"Good work, Naegi." The chief of police said from behind the desk.

"Thanks, Togami-kun. Um…I didn't mess up, did I?"

"… If we go by results, I have nothing but praise for you. If we go by procedure, I'd be forced to send you in for psychiatric evaluation." The other bespectacled irritant taps at his desk. Byakuya Togami was young, very young, however his credentials and accomplishments in the force left no room for anyone to doubt he was deserving of his position. "Owari asked me to deliver a word of thanks after the interrogation…this is the very first time I've heard a suspect thank the reason for their capture."

Togami referred to the robbery that was resolved very early this morning. The perpetrator was Akane Owari, a resident of the lower sectors. Owari used her connections as a security employee to shut off alarms at a jewelry store. Depending on perspective, it was good timing that one of the company's employees stuck around to witness the heist and alerted the authorities. Unfortunately, they were taken hostage soon after.

"I didn't do all that much." Naegi replied. A whole team had been dispatched to act as a barricade, but their advances were halted due to the hostage.

"I don't think talking a woman undergoing a psychotic breakdown into giving up, falls under 'wasn't all that much.' You probably saved a life today and lessened the suspect's sentence. Be proud of that."

"You're giving me too much credit. Anyone could have done what I did, all they needed to do was talk and listen. Owari-san is the one who made the decision to turn herself in." Naegi smiled, not willing to accept undue credit. "She wasn't a nice person in the end."

Togami scoffed. "Not exactly the label I'd give to someone endangering innocent lives."

"She calmed down anyway after a chat." Naegi scratched his cheek. "Right, Kirigiri-san?" He spoke to the most silent person in the room, who now appeared even more intimidating than usual.

"…Naegi's not modest or crazy." Kyoko Kirigiri, a lethal beauty and the star of the precinct, addressed the police chief with a stoic mask "Just stupid."

"Kirigiri-san!"

"Hmm…that's fair. It must be infuriating having to put up with him. Tell me if you ever feel the need to change partners."

"I'm dangerously close to taking you up on that offer."

"Y-You guys! I'm in the room, you know?"

"I'll take my leave. The debriefings need to be sorted out." Kirigiri's heels clacked as she exited the door.

"If you couldn't tell, she was angry." Togami was ever so fond of stating the obvious.

"I could tell."

"Then what are you waiting for? An invitation?" The chief shoo'd him out of his office.

"You don't have to be such a jerk." Naegi retorted.

"Excuse me? Is that how you address your boss?"

The rookie detective rolled his eyes "You've been my boss for a year. We've been friends since middle-school."

"Making a lot of assumptions there." Togami snorted. "And fair reminder that friends don't have to hand out pay-checks."

"You admit it then?"

"Hypothetically speaking. Now leave. I'm busy."

"Yes, boss. Here's hoping you'll be honest with yourself one day." He hurriedly left before the "chief" threw out an avalanche of insults at him.


Later that evening, Naegi placed a box of donuts and coffee on Kirigiri's desk.

"…Is this an attempt at pacifying me?" She raised her head from the stacks of paper. Kirigiri-san was a strange one, still using what many considered an outdated mode of recording information. Then again, he had a few strange quirks himself.

"You skipped lunch." He wore a disarming smile.

"You have no intention of apologizing then?"

"I don't think I did anything wrong."

"You saw nothing wrong with approaching a crazed suspect that could have snapped you like a twig, by yourself, unarmed, despite my direct instructions against?" Kirigiri arched an eyebrow, her voice raising.

"I…had a feeling she wouldn't hurt me." Naegi withered under her cold glare.

"That intuition of yours?" Kirigiri asked, not in mocking, but genuine appreciation of his talent. She'd learn to rely on it somewhat. It wasn't 100% accurate, but the probability was high enough to consider Naegi's intuition dependable. But you could also rely on a broken clock being right twice a day.

At least that's how he prefers to perceive Kirigiri's thoughts, based on experience.

"Yeah. She didn't look dangerous, just misguided…and scared."

"People are most dangerous when they're afraid." Kirigiri reprimanded him. "However, I suppose empirical evidence has supported you often enough. It almost makes me wonder if you've got a real sixth sense."

"My sister might've rubbed off on me." He joked.

