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 contains sensitive and potentially disturbing themes. Reader discretion is advised.
Chapter 19 – The Porch and the Truth
Part 19.1. Pleasant Company.
The Sunday sun streamed through the branches of the Toborochi tree,
painting golden shapes on the light-colored wooden porch.
Distant laughter drifted from the hotel pool, but Zayra remained calm,
sitting in her wicker chair with her bandaged foot.
In her hands, she held the Bolivian Traffic Law, marked with small colored sticky notes.
The sun caressed her serene face as she leafed through the pages, occasionally getting lost in them.
Her mother approached, a small backpack slung over her shoulder,
her face full of tenderness and a hint of worry.
She knelt in front of her and said in a low voice,
"My love, I have to go."
"Your brothers are still with your father on the land, and there have been some problems with the crops.
I'm going to help out. I don't like leaving you alone, but I have no choice."
Zayra gently took her hand.
"Don't worry, Mom. I'm fine. It's just for a little while."
"I've already asked Ryu to check on you every now and then," her mother said.
"Camila is in Santa Cruz working, and I know you're strong, but still... I'd rather you weren't so alone.
He agreed willingly; I didn't even have to insist."
Zayra smiled, nodding.
Her mother leaned in to give her a kiss on the forehead before leaving.
The parrot in the tree screeched, as if saying goodbye too.
***
A few minutes later, as if it were part of a natural choreography,
Ryu appeared silently from the side path, a notebook in his hand.
He walked slowly, as if not wanting to interrupt.
When he reached the porch, he let out a barely perceptible sigh, relaxing his shoulders.
Zayra glanced at him.
"Did they send you to watch over the young lady?" she joked in a soft voice.
Ryu arched an eyebrow and let out a faint smile,
settling into the armchair as if allowing himself to calm down.
"No. I offered," he replied without hesitation, sitting down beside her.
"What are you reading?"
"The Traffic Law. I have to review it for my practical evaluation."
"Ah, a fascinating read for a Sunday," Ryu said, with a slight smile.
"I'm honored to share this experience with you."
Zayra giggled.
"Don't mock me. You could learn something too.
You never know when the Transit Police will stop you in Bolivia."
"That's true," he said, shrugging.
"Is there a law that says it's forbidden to fall in love with a girl on crutches?"
Zayra turned to look at him, an eyebrow raised.
"Yes. Article 47, it's forbidden to cause tachycardia in women in recovery."
They both laughed. The parrot screeched again, as if joining in.
Ryu shook his head, amused.
"That wasn't there when I read the Bolivian law."
"That's because it only appears,
when you sit next to someone who smells like expensive perfume
and walks as if they're floating."
She replied, her tone teasing.
Ryu shook his head, amused, and his shoulders relaxed as he gave her a knowing look.
"I guess I deserve a fine then," he said, raising his hands in surrender.
Zayra watched him for a few more seconds.
***
Her laughter slowly faded until she looked down.
"Thank you for last night," she said, lowering her voice.
"My family and I don't like scandals."
Ryu raised an eyebrow and tilted his head slightly, genuinely surprised.
"No?"
Zayra let out a short laugh.
"On television, they say all Latinas are scandalous.
But that's for people who aren't educated.
Families with values and culture here don't make a scene.
We leave scandals for people without judgment."
"I see," he nodded, looking straight ahead.
Zayra watched him for another moment and thought,
"It was curious that someone like him, so proper, so distant, would end up being her most reliable company lately."
Part 19.2. When the Past Returns.
At that moment, a denser silence fell between them.
Ryu looked up to see Sebastian approaching on the path, with a serious expression.
Zayra saw him too, and her body tensed slightly.
"Zayra," Sebastian said from the porch entrance.
"Can we talk?"
Zayra turned to Ryu and asked in a very low voice,
"Could you leave us alone for a moment, please?"
Ryu nodded and stood up calmly.
He stopped at the last step of the porch and, without saying anything else, stayed close by.
He knew it wasn't his place, but something kept him nearby.
Zayra didn't even look at him, but said in a firm tone,
"Sebastian, the truth is, I don't feel like talking to you... time has passed."
He looked down slightly, then raised his voice calmly.
"Zayra, you don't know the whole story…."
She looked at him for the first time.
"And why didn't you look for me? Why didn't you talk to me? Why didn't you say anything?"
"I did... After what happened. I was in prison in Brazil..."
Sebastian lowered his gaze slightly, his hands clenching.
"It was two years. When I got out, the first thing I did was come back to find you.
I went to your house, but your parents turned me away and your brothers weren't nice either.
No one would tell me where you were."
A pause fell between them.
Sebastian tried to take Zayra's hand, his fingers trembling slightly, but she didn't allow it and pulled her hand away.
He sighed, discouraged, and added,
"By the time I found out you were in Cochabamba, you had already left for the United States.
I could never find you again."
She blinked. Her chest rose and fell with effort, as if the words were squeezing the air out of her.
Her eyes began to fill with tears. She lowered her head.
"Sebastian... please... go."
He moved a little closer, trying to fix things,
but Zayra moved even further away, and with glassy eyes, he added,
"Zayra... I love you. I don't want you to marry another man."
Zayra felt her heart race; anger, pain, and fear mixed, and she didn't know how to respond.
" What am I supposed to do with this now?"
She closed her eyes, and the tears finally fell.
She wasn't ready for all this.
She didn't know how to process what she was feeling.
It was all too much.
Ryu remained close, attentive and silent, ready to intervene if necessary,
as she broke down before his eyes.
He approached Sebastian and said with a serious tone,
"Zayra has already asked you to leave," Ryu said with quiet firmness.
Sebastian looked at him. He clenched his teeth, then his fists.
"This isn't over," he muttered through gritted teeth, before turning and walking away.
Zayra couldn't hold herself up anymore. Ryu approached, bending down slightly. "Do you want me to help you inside?"
She didn't respond with words.
She just nodded, and he carried her.
His hands were firm and secure as he felt Zayra cling to the silence, not to him.
Ryu helped her sit on the bed.
She turned to face the wall, isolating herself from everything.
He remained nearby, unable to leave in the face of her contained sobbing.
"I'm at a loss." he thought.
He left the room to give her space.
However, he paused for a moment with his hand on the doorknob, hesitating before closing the door softly.
Outside, the breeze was still moving the leaves. But now, the air felt denser.
In bed, Zayra couldn't stop crying, and between her tears, she asked herself,
"How, I´m going to choose between the past and the present?"