Missing Love.As Tamahome tends to her leg, Miaka asks him if he loves Nuriko. He laughs and calls her jealous, and says he wants money more than love. Nuriko overhears them. Later, she asks Miaka to search for a lost earring by the lake in the dark. Hotohori is being criticised by his advisors about not taking an Empress near the lake. Miaka and Hotohori meet, he offers to order Nuriko to behave, and Miaka says no, she'd rather become Nuriko's friend. Miaka falls in the lake, and gets caught in the weeds. Nuriko gloats that she sent Miaka on a false errand. Tamahome overhears and Nuriko reveals she's in love with Hotohori. Miaka comes back from the pond. They slap each other, make friends and Miaka promises to put in a word for Nuriko with Hotohori. Hotohori tells Miaka that he's only ever loved the priestess of Suzaku, but he senses Tamahome and Nuriko listening in. He proposes to Miaka. The next morning both Tamahome and Nuriko are cold to Miaka, and she follows them to the market. Tamahome tries to sell some of Miaka's bubblegum, but the crowd doesn't like it, so Miaka reveals herself. The crowd goes wild and they have to escape quickly. Later, a gang set upon them and Tamahome and the gang leader haggle over a price for Miaka. Miaka and Tamahome fight the gang and win, but Miaka is furious at Tamahome for rescuing her, as the gang leader said it would be impossible for Tamahome to work in the town without his say-so. Miaka tells Tamahome she loves him, but is rebuffed. She falls down in a fever.