"Don't quit your day job." Kirigiri deadpanned.

Naegi laughed.

"So…are we cool?" He asked lamely.

"If by 'cool', you mean I don't feel like bashing my head against a brick wall? Then yes." Kirigiri smiled.

"Great!" Naegi beamed. "Oh, let me help."

"What have I said about you touching paperwork!?" Kirigiri's stoic demeanor cracked, betraying a modicum of fear.

"Come on, I'm not that klutzy. You can count on-woah!" Naegi reached for the stack of paper, but accidentally toppled over the coffee and spilled its contents, soaking the formerly white sheets, brown.

Naegi gulped, turning his head to Kirigiri, who listlessly observed the fruits of her many labors poisoned.

A ball of paper hit Naegi on the head; instead of falling off, his spiky hair catches it in place. Naegi finds the culprit. Saihara mouths. 'R U N'

He doesn't need to be told twice. He didn't want to die, and even less, he didn't want Kirigiri-san to be charged for murder. Even she would have trouble getting away with manslaughter in the middle of the station.


"Get home safe."

"I will." Makoto waved to a colleague, before the front door closed behind him. A cold breeze welcomes him outside. It'd be nice if he could afford a car one of these days.

"Maybe I could ask Togami for a promotion some time." Naegi fantasized, but for now he'd have to buckle up and enjoy the walk home.

The platform he traveled on was over one hundred meters above ground. Still, if he lifted his head, he'd still see skyscrapers extending farther upwards "Glad I'm not afraid of heights…"

That'd be an unfortunate condition for anyone who lived in Hope's Peak. The current population was 180 million. The size was equivalent to a tiny country in diameter; even seas and mountainous regions were within the megacity's territory.

Only a handful of cities like Hope's Peak exist; even less as technologically advanced. Loud advertisements intensified the vibrant atmosphere of district 14. Neon lights illuminated the city of glass, making white snow glitter an artificial gold where he stepped.

A slew of civilians floods the walkways. Many had open smiles on their faces, signifying their brand of happiness, whether they blended or clashed with others. The state of Hope's Peak reminded him of a painting - a conglomerate of colors melding atop a large canvas. Maybe that sounded childish. His friends often said that about him. That could be why his youthful self considered this juvenile painting, a work of art.

Hope's Peak was alive. Tonight, more so than usual.

"Here's to a romantic Valentines Day, everyone!" A familiar face appears on a giant screen, at the largest tower in the city square. The cheerful voice carries far and wide.

So that was it. Today was Valentines Day "Happy Valentines day, Fujisaki."

It wasn't much further along the path that he stumbled onto a peculiar scene. It was a small dog huddled over by the side...and not looking in the best of health.

Naegi knelt in front of the animal. The reception is not so friendly, but he was more concerned over its weak and awkward motions.

He recalled the candy bar from the vending machine he used to get Kirigiri's (spilled) lunch. The memory of it sends him into a momentary depression.


"S-So you came here?" Fukawa bandages his bitten hand. Her contempt lessened after he explained the situation. She had every right to be mad at his abrupt visit, along with his unreasonable request.

"I couldn't help it. Pets aren't allowed in my apartment, and your place is closer." He said scrubbing the dirt off the dog's coat with his free arm. Fukawa had brought a tub filled with warm water, small enough that it couldn't move too much.

"Y-You should have left it there. What if it has diseases?" Fukawa kept her distance, like he'd already been infected. Judging from how her eyes are glued to his wrapped hand, that's probably what she's thinking. He supposed that persecution complex came naturally to Toko Fukawa, his revered senior by 24 years. He had enough courtesy not to ask for specifics. Naegi had a shaky relationship with Fukawa, to the point that even casual conversation was a hassle. She was crass, pessimistic and blunt (painfully so!), but ultimately a good person. He wanted to be closer to her, partly for his own curiosity and hobbies. Naegi was an avid reader and researcher. Fukawa was the author of one some of his favorite stories. They'd met in one of the few libraries remaining in the city and being a rare twosome in modern society, they clicked instantly.

Okay...more like he might have followed her around and she gave up trying to push him away.

"It's fine. I don't get sick." He shot down her worries.

