Of course, while Ren's personal life was changing, so was the storyline in his manga.
At the forefront of these developments was Claire's manga, *Your Lie in April*.
Initially, when *Your Lie in April* was serialized, readers thought it was just a typical youthful romance story. They expected it to be about the love and heartaches of young people, with the female lead helping the male lead overcome childhood trauma as they journey together towards musical success, eventually ending up happily together. The story seemed filled with sweet, daily interactions.
Even when the female lead fainted early in the series, readers dismissed it, believing her claim that it was just anemia. After all, young people often downplay their health issues, and this seemed like one of those cases.
Plus, the readers knew that *Your Lie in April* was drawn by a female artist. Even if she was the Porter's apprentice, surely she wouldn't have the same dark humor that he was known for, right? They didn't expect her to inflict tragedies on her characters.
But after the Festival Concert chapter, the readers began to worry. When it was time for the concert and the female lead, Kaori, didn't show up, leaving the male lead, Kousei, to perform alone, they started to sense that something was off. Soon after, they learned that Kaori had collapsed at home and was hospitalized.
Although Kaori seemed upbeat, readers were unconvinced. They wondered, "If it's just anemia, why is she fainting so often? Hasn't she learned her lesson?"
After chapters 13 and 14 were released, online discussions began to emerge.
"Even though Kaori looks energetic, I can't shake the feeling that something's not right. Is this going to be a tearjerker?"
"I'm starting to think this might be a sad story. Even though she's the Porter's student and maybe hasn't learned all his tricks, there's definitely a sense of melancholy."
"But I think a tearjerker would be great. If the story stays strong, this could be the best emotional story of the year. It's been a while since we've had a really good tearjerker."
Following these discussions, the story of *Your Lie in April* continued with chapters 15, 16, 17…
One chapter after another, the plot, artwork, and paneling were all solid. Readers saw the inner turmoil of the teenagers as they grappled with their feelings. For example, Tsubaki felt conflicted when a boy she once admired confessed to her, yet she didn't feel any romantic excitement. Instead, she was troubled by her growing feelings for Kousei, especially when she learned that he was planning to attend a music school far from home. Tsubaki had always thought of Kousei as a younger brother, but now she realized he meant much more to her. Even those around her noticed her inner struggle. The boy who had confessed to her also sensed her feelings and suggested they break up.
This portrayal of the vague and confusing emotions of teenage love struck a chord with readers.
But aside from these touching scenes, there was a shocking, yet somewhat expected, development in the story.
As the competition approached, Kaori, who was still at home, hadn't given up on practicing. She was seen pretending to play the violin while holding a music sheet in the hallway. Nothing seemed wrong until Kaori suddenly collapsed, losing sensation in her legs, unable to stand. Blood began to flow from her head, dripping onto the music sheet as if it were dripping onto the readers' hearts.
Then, in chapter 16, when Kousei visited Kaori in her hospital room, she unexpectedly asked, "Want to elope with me?" And in chapter 17, she said, "I thought you wouldn't come back."
Although readers still didn't know the specifics of Kaori's illness, these lines hinted at its severity and questioned the depth of Kousei and Kaori's bond.
These two chapters brought the theme of life and death into the forefront of the story, complicating the characters' emotions and the narrative's conflicts. This added weight to the story, contrasting the beauty of youth with the heavy reality they faced.
The online community exploded with reactions.
"Wow, this is getting intense!"
"Is this going to end in tragedy?"
"I don't know what's going to happen, but I have a bad feeling…"
"Damn, this male lead is so frustrating! It's obvious Kaori likes him, but he's still hanging around other girls!"
"Why is he hesitating? Just tell her you're willing to elope with her already!"
"Can't this just be a happy, carefree romance story? Is that too much to ask?"
Readers sensed that things were taking a dark turn. If they were already feeling the emotional strain now, what was coming in the next chapters? Would it get even more heartbreaking?
With Kaori's words and her collapse, it was clear to readers that the artist, Claire, was setting them up for a heavy emotional hit.
Sure enough, when chapter 19 of *Your Lie in April* was published, readers were truly panicking.
"It's like I said, this is really dangerous!"
In the manga, a doctor told Kaori and her parents these exact words, confirming what readers feared. Even if the surgery was successful, there would still be significant risks!
But despite everything, Kaori, sitting in her wheelchair, remained determined.
"I made a promise to that boy—to play together one more time!"
This was the reason Kaori insisted on going through with the surgery.
Though she didn't say the boy's name, readers knew she was referring to Kousei, the main character.
But then, the events of chapter 20 made readers even more anxious.
When Kousei and Watari visited Kaori in the hospital, Kaori seemed to ignore Kousei and chatted happily with Watari instead.
"This is so frustrating! Kaori, why are you doing this?"
"Yeah, it's obvious she likes Kousei! Why is she acting like she's into Watari?"
"From the way the story's going, it seems like Kaori is distancing herself from Kousei, maybe to help Tsubaki. She probably knows she doesn't have much time left, and if she confessed to Kousei, it would just make it harder for him when she's gone."
"I think so too. Kaori is such a kind-hearted girl."
"I just hope the ending doesn't go where I think it's going. I don't want Kaori to die!"
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