Thanks to a rare show of generosity from Jinhui TV in their promotional efforts, most fans of 'Your Lie in April' were already well aware that Jing Yu, the screenwriter behind the spring hit, had a new drama airing this season—'White Album 2'—and that it reunited much of the original production team.
Compared to 'Your Lie in April', which had peaked with a record-breaking 3% rating at its finale and continued to gain momentum through word-of-mouth recommendations from fans and critics alike, 'White Album 2' came with high expectations. Its premiere rating of 1.68% might not seem spectacular, but the number steadily rose within the first ten minutes of broadcast.
The opening act of 'White Album 2' didn't have any particularly flashy moments. It focused instead on a few small, everyday events to gradually introduce the personalities of the main characters—Haruki Kitahara, the male lead played by Jing Yu, and Setsuna Ogiso, played by Yu Youqing.
But that's how most good dramas work. Even those record-breaking, 10%+ rating shows don't usually start with fireworks. A good first episode just needs to avoid major turn-offs and offer something engaging enough to keep viewers from changing the channel.
And Jing Yu understood very well who the audience had come to see.
The entire first 20 minutes of the episode focused almost exclusively on campus interactions between Haruki Kitahara and Setsuna Ogiso.
And that was more than enough.
In the fan group:
"Setsuna is SO cute. I already love her."
"This time, Jing Yu's not playing one of those awkward introvert types like in his last two dramas! Haruki is pretty cool—decisive, logical, and just overall likable."
"The pacing so far is decent, but I still have no clue what the main plot is supposed to be…"
"The plot is about romance, obviously. What's there to be confused about?"
"Stop overthinking it. Just enjoy. If you could guess the whole plot, you'd be the screenwriter, not the viewer."
"So far, nothing feels off. It doesn't feel like a tragic drama, at least."
"Okay, but real talk—is Haruki lowkey flirting? He acts normal, but somehow he keeps drawing Setsuna's attention without even trying."
"Handsome guys just drinking water = flirty. Ugly guys doing the same = harassment. That's how it is."
Qin Yin took a sip of her sparkling soda, fully engrossed. She loved watching Yu Youqing and Jing Yu on screen—so even if the plot was a little slow, she found it all very enjoyable.
In the show, it was early evening. The orange-red sky, dyed by the setting sun, filled the screen.
Haruki Kitahara sat alone in the school clubroom, strumming his guitar with slightly clumsy fingers.
The song he was playing was the one introduced earlier—"White Album."
As the guitar echoed, a piano from a neighboring clubroom began to accompany it.
Guitar and piano.
These familiar musical elements suddenly hit the hearts of 'Your Lie in April' fans watching the show. A wave of nostalgia washed over them.
"Thanks for everything, Music Department genius."
Haruki looked toward the wall, speaking to the pianist next door—someone he had never seen.
The light music club was about to disband. The lead singer had quit. Most of the other members were graduating.
It was his final year of high school, and college entrance exams loomed.
Which meant he wouldn't be coming back to this room again.
"This… is our final performance together."
They'd never seen each other. But day after day, after school, one played the guitar and the other the piano—separated only by a wall.
A silent partnership that never needed face-to-face interaction. Something poetic. Something that felt like it only existed in other people's high school memories.
Qin Yin let out a wistful sigh.
"Only in other people's lives do things like this happen…"
Her own high school days had been nothing but annoying pranks from the guy who sat behind her.
Back in the show, the guitar and piano reached a gentle harmony—when suddenly, a girl's voice began to sing.
It was soft and beautiful, slipping into the music naturally, like it had always belonged.
"In these ever-changing seasons, this treasure we've forgotten…"
Haruki froze.
And so did countless 'Your Lie in April' fans watching across the country.
In that moment, it felt like the gears of fate had begun to turn.
And a messy, tangled love story had just taken its first step.
The song—composed and written by Jing Yu—was stunning.
The unexpected entrance of that female vocal gave viewers chills. Her pitch-perfect singing, the soft vibrato, the warmth in her voice—everything fit so well.
Viewers couldn't help but feel pulled in, curious about what would happen next.
The voice came from the rooftop.
Someone up there had heard the impromptu performance between Haruki Kitahara and the pianist and had joined in spontaneously with her singing.
Haruki paused his guitar.
The singing stopped, too.
"Please, music department… keep playing."
He turned to the pianist, whispered a request—and then rushed for the rooftop.
The piano resumed like a gentle stream, and the screen showed Haruki running upstairs, each step syncing with the beat.
The camera shook, his breath quickened, the tension built—
"Seems I'm losing to this slowly building loneliness…"
"Struggling alone in this uncertain time…"
A breeze lifted the hem of her skirt. Her hair danced in the sunset glow.
The entire orange sky behind her became her stage.
Her singing voice rang out—not just through the speakers, but deep into the viewers' hearts.
The girl alone on the rooftop, lost in the music, singing with all her soul—her beauty, her voice, her presence—made everything feel real and magical.
This scene, a faithful recreation of the iconic CG from Jing Yu's past life, was now brought to life with all the resources he could muster in this world.
Qin Yin held her breath.
She'd always known Yu Youqing was beautiful, but with the right lighting, the music, and this rooftop backdrop—she looked absolutely radiant.
Was it beautiful?
It was bought with money.
Sunsets like this don't exist in Lan City.
"Setsuna…" Haruki stood there, stunned, staring at the rooftop singer.
"Don't tell me… You were the one playing the guitar?"
They locked eyes.
The fan chat exploded with excitement and emotion.
"Wuwuwu—I want to learn guitar now!"
"So if I play guitar, I can meet Kaori Miyazono, right?"
"It's Setsuna, not Kaori! Get over 'Your Lie in April' already! Watching 'Your Lie in April', you kept mentioning Emi Fukuju. Now watching 'White Album 2', you keep bringing up Kaori. It's breaking the immersion!"
"But seeing that actress just makes me think of Kaori!"
"Still, that rooftop scene was so beautiful. It felt so youthful, so alive."
"Say what you will about Jing Yu's past two dramas—they clearly had budget issues—but when it comes to key scenes, he never cuts corners."
"Now I'm really excited to see more of Setsuna Ogiso."
Back on screen, Haruki Kitahara and Setsuna Ogiso continued talking on the rooftop.
Haruki's words—ones he'd tried to say multiple times earlier—were almost spoken… but he held them back.
The beauty of her voice lingered in his mind.
The regret of losing their lead vocalist weighed on him.
The knowledge that his club might dissolve clawed at him.
And finally—just before he turned to leave the rooftop—
"Would you… Be willing to join the light music club?"
At that moment, 'White Album 2' finally entered the main storyline of its prologue arc.