The story continued as Kaori Miyazono tried every possible way to get Kousei Arima to overcome his trauma and become her piano accompanist.
But on the day of the second round of preliminaries, Kousei was nowhere near the venue—
He was hiding on the school rooftop.
Because he knew he would mess everything up.
He couldn't bear the thought of ruining someone else's stage.
Kaori rode her bike all the way back to school and found the lonely boy staring into the sky from the rooftop.
"Aren't I still here with you? I know you can't hear the notes, that you can't play—I know it all. But… I still chose you.
Just like you said, maybe you can't play music that satisfies others right now.
But there are still people who are willing to listen.
I'll give it my all—for the people who hear me, who remember me, who carry me in their hearts.
That's why I play.
So please—play for me."
Tears welled in Kaori's eyes as she bowed her head and pleaded with Kousei.
But on her first watch, Xie Lu didn't catch the true meaning of Kaori's words.
She didn't understand why Kaori needed him specifically to accompany her—why she even cried over it.
Still, the spring scenery, the empty rooftop with just the two of them, Kaori's heartfelt plea to the emotionally frozen boy…
…it stirred something deep in Xie Lu.
Kousei, visibly moved, instinctively agreed.
He followed her to the venue.
In the waiting room, he was a nervous wreck.
The piece they were about to perform?
He'd played it countless times as a child, under the whip of his mother.
He could recite the sheet music with his eyes closed.
But it had been years since he last touched the piano.
Even so, he chose to follow Kaori.
"She's impulsive. Wild. A total roller coaster that keeps spinning me around.
She's like a journey with no map…"
As Kaori pulled him toward the stage, Kousei whispered his thoughts out loud.
"You are... free."
"Nope!"
Kaori turned back with a dazzling smile, still holding his hand.
"Not me—music is free!"
And in Kousei's gray-tinted world, color bloomed once again.
The two stepped onto the stage.
Over a thousand eyes watched them.
Xie Lu's heart was pounding.
The immersion was too real—she felt like she was the one walking out under all that pressure.
The judges barely paid attention to Kaori, the violinist.
But the accompanist?
They all recognized him instantly.
["Wait… he's that famous?"] Xie Lu's anxiety spiked.
Any viewer with social anxiety or strong empathy was probably curling their toes into their shoes at this point.
Just imagine—
You're a former child prodigy, a piano genius, who vanished from the music scene years ago.
Everyone remembers your name. Urban legends swirl around you.
But in reality, you haven't played properly in years. Your trauma is so severe that even touching a piano triggers hallucinations.
And now, here you are, back in front of thousands…
…and every judge is silently preparing themselves to witness your grand comeback.
If you mess up, it's over. Social death.
And the plot went exactly in the direction Xie Lu feared.
Kaori began her violin solo. Kousei started playing the piano.
The first minute or so, they managed.
But then—
Kousei's mental wall broke.
Flashes of his childhood. His mother's cane. Her death. Her cold voice.
His notes fell apart.
He couldn't hear himself play.
He couldn't hear Kaori.
The keys on the piano looked like they were floating.
The concert hall around him warped and twisted.
He relied only on muscle memory to push through, mechanically hitting the keys.
But this was a duet.
Without hearing Kaori's violin, how could he match her?
Xie Lu held her breath.
There were too many inner monologues. Too much emotion.
She was too deep in.
At this point, she felt physically sick.
["Please no… Su Yan, please don't make him into a complete joke."]
A fallen genius?
Kaori's rhythm faltered too.
Eventually, Kousei's mind shattered under pressure—his hands froze mid-performance.
Kaori stood alone, still playing.
But even she couldn't hold on.
She stopped.
She couldn't continue.
Xie Lu was losing it.
She couldn't predict where the plot would go next.
["Don't tell me she's going to smash the violin over his head..."]
On-screen, the audience and judges alike were outraged.
They criticized Kousei's awful performance and pitied Kaori.
"Let's start over."
Kaori turned her head and smiled at Kousei.
Xie Lu blinked.
["Wait… what? Start over?"]
A re-do?
In a competition?
They had both stopped in the middle of the performance.
