The romance was not an overnight development. The actors first worked together on the 2016 live-action adaptation of Naoshi Arakawa's manga Your Lie in April. Yamazaki portrayed traumatized piano prodigy Kosei Arima, while Hirose played the free-spirited violinist Kaori Miyazono. Their on-screen chemistry earned critical praise, but both maintained strictly professional ties throughout production and subsequent press tours.
Industry insiders suggest the connection rekindled years later through mutual industry circles. By mid-2023, Japanese entertainment desks routinely ran updates on their domestic arrangements. Reports suggested Yamazaki spent the majority of his downtime at Hirose's residence rather than his own apartment. Marriage rumors gained traction across domestic tabloids in late 2023, with several publications suggesting an official announcement might coincide with Hirose's 26th birthday in June 2024.
That milestone passed without news. Both performers entered grueling production cycles. Yamazaki spent extensive stretches on location filming the big-budget historical epic Golden Kamuy and preparing for third-season commitments of international streaming titles. Hirose maintained a punishing slate of television dramas and commercial contracts, limiting their shared domestic windows.
