Chapter 1: Accepting Denial【Part 1】

Jiro

When we are pushed, why do we instinctively resist?

Is it a survival mechanism meant to protect us from harm, or simply a prideful response? A deep-seated belief that we are better than whatever pushes us, no matter what.

Right now, getting this stranger’s sweaty hand out of my face is my only primal urge.

Waves slam against the dock, but the chaotic surf fails to match the madness on the concrete landing.

A sea of bodies floods the pavement, pinning me in place as the scraping of shoes and a vibrating hum of conversation pour into the air, drowning out the roar of the ocean.

I shove back against the invading palm, breaking the damp seal on my cheek until the fingers slip away.

A slick film of his sweat merges with mine. Great.

Just give me a sign to stop, Fate.

The sky stays clear and sunny.

Forward it is…

I dive through a sudden gap that opens before me—then another—wrestling through the human tide shoving and pulling from all sides.

“Hey! Can you at least wait for me to catch up!?” Renji barks from somewhere behind me.

My feet keep moving, but I do glance back a third time. He is hopelessly caught in the relentless crush.

“Move toward the railings!” I shout back, throwing a hand signal through the chaos.

My body pivots, angling out of the center. Renji keeps dipping out of sight behind a forest of heads, resurfacing closer to the side each time.

Down at the slips, the shuttling ferries churn the water, steadily funneling even more people onto the landing.

With a final shove, I break through to the perimeter railings. Renji spills out a beat behind me, collapsing against the steel.

“Air!” He gasps, tilting his face over the edge. “Sweet... beautiful air!” Stopping offers zero relief. The lost momentum only strips away the illusion of a breeze, inviting the stifling humidity to glue fabric to skin. At this rate we will melt straight into the stone.

Looking at him, a gut warning takes root—this guy is definitely going to derail the next three years of my life.

Trading my perfect ham sandwich for the mysterious wrap he unloaded on me during the crossing is proving to be a critical error.

My days of running a charity are officially over.

I blink away the sweat stinging my eyes to focus down the path. The terminal ahead looms like an international airport built for heavy tourist traffic—except there is not a single vacationer here. Just thousands of first-year students.

A nightmare line snakes all the way out the glass doors, spilling a swarm of freshmen into the scorching morning sun.

“Checkpoint bottleneck,” I mutter. “Must be holding us hostage.”

“Have faith, my pessimistic friend!” Renji throws an arm over my shoulder, claiming my hard-won breathing room. “For this team is destined for greatness.”

“Team?” I try to shrug him off, but his grip is iron. “We met a few hours ago.”

“Exactly!” He beams, tightening his grip. “A blank slate! We are the rock-solid foundation this place demands.”

His voice drops to a conspiratorial whisper. “Besides, rumor has it you need immense social capital if you really want to make it here.”

Before I can object, he grips my shoulder and shakes me like he is trying to exorcise a ghost. “And we are already ahead of the curve!”

My vision blurs for a second before he finally lets go.

“Right, ‘the rumors’,” I drawl, steadying my head. “People are just coping with the lack of reliable information—like that one about the dormitories having gold-woven sheets. So what makes yours so special?”

“Ah, you heard about the sheets too?”

He taps his temple with a knowing grin. “A clear red herring to distract the masses. But my source? The people. You see, I have a knack for reading the room.”

“But we are outsi—”

“Wait. Look!” His eyes snap past me, and he pinches my chin, steering it like a sock puppet toward a pavilion. “There’s a way shorter line over there. And they’re handing out drinks!”

He hooks a finger into my backpack strap and lunges back into the mass, towing me behind him.

“Whoa, w-wait—” I sputter, my feet stumbling after him.

Bodies collide with mine as I am yanked forward. At the mercy of his momentum—we plow through the final line of resistance and duck beneath the tent.

“Phew.” He wipes the sweat from his forehead with a grin. “I could use a drink by now.”

Thankfully, the shade cuts off the direct sun, offering a moment of reprieve as the line moves forward.

At least he did not leave me behind to catch up. Perhaps—

Ice-cold plastic smacks into my palm.

“Here you go.” A woman behind a folding table smiles, handing a second bottle to Renji.

Before I can even bring the rim to my lips, half his drink vanishes down his throat.

He lets out a sharp gasp, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “Ah, refreshing.”

Without warning, he tips the remaining water directly over his head, spraying it outward like a park fountain.

I tighten the grip on my bottle, taking a deliberately slow, measured sip.

To spare my eyes the sight, my gaze drifts upward.

High on the hill in the distance, a large silhouette cuts against the horizon.

“So, um… that must be the school, right?” I prompt the waterfall.

“Hmmm?” He grunts, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.

“It looks less like the modern school I imagined and more like… an ancient monolith.”

“Try a mythological temple,” he counters, nodding toward the summit. “It definitely has that old Roman Empire vibe going on. You know, the ones where they do their crazy sacrifices.”

I let out a faint huff, a dry smile touching my lips. “Then let’s just hope we aren’t the ones on the altar.”

Silence settles between us as we stare at the grand structure. The sharp, clean lines of the architecture strike a rare note of awe, making the chaotic crowd fade away.

For a moment, the rest of the world feels distant.

“Hey! Watch it with that thing!” A voice sharp enough to cut through the background noise barks from behind us.

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Discover what happens next in: Chapter 1: Accepting Denial【Part 2】

Written by Limited_Infinity. Official publishing platforms and updates are exclusively communicated on Bluesky: @Limited-Infinity

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