Hesta sighed.
"I'd thought things between us didn't need to be this complicated." She muttered, sounding faintly disappointed. After a brief silence, she turned back to him. "What exactly did you come here for tonight?"
Boheng did not answer at once. He was torn between conflicting thoughts, but clearly, much of what was on his mind was not fit to be spoken aloud.
"...I came to give you an answer," Boheng said quietly. "And to ask you a question."
Hesta's gaze swept over him with startling speed. "You're willing to let more Kashyapas come over?"
"What are fifty? If you truly need them, I can give you more. But Jane... tell me, what exactly did you come to District 12 to do?" After a moment of silence, Boheng looked into Hesta's eyes. "Why did you come to District 12? What is it here... that you need?"
Hesta was about to answer when Boheng suddenly interrupted her. "Answer me seriously, Jane."
Hesta looked at him, her expression turning somewhat puzzled.
"If you were merely assigned by AHgAs to spend a few years here briefly experiencing life, carrying out a short-term overseas posting, and adding a more glamorous entry to your résumé... then things between us truly didn't need to be this complicated." Boheng spoke softly. "But you... have completely confused me. I don't know where I should place you... whether I should trust you, or how I should trust you."
With that, Boheng let out an extremely soft breath. He had been holding that breath in all night, and now that he had finally thrown out this thorny question, he felt a wave of relief.
He had expected Hesta to deliberate for a while, but instead, he heard her laugh.
"This isn't a difficult question to answer, but I suspect that