be showing Ryu an important part of her roots.
She looked at him seriously for a second and, as a warning, told him.
"Don't wear sandals or white pants.
Put on jeans, sneakers, and a comfortable t-shirt,
bring repellent and an extra change of clothes."
He looked at her with genuine curiosity and asked.
" Why?"
Zayra felt curious, wondering if a city-dweller like Ryu could adapt to the Bolivian countryside.
The idea intrigued her.
She sighed, gently took his hand as if to tell him to trust her, and replied.
"Because where we are going is not a five-star hotel.
It's the countryside, the real countryside."
Ryu looked at her, intrigued.
If he had learned anything,
it was that Santa Cruz had all kinds of natural landscapes.
Without knowing why, he felt a shiver down his spine,
as if it were a warning that he was not in control of the situation, and even though that made him uncomfortable,
his desire to know the roots of the woman he loved was greater.
***
At eight sharp, an old but sturdy pickup truck stopped in front of the hotel.
Antonio got out, a plump, good-natured man with an open shirt revealing his chest,
a worn hat, and a smile as wide as his voice.
The truck bed was decorated with stickers of the Santa Cruz coat of arms,
a plush keychain hung from the rearview mirror, and in the back were a hammock and two water containers.
" Zayra! How are you, girl?"
He exclaimed happily as he stepped down.
She approached him and gave him a hug.
"Antonio! Good to see you.
This is Ryu, my boyfriend."
Antonio squinted at the Korean man and, with a mischievous smile, said loud and clear.
"Elay… the little Korean is handsome.
Careful, Zayra, they don't mess around in the village.
They could steal him from you."
Zayra let out an uncomfortable laugh but patted his shoulder like someone who knows him too well.
"You've started with your jokes already, Antonio."
And he, raising his hands as if surrendering, added with a loud laugh.
"Elay puej! We all respect here, but if he's handsome, it must be said.
That's how we Camba's are, cheerful, not malicious."
Ryu barely frowned.
He subtly averted his gaze toward Antonio's hand.
A ring sparkled on his left index finger.
"Married. So yes, it was a joke. Or wasn't it?"
He said nothing.
He didn't know how to respond in these situations.
In Korea, no one joked like that.
He took a deep breath, noticing how the discomfort tensed his shoulders.
Zayra noticed his discomfort, and with a subtle gesture, brushed his arm with her fingers to calm him.
Ryu lowered his shoulders a bit.
He was surprised by her ability to calm him without needing to say anything.
***
During the ride, Antonio didn't stop talking.
His accent was strong, his jokes simple, but genuine.
"See that? I once saw a car pulling another with a string.
And both owners were sitting inside as if everything was fine.
Here, we Camba's are locangos."
Zayra laughed heartily.
Ryu also smiled, though he wasn't sure if it was from nervousness or bewilderment.
"In the countryside, there's no time to complicate things, only to solve them,"
Antonio said, this time with a more serious note, looking ahead like someone who knows the road by heart.
Ryu observed the open road ahead of them.
He blinked slowly, absorbing every detail of the landscape that stretched out before him, and reflected.
"This place is another world. And I'm just starting to know it."
49.2. When Staying is a Decision of the Heart.
The truck stopped among a cluster of white houses, made of dry mud with corrugated metal roofs.
Palm leaves, precisely arranged to withstand the suffocating heat that descended like an invisible sheet from the sky,
could be guessed on top.
Ryu got out second, behind Zayra, feeling the crunch of the hot earth under his shoes.
Antonio exited the other side, greeting a couple of young men walking with tools over their shoulders with a wave.
An older man was waiting in the shade of a Tajibo tree.
Sun-tanned skin, serene eyes, and a firm posture, he commanded authority without raising his voice.
Two young men with folders accompanied him.
"Welcome, Zayra."
The man said, with a deep voice.
"It is good to have you back."
"Thank you, Chief Pedro."
She replied with a sincere smile, taking Ryu's hand and saying.
