"No way—a confession?"
"Wait, Setsuna finally confessed?"
"Seriously? Yu Youqing and Jing Yu's characters are finally getting together in this one?"
"Go for it, Setsuna!"
"Hold on, she's confessing already? Isn't this show supposed to have like a dozen episodes? What's left for the rest of the plot?"
"She'll probably get rejected… right?"
"I don't want Setsuna to succeed—I'm team Kazusa all the way!"
"Reject her! Reject her!"
"Oh no…"
"He accepted?! Just like that?! Bro, you need some self-control. You accepted Setsuna's confession that easily?!"
"Okay, but seriously… with how cute Setsuna is, and those eyes staring at you while she confesses—there's no man alive who could say no."
"Still… if they're going this route, isn't the pacing kinda messed up? I support Setsuna in the end, but confessing successfully in Episode 4? What's the rest of the story supposed to be?"
"Yeah. It's not like this is a workplace drama where they can pivot to career plotlines. In romance shows, once the relationship is confirmed, it loses tension. What are we gonna watch—ten episodes of lovey-dovey fluff? That gets old fast."
"Ugh, you guys are just mad because you're rooting for Kazusa. Sorry to break it to you, but most of this fan group is Team Setsuna and die-hard Yu Youqing fans. This plot is perfect—finally a decisive male lead, not some wishy-washy loser. Unlike those other shows where the guy dithers around, Haruki made a choice. Good for him."
Most fans were still firmly Team Setsuna, and excitement over her successful confession was surging.
But they didn't notice that, quietly in the background…
The BGM had changed.
On the rooftop, Setsuna apologized to Kazusa.
She knew full well Kazusa liked Haruki…
But she went for him anyway.
And oddly enough, viewers didn't seem to find this problematic.
It's romance, after all. Are you supposed to bow out of love just because your friend likes the same person?
"Don't call me Kazusa-san, just call me Kazusa."
The two girls didn't fall out.
On the contrary, in the fading sunset, Kazusa finally acknowledged Setsuna and officially accepted her as a close friend.
The rest of Episode 4 was, essentially, Setsuna and Haruki being a couple—with Kazusa watching from the sidelines.
At first, everything felt sweet and heartwarming.
But ten minutes in…
Viewers started to feel something was off.
"Why does the vibe feel heavier all of a sudden?"
"Wait… Kazusa definitely likes Haruki, too, right? She's just stepping back because Setsuna confessed first?"
"This is painful to watch. Setsuna's being so sweet, but flaunting her relationship in front of Kazusa like that… is that okay?"
"Has Kazusa ever actually said she likes Haruki? It's always Setsuna assuming it. And if it's not confirmed, then… doing all this in front of her seems kinda rude."
"Setsuna wants all three of them to stay close—but she and Haruki are dating, while Kazusa is just a friend. There's no way that trio dynamic stays balanced. It just feels off."
We saw them:
– Attend Kazusa's music competition.
– Spend the fall season together.
– Go on a trip to an outdoor hot spring.
For twenty minutes, the episode focused on the trio strengthening their bond.
Kazusa seemed unaffected by the two becoming a couple.
Sure, she showed some interest in Haruki earlier on, but now that her two closest friends were dating, she appeared to suppress those feelings completely.
To Chen Jing, it all felt… a little too smooth.
"Hey, Xiaoning. At this rate, what's the point of calling this a two-heroine show? You're practically being sidelined."
Her eyes narrowed, and a bold theory popped into her mind.
"Wait a sec… Did that guy Jing Yu try something with you, and when you rejected him, he got petty and rewrote the script to favor Setsuna over Kazusa?"
Xia Yining's brows instantly furrowed.
"Can you stop with your soap opera brain? Teacher Jing Yu isn't like that. Just keep watching. Though… you won't be able to see how it plays out this week."
There was something in her tone—like she was biting back what she really wanted to say.
Seeing Xia Yining rush to defend Jing Yu so quickly, Chen Jing just smirked and looked away.
Episode 4 ended on a pivotal moment:
Haruki buys a ring, planning to surprise Setsuna on her birthday.
But upon hearing news about Kazusa from her mother, he drops everything—even the birthday date—and rushes to the airport to find her.
