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Description
Several weeks after his brush with death at Mt. Koku, Nuriko is back in Konan with Miaka and the rest of the Suzaku warriors.

Meanwhile, Miaka is attending to the wounded Nuriko in his room. "How are you feeling? Just take a rest and call me whenever you need something." Tended and bandaged, the warrior replied gently with a smile, "Don't worry about me, I'm fine!"

"If you say so. I'll leave you alone now. Hey, sleep if you have to and don't move a lot so you can get better soon." Relieved that her friend is all right, she leaves the room.

The gentle smile disappeared from Nuriko's face. Thoughts were wandering in his mind. ("No Miaka, I am not all right. As I've told Tamahome, I love you. I nearly died and that feeling was so terrible, to know that I won't see you again...") He grabs his head as if he's going insane. ("...and not being able to tell you how I really feel.")

Nuriko brings himself to the side of the bed, arms stretched to his side supporting his injured upper body, feet on the floor. "Should I tell her or should I not? Tama's my friend but I can't hold this in after what happened." He then brings his right hand to his chest, "I've never felt more like a man than I ever did. It's a wonderful feeling to be in love with you, if only you knew. So, should I?"

As he continues his melancholic soliloquy, images of Miaka flashed in his mind. "Hahaha, your silly appetite always makes me laugh. You're just so cute when you're being childish. Hey, were there times that you weren't?"

"You're a beautiful young lady, I'm a young man. Why can't we be together?"

"Keeping it is killing me. There's no better time! I need to tell her now! We've gone through a lot. I just wish she feels the same." He removes the bandage on his head, puts on his shirt by his shoulders, and goes out of the room.

"Nuriko!"

On the hallway, Miaka and Tamahome shout his name while having a chat with all the other warriors.

("Oh no, everyone is there! What should I do? I don't care, I'll man up!")
The hesitant but brave Nuriko continues walking towards the unsuspecting Miko.

The concerned Tasuki calls him out. "Hey dude, are you okay? You should be resting."

Ignoring everything but the young Miko, Nuriko walks up to her.

Miaka, still without a clue, asks, "Uh... why are you so serious?"
"I need to tell you something, something important."
"What is it?"

"This..."

Nuriko throws himself at Miaka and kisses her. The Miko is stunned.

[Chiriko] "What's going on?"
[Tasuki] "Really?"
[Chichiri] -- (ulk)
[Tamahome] "You didn't!"

Miaka reacts with a swift slap. "S...sorry... I didn't mean to..."

"It's... okay..." Nuriko responds with tears running down his cheeks. Full of shame and dismay, he runs with his tears being blown away by the wind.

The Miko slumps on the floor, still shocked at Nuriko's "confession". The emperor comforts her in his arms, the other warriors stood still.

Tamahome, remembering everything they talked about in the bar at Hokkan, is astounded with the sudden turn of events. "I need to talk to him." He rushes and chases after Nuriko.

------------------------------------------------------------

The fallen warrior is sitting on the grass by the pond within the palace grounds. His body is already injured. Now, his heart is also in pain. He just stares into the pond, fishes going about their own businesses, problem-free. Tamahome suddenly comes.

"What was that all about? We talked like brother to brother back then about this. I remember you wanted me and Miaka to be together. Which is real? The one you told me or the one you did just a while ago?"

Nuriko is just sitting there silently with his head down.

"Answer me! Nu..." Tamahome's speech halted as Nuriko looks up to him, looking devastated and hopeless, tears still running down his face. "W...what? No, this is serious. I don't get it. What is happening to you? You're a wreck!"

"Look Tama, you are a brother to me. I know, what I did was wrong. It was a big mistake. I'm really sorry brother. But when I was almost dead, nothing was worse than what I felt. I thought that was the end of me and I can no longer see Miaka... or even let her know what my true feelings are. I want to make use of this opportunity, this second life, to be able to confess my love for her. I cannot let any chance get past me again."

"What you did earlier really hurt me. But now that I know, I understand. We all love Miaka and I won't be selfish. I'll just let her decide who she wants." He gives Nuriko a tap on the shoulder, making the shirt fall on the ground. "Nuriko, your wound, it's bleeding! You shouldn't exert yourself like this!" The seishi began feeling cold and lightheaded, pulse and breathing increasing, and sweating all over. He faints. His "brother" shouts for help as he is being carried to his room hastily.

------------------------------------------------------------

Nuriko wakes up in his room with Mitsukake healing his wounds, while Miaka is on a chair by the bedside, leaning on the bed and sleeping. "What happened to me Mitsukake?" "You've been under a lot of emotional and physical stress lately, your wounds bled. Hush now, you need much rest to recover. I'm almost done." As he's about to finish, Nuriko felt pain. "Ouch! That hurts a lot!"

Miaka is awakened by Nuriko's shrill cry. To comfort the seishi in pain, she hugs him. Mitsukake leaves the two so they can talk.

"I know you love me. I've heard you and Tamahome when you were drinking in Hokkan. I really appreciate that. Sorry for eavesdropping."

"I am willing to die for you but I don't want to die without telling you that I love you. Sorry if I came out really strong but you have no idea how horrible I felt. You don't have to say 'yes' to me. I know you love Tamahome and his Highness loves you too. I just want to confess, that's all. I hope you..."

Miaka interrupts him, "I love you too Nuriko." She kisses him passionately.

The emotional burden is lifted off Nuriko's chest. He is pleased and they share each other's company through the night.

