Tear Jerker / White Album 2

When three became two and one, then became one and one and one.

Moments pages are Spoilers Off. You Have Been Warned.

White Album 2 is infamously emotionally draining. It's a story about love, and how much it hurts.

---

Introductory Chapter

• Perhaps relatively mild compared to what is to come, but when Setsuna first discovers that Haruki had been visitting Kazusa without her knowledge to practice. Even though at this point they were not dating, it stokes her fear of being left behind by her friends, so soon after meeting two new people she really care for.
• The Audio Drama "Before the Festival - 24 Hours Together". Setsuna is practicing for the final song in their performance, and she cannot get into it. Why? Because she knew all along, that despite what they tell her, the song is not about her, it is about Kazusa, who Haruki is in love with.
  The only character who doesn't appear in this song is me.
  • At the end, she says she can finally sing the song, because she now understands how it feels to be the person who wrote the song. The song is called Unreachable Love.
• Though we never actually hear from her directly, Setsuna asks Haruki to break the news that the two of them are dating to Kazusa. While Haruki insists that Kazusa accepts the news as her usual aloof self, Setsuna is in tears on the phone to the point that Haruki finds it difficult to make out what she's saying, because she knows better. Setsuna knows the news must have hurt her friend so much and is filled with guilt for having "stolen" Kazusa's crush because she was afraid of the growing distance in their friendships if Haruki and Kazusa were to start dating.
  • She knows it must have been difficult for Haruki too. All his friends recognize how much he cares for Kazusa, so in her mind, she suspects Haruki is "settling" for her because he feels Kazusa is out of his reach. From his narration, he outright says he had always been in love with Kazusa, but it will be fine if he never thinks of it again. We know it won't be.
• Setsuna's birthday party.
  • Haruki lets her spend her party, which she so looked forward to, without her boyfriend, so he can pick up Kazusa at the airport. His only consolation is that even though he's not there, her family will keep her company. Instead, while he and Kazusa bare their hearts to each others, Setsuna spends her birthday party at the dinner table alone.
  • Though he keeps up the facade that he wants her to come for Setsuna's benefit, when Kazusa's about to leave him, he finally shouts the real reason why he's so desperate to keep her for the night: He doesn't want Kazusa to leave him. Haruki tearfully demands why he's been kept in the dark all this time and whether his friendship, though we know he so dearly wishes it was more, meant nothing for her.
  • Like before, Kazusa keeps a careful mask at first, but this time, it breaks completely, and she throws back in his face that it was him who left her first to be with Setsuna. In confusion and tears, the two finally realize that their one-sided feelings were never one-sided, and every moment together since the festival has been torture for them all.
  • Overcome with emotions, Haruki embraces Kazusa before she leaves again and kisses her. They are lost in the moment, until Kazusa slaps him angrily, as if woken from her reverie, and asks in tears not why he dares to cheat on Setsuna, but why he is so used to the act and how many times he had done it with Setsuna already, leaving her behind. Filled with jealousy and hurt, Kazusa leaves while Haruki finally recognizes the impossibility of what they both want.
• The infamous airport scene.
  • If she hadn't known already, Setsuna knows now. Haruki is cheating on her with Kazusa. What makes it even more heartbreaking is how composed she forces herself to be, and how, despite everything, her priority is to go see Kazusa off.
  • Haruki finally confesses and Setsuna does... nothing. She knew all along and took all the blame for HIS cheating. Setsuna fears being left behind and seeing Haruki's obvious interest in Kazusa and hers for him, Setsuna made the "selfish" choice to wedge herself between the two of them so their group would remain together. Her failure to rightly condemn him leaves him feeling even worse.
  • Despite his feelings for her, Haruki is adamantly opposed to seeing Kazusa off, because he knows what happens when he does. As always, she finds him first, and when he sees her, despite his guilt and despite Setsuna's presence, Haruki runs into her arms without a moment of hesitation and embrace her. Kazusa herself cannot resist giving into her feelings, and apologizing to Setsuna tearfully, she kisses Haruki in front of her best friend. All the while, Setsuna can only stand and watch. Her narration reveals that she was lying when she said she had not felt as seriously about him as Kazusa did, and it hurts to have to see him openly cheat on her and choose Kazusa over her.
  • By the end, Kazusa leaves Japan anyway. Haruki is left behind with guilt and regret. Setsuna desperately tries to keep him with her. Despite their beautiful friendship, it all ends in tears, and the very thing Setsuna was afraid of, being left behind and having their friendships being ruined, come true in the worst possible way.