The whole episode was cheerful and light—school festival, confession, affection, trio bonding.
But in those final moments…
A shadow crept in.
The melancholy ending theme played once more.
Viewers were left emotionally tangled, and the fan groups went wild.
"Hold up. It's her birthday. He bought a ring. Planned everything. And now he's ditching her to go find Kazusa?!"
"Haruki's behavior is so out of line. No matter how close you are with a friend, your girlfriend should come first."
"I've got a bad feeling about Episode 5…"
"Same. Don't tell me Setsuna gets mad and breaks up with him over this?"
"Possible. But if it turns into a drama of misunderstandings, breakups, reunions, and more breakups… ugh. That would be so overdone. 'White Album 2' has had a solid story so far—even if it's not as stunning as 'Your Lie in April', it's still well-written. But if it heads in that direction…"
"Please, no. Just let them have a normal, healthy relationship. No weird drama."
The end of Episode 4 left fans feeling anxious and conflicted.
Even on the Jinhui TV station forums, fans of Yu Youqing were posting their concerns:
"As long as Setsuna gets to be happy with Haruki, that's all we ask. Please don't break her heart."
Episode 4 Ratings:
– Average: 2.26%
– Peak: 2.57%
While still decent, the growth in ratings had clearly slowed.
On the weekly rankings for autumn dramas, 'White Album 2' slipped one spot, down to 20th place.
Even on Yindou, the show's rating dropped by 0.2 points, landing at 8.7.
The main cause?
A large chunk of Setsuna/Yu Youqing/Miyazono Kaori/Emi Fukuju fans were not happy.
Why?
Because, unlike Jing Yu's previous two dramas—where his character's heart belonged solely to Yu Youqing's roles—Haruki in this show was clearly emotionally split.
And worst of all?
In Episode 4, he skipped his girlfriend's birthday to chase after Kazusa.
No matter how close they were as friends, for Setsuna fans, this was unforgivable.
They couldn't stop the show.
But they could downvote.
So they did—just a little. A warning to the writer. A gentle protest.
If the future episodes redeemed it, they'd fix the ratings later.
That's how most Team Setsuna fans were thinking.
After all, it's not like they had many ways to actually influence the script.
But Jing Yu?
Didn't care in the slightest.
If he had the guts to play Haruki himself, he sure as hell wasn't afraid of a few negative reviews.
A few days later, filming for Episode 6 wrapped up.
This marked the end of the high school arc, which aligned with the prologue of the original game.
Jing Yu once again picked up his phone and scanned the web for public opinion on 'White Album 2'.
So far, it had stayed in the top 20 in ratings throughout the autumn season.
But in terms of impact and buzz, it still paled in comparison to 'Your Lie in April'.
The ratings were slightly better, yes—but mostly thanks to 'Your Lie in April's fanbase carrying it.
And the entertainment media?
Barely mentioned 'White Album 2' anymore.
By the fourth week, it hadn't shown any explosive growth. If that continued, it'd probably just coast along steadily until it ended.
And so…
The air date for Episode 5 finally arrived.
None of the fans—who'd been eagerly waiting all week—had any idea what this episode was about to do to their perception of the series.
Up until now, everyone had been charmed by the themes of friendship, youthful dreams, and warmth.
They were not ready.
Meanwhile, during this period, Yu Youqing's fans had noticed a trend:
Whenever they praised Setsuna's charm, some Kazusa fans would pop up to challenge them.
In the beginning, they were easily drowned out by Yu Youqing's overwhelming popularity.
But not anymore.
Thanks to 'White Album 2' airing for a month, Kazusa's fanbase had grown massively. Still not as large as Setsuna's—but it was now around a 70/30 split, not the 90/10 it used to be.
Yu Youqing had built her fandom during 'Your Lie in April'.
But now, Xia Yining—thanks to her role as Kazusa—was rising rapidly.
After all, Kazusa was a naturally magnetizing character.
The only thing holding her fandom back was the fact that many people liked her silently.
Not everyone vocalizes their love for a character.
They just watch the show quietly.
But once you give them a reason to speak up?
That's when things start to shift.