No matter the time or the place, Kousei Kougami always believed that every day was someone or something's birthday. Even as far back as many years ago, long before the Greeed were unleashed on the world and OOO was born once again, this belief held firm in the Kougami Foundation chairman's mind. Naturally, then, he always tried to make sure his delicious cakes were appropriate for the occasion. He always made sure to go far beyond simple choices of chocolate or vanilla; his cakes, hand made, were personal. Whether it ended up being that his assistants ate them or they really did manage to find their way to someone who was to celebrate, every day without fail, Kougami would make at least one birthday cake.

Usually more, though.

Today was no different in that sense. Like most days, today was a day during which the eccentric man intended to make a fantastic cake. No, what made today especially wonderful was that today he was trying to think of what sort of cake he could create for a very special birthday: Today marked the official first birthday of the Yggdrasil Corporation.

It was a promising organization, for certain. In the short year that they had been in business, they had expanded well beyond their initial business of pharmaceuticals and were now reaching out into the clothing market, with plans to go beyond that very soon. There had already been talks of going international, or so Kougami had heard. These things, in the end, were not what concerned the man. They were all very nice, but all they added up to was the simple fact that the cake he was to send Yggdrasil's president had to be perfect for the occasion.

His pacing could almost be described as dancing as he hummed his favorite tune. Then, at once, he stopped walking and became silent. An idea had struck.

Kougami wondered if it would be inappropriate of him to offer that as the core ingredient in a cake... He and some members of one of his research team had made a most unusual discovery recently while on an expedition. It was unlike anything he had ever seen, not unlike the rapid and exciting growth of the Yggdrasil Corporation.

What was this strange find of Kougami's?

A plant. A mysterious plant that seemed to just grow out of a rip in the sky, as if it had come from a crack in the air itself. It had spread like wildfire until Kougami himself had managed to have it contained, and contained was how it had remained since. It was a very strange thing, this plant... or more precisely, the fruit that this plant bore. Every member of his staff that went near it wanted to eat it. It was something truly and terrifyingly beautiful, Kougami believed, to witness something as simple as a fruit drive a person to give in to their desires in such a way.

Strangely enough, though Kougami too found himself with the urge to take a bite on occasion, it was never enough for him to lose himself the way he had seen his employees. It was truly fascinating to him.

Perhaps it was simply because his desires were far grander than anything a little fruit could offer him? A man who understood and delved into desire, into greed, the way Kousei Kougami did perhaps would have a natural resistance to whatever the fruit was trying to do to him. It was for this reason, among many others, that Kougami found it so interesting.

A smile spread across the man's face as he recalled this.

Given the rapid expansion of Yggdrasil, certainly the president would share at least a comparable resistance. wouldn't he?

"Magnificent! I'll have that new intern bring me that lovely fruit and have him deliver this masterpiece straight to Yggdrasil. It will be a Happy Birthday for them indeed!"

Returning to his desk, the chairman of the Kougami Foundation picked up his phone and dialed the line for one of his interns. There was an especially promising one of the bunch, one he was considering promoting to a full time scientist in their development department very, very soon. Only time would tell if he had what it took, but Kougami believed that there was a lot of potential there. More than enough desire, for sure. It was seeing that in the youth that made Kougami eagerly await the day he could give the young man a birthday cake of his own, welcoming him to the Kougami Foundation full time.

"Ryoma Sengoku speaking... Oh, Mister Kougami! What may I do for you, sir?"

Incidentally, the president of Yggdrasil never did get the cake that Kougami made that afternoon.

The intern that had gone to deliver it did eventually become a top scientist thanks to the events of that day, though...

... just not one within the Kougami Foundation.