As the broadcast time drew near, a massive wave of netizens surged onto RaccoonNet.
The comments section on 'Your Lie in April's episode page was even hotter than ever before.
Just from the sheer excitement pouring out of fans' messages, it was obvious how much anticipation surrounded this final episode.
Meanwhile, professionals in the TV industry were thinking about something else entirely:
How many paid views would the if-line ending get?
Normally, after watching a drama on TV, many viewers wouldn't pay to rewatch it online.
But 'Your Lie in April's if-line ending was different.
It had never aired on television.
Which meant that a huge portion of the TV audience would have to switch to the streaming platform to see it.
Even accounting for people watching together or sharing accounts, a single-episode paid view count of over 20 million was entirely possible.
Time ticked by.
8 PM crept closer.
He Xuejun felt more and more nervous.
Her fingers kept refreshing the page on her laptop.
Waiting for this episode felt like waiting through an eternity.
But now that it was finally about to air, she was conflicted.
"Teacher Su Yan, please… just give us a perfect ending," He Xuejun whispered in her heart.
She refreshed the page once more.
This time, the list of eleven episodes on Your Lie in April's page changed, becoming twelve.
[Episode 12]
Without hesitation, He Xuejun clicked in.
What greeted her was a flurry of cherry blossoms falling across the screen.
The familiar opening theme played—but with a brand new animation sequence.
No sadness. No pain.
Just cherry blossoms, warm sunlight.
Kaori Miyazono and Kousei Arima smiling together—a sight that made every viewer relax.
Right from the start, Kaori's parents were shown working tirelessly to give her a fighting chance—exploring every surgical option to increase even a 1% chance of success.
The storyline here was nearly identical to Episode 11's.
Kaori's primary doctor offered them two choices:
The original treatment plan at the current hospital, or a riskier but more promising surgery at another hospital.
From the teaser, He Xuejun already knew—in the if-line, Kaori called Kousei before making her decision.
In the original ending, she chose not to call him—afraid of burdening him before his competition, afraid to let him know just how serious her illness had become.
A butterfly flaps its wings—and a storm begins.
This time, after writing the letter to reveal her "lie," Kaori picked up the phone one night—
—and the world diverged.
He Xuejun's heart clenched.
Since it was a streaming release, viewers were flooding the screen with bullet comments:
["Kousei, convince her! Please!"]
["This is the moment that changes everything!"]
["Let's go!"]
["Be the male lead you're meant to be!"]
["Su Yan, you better not make this just another tragedy!"]
["This is your chance to reverse fate!"]
The audience's energy in the comments was even more intense than Kousei's desperate dash to the hospital after Kaori's call.
In 'Your Lie in April', the main plot had essentially wrapped up in the first 10 episodes.
Episode 11 had been more emotional in nature—building toward the finale.
The music competition didn't need to change. The setlist didn't need to change. The spiritual duet between the two didn't need to change.
What mattered was Kousei giving Kaori courage.
Her phone call wasn't about medical advice—Kousei wasn't a doctor.
But he was the person she loved most in this world.
And just hearing his voice, seeing him once more, was all she needed to face her fears.
Under the moonlight, Kaori and Kousei met again in her hospital room.
A girl whose hair fluttered in the night breeze by the window.
A boy who set aside his piano rehearsal.
This final meeting didn't happen on the rooftop like in Episode 11.
It happened here, in Episode 12.
And that small change was everything.
To Kaori and Kousei, it was a miracle that defied fate.
Watching this scene, He Xuejun's eyes were already brimming with tears.
The original surgery plan had a very low success rate—but not zero.
The alternate surgery had theoretically better results, but lacked enough case data to be trusted.
One was a known long shot.
The other was a total gamble.
And in that context, how many people would have the courage to bet their lives on "theory"?
Life or death. There was no third option.
Just like the original creator, Su Yan deliberately never disclosed Kaori's specific illness.
No disease name meant no way for viewers— even med students—to poke holes in the plot.
[What kind of choice should I make...?]
Kaori smiled through tears as Kousei left the room.
But unlike in Episode 11, her expression was no longer one of fear or helplessness.
She smiled with courage.
—
The next scene brought us to Kousei's music competition.
Just like Episode 11, Takeshi Aiza and Emi Igawa performed first.
But when Kousei took the stage—
He Xuejun noticed something had changed.
