Part 3

Episode 2

[this bit occurs immediately after the bomb doesn't go off, so at the end of the episode]

"Precisely." Fukuzawa's voice cut through the room, demanding everybody's attention.

As Atsushi managed to calm down a bit, he noticed two people had just walked into the room. The first was a tall and important looking older man, the second, a tiny little girl with uneven ponytails. Both of them wore expensive looking kimonos, and both had quite a menacing presence, but while the man looked quite calm, the girl appeared to be very much the opposite of that.

Osamu clapped his hand together and jumped over to stand behind the two.
"This dashing fine gentleman," he gestured towards the man, Atsushi took note of his silver hair and wondered how old he is, "is our director. And this," and now he pointed at the girl, "is our god."

"Your....god?" Atsushi looked at Osamu and then at the girl, who looked like she was trying very hard not to nuke the office herself.
"Well, more like a mascot, but-" but before Osamu managed to continue he was hit in the face by the giant book the girl was holding in both hands.
"SHUT UP DAZAI," she growled at Osamu as he fell to the floor, "and YOU, snotty kid, sit up straight! Stop hugging that device, it's not a goddamn teddy bear! You look ridiculous!" she then barked at Atsushi who in the heat of panic threw the fake bomb away and straightened his back, shaking nervously. When Osamu got up and started pulling on her sleeve with a whine she hit him again and yelled at him, but Atsushi couldn't comprehend any of it as he was very preoccupied with not collapsing out of sheer confusion.

"Good morning, God, President." Doppo's polite greeting interrupted the girl's yelling, and was quickly followed by the rest of the staff greeting the two as well.
"Wait, everyone calls you God?" Atsushi blinked in confusion yet again.
"I'm The Record Keeper, you can call me God." she answered, folding her arms with a mean scowl on her face.
"But...what's your name?" Atsushi mumbled, still confused.
"Just call her God, it's fine." Osamu patted his head.
This really didn't clear anything up for Atsushi, but he decided to not dwell on the subject any further.

"I'm sorry, umm...what's going on?" Atsushi couldn't help but ask as his confusion reached a level he didn't know he was capable of.
"Jeez, how dumb is this kid? Did Dazai not tell you anything?" Kirokugakari mocked, but her anger seemed to somewhat start to fade when Fukuzawa's hand came down to stroke her hair.

What is the relationship between THOSE two? Atsushi found himself thinking. Is he like her father or...

"Dazai said he found a worthy young man who could join our ranks, so I had him test your capabilities first." Fukuzawa explained calmly.
"Since you were designated a major threat by the ward he couldn't have just hired you just because I recommended it~" Osamu said with a smile.
"Besides, everybody gets an entrance exam here. We don't let just anyone in." Doppo added.
"Though there were some disagreements regarding you between us..." Osamu looked over at Fukuzawa.
"But then Dazai said something that had me convinced you can and should go through this test." Fukuzawa looked straight into Atsushi's eyes as he said that. Atsushi couldn't help but feel like he was under serious pressure. This man's gaze was just so intense it gave him chills.

"Well, Yuki, what's the verdict? Do we keep this kid or what?" Kirokugakari eyed Atsushi as he continued to nervously and pathetically shiver before her and then looked up at Fukuzawa.

Atsushi could feel the weight of the entire universe as the eyes of every person in the office rested on him. His mouth went dry and his hands twitched. He didn't know what it was exactly, but something about this situation made him feel something he never felt before. Being there, in the middle of this room, in front of those people made him feel....