As Miaka searches for the earing, she almost drowns, and cries out Tamahome's name. Tamahome was sleeping and in his mind, he felt Miaka calling for him and is startled awake. He rushes to find her. When he passes Nuriko's room, he hears Nuriko confessing her lie. He gets angry with Nuriko, calling her a bitch, and tries to leave but Nuriko pulls him back and says Miaka deserves it. Nuriko says how jealous she is that Hotohori and everyone has all paid so much attention to Miaka. She says that is why she was chasing after Tamahome - deliberately - to make Miaka jealous.

Miaka then shows up. She and Nuriko exchange words and slap eachother, but then Miaka gives Nuriko a pretty pink pebble, to make up for the earring she 'lost'. Miaka tells Nuriko she will help her by hinting to Hotohori that Nuriko loves him. Later that night, Hotohori and Miaka are talking and Miaka attempts to tell him about Nuriko's love for him, when Hotohori confesses his love for MIAKA! Hotohori asks Miaka if she loves anyone, and immediately, Tamahome's handsome face pop into her head, and she smiles, blushing.

Hotohori pins Miaka beneath him on the bed, as he confesses his love to her, and he tries to kiss her, all the while Miaka thinks of Tamahome. She braces herself, but is not kissed, becasuse Hotohori finds both Nuriko and Tamahome eavesdropping. Now Tamahome has overheard everything and this worries Miaka.

The next morning, Miaka tries to talk to Tamahome but he is overly cool and reserved with her, knowing his place, now that he has heard the emperor confess his love for Miaka. Miaka, though, wants to know Tamahome's feelings for her. She has heard Hotohori's, but it is Tamahome she wishes to know of. She follows Tamahome and Nuriko as they go to the city, where she sees Tamahome advertise the gum Miaka had given him and tries to sell it. Miaka wonders if Tamahome only thinks she is useful for business.

Suddenly, the crowd of people accuse him of lying, saying the gum is fake, and start to get angry with Tamahome, but Miaka svaes him by taking off the hood she was wearing, and reveals that the gum is real, and that she, Suzaku No Miko, gave it to him.

In this funny scene, Tamahome instantly jumps down to Miaka, dons sunglasses and starts to act like Miaka's manager and encouraging people to get her autograph! The crowd goes crazy and starts to make a grab for Miaka and Tamahome. The couple escape and run to a safe place. This next scene is important.

Tamahome: Why did you do that?

Miaka: Because. You think I'm a nuisance.

Tamahome: I didn't say that

Miaka: So what DO you think of me?

They look at eachother - he doesn't answer. They get interrupted, by a gang of ruffians/the mafia who threaten Miaka and Tamahome. They see Miaka is Suzaku No Miko, brandish weapons, and the boss of the gang and Tamahome begin to bargain with eachother to BUY/SELL Miaka. Tamahome asks for 40 ryuuen for Miaka and Miaka thinks 'Tamahome - you're mean!' her face falls sadly, and in anger, she hits her captor.

Tamahome takes this sudden interruption to his advantage and attacks the other gang members, and his sign blazes. As the leader of the mafia charges at Tamahome with a knife, Tama just beats them all up quickly. Then he turns and says:

Tamahome: Some things are too important to be sold.

He goes over to Miaka who is sitting stunned by a wall. It has begun to thunderstorm and rain.

Tamahome: So let's go.

Miaka: Imbecile. You can't do business here anymore. What's worse, you could have been hurt. Why? Why would you do that? Go that far...for..for ME??!! (she is yelling in anger and frustration and wishes to know if Tamahome does these things because he cares for her)

Tamahome: Let's go

Miaka: (screaming) ANSWER ME!!!

Tamahome: It's not important (quiet voice, subdued, with his back to Miaka)

Miaka: It IS! - Because I..I'm IN LOVE WITH YOU! (she gasps stunned she said that to him)

Tamahome: (with his voice still sad, seemingly unfazed, and his back to her still) Sorry. I don't feel the same. I protect Suzaku No Miko. Let's go home. The emperor will be worried. (he begins to leave)

Miaka is overwhelmed by the fact that Tama doesn't feel the same, reaches out for him but her vision blurs, 'Ta - Tam', she tries to call to him, but she faints and falls to the ground. Tamahome rushes to her, screaming her name frantically. Miaka has fallen sick, and come down with a fever.

Later, at the palace of the emperor, Miaka is being nursed. Both she and Tamahome are being plagued with the memory of Miaka's admission of love. When Miaka wakes up she thinks to herself:

Miaka: I've found myself in love, and I have already lost him. (she begins to cry)

Hotohori then enters her room and tells her, they have decided to take her to Taitsukun - who can send her back to her world - so she can recover - as she is homesick and called for her mother and brother while alseep with the fever. Hotohori hugs her and asks her to promise to come back to him after she is better.

As Hotohori hugs Miaka, she thinks to herself of how Hotorhori worries so much about her, and cares so much for her. She thinks if she goes back to her world, she can forget about Tamahome, and the fact he doesn't love her. She thinks she can then apologize to Tamahome and say sorry for telling him she loved him.

Tamahome overhears Hotohori and Miaka talking and hears Hotohori telling her to come back to him. He stands up and leaves, with a sad face. Nuriko sees him and attacks him from behind.

Nuriko: What's with the grief stricken face? It's your own fault for dumping her!

Tamahome: Shut up! It has nothing to do with you!

Nuriko: Yes it has! If I don't do something, the emperor won't notice me, so would you kindly apologize to Miaka and then the emperor will be mine!

Tamahome: You're damned selfish!

Nuriko: What? Aren't you a man? You hurt her. You love Miaka don't you? what a pity - you're jealous of the emperor!

