It's competition time, and Tanya struggles on, while Kiyora continues her steady advance. But what about Nodame, who watches on? It's the second round of the preliminaries at the Cantona International Music Competition. A string of solid performances take Kiyora on her way to the finals, but will Tanya be able to show what she's really made of on stage? Meanwhile, when Nodame spectates at the competition, she encounters the piece she knows was meant for her. She dreams of playing this Ravel concerto with Chiaki one day, but a cruel coincidence awaits her...