The second week's ratings for 'Your Lie in April' were, frankly, a little outrageous.
Su Yan had moved from Sakura TV to Aozora TV, and not only had his show's performance not dropped—it had gotten better in a way that defied logic.
Who in the industry, among reporters or insiders, could've predicted this?
But for the average Xia Nation viewer, switching TV stations was as easy as lifting a finger.
And Su Yan's work carried a unique flavor—there was no second writer like him in the country. Every show he'd written had received overwhelmingly positive reviews, and his fans were fiercely loyal.
Besides, while 'Your Lie in April' was known to be a late-game masterpiece, its early episodes weren't exactly slow burns either.
To Su Yan, these results weren't all that surprising.
But the media certainly couldn't stay still. Reports flooded in:
📰"Screenwriter Su Yan's new drama takes off like wildfire! 'Scarlet Love' suffers major viewer loss, might become this season's biggest flop."
📰"Sakura TV's mysterious reshuffling before the summer season becomes a joke. The ratings gulf between 'Scarlet Love' and 'Your Lie in April' shatters the station's pride."
📰"Unbelievable that a genius like Su Yan was treated unfairly at Sakura TV. No matter what achievements Akasaka Yoshitoki racks up as the new department head, letting Su Yan go may remain his biggest career stain."
📰"'Your Lie in April' Episode 2 hits 5th in seasonal rankings. At this pace, other A-tier drama crews may already be getting nervous!"
📰"A true genius remains beloved by audiences regardless of platform."
📰"Xia Nation's strongest musical drama in a decade—Episode 2 left viewers stunned!"
📰"'April' sparks a classical music craze—streaming numbers for the featured pieces are skyrocketing across all music apps."]
📰"The writer of three gut-wrenching dramas tries his hand at a sweet high school romance—could this be the real 'lie' in 'Your Lie in April'? Is the show secretly a tragedy after all?"
📰"Episode 2 stirs debate—audiences beg Su Yan not to 'go insane' again!"
—
In the 'April' production crew—
Shen Liqian sat scrolling through online reactions on her phone.
Most of the focus was on Su Yan, as expected.
But as the female lead, she was also receiving high praise.
After more than a year without a new show airing, being able to star in a drama that broke into the top 5 within two weeks was already a huge win in her eyes.
She'd seen A-tier projects she'd done during her peak years drop down to this same rank.
But knowing Su Yan's track record of late-season surges…
Of course, she couldn't help but hope for more.
"It's already the 5th after Episode 2. Could it climb into the top 3…? Or even higher?"
With all three major networks avoiding her for lead roles (thanks to Akasaka Yoshitoki), if 'Your Lie in April' did end up with major success, it could completely turn her career around.
Akasaka's influence was real—but temporary.
What truly mattered was results.
If she could win back the industry's confidence with the performance of this show, everything else would follow.
["Compared to making money, what does Akasaka's 'face' really count for?"]
Looking across the set at Su Yan, who was currently discussing Episode 6's script with Shinozaki Ikumi, Shen Liqian felt her impression of him shift again.
As a genius herself, she had initially felt a bit resistant to Su Yan's brilliance.
But now that he'd helped pull her out of a career low, all those small grievances had vanished.
"I have a feeling… this guy might become very important in Xia Nation's TV industry."
Her manager, He Qihua, came up beside her and said quietly:
"Liqian, you should try to build a good relationship with him. He's clearly not one of those one-hit-wonder geniuses. If he writes another show later, the closer you are to him, the more likely you'll be considered for important roles."
"Honestly, if 'Your Lie in April' ends up performing like 'To the Moon' did, every top and second-tier actress in Xia Nation will be fighting to be his next female lead."
Shen Liqian looked over at Gu Qingyuan, who was next to Su Yan.
"Truth is, I got to play Kaori Miyazono because I fit the role. But if Gu Qingyuan had been better suited, I probably wouldn't have had a chance."
"She's worked with Su Yan on three shows already. They're clearly friends. Naturally, he'll think of her first when casting."
"Which just proves he's the type who values relationships," He Qihua said.
"Friendship builds over time. If you can evolve from colleagues to friends, he'll definitely consider you first for future roles."
"You're still thinking about how to get back in the good graces of Zhongxia TV and Hudu TV. But I think… getting Su Yan's trust may be an even better move for your career."
"That's a bit dramatic, don't you think?" Shen Liqian muttered.
