An interview that defied Conan logic

-There was no such thing as a pie falling from the sky. If one did, it was probably a discus.

For the first time, Aikawa Kaze realized just how true those words were.

He stared at the interviewer before him, then at a handwritten essay of his spread across the desk, and fell silent.

A monthly salary of over ten thousand, meals and accommodation included, flexible hours, year-end bonuses, frequent business trips offering a taste of different local cultures, tremendous room for promotion, considerable autonomy, and freedom of expression...

When he received that exclusive offer, Aikawa Kaze had been tempted by the terms.

As an ordinary person with no particular talents, he honestly hadn't believed he would receive an invitation with such generous terms. There were too many scammers these days!

Still, since he was looking for work anyway, he might as well check it out. He had nothing to lose. Besides, the interview address was in a famous, bustling commercial building downtown, not some isolated spot.

It probably wasn't a trap to murder or abduct him.

After all, what if... someone really had recognized his potential?

Of course, as a precaution, he scheduled messages to his friends and family, especially a certain great detective, before calmly stepping into the interview venue.

What he never expected, however, was that the reason this company had sent him an offer was...

"Are you sure you invited me for an interview because of this essay?"

"Of course. Your article was thought-provoking and truly enlightening. One of our important clients appreciated it immensely."

Aikawa Kaze looked at the pages of slightly yellowed manuscript paper before him with a strange expression, questioning his life.

The company's decor and the interviewer's clothes both looked very expensive. Surely they wouldn't play a prank on him. Had he been dragged into some sort of prank show?

Although he was an anime fan who rarely watched variety shows, he had heard of programs like that.

"We aren't joking. Your job would be something akin to a tester or a field practitioner, and we need precisely someone with your talents."

"Sorry, but I really can't accept that explanation."

Aikawa Kaze sighed and stood up to leave.

Whatever the truth was, something was wrong. He thought it best to leave as soon as possible.

After all, what lay before him wasn't the graduation thesis he had agonized over and painstakingly polished countless times. It was a piece of bullshit he'd written for a film appreciation class in college.

The assignments for an unimportant elective like that had very low standards anyway. As long as you diligently handwrote the number of words the professor required, you would pass.

So, being an anime enthusiast, he hadn't intended to choose any classic film. Instead, he had picked Jujutsu Kaisen 0: The Movie, which he'd recently watched and really enjoyed, and written an appreciation essay about it.

Animated films were films too. Nothing wrong with that, right?

He could barely remember what he'd written back then. Probably a bunch of assumptions that sounded reasonable but were actually empty, lofty nonsense, along with some profound meaning he'd forced into existence.

Something about how the film deeply reflected human nature, and how the author used analogy: cursed spirits born of human emotions were like tragedies born of the distortion of human nature.

Of course, to elevate the theme, he'd also claimed that the major factions in the film symbolized conflicting social classes in reality.

Ordinary people who were protected in their ignorance, yet also looked down upon, discriminated against, and manipulated in their understanding of the world.

Jujutsu sorcerers with special status, who shouldered greater responsibilities and risks while enjoying special privileges-the highly skilled elite.

The privileged class, vital to keeping society running yet rotten to the core...

In short, it was probably the sort of analysis post that looked incomprehensibly impressive and could give people a laugh if uploaded to Zhihu or Bilibili.

Aikawa Kaze didn't think his writing was particularly good. As for this sort of serious analysis... aside from the word count, he didn't think he'd done any better than the experts online.

Besides... Get a grip! This was just an anime nerd talking out of his ass!

Scammers these days really weren't very good at their jobs.

Aikawa Kaze turned to leave. If they'd said they were interested in his graduation thesis, he might have believed them a little, then checked the contract for traps.

He might even have secretly recorded a short video to upload to Douyin and see if he could pick up some views.

But anyone who believed something this ridiculous was an idiot!

It was utterly unreliable.

Yet when he stood up to leave, he discovered, to his astonishment, that the door he'd just entered through had vanished.

Advanced technology? A concealed door?

Or... had he really encountered something that defied science?

Aikawa Kaze stiffly turned back toward the interviewer, who wore black-framed glasses and a gentle smile. A sudden chill ran down his spine.

