Naoya Saeki

Naoya Saeki is Nagi Saeki’s older brother and the oldest son of the Saeki family that took in Tetsu Akatsuki who didn’t have any relatives. He is a senior and partner to Tetsu while being roommates and best friends with Mitsuru Fuwa

He used to be partners with Kyouji Hashimoto before becoming a senior officer.

Appearance
Naoya has black hair with a purple tone to it and dark lavender eyes. His bangs fall freely over his face with the ends of his hair curled slightly upwards.

He wears the standard TOKKOH uniform with some additions, consisting of the usual policeman cap with a purple band and a button-up coat. There is a golden chain that hands from his shoulder and has a strap that extends over his chest although it is unknown as to what it's connected to.

In Nagi and Tetsu's special story, he is younger and wears a purple vest with a long sleeved white shirt. When he was in his university dormitory, he wore a traditional lavender coloured kimono with a white button-up undershirt that extends upwards to his neck.

Personality
Naoya is regarded as a kind, loving older brother of Nagi Saeki and also his adopted brother, the protagonist, Tetsu Akatsuki.

However, later in the game, Mitsuru Fuwa explains that the night before he died, Naoya had snuck out, which was apparently normal behaviour for Naoya and Mitsuru. This came as a surprise to Nagi and Tetsu, finding out that their beloved brother had a side for going to brothels and places as such.

Naoya had kept a lot of secrets from Nagi and the protagonist, as shown by him searching the truth about Kyouji Hashimoto without telling. Tetsu once called him selfish, for not trusting even his family and best friend with his secrets.

Background
Naoya grew up in a well-to-do family of nobility. He, and his younger brother, Nagi Saeki, were raised by his two parents. His parents later adopted the protagonist Tetsu Akatsuki, a member of a noble family as well, but whose father had returned from war insane, leading his father to kill his mother in front of him and attacking him right after. Naoya had kindly and warmly welcomed Tetsu, and had treated him just as how he would treat Nagi.

Later, he had attended a prestigious university, where he first met Mitsuru Fuwa, and quickly became close to him due to the fact that that the two understood each other. After they had graduated university, Naoya became a TOKKOH officer in order to investigate the mysterious drug circulating around Asakusa. Mitsuru joined him because he thought a job as a TOKKOH officer would not be boring.

He passed away on 23 August, found hanging above his bed in his room, whom he shared with Mitsuru. Tetsu, Nagi and Mitsuru were the first to discover his body. It is later revealed that despite being ruled as a suicide, Kyouji had murdered Naoya and staged the suicide since Naoya had learned too much about the situation and also declined Kyouji's offer to join YOZAKURAKAI.

Character Gallery Card 2
"'He is the victim in this story. This character is the trickiest one. Before making this story, I really struggled to create this character. Is he one of those characters who runs things behind the scenes? Is he actually alive? Well, actually he became a zombie... I figured out lots of settings but eventually he became a normal victim. Maybe you think he's still alive... well, sorry. He's dead. Naoya is the typical good student but doesn't wear his uniform properly. He puts the hems of the pants in the boots. Nagi copies his style and hairdo. Naoya doesn't have a blood-relationship with Tetsu, but he treats Tetsu the same as Nagi. He became friends with Mitsuru in their undergraduate days. You can read the story about Naoya and Mitsuru in Special Short Stories!'"

Special Story
Naoya and Mitsuru were walking together in Asakusa one day after they had graduated from university. Mitsuru brings up the fact that Asakusa is becoming less safe as a result of an influx of countryside people coming to Asakusa in search of a job, but find nothing due to the economy's retrenchment after the war. Mitsuru then brings up the recent news that a group of prostitutes went crazy and died, noting that it's strange, but that the number is "nothing compared with usual", which leads Naoya to ask if it's an illness. Mitsuru says that he can imagine why the prostitutes would go crazy, but again says that it's strange. The women in brothels, more often than not, cannot find jobs, which forces them to stay in the brothels for the rest of their lives. These deaths are regarded as "normal", which is why there is little reporting on it. However, "crazy suicides" and "maddish murders" have been on the rise in Asakusa.

Mitsuru then jokingly says, "It's the end of the world," to which Naoya replies, "You sound like an old man". After joking around, Mitsuru brings up that there is "more sad news", that sad news being that jobs are hard to find in Asakusa. He says that it's obvious upon seeing the situation, and then looks at the pickpockets eyeing them behind trees. Mitsuru says that they got too carried away, encouraging competition between businesses, even though the wartime boom could not last, causing many small businesses to go bankrupt. Naoya tells him that it's Monday morning quarterback. Mitsuru then sees through Naoya, asking him if he's worried about the economic situation, to which Naoya does not deny. Mitsuru then says, "You can't put all your trust in the government. They don't give up their posts for us." He then says that he doesn't know what they should do, but he does not sound worried.

Upon his saying this, Naoya thinks to himself that Mitsuru is flexible and can survive in any situation. This leads to Naoya thinking about what he wants to do with his own life, to which he has no answer. He says that he already has a track and can fill his father's shoes and become a bureaucrat, which is what people have been telling him is the 'best way'. He says out loud that he doesn't know either (in response to what they should do with their lives).

He is brought back to reality once Mitsuru says that if his life lost value, he would kill himself. Naoya says that he (Mitsuru) does not think that way, which leads to Mitsuru giving him a nihilistic smile and saying, "You don't know, do you?". He then brings up the fact that 'Heaven's drug' is in Asakusa, saying that it will save everyone who has experienced hardship. Mitsuru then says that he wishes he could get such a "brilliant" drug. Naoya says that he doesn't think that Mitsuru needs salvation, and Mitsuru grabs Naoya by the arms, saying that everyone wants to be saved, and asks Naoya to save him.

Naoya shrugs him off, and asks him about where he heard about the aforementioned drug, to which Mitsuru tells him that he heard from it at a cafe, saying that senior students who cannot find jobs are desperate for the drug. He then says that the drug saves both your body and your mind, and says that maybe they'll both want this 'Heaven' a year from then.

Naoya says that he has felt empty for a long time, saying that abundance does not equal freedom. He says that people praise him for being excellent and such, but he denies this. He feels that no matter how hard he studies, no matter how hard he tries to be a good older brother, he feels as if he's watching a play of himself. He feels powerless against himself, but cannot give up. He keeps asking himself about what he can do.

Naoya begins to investigate the 'psychotic incidents' and 'Heaven's drug' within Asakusa, supposedly finding an answer to what his life's purpose is. He says that Nagi and Tetsu are attached to him, that his parents raised him, and that Mitsuru understands him the best. He goes on whether or not they think of his decision as a betrayal, saying, "I need to do what I can do. Even if it's just my ego."

In his investigation, Naoya makes the connection between Meiichiro Ohkawa and YOZAKURAKAI. Meiichiro is a rich thinker and supports the construction of new mental hospitals. From this support, the existence of 'Heaven's drug' is slowly becoming known to the public. He then comes to the conclusion that TOKKOH is the source of the drug. Naoya becomes a TOKKOH officer against his parents' wishes, and Mitsuru joins alongside him, saying that it will not be boring.

"The hidden darkness in the name of justice will erode my loved ones day," is what Naoya thinks to himself, saying that he needs to solve this, and has no regard for what will to him as a result.

Trivia

 * Naoya's first name is made up of two characters, (直也). with "直" being straight and "也" being call. His surname (冴木) is also made up of two characters, with "冴" is meaning to be skillful and "木" meaning tree, wood.