Boneca [Doll]

Chapter 25: There Was No Us

Aarón yanked Luuk around the shoulder, locking his arm in a swift move.

Luuk, with his compact frame, expertly stepped on Aarón's thigh, executed a reverse jump with remarkable agility, and landed behind Aarón. A cloud of dust swirled around their legs as they sparred.

Watching Aarón in combat was a familiar sight for Jona, having seen countless bouts in their gym. However, seeing Luuk's prowess in action was nothing short of astonishing. Luuk's improvised moves were impressive.

For Jona, who considered himself a martial arts instructor, the display stirred a pang of insecurity. He couldn't help feeling inadequate in comparison to both of them.

"That's an impressive sparring match, but if that's what you guys call Jiu-Jitsu, then no," Dr. John commented, clapping along with the tribesmen who had gathered to watch the spectacle. He then shouted at Aarón, "I won't allow da Graça to demonstrate such moves tomorrow."

Aarón leaned his hands on his knees, while Luuk, sweaty and windswept, secured his hair in a high bun, his blond locks glistening under the sun. His eyes, almost gray and clear as the sky, briefly met Jona's, causing an unexpected flutter in his chest. He tried to suppress the sudden surge of emotions. Was it anger, sadness, or perhaps annoyance? He couldn't quite put a finger on it.

"That wasn't our demonstration for tomorrow; we were just having some fun," Aarón clarified.

"Those aren't the basic moves," Jona interjected. "I can show you some fundamental techniques if you'd like. I assure you it's nothing like what you've seen. What they showed you wasn't even proper Jiu-Jitsu; it was more like mixed martial arts."

Dr. John's brow furrowed for a moment before he nodded.

"Sorry for the impromptu show, John," Aarón called to them.

Luuk exchanged a few words with Aarón, then walked past Jona to greet Dr. Chen, who was conducting an interview with a tribeswoman for his community psychology study, with the assistance of Essien the translator.

Jona had a myriad of questions he wanted to ask Luuk about their strained interactions, but fear held him back. It seemed like discussing their personal issues amidst this expedition wasn't a priority.

With less than a month remaining in their research expedition, they had all become engrossed in their respective projects, drifting apart from one another. Luuk's daily schedule began at sunrise and stretched until sunset. He interacted with the tribesmen during the day and worked on his computer in the evenings. As for Aarón and Jona, they had only recently returned from a week of canopy mapping with the students. Their opportunities to sit down and connect had become increasingly rare. Tomorrow was the Huka-Huka festival, and this marked the first time they had gathered as a group in the village in quite a while.

Amid the relentless work and separation, a simple "Hi" from Luuk would have sufficed to bridge the gap. He could have just given Jona a glance and shared a smile, but instead, Luuk had ignored him for the entire month since they returned from their research in the deforested area.

Jona couldn't quite comprehend what had gone wrong. Why did it hurt? Why did he feel lonely? What had transpired between them?

"Hey, is something bothering you?" Aarón asked, sitting beside him.

Jona rested his head on Aarón's shoulder. "Aarón."

"Sí, cariño," Aarón replied, affectionately calling him "sweetie."

"Do you think my brother would be better than me at martial arts? I feel like a joke compared to you, you know? You guys seem like naturals at it. I've put in so much effort, but it feels like I'm... nowhere."

Aarón traced the tattoo on Jona's neck, a reminder from six years ago when Aarón had worked part-time at a tattoo parlor. The cursive name, almost forgotten, resided there. Junko.

"You're a terrific instructor, Junko. Look at how the kids adore you."

A shiver ran down Jona's spine, and his heart raced.

"Já te disse para não me chamares assim," [I've told you not to call me that] Jona whispered, glancing at the entrance as the sound of footsteps over shifting sand reached his ears.

Luuk stood at the entrance, averting his gaze. He seemed indecisive, as if he had second thoughts, before finally entering the hut to retrieve his towel and change of clothes. He called for Ethan, who quickly followed him.

A part of Jona wanted to rush after Luuk and call him back. But what would he say? What would be the point?

Jona rubbed his face and rested his temple on Aarón's arm. "He seems to avoid me for some reason. What did I do to him?"

"He hasn't been talking to you, has he?"

"You already know the answer without asking me. You're like a Sherlock Holmes." Jona gazed into Aarón's eyes. "Diga-me. Fiz algo errado?" [Tell me. Did I do something wrong?]

Aarón stared at him, gently massaging his scalp. "I'm not sure you'll like my conclusion, honey. And I'm not sure if I like my conclusion either."

"If you mean he's homophobic, I'm aware of it. He's mentioned he doesn't trust gay men, especially those he can't understand. I've never asked why. I wonder if something happened to him..." Jona sat up straight on the hammock, facing Aarón. An idea started to form in his mind. "Maybe he's avoiding me because he thinks we're in a relationship?"

"Do you genuinely think that's the reason?" Aarón chuckled.

Before Jona could inquire further, Zack appeared at the hut's entrance, calling Aarón over to discuss some data.

Jona remained seated on his hammock, trying to unravel the mystery of what had changed. Just a month ago, Luuk had expressed a desire to be friends, clinging to him and offering a sense of purpose.

But now, it felt like Luuk had lied and was avoiding him.

What had changed?

Luuk had always been somewhat brusque, even before they became friends, but his recent avoidance hurt more. He had eleven languages at his disposal to communicate with Jona, yet he remained silent. He wouldn't even meet Jona's gaze.

Jona didn't know what to do. He couldn't ask Luuk, as that might make matters worse. Luuk might assume that Jona had developed feelings for him.

Love? There was no love between us.

Us. There was no "us".

Yet, Jona's heart ached, and he couldn't fathom why.