Closing Chapter

• How awfully Haruki treats Setsuna in the Closing Chapter has to be seen to be believed. In one of their earliest scenes, they come across each others, and there is a moment where Setsuna's empty eyes turn hopeful as she sees him, only for him to walk coldly past her without a word of acknowledgement. Setsuna is clearly hurt. Given how much she feared being left behind, it's depressing to see she was entirely right that both Haruki and Kazusa would end up leaving her, no matter what she attempts.
  • And how their friends try to keep them together in the years since their graduation. It's sad that despite how everyone around them try to help, none of it came to anything, and by this point it happened so many times that Haruki had grown wise to their attempts to just get him to speak to Setsuna again.
• Haruki, while still being generally good-natured and courteous toward others, this time keeps his walls up, and people notice it. It's stated explicitly that this time around, he works unnecessarily hard just as an excuse to drown out his thoughts and not have to speak with Setsuna.
• Setsuna's unwillingness to sing again. During the Introductory Chapter, we see how much she loves doing it, and it is the very thing that brought her, Haruki and Kazusa together. Now, the memories of their time together hurt so much that the one thing she loved doing above all others is unbearable to her.
• Setsuna seeing a news article about Kazusa and immediately goes to get it. Why? Because she feels this is the only way she can reach Haruki, by using her best friend and the one he cheated on her with to get her foot in the door for him to even speak with her.
• Haruki finally decides to reconnect with Setsuna after writing his first published article about Kazusa. He tells himself and Setsuna that in doing so, he exposes Kazusa's secrets to the world and had betrayed her. Setsuna knows better. Despite his stated intention, what he wrote is nothing less than a love letter to the woman he fell for years ago, and Setsuna sees it for what it is, reading it every night crying, feeling that he will never be hers. When he is finally ready to reach out, it's Setsuna who now cannot find it in herself to get back together with him, and he cannot even refute her words because he knows they are true. He will never be able to forget Kazusa.
• Koharu's route.
  • Koharu is noted to be very much like Haruki, and like Haruki, she chooses to bottle up everything, blames herself and no one else and uses her relationship with Haruki (which both parties view to be cheating, his ambiguous status with Setsuna aside). Multiple times, she puts on a happy mask for Haruki, even convincing him a few times, before breaking down and weeping in the middle of the night.
  • Koharu destroys any existing friendship by being with Haruki. Her best friend won't talk to her, feeling betrayed by the secrecy and later by Koharu entering a relationship with Haruki. Her other close friends, after seeing Koharu repeatedly meet up with Haruki, condemns her after failing to get an explanation out of Koharu. And once rumors spread, pretty much everyone other than Takahiro lose all respect for her, and the people who never had respect for her only jumped at the opportunity to metaphorically throw stones. It becomes increasingly difficult to watch Koharu's social life gets torn apart because unlike Haruki she never manages to come clean on her own terms and unlike Kazusa she has many relationships she treasures that very quickly get torn apart because she chooses to be with Haruki.
  • This is one of the few times Takeya blames Haruki, not only because he had betrayed Setsuna, but also because he had destroyed Koharu's life as well.
  • Takahiro declares himself to be her ally no matter what. What would otherwise be something she appreciates, it tears at her even more because she knows it's his sister she's hurting, and she cannot bring herself to accept his kindness or even explain to him why she cannot.
  • Haruki coming clean to Setsuna. As expected, he chooses Koharu in the end. Setsuna has harsher words for him than she usually does, but remains kind and graceful until the end. When he leaves, he sees her through the window, waving at him kindly, and saying this is how he'll remember her for the rest of his life. This is contrasted with Koharu seeing Setsuna through the same window, and this time, she finally lets the mask slip and is unable to hold back tears now that she believes her "job" is done, showing that every kind words she had for either of them before were only a brave front, and Haruki choosing another girl over her hurts deeply.
• Mari's route.
  • Haruki tries to break things off cleanly with Setsuna. Setsuna, however, can see it coming, and drags things out until her birthday, whereupon she reveals that she was alone and wanted to spend time alone with him on her birthday when he first began cheating on her with Kazusa. Caught in the moment, Haruki is unable to go through with breaking things off with Setsuna, and is forced to break his promise with Mari, who grows increasingly upset the longer she continues to wait for him for nothing.
  • Haruki confessing to Mari the full circumstances between him, Kazusa and Setsuna. Mari, already devastated that he failed to meet her like they agreed, is furious, feeling like he was toying with her feelings to get himself through a tought time with his girlfriend who he didn't mention to her until now. This, after she already feels insecure about how he may be using her as a replacement for Kazusa, only to now believe that he is using her as a replacement to Setsuna instead. Then she reveals that she is moving to America for her career, and it's his turn to be heartbroken, as this is exactly what happened with Kazusa shortly after the two confessed their feelings to each others.
  • When Haruki finally breaks things off with Setsuna, confessing everything, after spending their final moments together, he leaves her to try to catch Mari. Setsuna lies to her friends that it's her who pushed Haruki away, likely to stop them from hating him, before breaking down in tears once Takeya leaves.
  • Mari leaving Japan, believing she would never see Haruki again. For a moment, the reader is led to believe that the events of the Introductory Chapter repeat themselves.

