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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 30 — When the Heart Expresses.
30.1 The Gift.
Ryu had woken up before the sun.
He couldn't sleep, Zayra occupied every corner of his mind, even the most logical ones.
He looked out the window, and the dawn's glow barely outlined the trees.
It was then that he remembered something, Zayra's locket.
He had first seen it when they swapped backpacks.
Inside, there was a flower.
"Where have I seen it before?" he wondered.
***
He mentally reviewed every moment they had shared until, like a flash, the image appeared.
The day he met her, Zayra had a flower in her hair.
It was the same one in the locket.
He recognized it instantly by looking out the window, where the Toborochi was in bloom.
"Of course... it's that flower."
Without overthinking, he headed to the village.
He walked along dusty streets, with the fresh breeze.
An artisan stall caught his attention.
An elderly woman with a kind smile offered him necklaces.
One had the exact shape of the Toborochi flower.
"What flower is this?"
Ryu asked.
"The Toborochi flower. A sacred tree to us."
The woman replied.
"They say it is the tree of dreams."
Ryu bought it without hesitation.
His fingers twirled the pendant between his fingertip and palm, and for a second, his jaw tensed.
It wasn't like him to second-guess a decision, but with Zayra, he did.
****
As he held it, he became thoughtful.
"Will this be enough?"
Back at the hotel, he plucked two small, real flowers from a nearby tree.
Then he went to the kitchen and ordered brownies.
He now had the perfect combination, a symbolic flower, tangible sweetness, and something natural.
He put everything in a small gift bag.
But Zayra wasn't in her cabin, the dining room, or the convention hall.
He began searching for her all over the place.
The heat wasn't helping.
His anxiety grew with every step, ran a hand over the back of his neck,
an automatic gesture when tension weighed on him.
Feeling his shoulders where hunching, a habit he always hid in difficult meetings back in Seoul.
He was already imagining the worst.
"What if she left with Yandé or with Sebastian?"
Tired and anxious, he sat under a tree, taking a deep breath and wondering why it was so hard for him to tell her how he felt.
Just as he was about to give up, Baram, the peacock, appeared like a flash of lightning.
It eyed the bag with a brazen look and snatched it with its beak.
"Hey! Give that back!"
Ryu followed it down the hill, through branches and over paths,
until the bird stopped under an imposing tree the ancient Toborochi.
30.2 Give Me a Chance.
Zayra was there, sitting in a lotus position with her eyes closed, though her brow was furrowed.
She was trying to meditate, but her breathing told a different story.
Ryu picked up the bag Baram had dropped at the foot of the tree and cleared his throat.
"Are you okay?"
She opened her eyes and took a second to react.
"Oh... it's you."
She looked at him with a warm stare.
"Your feathered friend stole this from me."
He said, showing her the bag and smiling.
Zayra looked at him, surprised, and let out an unexpected laugh.
"How Shameless! I knew Baram was very restless today."
He shyly approached and sat down beside her.
"I saw this in the village. I thought you might like it."
Zayra opened the bag.
She saw the necklace, then the flowers, and finally the brownies.
Her eyes lit up, and a big smile appeared.
"Ryu, thank you so much, I really appreciate it."
For Ryu, seeing her so happy gave him a warmth he couldn't fully comprehend.
She looked at the pendant closely.
"The Toborochi flower?" she whispered.
She lifted her hair and, with her back to him, asked.
"Could you put it on for me, please?"
Ryu tensed at her request.
He took the necklace and gently placed it around Zayra's neck, barely grazing her skin.
For a moment, his breathing quickened.
He pressed his lips together, a habit he'd learned to hide his emotions,
and let his hands move with an almost reverent delicacy.
Both felt their hearts pounding a thousand miles an hour.
She turned to face him, her cheeks flushed.
Ryu watched her, containing his nervousness, and finally said.
"I know it's not much... but it's sincere."
Zayra looked at him, amused, and joked,
"Brownies. My weakness. You're in danger, Korean."
They laughed.
She took a brownie and offered one to Ryu.
They ate the brownies in comfortable silence.
***
After they finished the Brownies, she sat still, looking at the brownies wrapper.
A shiver ran down her back.
Suddenly, the following words popped into her mind.
" Sincere? Why does it feel like he's confessing his feelings to me?"
She sighed, something she always did to control anxiety.
Then thought.
"Wait a minute... it's better to ask before jumping to conclusions."
She looked Ryu in the eyes, smiled timidly, and asked.
"Excuse me... Sincere for what?"
Ryu looked at her seriously and said without hesitation.
"For you to give me a chance."
She lowered her gaze.
"Damn it... now what do I do?"
Her mind began to race.
Not because she didn't feel the same way about him.
But because the fear and anxiety began to appear, along with memories that could ruin everything.
Ryu, who had been observing her, realized in that moment, that Zayra tended to overthink.
He barely frowned, and his gaze softened instantly, he straightened his back.
Remembering how his father had taught him to face awkward silences without breaking them.
Waited patiently, but the slight tremor in his fingers gave him away, he took a deep breath to relax.
He leaned just a little towards her and, without breaking the distance, let out his deep, calm voice.
"Zayra... look at me for a second."
Amidst her many thoughts, another one suddenly came to her.
"Stop... he hasn't officially asked me to be his girlfriend, so I shouldn't feel this way, right?"
Suddenly, a smile escaped her as if she had regained her composure.
The softness of Ryu's tone forced her to return from her thoughts, as if he were the anchor she needed to get back to reality.
She looked up, playing with the necklace cord, and said timidly.
"Honestly, I don't know what to say. I'm... confused."
The slight tremor in her fingers revealed more nervousness than she would have liked to show.
For a second, he worried that his directness had been too much.
But seeing her play with the necklace, in that way.
He understood that wasn't rejection but fear.
An unexpected warmth softened his expression.
"There's no rush, Zayra. Take your time... I just wanted you to know."
Zayra smiled shyly, grateful for his patience, though something inside her was still holding her back.
A small smile escaped her, and she said.
"Thank you, Ryu, for everything. I really appreciate what you're doing."
***
They sat in silence under the tree, observing their surroundings.
Out of nowhere, a small monkey descended from the tree, attracted by the shine of Zayra's necklace.
It landed on her shoulder and tugged hard.
"Hey!" Zayra said, grabbing her necklace.
Ryu turned his head when he heard the shout, unsure what was happening.
He couldn't believe what he was seeing, from his point of view, the scene was funny.
For a moment, he didn't know whether to laugh or help.
He decided to help and moved closer to Zayra.
He tilted his head a little, looking between Zayra and the monkey,
figuring out how to act without making things worse.
After a few seconds of struggling, the monkey saw Ryu.
He was looking at it with such cold annoyance that it could cut the air.
The monkey got scared, let go of the necklace, and climbed back up the tree.
Zayra lost her balance and fell backward, landing in Ryu's arms.
Her cheeks burned, and a wave of dizziness ran through both of them from the unexpected closeness.
She got up suddenly, still blushing.
"Oh, I just remembered my sister is arriving! How about we meet later?"
Without looking at him, she grabbed her bag and left.
Ryu stood still, remembering the softness of her hands, and for the first time, he understood that his world would never be the same.