"He is Ryu Kang, my boyfriend."
The chief gave Ryu an up-and-down look.
It wasn't hostile, but it was meticulous.
He barely raised an eyebrow, then nodded courteously.
" Pleased to meet you."
He said formally.
"Please, come in."
They entered the chief's office.
The air, cooler due to the thick walls and the shade of the tree, enveloped the room.
Maps, blueprints, and sealed papers were on a rustic table.
"Everything is in order."
The chief began, pointing to a sheet with his finger.
"Our lands are registered and legally cleared, but the neighboring community has gradually encroached.
Not out of ignorance, they know they don't have legal backing."
Ryu moved a little closer, curious, while Zayra asked.
"Have you tried talking to them?"
The Chief responded.
"Yes, but we didn't reach an agreement, and we don't want legal processes, calling the police would only escalate the conflict.
What we want is for someone trustworthy to draft a document and reach a respectful agreement."
"Of course. I will take care of that."
Zayra responded.
"Can we convene them this afternoon?"
One of the young men accompanying the chief looked up from his notebook.
"I called them. They can't make it today, but they will come early tomorrow."
The chief nodded gravely, and then looked at Zayra with a softer expression.
"Then, I will ask you, girl, to stay tonight, please.
I will have rooms prepared for you."
He turned slightly toward Ryu.
"By custom, you should sleep separately.
Uncommitted couples do it that way.
I hope you understand."
Ryu nodded respectfully, although the chief's gaze continued to analyze him with a quiet curiosity.
***
Zayra took a deep breath.
"Will you allow us a minute, Chief? I need to confirm something with Santa Cruz before deciding."
The chief looked at her and replied.
"Of course, take all the time you need."
She signaled Ryu, and they both walked out to a small side corridor.
Looking at him with a sincere expression, she spoke.
"I have to stay. This community is part of me,
the land of my mother and my people, and I cannot leave knowing they need me.
But if you want, I can ask them to take you back to the hotel."
A pause ensued.
Ryu looked down for a few seconds.
His fingers barely tensed.
The name Yandé floated in his head.
He remembered Zayra had commented that the chief is Yandé's father and that they all lived in the community.
His lips pressed together for a moment before speaking, as if restraining words, he didn't want to release.
The mere idea of Yandé being near her bothered him, and the following words appeared in his mind.
"I trust Zayra. But not Yandé."
Furthermore, he couldn't help but wonder how much of her history he still didn't know.
He lifted his head and replied seriously.
"I don't think it's right to leave you here alone."
Zayra smiled slightly, tilting her head.
"I've been alone here all my life, Ryu."
He clenched his jaw for an instant and then exhaled slowly, trying not to show his discomfort, and retorted.
" I know. But now I am here."
His shoulders relaxed slightly after the exhalation, as if a small weight had lifted.
She looked at him in silence, as if processing every word.
Then she nodded with a mischievous smile.
"Well, you'll sleep in the bachelors' house and I in the women's.
We won't be too close… nor too far."
He looked down for a second before replying.
"No problem."
Zayra moved a little closer. She touched his hand, first with her fingertips, and then held it firmly.
"Thank you. I really appreciate it."
She whispered.
Before he could say anything else,
she discreetly looked both ways to confirm that no one was watching them.
She stood on her tiptoes and gave him a quick, soft, and warm kiss at the corner of his lips.
Barely a brush… but enough to leave him static.
Ryu blinked, surprised.
A slight tremor ran through his fingers as he held Zayra's hand, revealing his surprise.
Zayra lowered her gaze, slightly embarrassed by her impulse, but she didn't regret it.
"It's a prize. For supporting and understanding me…"
She said softly, trying to ease her own shyness.
And without saying anything more, she re-entered the communal house,
her heart beating faster than she expected.
As he watched her walk away,
Ryu didn't know if the prize was that kiss...
Or the challenge he had just unknowingly accepted.
He stood there, his hand still extended, and a smile he hadn't planned.