Tamahome: Jealous? Hmph! Me? Let's stop kidding. I just met Miaka a short time ago. ME? I only have a soft spot for money - O-KA-NE (he ennunciates each syllable of the word for money). That's why I'm not jealous. (and with that he walks away from Nuriko, and leans against a pillar, looking up at the sky with a sad face and thinks to himself, 'jealous huh?'. (so we KNOW he is jealous and DOES care for Miaka but won't allow himself to have feelings for her! DOH!)

The next day, the emperor (Hotohori), Nuriko, Tamahome, and Miaka all gather together to go see Taitsukun. Miaka looks at Tamahome loading the horses. He sees her looking at him, and looks back at her. They both see eachother looking and startled, both turn away fast! Nuriko blasts flames through her ears and around her as she screams 'HOW FRUSTRATING!!' (I'm with you Nuriko - I wish those 2 would get together already! ;) )

That night, they rest, and Miaka is in pain, because the fever is back. Nuriko approaches and tells her of a lake that can cure diseases, and it will make her feel better. While Miaka leaves for the place, Nuriko finds Tamahome sleeping, picks him up by the feet and drags him across the ground till he's woken up (with major bumps on his head!). She tells him that Miaka has a message for him - 'I'll wait for you by the lake'. To which Tamahome replied 'WHY ME???' and Nuriko says: Be a MAN! Don't hurt the girl's feelings!'

Miaka, in the meantime, has undressed herself and is submerged in the lake, when she sees something in the lake which grabs her and she screams!

Tamahome is walking through the woods saying to himself, 'I'm going but it's not because Miaka asked me to...just because I'm bored' (he says this in a way that lets ya know even HE doesn't beleive what he is trying to make himself beleive. We, the viewers, aren't fooled either. We KNOW he wants to see Miaka.) Then he hears Miaka's screams and sees her in the lake and dives in to help her.

Tamahome is now in the water and has not resurfaced. Miaka stands in the water, worriedly calling out Tamahome's name. She cries out 'Tamahome's been eaten by a snake!!!' and starts to sob. Tamahome pokes his head up out of the water.

Tamahome: Don't bury me yet.

The 'snake' turned out to be a drift log, as he points out to Miaka, and she realized he can see her breasts and her naked body. Both blush and turn around. 'I didn't see anything!' Tamahome yells out automatically!' and then both get quiet....

Miaka is thinking 'This is my chance. Apologize Miaka. Tell him you're sorry you said you love him. That it was just a joke. [pause]

Miaka and Tamahome together: SORRY!! (GOMEN!!)

Miaka's eyes get wide as she realizes Tamahome said sorry!

Tamahome: When you said that (said I'm in love with you) What I said was unkind. It was the first time a woman said she loved me. I thought it couldn't be. I didn't know how to answer. For 17 years, there's only been money on my mind. I'm still that way. But I'll take you to Taitsukun's place. Recover as soon as possible.

With that Tamahome leaves the lake and walks away. And then NURIKO drops from the trees and is mad cause she thought Tamahome would surely have made a play for Miaka!

Miaka is angry and screams: 'NURIKO!!! That means you deceived me!! (suddenly smiles) THANKS!!' and she hugs Nuriko.

Nuriko: Unhand me

Miaka: (still hugging) It's great! Tamahome doesn't hate me!

While Miaka hugs Nuriko she loosens Nuriko's shirt and sees that there are NO BREASTS on Nuriko. Nuriko is a MAN! Nuriko admits as much, and we see cute shots of Nuriko's embarrassment at being exposed and Miaka shocked beyond belief.

The group go on their way the next day (Miaka has kept Nuriko's secret). At a dining stop, Miaka notices Hotohori isn't with them and searches for him. She finds him and he tells her he doesn't get many chances to be on his own and stare at mountains. He compares himself to a bird in a cage. Miaka tells him that he is a free bird now and to fly wherever he wants. This makes hotohori smile and he hugs Miaka, telling her she is a nice girl, and very kind. Tamahome and Nuriko stand behind them, Nuriko is LIVID cause it's a tender bonding moment between Hotohori and Miaka, and Tamahome also looks a little hurt and mad too.

Later, Miaka and Tamahome are walking through a forest, and Miaka runs and falls, and her skirt flares as she goes down, giving tamahome a GOOD look at her panties. She covers herself up and asks Tamahome if she saw anything. He lies and says no and adds: 'Besides, it's not like I care, if you had bigger breasts and were sexier, I'd admit you were a woman. I don't feel a thing when I see you naked.'

This hurts Miaka very much and she hits him and screams 'Tamahome, you idiot', and runs tearfully away. Here is the famous scene where she is trapped in the mirror and the evil Miaka takes her place in the real world. The evil Miaka tries to hurt Tamahome and Hotohori and reveals Nuriko is a man. As Miaka sees all this, she knows she must do something before the evil Miaka kills Tamahome and Hotohori, so she breaks a plate and stabs herself in the chest with it, that way it will kill her evil self. She doesn't think twice about this. All she thinks is of saving her seishi and doesn't care what happens to herself.

Some poignant moments in this scene: Tamahome shows jealousy when evil Miaka hugs Hotohori and calls him her darling, and tells Hothori to come with her for a provate talk, and later, when the evil Miaka is defeated, and the real Miaka is on deaths door, Hotohori and Tama draw their own blood to save Miaka - Tama uses the same broken plate to slice blood from HIS chest, and when Miaka wakes up, it is Tamahome's name she says first, and in addition to that, she touches his face tenderly, and stretches it around comically. Tamahome then hugs her with happy relief that she is ok!