Fukawa scoffs. "One of the things you should never trust about men is their health. The other is their fidelity."

Okaaay. "Either way. He was probably only outside for a few days."

"You can tell? Right, you're a cop." Fukawa caught herself, then smirked nefariously.

"What?" He raised an eyebrow

"I can't picture you arresting anyone. Stupid children like you are the ones swindled and beat on by con artists." Her seasoned grin widened

He stuck out his tongue at her.

Fukawa rolled her eyes. "A bastion of maturity. So, what'll you do after you've cleaned him up?"

"Take him back to his owners. You can't just abandon pets so easily nowadays." Naegi frowned

*Bark! Bark! *

"Settle down. I'm almost done." Naegi steadied the dog, drying it with a towel.

"A boy and his dog. How quaint." Fukawa said with a repulsed look.

"Correction: A man and someone else's dog." He put on the finishing touches. Then he motioned for the collar around its neck. Naegi pressed down on a thin rectangular panel that glowed a blue. The puppy let out a pained yelp. There was a needle embedded inside the collar that released an anesthetic into the pet's system, causing it to drift asleep.

'Authorization for owner database. Level 4 Clearance Required.' A computerized voice emanated from the holographic display.

Naegi brought out his phone, and pressed down on an app. A disembodied (digital) head floated on the screen.

"Leave it to me, Naegi." The alter ego's voice was identical to that from the display but the tone was incomparably more humanlike. "Done. Will you be needing anything else?"

"No, you've been a great help." The phone was now linked to the records embedded in the collar's databased. The name, address, owner of the golden retriever was relayed on the screen.

"Chuck…and you're from the quartz sectors…geez, talk about a long trip." The location was an impoverished area in the district, for the lower class. They were currently on the Beryl sector. The residents of each layer corresponded to their status.

"I bet they couldn't afford the dog anymore and decided to throw it out. If they bought the thing in the first place, they should have the decency to see it through to the end. People these days have no responsibility or compassion." Fukawa scorned

"These days, huh?" Naegi looked at the older woman expectantly.

Fukawa narrowed her eyes. "Go read a history book if you want to learn about the past."

"It's not the same! You were there, before the meteor shower. You're a national treasure."

"Are you calling me old?"

He was getting that feeling. The same one with Kirigiri earlier. "N-Not like that!"

She turned away from him. "It's nothing worth praising. I just happened to be among the 10% of the population that survived."

Naegi wasn't dense enough to fail to realize he was heading for a brick wall. "Sorry." In his fervor, he'd acted insensitively.

Fukawa grunted. Naegi followed her out of the bathroom with the dog in his arms. Fukawa sat on her couch, picking up a diary with a hexagonal Morganite attached at the center of the cover "All this fuss for these stones. You can't even live without them." The gemstone Fukawa's fingers lingered on was no ordinary item. At the core of the current society, this crystal and many more like it, were the base of everything. A widely utilized energy source – one that absorbed sunlight and powered everything in the city, performing a variety of functions from the material used to construct buildings, to all-purpose fuel. Reliance was an understatement. Without them, civilization may never have recovered. Certainly not as quickly as it did. Depending on who you asked, the crystals could be called a miracle…or the greatest consolation prize recorded in human history.

"That's how the Gofer project monitors us." Naegi scratched the back of his neck, referencing the system responsible for maintaining the structure of Hope's Peak. A system where the crystals - while reminiscent of older minerals – were inextricably different in their capacity. Something that confounded scientists to this day.

The Morganite Fukawa disparaged wasn't overly special, not by itself. In fact, its purple glisten dimmed as soon as the elderly woman's touch leaves it. The relevant Morganite was inside her. A long time ago, the gem was melted down into liquid form and injected in the bloodstream. The procedure was necessary to counter the deadly virus that spread throughout the planet. What the meteors didn't destroy, the virus did. An estimate of 90% Earth's population was wiped out in the span of a year. How the cure was devised remains a tightly-kept secret. A popular theory is that these gems had alien origin and directly related to the meteor impact. To give credit, there presently wasn't an alternative for how some of these minerals could even be melted into liquid form, and injected into the bloodstream without universally disastrous consequence.

