March 10th—the wrap party for 'Your Lie in April'.
Everyone involved in the production, from cast to crew, showed up if they could. From Season 1 through Episode 11, the show had dozens of named characters with speaking roles, and none of the key players—like Igawa Emi, Aiza Takeshi, or Teacher Seto, the piano instructor—were absent.
Thanks to the network's last-minute funding boost, 'Your Lie in April's post-production value had noticeably improved, and with money left over, Liu Neng didn't hesitate to book out an entire floor of a well-known Lan City hotel for the celebration.
Over a hundred people milled around the venue. Aside from a few lead staff worried that the final episode might tank the show's reputation, most of the cast and crew wore relaxed, happy expressions, chatting and laughing.
"It's a wrap!"
"From today on, I've got bragging rights whenever I meet up with colleagues from Lan Province. If anyone starts showing off, I'll just say one line: I was part of the music team for 'Your Lie in April'. Boom!"
"Episode 9 pulled a rating over 2.3%. I never thought I'd work on a show with that kind of viewership in my life."
"Teacher Jing Yu's career is definitely taking off after this. With the kind of success this show has had, he'll be climbing the ranks at the station in no time."
"I heard he's still not officially on staff—just a long-term contractor. Technically still a temporary hire."
"You really think that's going to be a problem? You think they'll keep someone who wrote 'Your Lie in April' as a temp forever?"
"If Jing Yu does rise through the ranks, at least we'll have some connection. Hopefully, he'll remember us and throw us a rope."
Servers weaved through the crowd with drinks and food carts.
Xia Yining—the actress who played one of the most unforgettable roles in 'Your Lie in April', second only to Miyazono Kaori—scanned the room, looking for someone.
Cool and elegant, she wore a pale blue gown with a slit that revealed her slender calves as she moved. Alongside Yu Youqing, not far away, they easily stole the attention of half the men in the room.
When Xia Yining finally spotted Jing Yu, her eyes lit up. She hurried over with a small gift box in hand.
"Teacher Jing Yu."
As she approached, her frosty demeanor softened into a gentle smile.
After spending months filming, she had to admit—Jing Yu's talent and character truly earned her respect.
With so many beautiful women in the crew, not a single gossip or rumor linked Jing Yu to anyone. Even with Yu Youqing—who was collaborating with him for the second time—Xia Yining had noticed how Jing Yu always maintained a respectful distance, almost to the point of being overly cautious.
To be honest, she felt he was worrying too much. If he did take some liberties during the filming of intimate scenes, Yu Youqing probably wouldn't have minded.
But regardless of the reality, Jing Yu's behavior stood in stark contrast to most scriptwriters she had encountered—he was practically the textbook definition of a gentleman.
Not to mention, his acting was solid, his musical talent ten levels above hers, even surpassing her father and her university piano teacher.
Her aloof attitude was something she reserved for the average person. With Jing Yu, she knew she had no ground to act high and mighty.
"Is something up, Xia Yining?" Jing Yu had had a few drinks; his face was flushed, but his mind was still clear.
"Here. This is a local specialty my mother made. She asked me to bring it today and give it to you, to thank you for looking after me during filming," she said with a smile.
"Then I'll accept it." Jing Yu looked slightly surprised but nodded as he took the box.
"Please thank your mother for me."
"I'll be sure to tell her," Xia Yining replied graciously.
She didn't linger or chatter unnecessarily.
Everyone knew Jing Yu was now the hottest name in Lan Province's entertainment circle. She knew it too—but she also understood one thing better than most: Jing Yu was immune to the usual games.
"I just hope he thought I did okay in this drama... Maybe he'll consider me for the next one," Xia Yining sighed and walked away.
A handsome, talented scriptwriter who's easy to get along with—who wouldn't want to keep working with someone like that?
She didn't notice that Yu Youqing had been quietly watching her interaction with Jing Yu the entire time.
Not long after, Yu Youqing also approached Jing Yu with a gift.
As always, he was polite, smiling gently.
Yu Youqing sighed softly, then, like Xia Yining, didn't linger. A few words of small talk, and she left.
The party lasted until well past midnight.
Most of the guys got thoroughly drunk. Some crashed at the hotel; a few had strict parents waiting and had to go home.
Yu Youqing was one of the latter. Her mother would worry if she didn't return, so even though she'd had a few drinks, she was out by the curb trying to hail a taxi.
"I'll take you home. It's late—too risky for a woman to go home alone after drinking." Jing Yu appeared just as she was about to get in.
"Eh?" Yu Youqing looked surprised, then delighted.
"That's very kind of you, Teacher Jing Yu."
They sat together in the back seat as the cab sped down quiet streets.
If this were some random pairing, it might feel awkward to share the back seat. But after months of filming together—including hand-holding scenes, piggyback scenes, even carrying her in his arms—it no longer felt strange.
"There were a lot of women at the party who needed rides. Why offer to take me?" Yu Youqing suddenly asked.
"I made sure everyone who was really drunk had someone to escort them, and told the rest to rest at the hotel if they weren't doing well," Jing Yu replied, his voice a little hazy from the alcohol.
"Oh?" Yu Youqing didn't seem satisfied. She changed the subject.
"So why take me personally? Why not send someone else? If I'm not mistaken, Xia Yining also left by taxi, and I saw her say goodbye to you. Why didn't you offer to take her?"
