Qin Jiayi shook her head, trying not to think about the plot from the high school arc.
Still… something didn't feel right.
Was it really necessary to put that scene after the ending credits of Episode 12?
Why not just include it at the start of Episode 13 instead? It would've worked just fine.
The scene continued:
Haruki Kitahara received a message from his boss—it was a last-minute assignment requiring him to stay an extra day in the city. The interview target was...
Kazusa Touma.
When that name flashed across the TV screen, every single Setsuna fan—including Qin Jiayi—froze in place.
And then—panic.
"What is happening?"
"Author, don't you dare start this crap again."
"Seriously? Why are you dragging Kazusa back into this now?"
"Wait—so Kazusa's been in this city all along?"
"We're doomed. Setsuna is flying over in just a few hours to meet Haruki, and now he gets this interview job? Are we getting a reunion after five years?!"
"No, no, no, the writers wouldn't really go there again, right?"
"I'm getting that familiar, suffocating feeling all over again."
Qin Jiayi took a deep breath, ready to vent in the group chat—
Then it happened.
"Haruki..."
A familiar voice came from the TV.
Qin Jiayi instantly recognized it.
All the 'White Album 2' fan groups across Da Zhou lit up.
"Haruki…"
Haruki turned around on screen, and standing in front of him—
Barefoot in the snow, shoes long gone, torn stockings clinging to her legs, her figure blurred by memory but suddenly so vivid again—
Kazusa Touma.
Haruki stood frozen. His eyes were blank, his voice hoarse.
His tone carried a weight that couldn't quite be described.
Was it disbelief?
Fear?
Or... was he actually happy to see her?
Qin Jiayi didn't know. But the moment Kazusa appeared on screen, a wave of dread twisted in her stomach.
There was no need to guess anymore. She already understood:
The upcoming episodes weren't going to be the daily romance fluff between Haruki and Setsuna that she had hoped for.
"Kazusa. I can't believe what I'm seeing… It's Kazusa!"
"I knew it. Teacher Jing Yu didn't forget about her. These are his characters—how could he just abandon Kazusa like that?"
"I honestly thought he had given in to the Setsuna faction and decided to write Kazusa out for good."
"I feel revived. All this time following the show has finally paid off."
"I saw it coming from that interview with Teacher Jing Yu—he did say Kazusa would appear again eventually. Still, even though I was mentally prepared, I was not emotionally ready. Her reappearance hit hard."
"But why end it there?! She meets Haruki—and then what?"
"So what's going to happen next? Setsuna's arriving soon too… is this going to be a three-way showdown?"
Then the fandom war reignited:
"Why are you, Kazusa fans, getting so hyped? You want her to destroy Haruki and Setsuna's relationship again?"
"Excuse me? Setsuna was the one who butted in and ruined things between Haruki and Kazusa in the first place. What, now that things are finally coming back around, you can't handle it?"
"Weren't you, Setsuna fans, always saying she didn't force Haruki to date her? Well, then, if he chooses Kazusa again now, it's his free will too, right?"
With Kazusa's reappearance, her fanbase—which had been quiet for over a month—erupted with excitement.
By nightfall, the fandom war was back in full force.
The Setsuna vs. Kazusa debate blazed across every 'White Album 2' group chat and discussion board.
The ratings for Episode 12?
Averaged at 3.09%.
Despite fans claiming they wanted light-hearted episodes, the numbers told a different story.
Even though the episode was full of heartwarming content, it had slightly lower ratings than the previous week.
But the highest spike in ratings?
3.27%—during Kazusa's appearance.
This put 'White Album 2' in the Top 10 of the Fall season's weekly rankings.
By this point, most shows in the fall lineup were wrapping up. Some had fumbled their endings, with their ratings taking significant hits.
So for 'White Album 2' to break into the Top 10 during the final stretch was no small feat.
When Jing Yu saw the ratings report, he let out a quiet sigh.
This… was the limit for Jinhui TV.
It was clear now that 'White Album 2'—as a whole—wasn't going to crack the Top 10 in terms of average seasonal viewership.
It would probably finish around the 12th or 13th.
Climbing any higher would be extremely difficult.
'White Album 2' had a strong fanbase and high online engagement, but its slow-burn start was a major weakness. Once the ratings hit a certain level, it became very hard to push them any further.
And now, 3% was likely the ceiling for what this show could achieve on Jinhui TV.
Still, while Jing Yu felt a tinge of frustration, his peers across the broader entertainment industry had a completely different reaction.
They were stunned.
It had been five years since any show outside the "Big Six" networks had managed to crack the weekly Top 10.
Even if it was just for a single week.
Not a single self-produced drama from a smaller network had ever managed to do this—until now.
For Jing Yu, this minor victory felt insignificant.
But for many in the industry, his name now carried new weight.
Creating a show like 'White Album 2' at a station like Jinhui TV—
Managing to break into the weekly Top 10, even just once—
That was real skill.
No luck.
No famous actors.
No hype marketing.
No capital backing.
Just pure storytelling.
Journalists and media outlets quickly picked up on the story.
Jinhui TV even held a formal meeting to recognize the success of the production and editing teams.
Within the production crew, Jing Yu received an award from the station.
Yes, an actual commendation certificate—the kind you'd expect in a school assembly.
Of course, it came along with a 200,000 yuan bonus and a bunch of gifts.
Still, the Fall season was gradually winding down.
Aside from 'White Album 2', most of the competing shows were either already finished or would conclude the following week.
TV stations everywhere were shifting their focus to promoting the upcoming Winter season dramas.
But for 'White Album 2', the true essence of the entire story—
The most powerful and emotional arc of all—
Was just about to begin.
And over the next month, it would shake Da Zhou's fanbase to the core.