At the age of 5, children undergo a compatibility exam to determine what class of gems you belonged to. The crystalline fluid infused in their bodies resonates with crystals of the same type designated by The Gofer project. A roundabout method of proving they belonged to one of the respective classes: Diamond, Corundum, Beryl, Topaz and Quartz.

Fukawa was a Morganite, among the Beryl Class, the 3rd rank. Those belonging to this category stood above the middle-class but weren't quite elite.

"Incidentally. That was the time I've seen a government A.I up close." Fukawa referred to Alter ego. She sounded impressed, but also disdainful. Fukawa didn't care for modern technology, explained by how her home was relatively barren of electronics. Not that Naegi minded; the archaic design had its own charm-

"You weren't supposed to see that!" Naegi spluttered, shielding the phone away.

"Bit late for that idiot. D-Did you forget this was my house?

He scratched his head.

" That aside...you named the A.I? I mean I can see why considering who the creator is, but isn't that a little..."

"It's a long story, but...Fujisaki and I were friends."

Fukawa's eyes widened with disbelief "Really? If you are telling the truth, that is amazing."

"Yeah...anyway, thanks for the help. I'll definitely pay you back one day." He smiled, toothily.

"You'd better." She replied.


Naegi had been about to hail a cab before his ears caught curses, slurs and metal banging where a vehicle was stationed on the road. If the driver intentionally parked there, he'd be in for a fine, if Naegi was that kind of cop. Fortunately, this didn't seem to be the case, given the hood was up.

A technical malfunction then.

"Everything okay here?" Naegi's head peeked out from the side of the hood.

A man with spiky purple hair and goatee panicked at the sudden intrusion. "Woah, you scared me."

"Sorry, I should have knocked on the hood first." Naegi scratched his cheek.

"It's cool. And I've got it all covered. The engine's being a pain in the ass, but it's nothing this genius can't fix." For a stranded man, he was taking it well.

"If you say so-" Before Naegi could finish, they heard a sound no car should ever make.

A slight chill passed by, making the taller man shudder. Naegi thought to advise him to actually place his other hand through the half-worn jacket, instead of freezing and letting it flap in the wind.

"…wouldn't happen to have triple AAA, would ya?" He asked.

Naegi regretfully didn't. He didn't even own a car to bother registering. "There's an auto-repair shop a ways off here. I could help you push it, if you don't mind."

"You're a life saver. The name's Kaito Momota." Momota dropped the hood, maintaining eye-contact with Naegi as they walked to the back of the car

"Makoto Naegi. I'd need to put this guy in the backseat. That fine with you?"

"That your dog? Cause it doesn't look so hot. He won't puke, will he?"

"He's not mine, so I can't answer that. I was about to return him to the owners."

"You're a regular Samaritan, dude. No problem just lug the little guy in there." Momota gave him a nod of approval.

After Naegi placed chuck inside the car, he returned to the back with Momota, where they placed their hands on the trunk.

"3…2…1...heave-ho!"

That began their lengthy hour of pushing in the middle of the night. Not exactly how Naegi'd planned it, but he couldn't complain. Momota wasn't shy for a conversation, so it wasn't boring.

"You from around here, up top or below?" Momota inquired amidst grunts.

"Yeah, I live on this sector." Though he's getting farther away from home by the second.

Momota whistled. "Still means you're doing pretty well for yourself, third class and all."

"I don't think too much about status and all that. I'm sure there are citizens in the lower classes that could be every bit as competent as I am."

"You really are my kind of guy." His strangely dressed acquaintance barked with laughter.
I don't care about that elitist shit either…but a lot of people do, ya know?" His tone turned solemn. "I dunno, it's stifling in the city sometimes."

"Don't you like Hope's Peak, Momota-kun?" Naegi wanted to ask the purple-haired man if he was from the lower class. It was presumptuous, so he didn't voice it.

"Nah, I have it too good to hate, but some of my buddies don't and it bugs me listening to stuck up assholes talking shit. Like how your entire life's set by how much your blood is worth." Momota spat and pushed the car more forcefully. "If we're talking about me. I'm higher-ranked than you."

Naegi gave him a surprised look. It had to be the second rank, because the only alternative was…bizarre.

