156. No Regrets Entering April in This Lifetime

"...Yes, I’m sorry." Jiang Yu offered a somewhat apologetic smile, then raised the bread and coffee milk in his hand and continued, "Have you eaten lunch, senior? I bought an extra portion just in case."

Poised originally with a somewhat aloof expression, Utaha Kasumigaoka’s gaze faltered, then gradually softened. Without saying much, she patted the spot beside her, signaling for him to come over.

Sensing the clear yet subtle invitation from his senior, Jiang Yu obediently moved over and sat down, leaving about the space of one person between them.

Noticing this, Utaha furrowed her delicate brows slightly. She closed the book in her hands and subtly edged a little closer to Jiang Yu.

"...Senior Kasumigaoka?" Jiang Yu looked at her with some confusion. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but he felt the distance between them had decreased.

Watching Utaha Kasumigaoka slowly close the gap, Jiang Yu quickly placed the food between them, ensuring a safe boundary on the bench.

Still, despite this, Jiang Yu could faintly detect the scent of her shampoo. Helpless to resist, he admitted to himself with a mix of pain and pleasure.

Utaha clicked her tongue in mild dissatisfaction, silently picking up a bread roll and coffee milk, tearing open the packaging, and began eating quietly.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead—not from fright at Utaha’s movement, but merely the aftereffect of vigorous exercise—Jiang Yu pulled out several folded A4 sheets from his pocket, placing them beside Utaha as he started his own lunch.

Utaha set down her bread and milk, unfolded the papers, and asked curiously as she opened them, "What is this? Am I allowed to open it?"

You didn’t even ask for permission before opening it, did you? More precisely, this is a case of boarding the train first and buying the ticket later.

"Um... well, uh... it’s some suggestions about your new work, senior. It’s fine for you to open it—I was planning to show it to you anyway."

Swallowing the bite in his mouth, Jiang Yu licked the crumbs from his fingers with a contented smile as he explained.

Utaha furrowed her brows, her movements slowing as curiosity took hold. "Do you really like this, junior?"

"Isn’t it obvious?! Pineapple buns are the best! But honestly, I started liking them because Shana did," Jiang Yu said with exaggerated gestures, inadvertently revealing his true nature as a devoted otaku.

Amused, Utaha shook her head lightly. Rarely did she refrain from teasing him for such behavior. She spread the papers flat on her lap and began to read seriously.

After a while, having finished the last bite of bread and the final sip of coffee milk, Jiang Yu suddenly heard Utaha say, "...So, what exactly is this thing you wrote?"

"Huh? I thought I’d been pretty detailed. Is there something you don’t understand, senior Kasumigaoka?"

Jiang Yu asked, genuinely puzzled.

"If I can understand the content on the first page, then what’s with these classical piano pieces on the next pages?"

Utaha still frowned deeply, staring straight into his eyes as she questioned him.

"Well... as written on the first page, this is a somewhat harsh coming-of-age story about growth, belief, love, perseverance, and other beautiful things, expressed through music. The musical angle came to me because I saw that the protagonist you designed plays the piano. The pieces on the following pages are for that reason. As for the rest..."

Jiang Yu took back the sheets from Utaha and began to explain in detail. Utaha listened silently, pondering.

"...So, I think if you want novelty, senior, you should focus on the element of plot twists. Since the story is told from the protagonist’s point of view, many details might go unnoticed. You can reveal additional information through the other characters, and when you finally expose this 'lie,' that moment will serve as the story’s emotional climax."

After a pause, Jiang Yu continued, "At your level, Kasumigaoka, I’m sure you can write a truly magnificent story."

He hadn’t rashly thrown out ideas. The concept of a “twist” sparked his inspiration last night. Considering Utaha’s consistently elegant prose, Jiang Yu ultimately referenced a renowned tearjerker from his past life—“Your Lie in April,” also jokingly called “Your Perfect April Essay.”

“Your Lie in April” was a shōnen manga by Naoshi Arakawa, which became widely known after being adapted into an anime. It is one of the most famous tearjerking, healing yet melancholic music-themed series.

In his previous life, Jiang Yu first encountered the anime, and when he naturally sought the original light novel, he discovered it was a manga adaptation.

Regarding the “twist,” Jiang Yu felt it wasn’t very obvious in either the anime or the manga. Perhaps his judgment was biased since he watched it knowing the spoilers. For those who followed the story as it unfolded, the emotional impact and revelation at the end might differ greatly.

The story centers on Kosei Arima, once a piano prodigy, who lost the ability to play after his mother’s death in autumn when he was eleven. Without a goal, his life felt like a dull, colorless score.

Then, in the spring of his fourteenth year, he met a girl—rough around the edges and difficult to get along with at first, Kosei thought they’d never connect. But this girl, Kaori Miyazono, was a brilliant violinist whose presence slowly began to bring color back into Kosei’s gray world.

The narrative revolves around the “lie” referenced in the title. After a series of events, Kosei is encouraged by Kaori to start playing piano again. Tragically, Kaori succumbs to her illness.

This seemed to affirm the mid-story comment from Kaori that “perhaps Kosei needs to endure more misfortune to move forward.”

Jiang Yu hadn’t read the manga, but from the anime’s impact, the line “Will you die with me?” was the most heroic confession he had ever heard, and the final letter from Kaori moved him to tears.

He fell silent, the weight of the story lingering in the air between them.