Description
Several weeks after his brush with death at Mt. Koku, Nuriko is back in Konan with Miaka and the rest of the Suzaku warriors.

Meanwhile, Miaka is attending to the wounded Nuriko in his room. "How are you feeling? Just take a rest and call me whenever you need something." Tended and bandaged, the warrior replied gently with a smile, "Don't worry about me, I'm fine!"

"If you say so. I'll leave you alone now. Hey, sleep if you have to and don't move a lot so you can get better soon." Relieved that her friend is all right, she leaves the room.

The gentle smile disappeared from Nuriko's face. Thoughts were wandering in his mind. ("No Miaka, I am not all right. As I've told Tamahome, I love you. I nearly died and that feeling was so terrible, to know that I won't see you again...") He grabs his head as if he's going insane. ("...and not being able to tell you how I really feel.")

Nuriko brings himself to the side of the bed, arms stretched to his side supporting his injured upper body, feet on the floor. "Should I tell her or should I not? Tama's my friend but I can't hold this in after what happened." He then brings his right hand to his chest, "I've never felt more like a man than I ever did. It's a wonderful feeling to be in love with you, if only you knew. So, should I?"

As he continues his melancholic soliloquy, images of Miaka flashed in his mind. "Hahaha, your silly appetite always makes me laugh. You're just so cute when you're being childish. Hey, were there times that you weren't?"

"You're a beautiful young lady, I'm a young man. Why can't we be together?"

"Keeping it is killing me. There's no better time! I need to tell her now! We've gone through a lot. I just wish she feels the same." He removes the bandage on his head, puts on his shirt by his shoulders, and goes out of the room.

"Nuriko!"

On the hallway, Miaka and Tamahome shout his name while having a chat with all the other warriors.

("Oh no, everyone is there! What should I do? I don't care, I'll man up!")
The hesitant but brave Nuriko continues walking towards the unsuspecting Miko.

The concerned Tasuki calls him out. "Hey dude, are you okay? You should be resting."

Ignoring everything but the young Miko, Nuriko walks up to her.

Miaka, still without a clue, asks, "Uh... why are you so serious?"
"I need to tell you something, something important."
"What is it?"

"This..."

Nuriko throws himself at Miaka and kisses her. The Miko is stunned.

[Chiriko] "What's going on?"
[Tasuki] "Really?"
[Chichiri] -- (ulk)
[Tamahome] "You didn't!"

Miaka reacts with a swift slap. "S...sorry... I didn't mean to..."

"It's... okay..." Nuriko responds with tears running down his cheeks. Full of shame and dismay, he runs with his tears being blown away by the wind.

The Miko slumps on the floor, still shocked at Nuriko's "confession". The emperor comforts her in his arms, the other warriors stood still.

Tamahome, remembering everything they talked about in the bar at Hokkan, is astounded with the sudden turn of events. "I need to talk to him." He rushes and chases after Nuriko.

------------------------------------------------------------

The fallen warrior is sitting on the grass by the pond within the palace grounds. His body is already injured. Now, his heart is also in pain. He just stares into the pond, fishes going about their own businesses, problem-free. Tamahome suddenly comes.

"What was that all about? We talked like brother to brother back then about this. I remember you wanted me and Miaka to be together. Which is real? The one you told me or the one you did just a while ago?"

Nuriko is just sitting there silently with his head down.

"Answer me! Nu..." Tamahome's speech halted as Nuriko looks up to him, looking devastated and hopeless, tears still running down his face. "W...what? No, this is serious. I don't get it. What is happening to you? You're a wreck!"

"Look Tama, you are a brother to me. I know, what I did was wrong. It was a big mistake. I'm really sorry brother. But when I was almost dead, nothing was worse than what I felt. I thought that was the end of me and I can no longer see Miaka... or even let her know what my true feelings are. I want to make use of this opportunity, this second life, to be able to confess my love for her. I cannot let any chance get past me again."

"What you did earlier really hurt me. But now that I know, I understand. We all love Miaka and I won't be selfish. I'll just let her decide who she wants." He gives Nuriko a tap on the shoulder, making the shirt fall on the ground. "Nuriko, your wound, it's bleeding! You shouldn't exert yourself like this!" The seishi began feeling cold and lightheaded, pulse and breathing increasing, and sweating all over. He faints. His "brother" shouts for help as he is being carried to his room hastily.

------------------------------------------------------------

Nuriko wakes up in his room with Mitsukake healing his wounds, while Miaka is on a chair by the bedside, leaning on the bed and sleeping. "What happened to me Mitsukake?" "You've been under a lot of emotional and physical stress lately, your wounds bled. Hush now, you need much rest to recover. I'm almost done." As he's about to finish, Nuriko felt pain. "Ouch! That hurts a lot!"

Miaka is awakened by Nuriko's shrill cry. To comfort the seishi in pain, she hugs him. Mitsukake leaves the two so they can talk.

"I know you love me. I've heard you and Tamahome when you were drinking in Hokkan. I really appreciate that. Sorry for eavesdropping."

"I am willing to die for you but I don't want to die without telling you that I love you. Sorry if I came out really strong but you have no idea how horrible I felt. You don't have to say 'yes' to me. I know you love Tamahome and his Highness loves you too. I just want to confess, that's all. I hope you..."

Miaka interrupts him, "I love you too Nuriko." She kisses him passionately.

The emotional burden is lifted off Nuriko's chest. He is pleased and they share each other's company through the night.