His suit was white, not black.
And his expression no longer held the confusion and sorrow from before.
As he began to play, Kaori was wheeled into surgery.
But He Xuejun—blessed with a sharp memory—noticed more changes.
The operating room, the lead surgeon, and even the number of assistants… were all different.
The bullet comments exploded:
["So she chose the other surgery!"]
["YESSS!!"]
["I'm crying already!"]
["Of course, he couldn't give her medical advice. But he gave her something more important: courage."]
["If you want to break free from the death timeline, you need strength, not statistics."]
["This is it! Full circle! Kaori saved Kousei from despair, and now Kousei gives Kaori the courage to take a new path!
["Let's go!! Kaori! Kousei!"]
Same song.
But a completely different feeling.
The violin no longer sang of farewell.
Kousei's eyes no longer held sadness.
He heard it.
The audience heard it.
He Xuejun heard it.
This wasn't a goodbye.
It was a song full of hope for reunion.
In Episode 11, Kaori's melody faded away.
In Episode 12, it didn't.
She didn't disappear mid-performance. She stayed, playing on with Kousei.
Tears welled in Kousei's eyes, but his fingers never faltered.
The music soared.
Kaori's violin seemed to push back, refusing to lose to the piano.
Their melodies danced together—fierce and passionate.
But to the judges and audience in the real concert hall, Kousei was still playing alone.
When the final note fell, the hall erupted in thunderous applause.
He Xuejun couldn't stop crying.
It was the same performance as Episode 11—but now it felt entirely different.
Before, it had been sorrow.
Now, it was hope.
After his performance, Kousei ran offstage with everything he had.
Waiting outside was a letter from Kaori—hand-delivered by someone she'd arranged.
The letter's contents were the same as in Episode 11.
But this time, Kousei read it knowing Kaori wasn't dead.
She hadn't died on the operating table—she was just unconscious, in post-op care.
The same words, read under different circumstances—
felt completely different.
The bullet comments couldn't take it anymore:
["Su Yan, you sadistic genius. One plot, two batches of tears!
["I'm losing it."]
["Let her surgery succeed!"]
["Miracles are for the brave!"]
["Kaori, wake up!"]
["What do you think she'll say to Kousei when she wakes up?"]
["He knows her secret now—her lie."]
["Will she be afraid of that? No way—she planned to confess in both endings."]
["There's barely any time left. Don't drag it out! Just let Kaori stand again!"]
He Xuejun and every other 'Your Lie in April' fan were reaching the limit of their nerves.
Finally, as tension rose in the surgery room, the scene ended.
Kaori was wheeled out—still unconscious—but alive.
Which meant…
The surgery succeeded.
No dramatic dialogue followed. No tears or breakdowns.
Just a soft, soothing piano track.
As it played, we saw glimpses of other characters' lives—Tsubaki, Takeshi, Emi, Nagi, Ryouta…
Then, at the musical climax of the track—
Kousei woke up on a quiet morning, grabbed his school bag, and opened the door.
On his fair face—pure shock, and the shimmer of tears.
Cherry blossoms swirled in the air.
And standing in the middle of the street—
Was the girl.
Kaori.
The breeze lifted her school uniform, her skirt, and her long hair.
She carried her violin on her back, looked at Kousei with crystal-clear eyes, and smiled brightly.
Just like in Episode 1.
"We meet again, Friend A!"
The background music from their very first encounter began to play.
'Your Lie in April.if-line'—End.
The credits rolled.
In her room, He Xuejun was sobbing uncontrollably.
But not from sadness.
From healing.
She typed a message onto the bullet screen with shaking hands:
[Su Yan, I forgive you.]
And then—
Thousands of other viewers, watching that same scene in their own homes, followed suit:
[Su Yan, I forgive you.]
In minutes, that phrase blanketed the entire end credits screen—obscuring everything else.
A tidal wave of emotion surged across the Xia Nation toward Su Yan.
That night...
'Your Lie in April's fans didn't quiet down even after the episode ended.
The if-line may not have been as intricate as the earlier episodes.
But it let Kaori live.
That alone was enough.
If anyone still doubted this drama after Episode 11's heartbreak—
After Episode 12, all doubt vanished.
There was nothing more to say.
'Your Lie in April' was, without a doubt—
Xia Nation's greatest TV drama of the year.