Coda

• The mounting heartbreak of Haruki's and Kazusa's feelings for each others, combined with his cheating on Setsuna, just makes the entire chapter an incredibly painful read. Every time one character finds a moment of happiness, it is at the expense of someone they care about and there is nothing they can do about it.
• Haruki failing to attend Kazusa's first concert, fearing that if he had, he would no longer be able to resist his feelings for her and maintain his relationship with Setsuna.
  • Made worse if he continues to hide his time with Kazusa from Setsuna, because she always knew and can only go along with the deception to keep him from having second thoughts and going back to Kazusa.
  • Kazusa is devastated by Haruki's absence, and her performance suffers terribly from the heartbreak. Worse is this can happen while Haruki is making love to Setsuna. Afterward, she is overcome with anger and grief and begins trashing her waiting room while her mother can only listen helplessly, before herself having to leave too due to her health, unbeknownst to Kazusa. When her daughter needs her most, Youko is so overcome by stress that she cannot even be there, instead having to leave her side while being unable to explain why as to not give more causes for grief to her daughter.
  • If he had slept with Setsuna, Haruki returns home by train the next day, working while listening to recordings of his interviews with Kazusa. Then, he finds a recording Kazusa herself leaves without his knowledge for him to find afterward. In it, she explains how she is going to confess her feelings for him and be rejected. Then she asks him, again, to come see her concert, with Setsuna if possible. She plans to put on a great performance as her parting present for them before putting her feelings for her away for good. Haruki hangs his head, realizing he had failed to do the one thing she wanted from him before removing herself from his life.
• In the aftermath, Kazusa, overcome with grief from being denied the one thing she asked of Haruki, breaks into her old house, where Haruki finds her, ill and injured. Upon coming through, the two lay bare their feelings again, her at how much it hurts to have to let go of him only to have him deny her final wish anyway, and him at how much he treasures her and how that tears away at him and everything he holds dear. Here, Haruki can reaffirm his love for Kazusa or Setsuna, or accept her proposal of a temporary love, where she will return him to Setsuna when she leaves Japan. Just as before, there is no good option, and everyone is only a victim of their feelings and circumstances.
• Kazusa learning about Haruki's engagement to Setsuna. Not that it's unexpected, but it hurts her so much that Kazusa cannot keep her mask up for more than a minute, and breaks down saying she cannot bear to be near him or in Japan anymore and runs back to her mother while Haruki is helpless to do anything about it.
• The revelation that Youko is seriously ill and wants to, in the worst possibility, spend her final days in her home country. She keeps all this from Kazusa as to protect her.
  • Kazusa finding out makes it even worse. The day she hears about Haruki's engagement to Setsuna, she cannot handle the heartbreak and runs back to her mother, only to discover her mother may be dying soon. Without Haruki and Youko in her life, Kazusa would have no one left, and in tears, she begs her mother to get better soon and return to Vienna so the two of them can play music together again. Unfortunately, Youko would prefer to spend her final days in her home country, the very country Kazusa can never live in again due to her feelings for Haruki.
• Kazusa's True End, aka, seeing Haruki surrender everything to be with Kazusa. Bittersweet doesn't even begin to describe it.
  • To get onto this route, he must take the option to propose to Setsuna first. So the first thing he must do to be with Kazusa is to break off his engagement to his girlfriend. This is the only step where he very nearly backs out of, but after a date with Setsuna, he tells her. Setsuna, who knew all along, desperately tries to leave before he can, but upon hearing the news, she breaks down and is in denial about losing him. Haruki earned back her trust and love, only to leave her behind in the end, five years after the events of the Introductory Chapter.
  • Next, he confesses to his and Setsuna's friends. They react about as well as can be expected, considering their friendship with Setsuna and how they spent the past five years trying to keep the two together for nothing. Tomo condemns him cruelly. Io condemns him mercilessly. But Takeya begs and pleads for him to reconsider, that they can still fix this. Haruki realizes what a true friend Takeya had always been for him, that even now he's taking Haruki's side, and how tragic it is that he only understands the strength of their friendship when it is about to be broken, but he doesn't back down. In tears, they leave each others forever.
  • Next, he confesses to Setsuna's family. Her mother is in denial at first before breaking down in tears, realizing who her daughter's boyfriend is leaving her daughter for. Her father appears calm and levelheaded but undeniably disappointed in the boy who earned his trust. Her younger brother, however, in a rage, can only attack Haruki with his fists before the father puts a stop to it, sends Haruki home, offers to pay the hospital bill if necessary, and asks him to never come near their home again. Haruki hangs his head, accepts each of their responses, and leaves. Made worse when Setsuna returns, it's not him who she blames but her own family, the very people who tried to defend her.
