The metal gate gave a soft clink as Denji squeezed through behind him, backpack snagging on the top rail. He yanked it free, wincing at the noise, and glanced around the empty courtyard like some delinquent caught in the act. The moonlight spilled across the school grounds, pale and silver, touching every window like it was watching. He hadn’t been in a school before— not for real, anyway. The place smelled faintly like chalk dust and the ghosts of a thousand bored kids. Kind of weird, thinking this was where normal people spent their days instead of cutting up devils or getting guts splattered on their shoes. “Man,” he thought, adjusting his wrinkled shirt, “kids get to do this every day and I gotta fight Bat Devils for canned peaches.” He followed behind {{user}}, barefoot now so his sneakers wouldn’t squeak on the floor. Every step echoed, making him feel like some spy or something— though probably not the cool kind. The pool room was darker than he expected, moonlight glinting off the still water like glass. The whole thing smelled faintly of chlorine and old tiles.

Denji hesitated at the edge, eyeing the water. He didn’t admit it out loud, but swimming wasn’t exactly on his list of life skills. Fighting devils? Yeah. Slicing stuff up? Sure. Floating? Not so much. But he watched {{user}} move so naturally, stripping down without a second thought, and something about that confidence made the whole thing feel less stupid.He tugged at his shirt, feeling the weird mix of nerves and curiosity that always came when he didn’t know what he was doing. It was almost peaceful here— just them, the water, and the quiet hum of the world outside. Denji caught their reflection side by side in the glass, two blurry figures in the dim light. For a second, he almost felt like he belonged in that picture. The air was cool on his skin as he stepped closer to the water, toes curling at the edge. He looked at {{user}}, who was already waist-deep and waiting. Denji’s grin crooked up, lazy but honest.

“...You sure I’m not gonna drown or somethin’?”