It was that familiar time again.
After work and dinner, Lin Bin sat down eagerly in front of the TV and switched it to Jinhui TV—just in time for the new episode of 'White Album 2'.
Everyone had their own taste when it came to chasing dramas. For Lin Bin, those high-rating blockbusters didn't do much for him. Instead, it was this relatively unknown local series that kept him emotionally invested every single week.
While female fans were flooding online forums, roasting Haruki for being a scumbag, Lin Bin—as a fellow man—actually felt sympathy for the guy.
I mean, come on. Surrounded by two amazing girls like Setsuna and Kazusa, and falling for both under complicated circumstances... Yeah, it wasn't right. But what could he do?
Humans are capable of loving more than one person at the same time. Throughout Da Zhou's history, emperors—both male and female—as well as regents, had multiple lovers and consorts. Exclusivity? That was a modern invention.
From a biological standpoint, Lin Bin could understand Haruki's dilemma. But emotionally?
Come on, man.
Just one of them—either Setsuna or Kazusa—was already enough to be a once-in-three-lifetimes blessing. And yet here he was, tangled up with both.
Lin Bin sighed. You're not an emperor. You're just a high school student—still this indecisive? No wonder everyone's dragging you online. You deserve it.
At exactly 8 PM, 'White Album 2' Episode 6 began broadcasting.
The opening theme was skipped altogether.
Straight into the drama.
Haruki, after being rejected by Kazusa, returned home and shut himself off from the world. Clueless about what had happened, Setsuna—concerned for his well-being—came over to visit, trying to lift his spirits and bring him comfort.
It was a simple scene.
But it hurt to watch.
Even Lin Bin, imagining himself as Haruki, could feel the crushing weight of guilt.
Here was a sweet, loving girl showing him kindness—and yet on her birthday, he had gone off to find another woman. Worse, he had poured out his feelings and even kissed her.
"Damn, bro… How do you even live with yourself?" Lin Bin muttered under his breath.
Back at school, Kazusa found Setsuna and told her she had decided to study music overseas.
By now, it was clear to all viewers:
Setsuna truly liked Haruki.
Kazusa truly liked Haruki.
Haruki truly liked both.
And Setsuna and Kazusa's friendship? It ran deeper than most romantic relationships.
After getting together with Haruki, Setsuna didn't want her best friend to leave.
The background music turned soft, with a hint of sadness.
"Are we still friends?"
"I really like you. You're an irreplaceable friend to me."
The conversation between Setsuna and Kazusa tugged at the heartstrings—warm, yet gut-wrenching.
At this point, nearly every viewer (including Lin Bin) felt the same way:
Both girls were blameless. The only one at fault was Haruki.
But then—everything flipped.
In the classroom, Haruki's best friend Wu Ye advised him to forget about Kazusa.
But on the rooftop, Setsuna was reeling from the news that Kazusa was leaving. She began to realize that Kazusa's decision was likely triggered by her own relationship with Haruki.
There, speaking to her friend Io Mizusawa, Setsuna finally revealed the truth behind why she had confessed to Haruki when she did.
"Why? Isn't it just because she liked him and decided to confess?"
"Even if Kazusa couldn't take it and went abroad, that's on her. Is it wrong to chase your happiness? Who cares about who liked him first?"
"If Haruki couldn't let go of Kazusa, then he shouldn't have accepted Setsuna's confession. Now he's made a mess. Men are all the same—scumbags."
"Poor Kazusa. She was ready to move on from both of them, and then Haruki chased her down. That kiss last week gave me a brain hemorrhage. Let's hope tonight's episode redeems him a little."
But then—
The big twist came.
Setsuna hadn't confessed purely because she liked him. She had calculated everything.
She understood Haruki's personality better than anyone—how he secretly liked Kazusa but didn't dare to approach her. And she had also sensed that he had a soft spot for her as well.
So she was confident that if she confessed before Kazusa did, she'd succeed.
That, in itself, was still fine.
But then came the flashback…
The night of the school festival, she had spied on them—watched Kazusa secretly kiss Haruki.
Afraid that the two would become a couple and leave her behind, she panicked.
That's why she chose that exact moment to confess.
"I'm a despicable girl.
Not because I didn't understand what others felt—but because I did.
I knew exactly what everyone wanted.
I knew what the best outcome was for the three of us.
But that ending… wouldn't have made me happiest."
"So I shattered it."
Yes, she knew…
If she had done nothing that night—if she hadn't confessed—then either Kazusa or Haruki would've surely confessed, and the two would've become a couple.
And she understood—that would have been the right ending.
After all, she was the newcomer in their relationship. They had liked each other for far longer.
But if that happened, would there still be room for her in their world?
She couldn't bear that thought.
Desperate for friendship, desperate to stay close to them both, she confessed at the exact moment Haruki would be least likely to reject her.
"…Whoa."
Lin Bin's eyes widened.
That sweet, gentle, innocent image of Setsuna—just cracked.
Online fan chatrooms exploded:
"Wait WHAT? THAT'S why she confessed?!"
"So does she even like Haruki or not?!"
"You're telling me her whole confession was just to keep the three of them together? Not even romantic feelings? Just fear of being left out?!"
"That's messed up! If it had been a fair love triangle, I'd get it—but this? This is straight-up manipulative. She's a green tea b*tch!"
"Oh, come on. Haruki was single. She confessed. He said yes. What's the big deal? Why does intent matter so much?"
"Wow. So if your dad cheats on your mom with the neighbor, it's fine? As long as they're both 'willing'? Intent doesn't matter?"
"Yeah, or if your best friend seduces your boyfriend, it's okay because he chose her? You shouldn't be mad or call her fake?"
"This show is falling apart. Setsuna was a goddess—and now she's just… this? One flashback and she turns into a manipulative backstabber?!"
In just a few minutes, the fanbase was in chaos.
Setsuna fans and Kazusa fans were in an all-out war.
Even Lin Bin, watching the show, couldn't help but jump into the argument threads.
But tonight's episode was undeniably gripping.
By the time the end credits rolled, 'White Album 2' had hit a live viewership rating of 2.63%—its highest yet.