"Not really. The Big Three are powerful, but not every show they release performs well.
Su Yan, on the other hand? Every. Single. Project. Hits."
"'Your Lie in April' is just a B-tier drama. But if he does an A-tier next—or an S-tier with outside investment—or even a film… then this friendship you're building will really pay off."
"The media love saying genius writers are flashes in the pan. But no one stops to ask—what if they're just getting started?"
"Su Yan's ratings have gotten better with each new project. What if… he's still growing?"
She gave Shen Liqian a pat on the shoulder.
Shen Liqian paused, thinking.
"She's got a point…"
Then He Qihua pulled out several disposable cups, filled them with water, and handed two to Shen Liqian.
"What's this for?" Shen Liqian asked, confused.
"Girl, your EQ is nonexistent," he sighed.
"You didn't notice how hot it is today? Su Yan's sweating out here."
"Relationships grow through details."
Shen Liqian stared, eyes thoughtful.
"No wonder back when I hadn't fallen out with Akasaka, people were always doing this sort of thing around me…"
"Did you really think they were just naturally dying to serve you? Bringing you drinks and massages because they liked you?" He Qihua rolled her eyes.
"They just wanted you to remember them—so one day you'd pull them up."
Shen Liqian froze.
It was simple logic, but when said so bluntly, it still felt a little unsettling.
Later, when Su Yan and Shinozaki Ikumi received the drinks from her, Su Yan even asked her to stay behind and discuss some performance direction for Episode 6.
And finally—
"I have something to tell everyone," Su Yan said with a calm smile.
"A lot of you have asked me about the latter tone of 'April'... and yes—from Episode 7 onward, things will get just a little bit… heavier.
I'll bring the detailed script next week. Please be ready."
He looked specifically at Shen Liqian.
Her performance as the bright, cheerful Kaori Miyazono had been excellent so far.
But for the later arc, when that cheerfulness is just a mask—when it's filled with fear and defiance against fate…
She'd need to dig much deeper to truly convey it.
Whether this show could reach the legendary heights of the anime version would depend not just on the male lead or the music—
But on her final portrayal of Kaori.
A little bit?
A bit heavy?
Shinozaki Ikumi, Gu Qingyuan, and Shi Peihua all shared a knowing look.
["Knew it. No way Su Yan would write a full-on happy ending."]
"Is it a tragedy?" Shen Liqian frowned.
She hated tragic stories—and hated acting in them even more.
"I wouldn't say so," Su Yan replied sheepishly.
"But most people probably will think it's a tragedy."
Welp.
Everyone present instantly understood.
At some point in this series, the sweet and dreamy tone was going to shatter.
—
Sunday night—Episode 3 aired.
Kaori woke up in the hospital.
The episode didn't explain much about her collapse, and she herself didn't seem too worried.
She was soon discharged and returned to school.
Viewers didn't dwell on it either.
Low blood sugar, overexertion, or excessive excitement during a performance—all were plausible.
What mattered was how both Kaori and Kousei had felt something powerful during their duet.
For Kousei, feelings he hadn't noticed before had begun to stir.
And of course, childhood friend Tsubaki Sawabe, who liked Kousei, immediately noticed the shift—and felt crushed.
The love triangle was now official.
The episode's highlight?
Kaori, urging Kousei to keep pursuing music, jumped into the river from a sunset-drenched bridge to prove that all his worries were self-imposed—and that if he could just find the courage, he could overcome everything.
Kousei looked at her, stunned, then leaped.
He agreed to her suggestion: to sign up for a piano competition.
Meanwhile, at the episode's end—
After losing in a school event, Tsubaki was carried home on Kousei's back.
She silently cried behind him.
She might've finally realized…
Kousei only saw her as a friend.
But she?
She loved him—completely and helplessly.
Even setting aside the show's musical elements—
'Your Lie in April' was shaping up to be an outstanding school romance drama.
Though Episode 3 had no performance scenes, audiences were still completely hooked.
The original writer's delicate exploration of Kousei's psyche extended to even the side characters—like Emi Igawa, Takeshi Aiza, and Tsubaki Sawabe—all of whom were deeply fleshed out.
Sure, everyone knew from the start that Tsubaki was destined to lose.
But that didn't stop her story this episode from moving the audience to tears.
Especially those who'd once experienced unrequited love—
Her scenes hit hard.
Because they were just… too real.
—
Next day, noon—
The viewership ratings for Episode 3 were announced.