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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 67 – Divine Justice with a Taste of Locro.
67.1. The Hangover.
The sun entered the cabin with an aggressiveness that could only be described as criminal.
Zayra tossed and turned in the sheets,
squeezing her eyes shut with one hand while the other groped for the blanket to cover herself.
"Oh, my God... who turned the sun up to maximum...?"
She murmured, her voice ragged.
She was drenched in sweat.
Her head was pounding as if a band were drumming inside her skull.
Her ears rang with every sound, even the distant singing of the birds.
"I'm never drinking again in my life. I swear..."
She complained, utterly weak.
Her fiancé's eyes remained fixed on her,
with that mix of contained severity and tenderness that only he knew how to control.
Ryu somewhat enjoyed the silence her ignorance granted him,
but he couldn't deny that worry still nested in his chest.
"I don't wish for her to suffer, only for her to learn."
He pressed his lips together with an almost imperceptible expression of satisfaction.
He couldn't forget how he had tried to contact her last night, frustrated and worried, only to be met with silence.
Now he saw her completely defeated by her own recklessness.
"Owww! My ears!"
Zayra shrieked, covering herself with the pillow.
Just then, a group of children ran by on the nearby path.
One shouted.
"Let's go play! Catch me if you can!"
"NOOOOO!"
Zayra yelled, her voice hoarse and broken.
"Someone tell them to be quiet, please!"
***
He waited for her to stop writhing in complaint.
The scene had a touch of poetic justice...
But he never enjoyed it for long when it concerned her.
He leaned over and brought her the glass containing a bubbly white liquid called Ressaka.
"Here."
The hotel staff had told him it would help her.
As he handed her the glass, his thumb barely grazed her hand a brief, measured,
almost imperceptible contact, as if to wordlessly remind her he was there, but without invading her space.
Zayra needed no explanation.
"Thank you, Ryu..."
She responded weakly.
He watched her drink.
She looked like a fallen warrior after a lost battle.
When she finished, he took the glass without touching her fingers.
"Sleep for a while, I'll be back."
He informed her with his typical organized coolness.
Zayra sighed and lay back down, reflecting.
"This time I went too far..."
Ryu turned around, his gaze softening slightly.
In his mind, he analyzed that any conversation right now would only burden her.
He told himself.
"It's better to wait for the right moment.
If I tell her about last night, she won't be able to rest peacefully."
He left silently, letting only the soft creak of the floor mark his presence.
***
He went down to the eco-resort's kitchen.
Facing the cook, he tried to explain his mission carefully.
"Do you have anything strong for a hangover?"
He asked, measuring his words in Spanish.
The cook looked at him confidently.
"Locro. That's how we cure the body here."
Ryu nodded gratefully and returned to the cabin with the steaming bowl in his hands.
He closed his eyes for an instant, letting the aroma connect him with the local culture.
"In a different world, I am learning how to navigate it."
Zayra was sitting up, her face covered by a damp towel.
She barely opened her eyes when she smelled the aroma.
"Locro?"
She murmured, surprised.
"You brought me locro?"
Ryu nodded and placed the bowl on the small table.
He then sat beside her and watched her as she slowly began to eat.
"This is exactly what I needed..."
She thought happily while savoring the food.
***
Suddenly, soft footsteps approached.
Seo-Yeon appeared, carrying a small first-aid kit.
Ryu watched her with respect.
He trusted her judgment in handling such delicate situations.
He thought.
"She has a tact that I still lack."
"I brought something for your head."
She said, entering carefully.
Seo-Yeon opened the kit with precise movements,
looking at Zayra with a mix of professional and familial concern,
assessing every gesture with the experience of someone who knows how to care without intruding.
Zayra barely managed to whisper.
"Thank you... you're an angel in the form of a sister-in-law..."
"Yes, sure."
Seo-Yeon replied, stifling a laugh.
Her smile softened, an expression combining affection and contained amusement,
conscious that these delicate moments required maintaining composure.
The conversation continued, but the space was becoming too small for Zayra.
So they ended up going out to the porch, where there was a bit of breeze.
The cabin was illuminated by the afternoon sun.
Ryu watched her in silence, without malice, but with a hint of satisfaction.
"I never thought seeing her like this would make me smile."
67.2 Where Silence Holds Memories
The afternoon sun filtered through the wooden pillars of the cabin,
casting warm beams onto the wooden floor.
