There was a pause as neither of them spoke. Jun continued to stare at the floor. He didn’t feel like talking anymore. He just hoped the girl would believe him… at least, enough that she could relax. He doubted she did, though. Considering the type of men she dealt with every day, she was probably quite on edge to be with him in the room. Well, even if she didn’t know what he was doing, he knew that she was safe for the next two hours. That was enough for now.

[b]“I’m... very confused,”[/b] the girl spoke up unexpectedly. [b]“Why... why do you even care what happens to someone like me? I mean... I’m just...”[/b] She trailed off, searching for words. [b]“Just… bad.”[/b]

“Bad?” Jun echoed, shaking his head. “No. It’s not you who’s bad.” He glanced up at her hesitantly. “I didn’t know before… about all of this. I only found out yesterday, but…” It was his turn to be at a loss for words. If he tried to explain himself to the girl, it would only sound like he was making excuses, and he didn’t want to do that. “I’m sorry. I really am. I made a bad decision and I regret it.” He sighed. “I know it doesn’t matter how many times I say it. You have no reason to believe me, and I don’t blame you for that.”

Jun let his eyes wander over the plain, dimly lit room, “I can’t even begin to imagine how terrible life is here. It really is slavery.” His gaze fell again on the girl, and he looked into her eyes searchingly. There was still one question he wanted to ask her; he just wasn’t sure how she would react. He shifted his weight uncomfortably.

“Have you ever considered… running away?”