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SPOILER WARNING!!
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Missing Love (Surechigau Omoi) is the fourth episode of the original 1995 Fushigi Yuugi anime adaptation.
Summary
Nuriko eavesdropping
As Tamahome tends to Miaka's leg, Miaka asks him if he loves Nuriko. Tamahome then laughs and calls her jealous, and says he wants money more than love. Nuriko, hiding behind a tree, overhears their conversation. Later, Nuriko asks Miaka to search for a lost earring by the lake in the dark because all the other maidens are afraid and it is a valuable family heirloom of Nuriko's.
Meanwhile, at a gazebo on the lake, Hotohori is being criticised by his advisors for not yet having taken an Empress. Hotohori dismisses their pleas by declaring that he has yet to find a woman more beautiful to him than himself. As Hotohori is departing from the meeting with his advisors, he meets Miaka on the bridge above the lake. Miaka expresses how troublesome Nuriko is, both towards her and particularly towards Tamahome, and Hotohori offers to order Nuriko to behave. But Miaka disagrees as she'd rather become Nuriko's friend, and finds that she does genuinely get along with Nuriko to an extent.
While searching for the earring Miaka falls in the lake and gets caught in the weeds. Nuriko gloats that she sent Miaka on a false errand and tricked her. While Nuriko's other maidens are laughing at this, Tamahome overhears and Nuriko reveals she's in love with Hotohori. Tamahome becomes angered at Nuriko for sending Miaka on a false errand.
Miaka comes back from the pond. Nuriko then slaps Miaka and Miaka slaps her back. In the end, the two become friends and Miaka promise to put in a word for Nuriko with Hotohori. However, when Miaka goes to speak with Hotohori he tells Miaka that he's only ever loved the girl who would be the Priestess of Suzaku, and thus that she, Miaka, is the girl that he has been waiting for his whole life. While expressing his feelings to Miaka he senses Tamahome and Nuriko listening in, brings out his sword, and breaks the wall that the two of them are eavesdropping behind. Hotohori reprimands the two of them. He then proceeds to proposes to Miaka before leaving her to sleep alone in his bedchambers that evening.
The next morning both Tamahome and Nuriko are cold towards Miaka. The two of them head off to the market, and Miaka decides to follow them. At the market, Tamahome tries to sell some of Miaka's bubblegum, attempting to capitalize off Miaka's status as Priestess of Suzaku and the exotic nature of her otherworldly treats. But the crowd is skeptical of his claims of selling items brought from another world by the Priestess of Suzaku herself, demanding evidence. Miaka reveals herself, dressed in her school uniform and matching all alleged description of the Priestess. The crowd goes wild upon learning that the Priestess is in their presence and Tamahome and Miaka have to make a run for it.
Moments later a gang comes across the pair. They demand a price for Miaka, intending to purchase her. Anticipating that Tamahome will stand up for her, Miaka is aghast when Tamahome's response is to start haggling with the gang leader - claiming the price being offered for Miaka is too low. However, their haggle quickly devolves into a physical tussle. Nuriko looks on, concealed from Miaka and Tamahome's view as the two fight the gang members. They successfully defeat them, but Miaka is livid at Tamahome for the mixed messages he seems to be sending. On the one hand, he seems to be using her only as a means to gain wealth, on the other he seems to be expressing genuine care by rescuing her on numerous occasions - including the fight they just won. Miaka declares her love for Tamahome in hopes of receiving a clear response of his own feelings for her, but she is instantly rejected with a simple statement of "Sorry, but I don't feel the same".
Following Tamahome's rejection, Miaka faints from a fever, overcome with exhaustion both physically and emotionally.
Characters in Episode
- Miaka Yuki
- Hotohori
- Hotohori's Advisers
- Tamahome
- Nuriko
Music
- Opening theme: Itooshii Hito no Tame Ni
- Ending theme: Tokimeki no Doukasen