Zayra, still barefoot, carefully sat on the porch sofa.
Ryu brought her a cold bottle and set it on the table, and looking at Zayra, he said.
"Drink it slowly."
He touched her shoulder for just a second, just enough to ensure she was alright, without being invasive.
"I can't do much, but this is the least I can offer."
He sighed and went back into the cabin.
***
Her eyes, still slightly dull from the hangover, turned toward Seo-Yeon,
who was just then approaching with a small paper bag.
"Are you feeling better?"
Seo-Yeon asked, sitting down softly beside her.
She settled down without invading Zayra's space, her eyes showing subtle tenderness,
a reflection of the mix of protective older sister and a woman used to handle difficult situations calmly.
Zayra smiled, though she looked tired.
"A little... blurry sight, loud sounds, but no more dizziness."
She replied sincerely.
Then, she lowered her gaze, more serious.
"Seo-Yeon... I hope yesterday didn't make you uncomfortable.
It's one thing to hear about it and another to see it."
Seo-Yeon held a few seconds of silence, serene, like someone who has already reflected.
Then she spoke with her usual calm regarding difficult emotions.
"It was strange.
I've never lived through anything like that, but it wasn't too bad."
She nodded serenely, giving Zayra's arm a light tap,
a small but reassuring gesture, reminding her she wasn't alone.
Then she looked up and added.
"But you were there."
Zayra sighed in relief.
"Thank you for not judging us; we're loud and rowdy when the alcohol goes to our heads."
She laughed, embarrassed.
"But I truly hope it wasn't too awkward for you."
She added, a little worried.
"It was a unique experience. I won't forget it."
Seo-Yeon replied with a half-smile, and then added in a slightly softer tone.
"Though I think you don't remember as much as I do."
Seo-Yeon's smile became a little more knowing, and she raised an eyebrow in a playful gesture,
although her eyes maintained the seriousness of someone who knows that,
some truths should be told at the appropriate time.
Zayra raised an eyebrow, frowning slightly.
"Excuse me... What are you talking about?"
She rested her head on her hand, trying to recall the hazy memory of yesterday.
[Flashback]
"Another Singani shot!" a friend insisted, raising the bottle with a mischievous smile.
Zayra laughed and raised her glass, letting herself be carried away by the music.
First reggaeton, then samba, and she even attempted a few Bolivian folklore steps,
stumbling, but happy.
[End of flashback]
After that, she had no idea what had happened.
She noticed her sister-in-law watching her, so she just looked at her and admitted.
"I don't remember how we got back; I woke up with a pounding head.
Thank you for your patience.
You brought me, right?"
Seo-Yeon shook her head, almost delicately.
She looked down for an instant before saying.
"It was Ryu."
Zayra blinked.
The glass trembled slightly in her fingers.
"Ryu?"
She felt a chill.
Her heart was beating fast, and even though she tried harder to recall that scene,
it was impossible.
Seo-Yeon didn't know if she should comment further upon noticing her reaction.
Zayra looked at her sister-in-law with pleading eyes.
"Please, I beg you,
tell me what happened yesterday when we arrived."
Her sister-in-law, looked at her with tenderness,
recalling her younger siblings in moments of uncertainty, took a brief breath before carefully responding.
And just like a good older sister, she said.
"He was in the lobby when we arrived; he looked very worried.
He carried you to bed and tucked you in."
She lowered her gaze for an instant, aware of the weight of those words,
but maintained patience while waiting for Zayra's reaction.
Zayra felt her heart pounding in her ears.
She looked down, unsure of what to say.
Seo-Yeon, like a good older sister, didn't pressure her.
She cleared her throat and added.
"You hugged him as soon as you saw him.
And you said some things... very sincere things."
She offered a maternal smile and leaned back slightly,
giving Zayra space to process the information without feeling pressured.
Zayra panicked, almost as if cold water had been thrown on her.
"What things?"
She asked, nervously.
Seo-Yeon glanced at her, with an expression that mixed complicity and warning.
"That... maybe you should ask him."
Her gaze became serious, but her voice maintained a soft, firm tone,
like someone giving a gentle warning.
She knew the truth should come from the right person, at the right moment.
Zayra became disheartened since she wanted to avoid the conversation, but her adult side knew Seo-Yeon was right.
Zayra's eyes widened, a cold knot tightening in her stomach as she whispered,
"Did I say something… wrong to him?"
The silence that followed was heavier than any answer could be.