"You want us to be models?" Aki repeated. "Didn't realize you thought so highly of us." She blushed, then narrowed her eyes slightly. "But if this is about satisfying some kind of fetish, you've got the wrong idea."
Max couldn't help but laugh. Did these kids really think that small?
"Let me ask you something," he said, tone shifting. "Why didn't you team up with Dipter? And how did you survive this long without an alliance?"
Aki's expression changed, not offended, but frustrated. Max recognized the look. She wasn't mad at him, she was disappointed in herself.
"I told you already," she said quietly. "Some of the girls couldn't protect themselves. They went looking for boyfriends from other schools just to feel safe. Either that… or get forced into something worse."
She exhaled hard. "The reason we did what we did is simple, turns out money solves a lot of problems. You throw enough cash around, people stop paying attention. So we found ways to make it."
