Kazusa didn't show up at the graduation ceremony.
But online? The fan wars were still raging. In nearly every fan group, you could scroll back and find tens of thousands of messages from both sides, tearing into each other.
And still—this wasn't even the real climax of the episode.
At the graduation ceremony, Haruki was visibly distracted. He kept looking around for Kazusa. When someone mentioned that she might be at the school…
All traces of composure vanished from his face.
All that was left was desperate hope.
Lin Bin had a bad feeling.
Hey, don't do this. You're the male lead!
Even if Setsuna had been a little calculating, she was still your girlfriend. You couldn't show that much open longing for another girl right in front of her. That would hurt.
"Kazusa… she came?"
Upon hearing the confirmation, Haruki could no longer think of anything else.
His feet started moving on their own, frantically searching for the girl he couldn't get out of his head. His eyes darted everywhere. His focus was consumed.
He didn't even realize it until his best friend Wu Ye grabbed his wrist—
—Setsuna was standing nearby, looking at him with sad, tear-brimmed eyes.
Her boyfriend… the moment he heard news of another girl, he completely lost control. He forgot her. Ignored her. Ran off.
She understood what that meant—she had always understood.
The scene hit Lin Bin like a gut punch.
Yu Youqing's performance was devastatingly good. The sorrow in her eyes—subtle, restrained, heartbreakingly real. And then she forced a gentle smile, hiding the pain as best she could, responding softly to Haruki.
The moment of choice had arrived.
Every viewer knew what was coming.
Would he stay for Setsuna? Or would he abandon his girlfriend on graduation day—just to chase after the ghost of Kazusa?
Lin Bin was gripping his glass of water, tense.
Haruki hesitated for one second—then turned his back on Setsuna.
And ran.
"Is he even human?!"
"I can't. I just can't. Why are they doing Setsuna this dirty?"
"To Haruki, where does Setsuna even rank?"
"Honestly, I get it. He loves Kazusa more. Better to rip off the bandage."
"Kazusa fans have the worst takes."
"So what, you want him to stay with Setsuna while pining for Kazusa? That's healthy?"
Lin Bin took a deep breath and gulped down his water.
Who the hell said this was a lighthearted school romance? Lying bastard.
Oh, right, it was that shameless screenwriter—Jing Yu.
Turns out, this whole thing was a trap from the start.
And then the episode just… kept going.
Haruki spent the entire day searching for Kazusa.
That night, she finally called.
She was leaving for overseas the next day. And despite everything, she couldn't resist reaching out for one last goodbye.
Over the phone, he confessed. Said he loved her.
From the background sounds—the train, the wind—he figured out her location.
Turns out, Kazusa had come close to his house. Just to look at him one last time, from his window.
Just one glance. That would've been enough.
Then the scene hit.
Snow fell heavily.
Kazusa turned—and saw him standing there.
It was emotional. Heartbreaking. Overwhelming.
Haruki was trash. But Kazusa? She was so damn devoted.
Why?
Why does such a good girl like him so much?
And then…
They kissed.
And with that kiss, they crossed the final line.
For the first time in Lin Bin's life, he saw a love scene between male and female leads and felt no excitement at all.
What the hell is this?!
While Setsuna was alone, hurting, Haruki and Kazusa had gone and sealed the deal.
And then—the worst blow:
Setsuna called.
Kazusa picked up Haruki's phone… and threw it off the bed.
"I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!"
"This writer… is NOT HUMAN."
"My poor Setsuna…"
"Tears. So many tears. SETSUNA!"
"Serves that green tea, Setsuna, right!"
"Screw off! Even if she had her motives, everything she did was reasonable and within boundaries. What did Kazusa and Haruki just do? That's cheating!"
"Kazusa is the homewrecker. She keeps calling Setsuna her best friend, and now she's doing this? That's wild."
"So what if Setsuna was manipulative? She knew they liked each other and still got involved. This is karma!"
"Kazusa, you're amazing! Keep fighting, girl!"
The fan groups were in absolute chaos.
Meanwhile, 'White Album 2's ratings kept climbing.
2.9%.
People might have been screaming, ranting, threatening to drop the show—but no one actually turned it off.
Because once you were emotionally invested in either Setsuna or Kazusa… this show had a chokehold on your heart. It made your stomach churn, made you despair—and yet you couldn't look away.
Because deep down, you needed to know how it ends.
The heartbreak wasn't over.
The next morning, Setsuna arrived at Haruki's house.
Just one look—and she knew.
She could tell what had happened last night.
But she didn't scream. Didn't cry. Didn't slap him.
