Episode Title - "No Matter What"
Original Air Date - February 26, 2009.

During the ski trip, Ryūji wonders why Taiga had not told him about meeting Yūsaku on New Year's. Hisamitsu gets into a fight with Maya concerning her attempts to be around Yūsaku. Ryūji has a brief talk with Minori about how to deal with it; Minori puts on the hairpin Ryūji got for her, saying Taiga gave it to her. When confronted by Yūsaku, Hisamitsu, and Haruta, Ryūji reveals he has a crush on Minori. Later, they investigate the girl's room in order to find out the true reason behind Minori's rejection, only to end up hiding in a closet along with Taiga, when Ami, Minori, Maya, and Nanako come in. Ami brings up the topic of Ryūji's rejection by Minori, and the two get angry at each other. The next day, Taiga and Minori accidentally run into Ami on their sled. Ami feels that they did it on purpose because of last night's argument and engages in a physical fight with Minori. Minori drops her hairpin on a nearby slope and Taiga goes to search for it by herself, but ends up falling down without the others noticing. When Taiga does not return, Yūsaku, Minori, and Ryūji search for her. Ryūji contemplates his feelings for Taiga as he realizes he left her alone again. Ryūji finds her at the bottom of a hill, bleeding and covered in snow. As Ryūji carries her back, a barely conscious Taiga thinking that he is Yūsaku, apologizes and confesses that she cannot stop loving Ryūji.

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