"Now, would you be willing to hear a detailed explanation?"

"..."

Aikawa Kaze silently nodded and sat down.

He had no choice!

After all, it wasn't just the door that had disappeared. Everything in the office was gone except his chair and the interviewer's desk and chair.

The two of them seemed to be inside some mysterious universe, surrounded by shimmering galaxies and specks of light.

None of this was remotely scientific!

"The anime worlds you see truly exist. For example, the world codenamed Jujutsu Kaisen draws its fundamental power from emotional energy."

"Its will gives the stories of the worlds under its control to a certain manga artist through inspiration, then presents them to everyone as manga and anime. This is actually a way of promoting itself and absorbing people's emotional energy."

"In the Jujutsu Kaisen world, negative emotions become cursed spirits and cursed energy, while positive emotions become nourishment for the world's growth."

"Just as becoming a developed nation inevitably involves polluting first and cleaning up afterward, the Jujutsu Kaisen world follows the same pattern. It has now accumulated enough negative emotional energy and needs more positive energy."

With a sincere attitude, a gentle tone, and immense patience, the interviewer explained the situation to Aikawa Kaze, leaving him dumbfounded.

So was that why One-Eyed Cat dealt out such vicious emotional gut punches, leaving every reader like a fish on a chopping board?

Even the part Aikawa Kaze had reached was already agonizing. He'd heard that the later plot was even more inhumane.

With his busy schedule, he hadn't continued reading and only knew the general outline from other people online, so...

"Don't bother. It's hopeless. Give up."

With those hellish plot developments he knew about... how was anyone supposed to be brimming with positive energy?

Not everyone was a freak like Kirei Kotomine who could enjoy other people's suffering. The readers would just cry themselves half to death!

"That's precisely where your job comes in."

The interviewer smiled graciously and pointed at the bullshit essay on the desk.

"The will of the Jujutsu Kaisen world was astounded by your article. It's the longest, most detailed, most exemplary analysis it has ever received. It believes the author truly understands it-that if it's you, you can surely accomplish this mission."

"Of course, I have great confidence in you too."

The interviewer adjusted his glasses, light flashing across the lenses.

"Your job is very simple. Enter the Jujutsu Kaisen world and turn Jujutsu Kaisen into a story filled with positive energy. That story will later be released as a remake, bringing in enormous amounts of positive energy."

In other words, he had to change the plot, fill the Jujutsu Kaisen world with positive energy, then release his altered story to harvest positive energy from the readers.

No, no, no. That really would be too mortifying!

"You think far too highly of me. I'm just an ordinary person. I don't think I can do it."

"Of course you can."

The interviewer stood, walked over to Aikawa Kaze, and patted his shoulder.

"Don't worry. Our employees all receive support functions when they go over-what you call cheats. The company also offers excellent benefits, and you'll get to meet your favorite characters. Aren't you tempted?"

Aikawa Kaze had to admit he was wavering.

With a cheat, his safety would be assured!

"There's such a huge difference between the two-dimensional and three-dimensional worlds that no one will know the new character is you. Everyone will just assume you're a new character added for a movie or remake-hmm, put that way, even if you resign and leave this line of work, you could make a fortune cosplaying!"

That was certainly true. And thinking it over, if the Jujutsu Kaisen world existed, then worlds like Pokémon, Gundam, and Harry Potter surely existed too.

If he stayed in this line of work, might he get the chance to experience even more colorful worlds?

That was very difficult to turn down.

"But if I fail... wouldn't that cause trouble for you?"

Aikawa Kaze admitted that, deep down, he had already been persuaded. He really did want to accept this job.

And if he kept working, perhaps...

Aikawa Kaze's thoughts briefly drifted far away. He forcibly stopped them and brought his attention back to the matter at hand.

It was just that he really wasn't confident in his abilities.

"Don't worry. A world's will controls many parallel worlds. Failing once or twice is perfectly normal."

The interviewer tried to reassure him, but his words made Aikawa Kaze shudder.

"The worst outcome is that one or two worlds develop problems. But you get three chances during your probation! Generally, people succeed within three attempts. At most, repeated failures will mean a small pay deduction."