"Why all the questions?" Jing Yu smiled faintly. "My place is roughly in the same direction as yours. Besides, everyone else in the crew is just a colleague. I only need to make sure they're safe—not waste emotional energy. But you're different."
"Different?" Her heart skipped. She sneaked a glance at his face.
"What's different about me?"
"You're my friend."
Yu Youqing fell silent for a couple of seconds.
"That's it?"
Jing Yu paused, finally picking up on her tone.
She was clearly fishing for something.
Was that not enough? He looked at her, feeling a bit stung.
"I see you as a friend. Don't take me for some creep."
"You've spent months with me—you should know what kind of person I am by now," he said, trying to sober up.
"I get it—this industry can be shady. I've heard about what happened to you after graduation in your earlier crew. Some people are nasty. But I'm not like that."
He looked straight at her.
"Knowing your personality, I made sure to be extra careful—keeping distance during certain scenes, avoiding gestures that might make you uncomfortable."
"So… you really don't need to be so on guard with me. I offered to take you home purely because I was worried—as a friend. Not because I…" Jing Yu cut himself off.
"…have some weird ideas."
He instantly regretted how that sounded.
Damn it. Alcohol is evil.
"Sorry. That came out too bluntly," he added, embarrassed.
Yu Youqing didn't look mad. She gazed at him quietly.
"So that's why you always seemed so stiff in the scenes where you held my hand or carried me—because you were worried I'd dislike it?"
"Not because… You disliked me and didn't want to get close?"
Her eyes sparkled slightly.
"You're so strange," Jing Yu replied, a little baffled.
"Why would I dislike a girl like you? You're beautiful and kind."
"Then why would you think I would dislike you?" she countered, locking eyes with him. "You're handsome, kind, and incredibly talented."
Silence fell between them.
Even drunk, Jing Yu could feel the sudden tension.
Then—screech. The car braked.
"Miss Kaori Miyazono, we've arrived," the driver announced.
"…Kaori Miyazono?" Yu Youqing froze.
The driver turned around with a grin.
"I love 'Your Lie in April', too. The moment you two got in, I recognized you."
A fan. And he'd been listening the whole time.
Both of them felt instant secondhand embarrassment.
Yu Youqing quickly got out of the car, cheeks flushed. Jing Yu gave a few awkward directions, then the car drove off.
"Ah…"
She suddenly realized—she hadn't even said goodbye.
March 11, Friday
The day 'Your Lie in April' Episode 10 aired.
As evening approached, fans across Da Zhou tuned in.
Since Kaori's hospitalization, the one always by Kousei's side had been Tsubaki.
She had a major presence this episode.
Tsubaki, who loved Kousei. Kousei, who loved Kaori.
Tsubaki, who realized they loved each other.
Unrequited love—knowing someone's heart belongs to someone else, but still being helplessly drawn to them.
'Your Lie in April' turned this well-worn love triangle into art, using inner monologues and delicate dialogue to draw viewers in.
Episode 10 quietly broke 2.5% viewership.
Though technically the "second female lead", Tsubaki didn't draw any hate. On the contrary, viewers only felt pity for her. If Kaori didn't exist, Tsubaki might have been the most beloved character.
Then came the twist.
Tsubaki and Watari visited Kaori at the hospital… only to find her in critical condition.
Her hand slipped weakly from the bed.
The more brightly Kaori had shone before, the deeper the pain her condition caused now.
Then, the black cat she and Kousei had cared for was hit by a car.
Juxtaposed with the scene of Kaori in surgery, the implication hit hard.
Fans exploded.
Kousei rushed the cat to a pet hospital—his fear and panic mirrored in the somber background score.
Fan reactions flooded in:
"Where's my knife?!"
"Does this writer have no mercy?"
"The writer IS Kousei!"
"Damn this guy."
"Kousei did nothing wrong—it's the writer! Jing Yu, you monster!"
"What did the cat ever do to you?!"
"Is this a metaphor? Is Kaori going to die too?"
"I've watched characters die before—but why is this one hurting so bad?"
"Because we love her. We're attached to her."
"I swear, this writer's not human."
"You ended the episode THERE?! Are you kidding me?!"
"Someone sneaked into Jinhui TV and stole the script!!"
"I'm crying. I don't even want to watch the finale next week."
Episode 10 ended on the image of the dead black cat—an unbearable metaphor for Kaori's fate.
What was the average rating for the episode? 2.61%.
Since Episode 6, ratings had climbed by 0.2% every week.
Replays on Jinhui TV brought in new fans.
This was a historic rating for the network. But that same popularity became a double-edged sword.
If the finale is delivered, Jinhui TV could become the number-one station in Lan Province.
If not… the backlash would be just as big.
This time, fan outrage didn't die down in a day or two.
Kaori's fans protested on the official website daily.
What they didn't know was… the finale was already completed, approved, and ready for broadcast.
In truth, most fans didn't really believe Jing Yu would kill Kaori. The protests were more about putting pressure on the network—just in case.
But after the anger faded, all they could do was hope:
"Please… just let Kaori and Kousei have a happy ending."
Spring dramas across Da Zhou were wrapping up. Critics began releasing their final reviews—some genuine, some paid, some with hidden motives.
'Your Lie in April' was featured prominently.
March 18, Friday
It rained in Lan City.
After a week of tension, fans across the country finally welcomed…
Episode 11: The Finale.