  • Comparatively less dramatic, but Haruki's final scene with his co-workers. At first they are in disbelief that the reliable newcomer who had been with them for years is about to leave without warning. A few of them tell him off openly. But when he comes to have a drink with one of them, they all show up to see him off with a smile, knowing he won't accept a party otherwise. They are about the only people he leaves behind who do not condemn him (mostly), but it hurts him all the same, because he realizes they all treasure him, and it is painful to have to leave behind good people in his life who even after his betrayal tries to see him off with one final positive memory.
  • While he is out drinking with his co-workers, Kazusa meets with Setsuna. She apologizes, but Setsuna's mind is either not all there, or she deliberately makes it look like that. Kazusa's earnest attempts at apology comes to nothing, then, at the end, she makes one final act of repentance, and chooses to maim her own hands so she can never play the piano again, the only other thing she feels she has going for her life, as atonment for having "stolen" Haruki from her best friend. Setsuna stops her, saying she doesn't even know why. Kazusa breaks down to Haruki, saying she had only made things worse in trying to protect him and failing to make amends to Setsuna.
  • Haruki's final conversation with Setsuna, where the two finally let each others go for good. Setsuna says she "borrowed" Haruki for five years, and only now returns him to Kazusa. The two part way, wishing each others the best.
  • Haruki and Kazusa leaving Japan for good to be together. Kazusa tearfully apologizes to her mother for leaving her behind. Haruki weeps on the plane as it takes off, realizing the final pains and regrets of leaving behind his old life and everyone who cared for him. The only consolation, before the credit rolls, is Kazusa reaffirming that they will always have regrets about this decision, and no amount of happiness they attain can erase that, but likewise, nothing can erase the joy they gain from being together either.
• Kazusa's Normal End, aka, the cheating route. If the True End is bittersweet, this one is soul-crushing.
  • Feeling that she could never be with Haruki, Kazusa asks him to sleep with her until she returns to Vienna. He can go on loving Setsuna if he gives her this much. And Haruki accepts. Whatever pleasure the two gain from the act of consumating their love is matched at least equally by guilt and self-loathing, and all the while, Kazusa futilely assures him it's Setsuna that he loves and that he's just taking pity on her. It's a downward spiral from there.
  • The two set up a coded message system so they won't be caught by Setsuna. He tells her that Setsuna is coming to his place and she should leave. There, he makes love to Setsuna, feeling as if he had betrayed Kazusa, but at least she is not here to witness it. Meanwhile, Kazusa is on the other side of the wall, weeping and touching herself as she listens to their lovemaking, miserably apologizing to them all the while.
  • Once again, Kazusa finds out about Setsuna's and Haruki's engagement. She calls him to say her congratulations, but can't keep a facade of being happy for them, and Haruki immediately runs from the birthday party with Setsuna to be with Kazusa instead, mirroring exactly what happened in the Introductory Chapter. And like before, their time together is short-lived and doomed to end in tears.
  • After spending some time together, the two of them become like a drug to each others. Haruki and Kazusa run away to spend be together for a few days. They live like newlyweds and their time together is loving and idyllic. On their final night, Haruki proposes that they run away together and get married, to which Kazusa enthusiastically agree, and the two say their wedding vows then and there. Then, the next day, Kazusa abruptly turns him down. While she desperately wants to walk the future he offers her, she feels that only she will be happy in that future, and in order for Haruki to be happy, she must let him come back to Setsuna. Despite his repeated attempts to convince her of the contrary, he cannot, and she remains resolute. Though neither want to let the other go, Kazusa makes the final decision to leave him in the end, once more repeating the ending to the Introductory Chapter, with Kazusa leaving Japan despite her love for Haruki, and Haruki and Setsuna being left in the aftermath.
  • Kazusa's final concert. Ironically, this is the only ending where Haruki and Setsuna are in attendance, and it's arguably the worst one. Kazusa puts on a legendary performance, bringing many in the audience to tears. Haruki confesses what he had done to Setsuna, who knew all along. He even outright admits that during his time with Kazusa, he had successfully forgotten about Setsuna. The final shot before the credits is Haruki in his seat alone, breaking down in tears over what he had done to Setsuna and how he'll never see Kazusa again.