She stayed gentle.
This wasn't the behavior of a simpering "pick-me" girl.
Lin Bin could feel it clearly in Yu Youqing's performance: Setsuna still had her dignity.
Had she not interfered in Haruki and Kazusa's relationship from the start, she would've walked away by now.
But she had played a part in how things turned out. So even though her heart was shattered, she chose to bear it silently—and smile for him.
What kind of monster wrote this script?!
Haruki, you absolute piece of garbage.
He'd managed to hurt not just one, but two amazing girls.
As they headed to the airport together to see Kazusa off, Haruki tried to unburden himself. He wanted Setsuna to scold him, yell, blame him.
But she didn't.
Instead, she said softly:
"I fell for Kazusa a long time ago…"
"I knew it all along. Actually… I'm the worst one here."
"I didn't confess because I wanted to be your girlfriend… I just wanted the three of us to stay together. That's why I can't blame you."
"Even though I love you, I'm not as devoted as Kazusa."
Every sane viewer understood—she was lying.
Yes, she had confessed with the intent of preserving the trio. But saying she didn't love him as much as Kazusa? That was a lie.
She just wanted Haruki to stop blaming himself.
She wanted to shoulder some of the blame, too—so he wouldn't collapse under guilt.
"Maybe I shouldn't have confessed.
Maybe I shouldn't have gone to the festival.
Maybe I shouldn't have met you at all."
Lin Bin stared blankly at the screen.
Setsuna's tearful yet soft gaze was devastating.
His nose stung.
Until this moment, he'd leaned toward Kazusa's side.
But now?
He was 100% Team Setsuna.
"But… I never want a future where I didn't fall in love with you."
Yu Youqing's portrayal—when Setsuna looked back and smiled—broke the hearts of every single fan across Da Zhou.
"Crying. Setsuna 😭"
"This show is too much. I can't watch anymore."
"Why does she keep diminishing herself? Just to make that scumbag feel better?"
"Who the hell wrote this?! Isn't the screenwriter also the guy playing Haruki? Jing Yu, right? I SWEAR if I see him on the street—he's catching hands."
"SETSUNA!!!!"
"I've watched dramas for years, and no love triangle has ever hurt this much."
"I can't even eat my midnight snack now."
"Dating suddenly feels so pointless…"
"Seriously. If even girls like Setsuna can end up like this, love is terrifying."
"I give up. I can't. I'm done."
By this point, the episode's viewership had broken 3.01%.
That was the same peak rating as 'Your Lie in April'—but with a massive difference.
Your Lie had big-name support and a built-in fanbase from the start. Its ratings had a head start.
But 'White Album 2'? It had clawed its way here, week by week.
In Lan Province, this was now the undisputed champion of TV ratings.
During this week's prime Sunday slot, 'White Album 2' hit third place nationwide.
Only two shows beat it:
"White Bird" from Xingtong TV (rating: 7.12%)
A big-budget drama from Imperial TV.
The rest? All below.
This anomaly did not go unnoticed by stations across Da Zhou.
After all, the six major networks had thrown all their firepower into fall-season blockbusters. Except for Xingtong's White Bird, the other five had deliberately avoided airing their biggest shows during this time slot.
Otherwise, how could so many dramas be airing at once and all have such high average ratings?
They'd staggered their schedules carefully.
Let's be real—two shows breaking 5% at the same time? Probably the same viewers are watching one live and the other on delay.
And yet, Jinhui TV, the little guy, was standing toe-to-toe with the giants.
How?!
With all stations being siphoned by White Bird's monster audience share, how was 'White Album 2'—a local drama—outperforming the major networks?
But the numbers didn't lie.
And 'White Album 2's ratings… were still rising.
Fans watched with bated breath, reaching the end of Episode 6.
In the airport waiting lounge, Haruki finally saw the girl he'd been searching for.
The "After All-綴る想-" BGM swelled.
Haruki, overwhelmed, ran toward Kazusa.
And right in front of Setsuna—
—he hugged her tightly.
—he kissed her.
In the background:
Setsuna's heartbreak.
She'd only confessed early because she feared being left out. She wanted the three of them to stay close. She wanted to prevent this very moment.
But…
Was there ever any difference?
If everything before this was like a knife slicing the viewers' hearts…
This scene was the butcher's cleaver—dual-wielded.
In Da Zhou, where cheerful romance dramas and Mary Sue fantasies usually reigned supreme—who had ever seen something like this?
There were no words for the pain.
The viewers couldn't even scream anymore.
Their chests were heavy.
Their hearts? Shattered.
It hurt so damn much.