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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 37—A Gesture That Speaks in Silence
37.1 Letting her know, I'm Here.
Ryu woke up before dawn, his body still sluggish from the day before.
The cabin was quiet.
Zayra was still asleep, her soft breathing marking the calmness of the room.
She had confessed something to him the night before that still resonated within him.
Unconsciously, Ryu rubbed the bridge of his nose.
It was a gesture he made when he tried to sort out emotions he didn't know how to name.
It wasn't the story itself, but the way she had shared it.
A frank, open, and straightforward manner.
Without fear of showing him her vulnerable side.
That silent trust pierced him. He had never felt this way before.
He felt helpless, unable to do anything about the past that had hurt her so much.
However, on this day, he decided he would show her.
That from now on, she wouldn't be alone.
Not because she had asked him to, but because he felt she had already become his world.
***
For a moment, the memory of his childhood flashed through his mind.
The cold echo of boardrooms, where no one shared weaknesses.
That comparison pricked his chest, Zayra had given him something that never existed in his world.
He sat on the edge of the bed and thought.
"She opened her heart without reservation. I won't let her regret it."
He turned to look at her, moved a lock of hair from her face delicately, and smiled.
The following words crept into his mind.
"Zayra, what have you done to me?
Now the pain and injustices you experienced cut through me more than I'd like to admit."
He took a deep breath, releasing his pent-up helplessness, and said to himself.
"There's nothing I can do about the past, but now…"
He tensed his hands slightly. He didn't know how to say these things easily.
In his world, actions held more truth than words.
That's why he decided not to waste another morning in doubt.
If he could, he would do something small that would speak for him.
37.2 A Very Thoughtful Brother-in-Law.
He left the cabin and walked aimlessly to the pool area.
The sun already promised warmth.
Some long shadows from the trees still hung over the loungers.
Mariano was reclining, with dark glasses and a calm that seemed otherworldly.
Emily, his wife, was playing with the water, laughing in the sun.
"Ryu."
Mariano called, raising his hand.
"What are you doing up at this hour?"
He smiled, with that characteristic smile from the area.
Ryu hesitated for a second, the minimal gesture of someone not accustomed to such family closeness.
His fingers distractedly sought the seam of his pocket,
an almost imperceptible movement that betrayed how much he struggled to open up.
"I wanted to think…" he said, adding nothing more.
Mariano lifted his glasses to his forehead and looked at him with a mix of curiosity and brotherly complicity.
"Why the worried face? Problems with my sister?"
He joked, looking toward the pool.
Ryu tensed and shook his head no.
"I'm just playing, brother-in-law. Relax.
If you need help with anything, I'm here. We're family, right?"
Those simple words felt like a warm hand reaching out to him.
In Korea, trust wasn't given away so freely.
Ryu felt a small crack in his chest where relief filtered in.
"Thanks."
He replied in a low voice.
"I want to do something for her… a gesture."
Mariano raised an eyebrow and smiled, curious.
"I understand…"
A silence fell between them.
***
Suddenly, Mariano spoke as if something had just occurred to him.
"There's a new lookout point in Porongo.
It's beautiful at night, the view of the city is breathtaking.
As for a gift, I recommend you get her a bouquet of sunflowers, Zayra loves them."
In less than a minute, Mariano was on the phone.
On the other end, a friend of his arranged the reservation.
When he hung up, he placed the keys on Ryu's outstretched palm.
"Take the car. Go and surprise her."
As he handed over the keys, Mariano added, half-jokingly.
"Treat it well… the car, I mean. You already take good care of Zayra."
Ryu looked at him, surprised.
He didn't know what to do, but he chose to thank him as Mariano and his wife left the area.
***
Ryu held the keys. The cold metal in his palm felt unexpectedly warm.
No one in Korea would have entrusted him with something so valuable without knowing him well.
He felt a slight lump in his throat, a mix of gratitude and astonishment.
Smiled, surprised by the way things worked in Santa Cruz.
Zayra and her family truly had attitudes that took him by surprise, and he felt a warmth in his chest he couldn't describe.
He took a deep breath, and as he gripped the keys to the vehicle he'd been given.
Decided he would show Zayra she wasn't alone.
He wouldn't say it with grand declarations.
But, would let every detail speak for him.
He kept his plan to himself, waiting for the perfect moment to surprise her.
***
The afternoon passed with a playful calm.
In Zayra's cabin, they were playing a board game.
Ryu, in his own way, was smiling more without realizing it.
She noticed that he seemed less rigid than he had at the beginning.
"Incredible!"
Zayra said, laughing mischievously.
"The unbeatable Ryu, defeated by a simple roll of the dice."
"It was pure strategy."
He countered with false seriousness.
"I let you win for your self-esteem."