Even if the second try was flawless, the rules meant an automatic zero.
But not all of Kousei's memories of his mother were filled with pain.
Some… were gentle.
As the second performance began, Kousei remembered the times she had taught him with warmth.
Though he still couldn't hear the notes…
He saw her again.
His hands remembered.
And in that moment—
The violin stopped leading the piano.
The piano led the violin.
And from there—
The most breathtaking musical performance in Xia Nation drama history began.
Visuals, story, and sound all worked together to create a duet with overwhelming emotional power.
Xie Lu's eyes were wide. Her ears are sharp.
For ten entire minutes, she didn't look away once.
From disastrous chaos to a musical battle between two equals—
This was more than a duet. It was a dialogue.
"I can hear you," Kousei looked at Kaori.
"You're right here."
The music ended.
Kousei's inner voice fell silent.
The judges, emotionless, gave them both a score of zero for stopping midway and improvising too much.
But the audience exploded in cheers.
Xie Lu finally exhaled.
["What… the hell…"]
She blinked, realizing her eyes were watery.
["Wait, I'm not even on stage—why was I so nervous?!"]
She looked down and noticed goosebumps all over her arms.
The storytelling. The music.
It had rocked her.
But just as she was recovering—
Kaori's violin slipped from her hands.
Behind her, Kousei turned in shock.
Kaori collapsed.
The ending theme played—completely out of sync with the mood.
All the excitement, joy, and awe from that scene turned to rage.
[?]
Xie Lu's face froze.
["What kind of ending twist was that?!"]
["Su Yan, you absolute troll—are you okay in the head?!"]
["You're telling me she fainted from playing the violin?!"]
["If you ruin this drama with angst, I'm coming for you."]
And sure enough—
Within ten minutes of the episode ending, the RaccoonNet comments section for 'Your Lie in April' was flooded.
["Su Yan, drop dead."]
["Why did Kaori faint? Explain, now."]
["I was about to recommend this to everyone I know—then you pull this?!"]
["Don't tell me this is turning into a tragedy."]
["First time I've ever been so stressed watching a high school romance. She just fainted from low blood sugar, right?! Right?!"]
["Su Yan's piano composition was amazing. But what was that plot decision?!"]
["I can handle the judges giving a zero. But fainting out of nowhere?! You'd better have a good reason in Episode 3."]
["Let's ignore the ending for now. Episode 2 was fire. Haven't felt this level of emotional immersion in forever."]
["The music. My god. I'm a total novice, but even I was getting chills. Did Su Yan really write all that?"]
["My brain's a mess, but here's my one thought: if this drama goes full depression mode again, I'm finding Su Yan IRL to throw hands."]
["You'd lose. Badly. Su Yan choreographed all of Kenshin's fight scenes in 'Rurouni Kenshin'. He did them without special effects. You think you'd last five seconds?"]
["I don't care! If he hurts Kaori, I'll show him how cruel I can be!"]
["'Cruel'? You mean quitting his shows then crawling back later like we all do?"]
That night, SakuraNet was still buzzing over 'The Simplest Love!'.
But on RaccoonNet, the only thing anyone was talking about was 'Your Lie in April'.
Meanwhile, 'Scarlet Love', which had aired on the same night, was completely ignored.
It was like it didn't even exist.
That was the worst fate of all.
—
Next day, noon.
Ratings for Sunday's shows were released.
'The Simplest Love!' Ep 2: 4.31% — holding steady in 2nd place
'Your Lie in April' Ep 2: 3.89% — up 0.2% from Ep 1, climbing to 5th place, overtaking 'Words of Power'
'Scarlet Love' Ep 2: 2.41% — down from 2.54%, falling to 19th
As most dramas saw second-week gains, 'Scarlet Love' dropped.
Within the industry, many were left speechless.
Aozora TV… 3.89% in Week 2?
What was this result?
What was Su Yan trying to pull?
If it were anyone else, people might've shrugged.
But this was Su Yan.
The man famous for late-game explosions.
His past three works had soared in later episodes like they'd been strapped to jet engines.
If 'Your Lie in April' was following the same trajectory—
It might outpace even 'To the Moon'.