Sensing something out of the ordinary in the last note from Ukifune, Niou immediately dispatched Tokikata to Uji. When he arrived there, he found that Ukifune had died suddenly. As the answer about the cause of her death was very hesitant, he intuitively understood that Ukifune had died extraordinarily. And he confirmed that Kaoru was not connected with this. He thought it would not be proper to press the inquiry, and went back to Niou.

The summer of the Fourth Month came. Kaoru was deep in sorrow when the day came that was appointed for Ukifune to move to the city. The scent of the orange blossoms near the veranda brought back memories. A cuckoo called and reminded him of the past. He sent a poem to Niou to hint to him what had happened, "You may weep also remembering Ukifune".

Kaoru paid a visit to Uji. He talked with Ukon, the maidservant of Ukifune, and heard from her about what exactly had happened. Ukifune had been caught in an impossible dilemma about what to do and she had thrown herself into the river. Her heart was so fragile. "If I had not left her in this wilderness," Kaoru regretted. He also felt very sorry for Ukifune's mother. He went to sit in the garden, with deep moss for his cushion, and looked at the steep mountains around. He thought of the common pun on the sounds of Uji and "ushi", which meant "gloomy." The life of Uji was gloomy.

In the middle of summer, Kaoru had a chance to see the First Princess through some curtains. He had been interested in her for some time. Dressed in a robe of white gossamer, the princess was incomparably beautiful. She was watching half-smiling at the women who were trying to hold some ice. Some had it in their hands and pressed to their breast and others to their head to get cool. One of them wrapped up the ice in paper to give to the princess. "No thank you. I do not like dripping water." Her dimly heard voice excited him enormously.

In autumn, Kaoru went to the women's quarter at the galleries. He told them ," How pleasant if we could all be friends. You can trust me." First an old and experienced woman named Bennomoto spoke up. It seemed they were practicing their calligraphy. Several delicate flowers lay there. Some of the ladies slipped behind some curtains and others behind some open doors. He exchanged poems about maiden flowers with one of them.

There was a lady called Miyanokimi whose father was the empress's brother. As he had died she had entered the palace. One day, Kaoru talked with her about the uncertainty of the life of women. He thought about the two princesses of the Eighth Prince and his destiny that he could not marry either of them. Fragile and insubstantial drake flies were flitting back and forth in the evening light. He wrote a poem "I see the drake fly, take it up in my hand and then it is gone."