Mutta takes up a part-time job as a shopping mall Santa to earn some money before his trip to Houston. Meanwhile, Yuri Teshima, one of the candidates from Team B, shows his father his passion for extra terrestrial life. As Mutta hears from JAXA about when he is to depart for Houston, he learns that Kenji was in fact chosen alongside him, as Yuri had decided to turn down his application to pursue a career in marine biology. Serika visits her father's grave, leaving a diary of everything she got up to in the past year, whilst Mutta visits Kenji. With the final exam in two months, coinciding with Hibito's mission into space, Mutta decides to head to Houston ahead of schedule.