"Stunned, ain't ya? Everyone is at first, until they hear I'm a luminary of the stars!" Momota grinned, confidently. Not that Naegi had any clue what he meant. "But today, I'm just trying to get to my girl's place. Man, she's going to chew me out for being so late." Valentines, I guess. "I'm not keeping you away from a date, am I?"

"Huh? Me? No girlfriend here." Naegi rejected the notion.

"Bullshit. Any sidekick of mine should be swimming with the ladies." Naegi shakes his head, at both those claims. "Bah, they've got no taste."

"I-It's not like that. I'm just not looking for anyone right now." That was the truth…but hearing those words aloud made it sound like a lame excuse.

"That right? Then it's O-kay. Everyone's got their own pace." Momota gave him a thumbs up. "But if you don't care about chicks, that means your mind's gotta be somewhere else, right? You got any dreams or goals?" You can't survive without clinging to something.

The car bumped on frozen snow. Naegi thought about the question for a moment. "You seem like a really inspiring guy, Momota-kun…however, you might be looking in the wrong place if you expect anything great out of me."

"You kiddin'? I've got an eye for potential and I say you've got it in spades, Naegi. Work up that confidence!"

The shorter man blushed at the praise. If Momota was going to have that much faith in him, then he hoped his answer wouldn't disappoint. "I…recently graduated college, so I'm mostly working to pay off my loans." As Naegi would readily admit, he was just another cog in the proverbial machine. Save the black suit, he was the kind of guy you could find anywhere just by looking across the street; he had mediocre tastes, mediocre grades and an overall mediocre appearance. It was no small wonder how a person with his countenance ended up in the Beryl-class.

"Work? Where?"

"Oh, I didn't say? I'm a detective."

Momota stopped pushing, choosing instead to wrap an arm around Naegi's as he howled with laughter. "That's fucking awesome! I knew I had a good eye." He was boasting all along.

Naegi pushes against his glasses. "I'm still just a rookie and I mostly got hired because the chief is a friend of mine. The guys down at the police force always make fun of me and say I should think about going into social services, since I…baby the suspects." He mutters the last bit lowly.

"What do those idiots know? I bet there's at least one guy who knows you're fit for the job." Momota pounded his fists together.

"There is. Togami and Kirigiri…uh, Togami's my boss and Kirigiri's my partner." Despite his many shortcomings, Kirigiri and Togami believed he had talent; he offered insight and perspective in cases that they deemed invaluable…and his track record spoke for itself. If Naegi could speak honestly, he would call this abnormality one of three that were above the average person's. "Togami calls us his best pair, but I think Kirigiri deserves that honor more than me."

"This Togami guy's your boss, that means he knows what he's talking about. He said best pair. Not Kirigiri and one extra, right?"

"That's…technically true." There's no harm in accepting the compliment. "Thanks, Momota-kun."

"You're welcome. Huh, thought I'd have to go a few more rounds before you'd get it. I guess Shuichi's in a league of his own with total lack of confidence." Momota scratched his hair."

"Momota-kun…we should probably get back to pushing the car. Don't you have an appointment?"

"Oh crap!"


"You really did a number of this thing." The shark-toothed mechanic diagnosed. "I might not be able to fix it, but I'll take a look."

"I'm counting on you." Momota said.

"How's it look?" Naegi inquired. He'd waited outside for Momota to speak with the mechanic.

"Not good." He frowned.

"Maybe I should help." Naegi suggested.

"It couldn't hurt." Momota shrugged. After a few minutes of waiting, the two re-entered the workshop to see a frustrated mechanic. "Any luck, Souda?" Momota called out.

"Nothing. You might need to get the engine replaced."

"Just great. Well, give it a try, Naegi. You're my last hope." Kaito begged.

"No pressure." The detective shrugged.

"No offense, but you have any idea what you're doing?" Souda asked, worried.

"It…won't hurt me or anything, right?"

"The core's pretty much dead, so there's no chance of that. It might have been salvageable if the sun was still out, but there's no solar rays for it to take in."

Just bad timing.

"I'll give it a shot…Souda-san, could you get me that wrench at the far back?"

"Huh? What'll you do with that?" Souda's brow arched far at the request. "Don't tell me you think smacking the engine will work."

"Maybe. It's not like we have anything to lose." Naegi chirped.

