The Interview

Who am I kidding, I’m nervous.

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“Why did you choose to work with us?” I hurled that question to the applicant sitting on the other side of the one-way mirror.

“I can get some dough by doing stupid things! What other reason do I need?” He answered, as though taunting me.

*sigh* I sighed inwardly. I might be running an evil organization, but even we had rules to uphold. The first one being, do not question your superiors. I don’t need unruly combatants. Why doesn’t he even know that?

I tried coming up with a different question while resisting the urge to let out another sigh. Although, it did not take long for me to give up. There’s no benefit in hiring those that are clearly defiant. Perhaps, he’d be useful as a guinea pig for the human remodeling project?

After various considerations, I informed him that the interview was over. I told him that he would be notified about the result and prompted him to leave the room.

I waited for the door to close completely before releasing all the sigh that I had amassed. Talking with a voice changer was tiring, but this fatigue was mainly from dealing with the applicants. Most of them were too problematic to even consider hiring.

Ah yes, an introduction is in order. My name is Toudou Akira, and I’m the head honcho of the Evil Organization Antares. You might be wondering why someone like me was doing these interviews. There was just… no other way around it at that time.

Normally, my job was limited to putting my stamp on my subordinates’ assault plans and looking over the budget reports. Currently though, half of our combatants were being admitted to our affiliated hospitals after their engagement with the allies of justice.

The executive officers were busy with other tasks, and I did not dare imagine the kind of people that would get in if I let any of the combatants do the interviews. The thought horrified me.

Anyway, the one who just left was applicant #59602. With this, I was finally down the last one. I’m so tired already. I’m gonna send him home the moment I judge that he’s not good. Then I’m going home myself.

I faced the microphone/voice-changer and pressed a button to send a broadcast to call the final applicant waiting outside the room, “#59603, come in.”

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Oh crap, I’m so tired. I’m so nervous that it’s draining my mental energy. There was nothing left to distract me with when the last of the perverts went into the interview room. I wanted nothing to do with them earlier, but now I wished that one of them would stay here to ease my nerves even a bit.

I shook my head to drive that sad and humiliating thought away. It’s fine. Even if I fail here, all I need to do is sleep at the internet cafe and find another job. Don’t be nervous, relax.

*kachak* I heard the sound of the door, revealing the applicant who just finished his interview. The moment he walked past, it dawned to me. Like it or not, as the final applicant, it’s now my turn to be interviewed.

As he left through the stairs, I was truly alone in the now desolate corridor. Strangely though, I felt at ease now. Did the tension get to my head and numb my nerves as a result? Who cares why, as long as I benefit from it.

*beep* A high-pitched sound resounded through the hallway—I had heard it so many times today. It always rang before a new number was called. I still could not find where the audio speakers were installed though.

“#59603, come in.”

I moved as prompted, *kachak* and closed the door as soon as I entered. From this point, I kept in mind to never turn back from the interviewer.

I gave the room a cursory glance, which was around 3mx3m in size. A mirror was set up in front of me, with my own reflection on it. It must have been a one-way mirror, with the transparent half positioned at the interviewer’s side. There were no indications of hidden cameras—only me and a pipe chair in that small room.

“Have a seat,” said a mechanical voice.

“Thank you very much,” I answered before taking my seat. I faced the interviewer whom I assumed was sitting on the other side of the mirror. I made sure that I was keeping a straight back. Is having to stare at my own face part of the evaluation?

The me in the mirror was making a serious expression. I had an ordinary look, with no particular traits to me. My hair was black, which I kept short to save up on shampoo money. I was reminded by how plain I looked, whether I liked it or not.

“Well then, I have a few questions for you. What’s your name?”
“Aokura Arihisa.”

Thus, I faced my battle (interview) with my livelihood on the line.

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Well I’ll be, the final applicant actually seems normal. Fine, I’ll take this interview seriously. That said, his face looks so plain. I formed a string of questions while speedreading the document pertaining his answers to the preliminary questionnaire.

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“Alright, from how you answered this questionnaire, you seem to possess morals and common sense.”
“I’m confident.”
“But that brings the question, why would you want to work as a combatant in an evil organization?

Fair question. Good thing I was prepared.

“Normal jobs can no longer sustain my livelihood. It’s out of necessity.”
“Out of necessity? I won’t pry, but I hope you’re aware that the job comes with a few life-threatening situations?”
“I’m aware.”
“It says here that you’re just about to start high school. Are you sure you want to be risking your life at such a young age?”

Anything’s better than having to sell my lung or kidney.

“You’re paying so much even for a part-time position, and you’re about the only company that would do that. If I didn’t find out about this job, I would have resorted to selling my internal organs.”

“Wait… You’re joking, right?”

Hey, you’re the one who asked.

“It wasn’t a joke. When it comes down to it, my lung will be the first organ I sell.”
“Why are you so desperate for money? As far as I know, you have no debts to shoulder.”

I thought you said you wouldn’t pry. People need money, for many things. I made sure not to voice my thoughts aloud.

“I have five siblings who are younger than me. I can’t cover their living expenses by working a normal job.”

Yes, it was for the orphanage. The institution was gone, and the caretaker with it. They were now living in a place that barely passed as a house. Thankfully, I managed to haggle the monthly rent down to ¥20,000. They could still attend school with subsidy, but no money meant they would all have to live in the streets.

……A while had passed since my last answer.

Isn’t that enough questions? Please, end the interview already! Aah… I’ve reached my limit. I’m getting nervous again.

“Sorry for the wait. I was checking the veracity of your story. As it turns out, I owe you an apology. Sorry for doubting you.”

I did not have to see through the mirror to feel his sincerity.

“I don’t mind. I would find it hard to believe myself.”
“I see…” he muttered under his breath, but what he said next made me forget about everything that happened until now.

“I’ll be frank. You passed.”

Eh? What? I passed? You mean, I’m hired?! HELL YEAAAAH!

“Thank you very much,” I said while concealing my excitement that would keep me screaming my lungs out for three days straight.

“Just, one last question. Wouldn’t you want to raise your siblings with ‘clean money’?”

This one’s easy.

“It’s money first thing and foremost. My orphanage was built with good intentions, but it didn’t work out because we had no money.”
“An answer befitting a member of the evil organization. Ask the details at the receptionist. This interview is over.”
“Thank you very much.”

Sir Interviewer, you said earlier that I had morals and common sense. But truth is, I lost some of them when the orphanage shut down.

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I vacated the room after I signaled the final applicant to leave.

“That boy has so much dark in him.”

He’ll make for an interesting specimen. He was not born with darkness in his heart. Instead, he was one of the light that was tainted with black.

Anyway, we had quite a number of recruits this time. There should be less on my shoulders now. I was glad from the bottom of my heart. But for now, I’ll go home and hit the hay.

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