Portal To Hell

In the year 2001, in Japan – Specifically, in Kyoto– where Nagisa lived with his mother in a modest home.

Spring was knocking on the door.

Flowers began to bloom, the air grew warmer, and the city was painted in bright colors brimming with life.

Nagisa woke to sunlight pouring through the bedroom window beside his messy bed.

He blinked lazily, his eyes barely open, rubbing them with both hands to shake off the sleep.

He stretched his limbs with a long yawn and scratched his bedhead hair.

Standing up, he glanced at the wall clock... only to realize it was already 9 a.m.

He was late for an important job interview.

He rushed out of bed to get dressed, racing against time as he hurried down the stairs.

Adjusting his navy-blue suit, he spaced out for just a second—

And that second was enough.

He tripped over one of his dog's toys, his foot slipped on a step, and he tumbled violently down the stairs, crashing onto the hard floor.

He lay there, staring up at the white ceiling in defeat.

Taking a breath, he gathered himself and sat up again.

"What a wonderfully optimistic start to the day"

he muttered sarcastically, mocking his own misfortune.

He looked at the wristwatch on his right hand — it was well past nine.

He got to his feet quickly and rushed to the door.

Grabbing the iron handle, he twisted it open.

Sunlight burst through the door, hitting his face and forcing him to shut his eyes for a moment until he adjusted to the brightness.

When he opened them again,

The sunlight wasn't harsh —

It was warm.

A gentle spring warmth that felt like it could breathe life into a lifeless body.

He stepped forward a few paces and stood by the freshly paved road.

Raising his hand, he tried to hail the first yellow taxi he saw — but the driver ignored him, as if he didn't see anyone standing there, and drove right past.

Nagisa let out a weary sigh, the kind that only comes from a lifetime of bad luck.

He wished that just something — anything — would happen to change the way he saw his life.

He stood there, muttering words only he could hear, like a madman talking to himself in broad daylight.

Collecting his thoughts, he broke into a jog through the city streets.

On his way, he splashed through puddles left behind by last night's rain, soaking his newly bought black dress shoes — the ones he had gotten specifically for this interview.

It felt like everything was against him in that moment, but nothing — not even himself — was going to stop him from getting that job.

He kept running until he finally reached the company building.

Looking up, he had to bend his neck all the way back just to take in its towering height.

The company towered above like a skyscraper, sunlight reflecting off the glass windows that covered its entire facade.

Everyone entering or exiting the building was dressed in formal attire.

Nagisa took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the crisp morning air. He braced himself for what was ahead, hoping it would be a new beginning — one far better than what his life had been so far.

He took a step forward, but before he could lift his spirits any higher, a man bumped into him.

The impact knocked his wristwatch to the ground, and the glass shattered — the hands of the clock came to a complete stop.

The man gave him a careless glance and walked away as if nothing had happened.

Nagisa bent down to pick up his broken watch, straightened up, and brushed the dust off its surface.

"Ugh… That was my favorite watch! This day is awful from the start… I hate this day!"

He muttered to himself in frustration. He was already sick of everything — all he wanted was for the day to end so he could go home.

Nagisa stepped inside the company building. The place was bustling — filled with employees, clients, and hopeful applicants like himself.

He looked around; the ceiling soared high above, and the desks were lined up in long, straight rows. The staircase seemed endless — yet the beauty of the place wasn't lost.

Plants were arranged throughout the massive office space, bringing a touch of life to the dark brown wooden desks.

He made his way to the waiting room, which was packed with men and women all vying for the same job.

The company was newly established in the area, and many recent university graduates were eager to secure a spot — to build a future and earn a living.

Nagisa cleared his throat nervously and walked toward one of the chairs. He sat down with his knees together, hands folded tightly in his lap, fingers interlocked from sheer tension.

He kept glancing between the dark brown office door and the receptionist, who sat behind her desk with an indifferent expression and an aura that dominated the room.

The only sounds filling the space were the loud pops of her chewing gum and the occasional murmurs of small conversations between the applicants.

"Nyoko, it's your turn."

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