"I'm praying for ya." Momota quite literally clapped his hands in prayer, closing his eyes all the while.

Souda blinked a few more times, before shaking his head. "Suit yourself." He walked to the shelf, muttering "amateurs" under his breath.

Naegi quickly glanced at Momota, the prideful male still in the same position as before.

His vision focused on the engine, or precisely, the solid crystal seated at the core. Oil and gas were resources of the past. Much like everything else in this city, these gemstones were at the base of all technology, fuel or batteries were hardly exceptions. "I hope it's not hot." He touched the stone with his bare hands.

"Here's the wrench." Souda apathetically handed over the item.

"Thanks. Here goes nothing." Naegi slammed the engine

The mechanic facepalmed. "You gotta be kidding me."

"Momota-kun, try and see if it worked." Naegi called out.

"Finished already?" The spiky-haired man opened his eyes. He hastily drew out his keys and tapped down on the remote start button. "Come ooon."

No sooner than Momota pleaded, the crystal shined brightly, and the roar of a healthy engine followed.

"YES!" The self-proclaimed luminary of the stars hopped into the air; arms spread out.

"No freakin' way." Souda made a very interesting face.

"Just dumb luck, I guess." Naegi said bashfully.

"Don't care. I can finally get a move on." Momota slapped Naegi on the back. "That's my sidekick."

"Sidekick?" That again.

"You betcha. My sidekicks are all destined for greatness. You're number 3 by the way."

…At least he was cheerful. Infectiously so.

"You don't need to thank me. Helping people out is my job."

"Now that ain't gonna fly. Kaito Momota does not leave debts unsettled."

"In that case, you can pay me back later." Not that Naegi expected him to.

"Good idea. Give me your number."

"Oh…you're really going through with it." Most people just took that as a rain check or a superficial promise. He underestimated Momota's candor.

"For now, I can drive you around." Momota suggested after they'd traded phone numbers. They'd pushed the car in a complete opposite direction from the route to his apartment.

"Wouldn't want to keep your girlfriend waiting."

"Ha! Knowing Maki, she'll rip a new one even if I show up the next second. Won't matter if it's another hour or so." Momota picked his ear. "Besides. If I told her I was helping a buddy, she might be lenient, and it wouldn't even be a lie."

"If it helps…sure." Naegi chuckled.

There were some people you couldn't win arguments against. Against those types, the best option is to meet them half-way and compromise.


"Momota-kun, I never asked. What do you do for a living?" Naegi asked, his hands stroking the dog's fur, while his partner drove.

"Hmm, I already said it. I'm a luminary of the stars." The braggart drank from a can of coffee (or Naegi hoped it was coffee!), keeping the other hand on the wheel.

"What does that mean?"

He grinned. "It means that I'm an astronaut."

"Y-You've been to space?" Ever since the meteor shower, searching the outer reaches of space became an even more important endeavour than ever before. But very few could do it, and even fewer had the courage to fly to outer space.

"I've been training. My maiden voyage's in a bit."

"…Incredible." It really was awe-inspiring. "Why'd you choose space?"

Naegi yelped as the car came to a screeching halt. "What're you doing?" He yelled at the other man.

"Let's step outside for a bit. I want to show you something." Momota took on a serious tone as he undid his seatbelt and opened the door. Naegi followed, leaving Chuck in the seat.

"Take a look up there. What do you see?" When Naegi stepped out of the car, Momota pointed at the distant, starry sky. Gone were the years when the poisonous clouds polluted the air.

"Stars." Naegi skillfully deduced as he joined the romanticist's side.

"30 years ago, we got blindsided from space. NASA and astrologists everywhere. None of them saw the meteors coming in time. How do you figure that happened?"

"The asteroids changed course too quickly and there was nothing that could've been done when we realized they were on a crash course for Earth." That was the explanation written in the history books.

"That's just an excuse. The reason is that we didn't have the sense to care about space. We're just one tiny planet in a universe y'know? Shit had to blow up sometime and when it did, we were caught with our pants down!" He crushed the empty can in his hands.

"I'm not sure if that's fair criticism. Technology was limited too."

"And who told you that?" Momota crossed his arms.

"It's common knowledge."

