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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 13 – Pajama Gossip
Zayra flopped onto the bed as if she had just come out of a battle.
"Oh, Cami... you won't believe what happened!"
"Tell me, Zay!"
Camila demanded, already getting into her 'professional listener' position,
with a pillow on her lap and shining eyes.
Zayra settled in to begin the story properly.
"It turns out the guy from the airport... remember him?
The one I bumped into when I was rushing out."
"Yeah! The one you said was an arrogant jerk.
What about him?"
Zayra paused dramatically.
"It was Ryu."
"Whaaaaat?!" Camila almost choked on her laughter, clutching her chest as if it were too much to process.
"Zay! No way!! Are you serious!?"
"I swear. And to top it all off..." Zayra's eyes widened.
"The necklace I found in his backpack... it was his!"
Camila screamed as if she were watching a live telenovela.
"You're telling me you ran into each other, mixed up your backpacks, and on top of that, you were rude to him!?"
"Exactly. And he yelled at me too, just so you know."
"Nooooo!" Camila covered her mouth.
"So what did you do?"
"I put him in his place, as one should. I told him to bring my backpack in ten minutes and we'd make the exchange.
But I treated him well, of course. As is proper."
"And you say you don't attract drama!"
Camila gave her a playful nudge and bit her lip mischievously.
"You attract it like bread attracts cheese, sister."
"The worst part,"
Zayra stood up and paced the room, indignant.
"Is that he called me a thief!"
"What?!" Camila burst out laughing.
"That sounds like a movie script! What did you do?"
"I was offended! And when I told him he was rude, he went silent.
And worst of all, he didn't even apologize."
Camila looked at her for a moment and then commented gently.
"Are you sure he didn't? Because when you get mad, you don't listen to a thing."
Zayra paused, hesitating a little.
"Well... I didn't hear it. But still, if he really wanted to apologize, he would have said it clearly, not in a whisper.
Don't you think? You're not supposed to be a mind reader!"
Camila looked at her teasingly.
"Come on now... did you like him or not?"
"What are you talking about?"
Zayra tried to play innocent.
But a fleeting image crossed her mind.
Ryu's eyes fixed on her, a mix of anger and... something else she didn't want to name.
"Don't pretend, you liked him. Don't be shy!"
Zayra threw a pillow at her face, dying of embarrassment.
"Camila!"
"Oh, sister... don't be shy. I swear that man didn't take his eyes off you the whole dinner.
He was paying attention to everything you did. And his sister... she smiled at you! At you! That's a good sign."
"Really?" Zayra asked, with a hint of hope.
"I swear it, sis. And Min-Jun was laughing every time they talked about the menu; he seemed delighted with the Barbecue.
The parents were happily distracted with ours, in their own world. But you... you were the surprise of the night."
Zayra blushed. It had been a long time since she felt that way.
Camila watched her with a knowing smile and concluded,
"Big sister, all I'm saying is... that man didn't take his eyes off you, not even when you were serving yourself the Majadito."
Zayra covered her face with her hands, laughing nervously.
"Oh, no! How embarrassing!"
She froze, her hands still over her face. Her heart gave an unexpected jump.
They both fell back, laughing. The room filled with that warmth that only comes from shared secrets.
But when the lights went out, and as each one began to fall asleep, Zayra was left staring at the ceiling, lost in thought.
"What if he did apologize, and I didn't hear it?"
She let out a long sigh, defeated.
"Well... if that's the case, I'll have to apologize,
not only for this but also for what I said in the airport the other day."
She made a face of resignation and murmured.
"As Mariano would say... 'Morals over pride, sis."
And she turned over with a 'It is what it is' look, closing her eyes while her mind continued to spin silently.