Jun spent the following day completely distracted. He couldn’t focus on his class lectures, yet again, and found himself acting even more reclusive than usual. He avoided large crowds of students and ducked out of sight when any of his friends tried to approach him. Locked in a stern self-deprivation, he didn’t want to talk to anyone. He still felt like scum of the earth after what he had learned the day before, so when Koji came up to chat with him, he wasn’t in the mood to humor his friend’s antics.

“Hey, Jun,” Koji greeted him cheerily. “Was the number I gave you helpful?”

“Yes,” Jun said simply, his eyes darting past his friend’s head as he looked for an exit. He really didn’t want to stay and talk.

“I’m a little surprised,” Koji went on, completely unaware of Jun’s anxiousness. “I never dreamed that you’d want to go back to the brothel on your own.”

“Neither did I,” Jun muttered. “Do you mind? I’m in a bit of a hurry.”

“Hang on,” Koji continued relentlessly. “You have me curious now. What was she like, that American girl? She must have been great in bed for you to want to go back so soon. I think I might want to give her a try, myself. Come on; give me something to work with here.”

“Koji, stop,” Jun said sharply. “It has nothing to do with that. My business is my own, and whatever it is you think I’m planning is wrong.”

“Yeesh, Jun,” Koji grumbled. There was an uncharacteristic glint of worry in his eye. “Bite my head off, why don’t you? I didn’t mean to offend you or anything.”

“I know,” Jun sighed. “Sorry. Just stop asking, okay? I have my reasons.”

“Okay, okay,” Koji relented. “I’m done. I guess I’ll… see you around, then.”

“Yeah,” Jun said. There was an awkward pause, and then the two parted ways.

Now that his sudden burst of anger had passed, Jun felt guilty for snapping at his friend like that. Did he blame Koji for what happened? Well… yes, partly, but not nearly as much as he thought he would. Jun honestly doubted that his friend knew any more about what was going on that he did. Koji was always a fan of having a good time, but he never intended to hurt anyone. His jokes had always been harmless in the past. Most likely, he was blissfully ignorant of the inner workings of the human trafficking machine and thought the girls were just making a living by what they did. Exactly the same mindset Jun carried not two days before.

But would Koji change his ways if he found out the truth? He had been visiting various brothels for so long now that Jun suspected it had become an addiction in him. It wasn’t like he could just flip a mental switch and stop going back. He was too far gone for that, and the trafficked girls were Koji’s only source of sexual satisfaction. He had always been jealous of Jun for his appearance. Having been friends with him for many years, Koji had to endure watching girls fawn over Jun, while they never paid him so much as a second glance. It was no wonder he was always frustrated with Jun for never getting into a relationship. His friend thought he was wasting his good fortune. To satisfy his own impatient urges, Koji felt forced to resort to the only option he had left: paid sex with prostitutes. Jun felt a pang of sympathy for him, but that didn’t change the fact that his friend was making a bad decision.

--

Jun headed back to his dorm room at after eating a quick dinner at a cheap, nearby restaurant —he didn’t have much spending money left after setting aside the twenty thousand yen for his two hours with the American girl— and checked the time. It was getting close to seven. He grabbed his jacket and left again, wanting to be sure he would make a punctual arrival. He didn’t want to waste a minute of the time he would be paying for with the girl.

On the way to the motel, Jun tried to plan out what he would say to her, but he came up blank. What could he possibly say to make things right? He was starting to think the whole endeavor was pointless. Still, the leaden guilt in his stomach refused to let him turn back. He had to at least make an effort. If the girl refused to accept his apology, he could at least rest with the comfort that he had tried to make peace with her… He hoped.

Jun’s feet dragged as the brothel came into view, and he had to force himself not to turn back. He stepped up to the entrance, opened the door, and was greeted by the same red low-lights he had seen the last time he was here. He blinked as his eyes adjusted to their strange glow. That was when he saw the man standing at the desk near the back of the room. If he remembered correctly, it was the same man Koji had exchanged money with, which could only mean one thing: he was the pimp who owned the girls here.

They stared at each other for a moment on opposite sides of the room before the man spoke up, “Well? Are you just going to stand there?”

Jun snapped out of his trace and crossed over to the desk. He got out his money and handed it to the man, who took it and counted it meticulously. After a moment, he looked up at Jun again and nodded, “Twenty thousand. You have two hours. If I catch you lingering or trying to sneak into any of my other girls’ rooms, you will be forcibly removed, and make note: I am not a merciful man.”

Jun swallowed and nodded vigorously, “I believe you.”

“Then we understand each other,” the man said. He gestured at the back door leading into the hallway. “Please, enjoy your stay.”

“I will,” Jun gave him a curt bow and hurried to the door, eager to escape the pimp’s daunting glare. He scanned the doors on either side of the hall, looking for Innocent Beauty’s title. Something seemed strange, though. One of the doors had its label freshly scratched out. He wondered what that meant. Perhaps the girl’s title had changed? He wanted to believe that was all it was.

Jun came to the farthest door on the left, labeled with the name “Innocent Beauty.” Now that he was here, he could feel a wave of anxiety settle in his chest. Why did it have to be so difficult to humble oneself like this? He stopped and took a breath to calm his nerves. It didn’t work, so he gave up and opened the door, slowly stepping inside.

The girl looked almost exactly as she had the last time Jun saw her. She was perched on the bed, waiting for him to come in and looking just as beautiful as he remembered. The only difference was her clothes. This time she wore a simple but elegant dress, such as he would have expected to see on one of his peers. Somehow the sight just made him feel even worse.

Still standing by the door, Jun squeezed his eyes shut and bent forward in a deep bow. “I’m sorry,” he said to the girl in English. “For what I’ve done to you.”