"Yeah, knowledge fed to us by who-the-hell-knows, and we have to eat it up." The astronaut sighed deeply. "I said before that this city's stifling and I meant it. Like a ceiling was already put right above my head from the day I was born. You ever felt that way?"

Naegi pondered the question for a moment. "Can't say I have." Was his earnest reply. He never thought about the future, in fear that he'd lose sight of the present. "I don't really look up at the ceiling. There are enough people on the ground that need my attention."

"…Heh, good answer. I respect that, but me? I'm different. I'm not the kind of guy that gets banged up over protecting others or saving the world. Instead I'd rather be the guy who leads by action and gets other to fight for themselves. Look." The astronaut's cocky smirk earned a look of suspicion. Naegi pulled on the side of the jacket, scanning the galaxy-themed design in the interior. Huh, a design that unique should have been a giveaway to Momota's preferences. He'd have been a lot less shocked about his occupation, had he noticed earlier. Kirigiri absolutely would have…!

"Huh?" Naegi froze as sparkles of light reflected off the coat, from a single touch from Momota. It hadn't been easy to spot before thanks to the dark, but with the car lights on…he saw "…Diamonds?" Naegi whispered in disbelief. The minerals were incredibly small and spread apart, as if emulating stars mapped on the galaxy-styled coat.

"You got it. I'm first-class all the way." Momota boasted…and what a boast it was. The diamond-class were among society's most exceptional 1%. Such a small number that, unless they were already famous, you could go their entire lives without ever crossing paths.

That probably made him an abnormal case for having known 2 previously. 3, now.

"Don't get it twisted. It wouldn't matter even if I was the lowest class, I'd still be fucking great. Cuz what matters is in here." He jerked at his heart. "A man needs guts if he wants to make something of himself." Surely, Kaito Momota's got plenty. "But you know, a lot of people say I'm wrong. Just because I'm diamond, I was born to be great. Hell, I didn't even get the choice during the compatibility exam, just having above 50% affinity for the class means you're forced to take it. I could have died and never known who came up with that dogshit rule."

Naegi didn't either. The diamond class was exceptionally rare, yet invaluable to society's progress. It was already decided that any child with a remotely high rate of compatibility would be selected for that class…despite the fatalities.

That Momota was here right now could be likened to a miracle. "But Momota-kun. Wouldn't you just be following the mold if you did go to space? Not many people have the credentials for it."

"You have a point and I'm not going to be ungrateful and say life isn't great for me or nothing…but I don't want to follow the rules set by some bastard I've never even met for the rest of my life." Momota scratched his hair. "I want the freedom to choose to be great, and space is free-game, nobody owns the rights. I ain't just talking about going to the moon or anything. I'll go way farther and come back safe and sound with the goods. It won't be some nameless chump who writes the book on space-travel, but me, Kaito Momota. The rest of you can follow after my trails of success."

Egoistic to the core…but not without his charm.

Naegi smiles." Momota-kun, you could have just said you want to be famous." Figures once known as celebrities or even some that made history were scattered into obscurity and forgotten with the passing of time. In many ways, humanity was born anew…it was natural the ambitious would want to become the pioneers of the new history.

Also… "This was no reason to stop the car and make us stand in the cold." Naegi said, watching Momota shake like a leaf.

"And miss my chance to sound cool. No thank you." Momota rushed back into the car. Naegi followed. "But you might be right. I don't want to be just another diamond. I wanna be the biggest name, just like Chihiro Fujisaki."

"Good luck. You've got more than enough confidence to make your dream come true."

"You know it…so, where's this place we're headed specifically?"

"I'll forward the instructions."

"Great. Maybe I'll know a few shortcuts."

No problem? It would still be quite the journey…unless. "You…don't even want to see your girlfriend anymore, huh."

"You're good at that detective stuff." Momota didn't even try to deny it. "Let's just say that Maki's got a pretty mean temper and…well, I get to live a bit longer the more I put it off."

"Couldn't you have just called her?"

"Great idea. You speak to her in my place, buddy."

"…No, forget I said anything."

"Come on, you're super-easy to talk to. I bet Maki won't even be all that mad…I promise."

Naegi wasn't naïve enough to believe a promise that empty. "I've had enough life-threatening experiences today.