Episode: 43

Title: "Kokoro no Kizu wa Fukakute Omoi", "The Heart's Wounds Intensify Feelings"

The group has arrived at Shigeru's family vacation house. The rain has stopped, but there is snow all over. The hot springs look wonderful though, with steam rising from the surface. The foursome share a dinner first. Everyone is tense and quiet except for Shigeru who cheerfully rambles on about anything. (Either Shigeru is a good actress, or she is just so totally clueless about the situation, IMO :) Shigeru is talking loudly, cheering "yaaay! yaaay!" Everyone else is just sort of looking at her like she is crazy.

Shigeru tells Tsukushi to serve some tea, and Tsukushi looks very startled. She grabs a can of tea and leans over to Rui who is seated next to her. He lifts his cup, and she pours some tea for him. Shigeru smiles at them. Doumyouji watches everything with an irritated look on his face. He grabs his can of tea and guzzles it down before Shigeru can serve it to him. He crushes the can. Doumyouji and Tsukushi stare at each other across the table and Tsukushi wonders what is up with the expression on his face. She turns to Rui who in turn leaves to go bathe. Shigeru talks about Tsukushi and Rui, saying he must be the guy she likes (or something to this effect, she is basically matching Rui and Tsukushi up) Tsukushi looks like she wants to protest. Doumyouji is quiet, but finally agrees, this is a double date after all... (actually, Doumyouji switched his words around again, calling it a 'date double') Shigeru smiles and says she knew it! Shigeru says something about Tsukushi now getting her chance.

Then Shigeru pulls out a toy (just like the one Rui bought Tsukushi on their first date) and tries to get Doumyouji to place his fingers on it. He pulls away. Shigeru presses against him, rubbing her cheek against his, saying they should go take a bath together. Doumyouji refuses. Tsukushi sits there watching, thinking she (herself) is an idiot. Shigeru just smiles and grabs Tsukushi to go to the spring reserved for the girls.

Shigeru and Tsukushi share one of the hot springs and relax in the soothing heat. They are both nude (just thought this was odd, Usually in anime they are wearing towels or something) Tsukushi sits quietly and thinks about what Doumyouji said about this being a double date. Shigeru talks a lot to Tsukushi, she is very happy. Tsukushi finally says to Shigeru that she is very glad about Doumyouji and Shigeru (as a couple). Shigeru thanks her and Tsukushi thinks to herself that she lied. Meanwhile, Doumyouji is leaning against a wall of his room with his eyes closed. The light on his face is filled with shadow patterns of the trees outside. His eyes are closed, and he looks somewhat anguished. (Reminds me a little of how he looked back in episode 40 or so when he was laying wet on his bed) Doumyouji is remembering his confrontation earlier with Shigeru in which she yelled at him to kiss her, and he did. Tsukushi is also thinking about Doumyouji's kiss with Shigeru. Doumyouji turns and faces the wall, the light and shadow waving across his face. He says 'I love you'.

Tsukushi in the pool then remembers him saying 'I love you' as well. (the scene she remembers is not one I am familiar with though ??) Tsukushi sits in hot water and slowly leans forward until her face is in the water. She looks very hot. Shigeru is sitting on a stool near the springs, lathering her body with soap when she looks over at the pool and sees Tsukushi float to the surface, face down. The next thing we know, Shigeru is dashing down the hall of the resort house, her body covered with soap suds, and a robe barely held around her body. She is screaming about Tsukushi, who has become over heated and passed out in the water. She runs to Doumyouji's room and tells him. Without a second thought, he leaps to his feet, racing to the hot springs with the intention of saving/helping Tsukushi. But when he gets there, he finds Tsukushi already saved.

Rui is there, holding Tsukushi in his arms. She is wrapped in a towel and is still unconscious. Doumyouji stares at Rui as Shigeru approaches the scene behind Doumyouji. Doumyouji's expression is very serious. Rui carries Tsukushi to a room while Doumyouji just turns around and walks the other way without saying a word. Shigeru watches him walk away. Much later, Tsukushi regains consciousness. She is laying on a pallet on the floor, covered with a blanket. She is still naked beneath the blanket. Tsukushi wakes up, muttering that she feels horrible. Suddenly Rui offers her a glass of water and she looks up to see him sitting in the shadows near the bed. He had been watching over her. She accepts the water. He reminds her of what happened. She mutters to herself about being in the bath... then she notices that she is nude and immediately begins to scream frantically. Rui is very calm. She grabs clothing and puts it on under the blanket. She asks if Rui helped her before, and he confirms that he did. Tsukushi realizes that he must have seen her naked, and groans. He saw everything!!! There are scenes of him lifting her from the bath. Tsukushi asks where Shigeru is, and Rui tells her she is already asleep.

Tsukushi and Rui are alone in the room. Tsukushi asks about Shigeru some more, and Rui's reply leads her to imagine Shigeru naked, facing Doumyouji who is also naked. Meanwhile, Shigeru is outside of Doumyouji's room, she is wearing only a robe. She opens the door to find Doumyouji awake, sitting in a chair, looking out a window. Shigeru walks up to him and hangs her arms around his neck. She talks about their engagement. He just sits there. Finally he shrugs her arms away and stands. He is very calm. Shigeru looks worried, and says something about him deciding on her! She is starting to shake. She tells him to look at her, and she takes off her robe, standing in front of him naked.

Tsukushi lays in her bed, side by side with Rui. She can't sleep. She asks Rui if he is asleep, and he isn't. Tsukushi turns to face him. Tsukushi looks very sad and thinks about her wounded feelings. She and Rui just lay there and talk a little. They are holding hands under the covers.

Toys used in the episode:
Shigeru has a toy like the one Rui had bought Tsukushi on their date. She tries to get Doumyouji to use it, but he refuses.

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