"Don't talk about worlds developing problems like instant noodles coming without a seasoning packet! That's awful, isn't it?!"

"It's not that bad."

At those words, the interviewer's lips curved, and he spoke while suppressing a smile.

"Relax. Even if you fail, the world won't be destroyed. At worst, it won't collect enough positive energy-what were you imagining?"

"..."

"Of course, it's different if one of the world's central supporting characters dies. But normally, as long as you don't go mad and kill off the main characters, that won't happen."

"Of course I wouldn't."

Who would do something like that? Besides, he probably couldn't beat those people anyway, could he?

Aikawa Kaze was speechless.

Fortunately, since there wouldn't be any serious consequences, he naturally had no objections.

Just in case, he carefully read the contract as well. It covered the various duties, benefits, and methods and rules for regular contact with the "real world" in great detail.

He had a vague sense that this contract was a binding vow, the sort neither party could go back on once signed, so he had to examine it carefully.

According to the contract, his cheat would be issued after transmigration. He could choose one of three options according to his preferences, and a system would provide assistance.

During probation, completing a single commission from a world's will would qualify him to become a permanent employee.

Only one clause left him utterly stunned.

"What does this clause mean: [During probation, probationary employees will be deemed to have consented to the deletion of company-related memories]?"

Having read that final clause, Aikawa Kaze looked at the interviewer in disbelief.

"Are you serious? If I don't remember your company or the assignment, how am I supposed to do my job?"

"But it's necessary. It's your probationary period, after all." The interviewer waved dismissively and smiled. "How else could we see someone's true character? Our company only needs employees with genuine positive energy!"

"..."

"When someone has no power, they can live honestly. But once they gain tremendous power, can they still keep that same level head?"

The interviewer's gaze gradually sharpened. Even through his glasses, it felt as though it could pierce right through a person.

That look seemed a little familiar...

"Please rest assured. We will only seal [your memories after entering the company]. And once you complete the assignment in the Jujutsu Kaisen world, those memories will be returned to you."

"Oh? And what if I can't complete it? You could wait until I die of old age without restoring my memories, couldn't you?"

"Once the main storyline ends..."

"Aren't you the ones who decide when the main storyline ends? What if you want a second installment, a third, or even a fourth and fifth, followed by a prequel and a sequel?"

Aikawa Kaze picked up on the key wording. Coupled with the interviewer's attitude, it gradually gave him an idea.

Sure enough, there were no coincidences like that in the world.

He probably hadn't been invited here solely because of that essay, but because... he was already a transmigrator.

Their approach had probably been planned long in advance.

Still, he was only an ordinary person and lacked the ability to refuse. Besides, their terms were generous, and their attitude didn't seem fake. But they were clearly hiding something.

"The contract needs to be revised."

Two hours later, after repeated rounds of haggling, a new contract was born. Forcing a smile, the interviewer finally "sent" Aikawa Kaze away.

"Phew. Transmigrators... they really are all troublesome."

Having seen off the troublesome fellow, the interviewer removed his glasses.

Without those glasses that blurred his features, his face was revealed.

Had anyone else been there, they would have discovered that his face was identical to Shinichi Kudo's.

Clearly, however, he was not the Sherlock Holmes of the Heisei era.

This "Shinichi Kudo" quietly gazed into the distance. Within his view, a high school boy and girl were chatting and laughing as they headed toward Tropical Land.

This was where every story began.

Among the many parallel worlds under his control, some had deviated from the "main storyline," but most of their endings hadn't been particularly pleasant. So he preferred to play things a little safer.

"Ah, a weak little newbie like me shouldn't copy the big shots and change the plot. Sticking to the old path is safer!"

Good transmigrators could make a world better, but some bizarre ones could also send it hurtling toward destruction.

So, after learning from those experiences, he and several other worlds' wills he knew had created this company, the Transmigration Administration Bureau.

"Luckily, this one isn't some highly intelligent sociopath... but I can barely keep him suppressed anymore. Better toss him to the Jujutsu Kaisen world's will and let it deal with the headache!"