They both laughed.
Zayra looked at him and said.
"Ryu… you should smile like that more often…"
He let out a small, silent laugh through his nose.
The comment had caught him off guard but felt very pleasant.
When he finally stood up with a certain contained seriousness, she looked at him, puzzled.
"Is everything okay?" she asked.
"I want to take you somewhere."
He added, cutting through any potential nervousness with a voice that sought naturalness.
"Get dressed. I'm taking you out."
She looked at him with surprise.
Suddenly, she thought.
"A date? When did he get all this ready? I didn't even notice."
Her eyes sparkled, and a smile appeared on her face.
"Okay, give me 20 minutes."
37.3 A Date at the Porongo Viewpoint.
She got ready with the quiet urgency of someone who wants to look her best.
She wore a short green dress, fitted at the waist.
When she came down the porch stairs, Ryu forgot how to breathe for a second.
He thought of all the things he didn't know how to say to her.
The silence between them was so intense that even the air seemed to hold its breath.
His shoulders dropped slightly, as if all the weight he was carrying had loosened just from seeing her.
He couldn't tear his eyes away, every detail of her seemed perfect.
For his part, Ryu was dressed very handsomely in his style, with a white shirt with rolled-up sleeves and light gray pants.
Zayra looked at him, blushing, because she liked what she saw.
***
The drive to Porongo was peaceful.
As they approached the viewpoint, the wooden steps rose up like a discreet entrance.
As Zayra climbed the stairs, focused on the beauty of the place,
a beetle crawled onto her left foot, and her skin bristled.
"Oh my God, how awful!"
she said. She gave a little jump and, laughing nervously, said.
"Don't judge me! I don't have very good memories of insects."
Ryu barely raised an eyebrow. he found her reaction amusing and whispered.
"Don't worry, I swear to protect you... from beetles and boring board meetings."
Zayra smiled at him tenderly and said.
"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks."
Ryu cleared his throat and looked at the lights hanging in the trees like fireflies.
The air smelled of warm earth and leaves, a warm breeze caressed their faces.
"It's beautiful," Zayra said.
The city stretched out below them, a map of yellow and white lights, tiny artificial stars on a dark sea.
Ryu spent a few seconds observing the city before turning his gaze back to her.
There was a barely perceptible blush on his face, a warmth he couldn't quite explain.
An insecure beat shook his chest. In his world, gestures had huge consequences.
Here, however, all that mattered was that Zayra felt she wasn't alone.
His hands, so accustomed to making decisions,
hesitated for a moment before handing her the bouquet of sunflowers that the waiter had given him without Zayra noticing.
He cleared his throat and said.
"Zayra... I don't do things with big words."
He added, without forcing any tone.
"But I want you to know that what you entrusted to me didn't change what I think of you.
I admire you. And... I don't want you to ever feel alone again, unless you want to be."
Each word carried the honesty of someone who measures the impact of their gestures.
She received the bouquet, and her eyes lit up.
Looked at him, wondering how Ryu knew that sunflowers were one of her favorite flowers.
Ryu avoided looking at her directly.
It was his way of not invading her.
His hand rested on the table for a second, as if to anchor the moment.
Zayra was breathless.
She looked at Ryu for a moment, feeling her heart pound and her cheeks flush.
She had feared that Ryu would decide to leave her.
But no, there was this contained calm that offered her his hand without grandiosity.
Something in her chest unraveled, and tears were held back at the border of her eyelids.
"Does this mean he doesn't judge me for my past?"
The question was too simple yet so immense.
She was moved, her voice came out choked.
"Thank you, I appreciate it so much."
She said, looking into Ryu's eyes and taking his hand gently.
For a second, Ryu was surprised by the contact, but he didn't let go.
His fingers intertwined with hers on the table, a small gesture that asked for nothing.
Zayra squeezed his hand in silence and felt that, for the first time in a long time, something was falling into place.
She hadn't admitted it out loud, but she already considered Ryu part of her own,
and instead of feeling fear, she felt a warmth that she couldn't describe at that moment.
They stayed like that for a long time, two figures silhouetted against the distant glow of Santa Cruz,
the murmur of the breeze in the trees, the lights twinkling.
They didn't need anything more.
Ryu had chosen the gesture, and Zayra had felt it.
When they finally got up to leave, she was holding the bouquet in her hands and her head a little higher.
In the car, laughter came out for the first time with a sense of freedom.
It wasn't a night that erased old scars... but it planted something new, small, and luminous.
A silent promise, between sunflowers, wooden stairs, and glances that didn't dare to shout.
The night seemed perfect... until an inexplicable unease chilled his heart.
Unbeknownst to him, Ryu was a breath away from a piece of news that would shatter his world.