Please support the translation by reading the translation and commenting on otakutl official site.
Thank you.
Everyone from Otaku Translation
Chapter 24: Going Viral
One of the most captivating aspects of short videos is their ability to capture real-life moments. Videos like this one, filmed from a passerby’s perspective and featuring a “waiter” playing the piano in a restaurant, naturally evoke curiosity and admiration from viewers.
With 120,000 likes on TikTok, it was safe to assume the video had garnered over five million views. While that might not seem extraordinary within the vastness of the platform, what made it significant was the location tag added to the bottom-left corner:
"Qingzhou · SWING Restaurant"
When a viral video like this seeped into real life—especially within the tight-knit circle of a school campus—it became something truly remarkable.
“Let me see,” Lin Tian said hurriedly as he grabbed the phone.
The video showed him dressed in his work uniform, seated at the restaurant’s piano, performing Marriage of Love. Surrounding him were restaurant guests, some watching intently, others snapping photos. The clip was raw, unedited, and utterly simple.
Yet beneath the surface simplicity lay thousands of comments already flooding the section.
"Holy crap, is this really just a high schooler? So impressive."
"I’ve been learning piano for three years, and I don’t think I could play like that."
"This guy is so handsome… Where’s this restaurant? I want to check it out."
"A hot guy playing the piano? Suddenly my meal feels ten times fancier."
"Am I the only one wondering what this piece is called?"
"..."
Before diving into the comment section, Lin Tian had assumed most people would focus on Marriage of Love. After all, in his past life, it had been a world-renowned piano composition. Surely its debut here would leave an impact?
To his surprise, less than 20% of the comments mentioned the song itself. Most viewers merely acknowledged how beautiful it sounded without giving it much thought. Many probably assumed it was just another pre-existing classical piece they hadn’t heard before—after all, there were countless such tracks floating around online. Nothing unusual about that.
This revelation left Lin Tian somewhat baffled.
The remaining 80% of the comments fell into two categories: reactions marveling at the video’s brilliance and attempts to “doxx” him.
They’d even given him a flashy nickname: "Piano Bro".
And thus, the comment section erupted in chaos.
"Within ten minutes, I want every single detail about this Piano Bro!"
"He’s so hot, he must have a TikTok account. Secretary, look it up for me."
"Hurry up! If I don’t find out who this Piano Bro is today, I won’t be able to sleep."
Netizens may not be quick when it comes to finding wives, but when it came to sleuthing, they worked lightning-fast.
Soon enough, someone posted:
"Not entirely sure, but I think this might be Lin Tian, a senior from Qingzhou No. 7 High School."
"He’s definitely good-looking. A lot of underclassmen recognize him."
"Not only is he handsome, but his grades are top-notch too—he’s always ranked among the top ten in his grade."
Oh no.
Lin Tian felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. He’d been doxxed.
What shocked him even more was how many people seemed to know him.
Ever since starting high school, Lin Tian had deliberately kept a low profile, staying rooted to his seat whenever possible and avoiding unnecessary social interactions. He barely remembered the names of his classmates, let alone anyone else’s. He’d thought he’d successfully faded into the background—at least, nobody ever approached him randomly.
Had he simply been fooling himself?
Thinking about Xu Yong’s example made sense, though. Even Xu Yong knew Gan Yanyu, despite her taking a year off. If you were considered attractive enough, your presence—or absence—was still well-known.
High school students, burdened by academics, thrived on gossip. Any whisper of romance or intrigue provided fodder for weeks of conversation. A handsome boy whose name consistently appeared near the top of the rankings? It wasn’t surprising that people recognized him.
But the exposé didn’t stop there.
"However, Lin Tian often looks unapproachable. His expressionless face can come across as intimidating, and he usually keeps to himself, making him hard to connect with."
"There’s a rumor that Lin Tian has a stunning girlfriend outside of school, which explains why he shows zero interest in girls here."
"Girls from other schools thinking of pursuing him should probably give up. Not even our senior girls dare approach him, let alone us underclassmen. There’s no way outsiders stand a chance."
At this point, Lin Tian looked up at Xu Yong.
“Do you think I normally look that unfriendly?”
“What do you mean ‘unfriendly’? You’ve got the textbook poker face.”
“So isn’t that basically being unfriendly?”
“There’s a difference between looking sad because your mom died and looking sad because she didn’t.” Xu Yong deadpanned.
“You’re right. My mom did pass away.”
Lin Tian nodded, glancing back at his phone. When he refreshed the page, the offending comment had vanished.
New comments attempting to reveal his identity continued to pop up sporadically, but they quickly sank out of view. Lin Tian suspected this was part of TikTok’s protective measures—limiting or deleting overly revealing comments to shield the individuals involved, especially students like him.
Still, seeing so many people searching for "Piano Bro"’s TikTok account wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. For now, he decided to focus on planning tomorrow’s short video shoot with Gan Yanyu.
---
After school, Lin Tian left the classroom during peak dismissal hours. The campus buzzed with activity as students streamed through the hallways and courtyards. As he walked, Lin Tian couldn’t help but notice the increased number of stares directed his way. Word had clearly spread.
He sighed inwardly. This was going to take some getting used to.
“H-hello…”
Just then, two girls stepped in front of him. One of them blushed furiously, fidgeting nervously.
“Um… Are you Senior Lin Tian?” she asked hesitantly.
The moment those words left her lips, several nearby girls who had been covertly observing slowed their pace to eavesdrop.
“What is it?” Lin Tian asked.
“I-I wanted to ask… Is the ‘Piano Bro’ on TikTok… you?”
“What Piano Bro?” Lin Tian frowned slightly.
His change in expression sent the girl into a panic. “N-nothing! Never mind…”
Her friend standing beside her started awkwardly shifting her weight, inching away as if trying to distance herself from the situation.
“Anything else?” Lin Tian pressed.
“Yes… um…” The girl mustered her courage and blurted out, “Senior Lin Tian, do you have a girlfriend?”
The moment those words escaped her mouth, every girl within earshot fell eerily silent—all eyes fixed on Lin Tian, waiting for his response.
If you like this project, please vote for this novel through the above link, thank you.
Join our discord you will receive update notification
Join our discord you will receive update notification
If you would like to support this translation, you may choose any one of the options below.
How to find a list of chapters
Please find the chapter label next to your favorite translator's name, and click the label.
No comments:
Post a Comment