Otaku Translation: My Girlfriend Is a Cello Player C78

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Chapter 78: Will You Keep Wearing It?

Lin Tian stared at the red hair tie now wrapped around his wrist. He’d never looked at Gan Yanyu’s accessories so closely before, but now that he did, it bore a striking resemblance to something Mitsuha Miyamizu from Your Name might wear.

He vaguely remembered seeing her with this same red hair tie when they first met outside Grandpa’s café—she’d been wearing it in a single ponytail back then. Clearly, it was an item she’d cherished for quite some time.

Lin Tian glanced up at the cute little lamb-shaped hair clip perched near her ear, then back down at the hair tie on his wrist.

“What?” Gan Yanyu asked defensively, cupping her head as if shielding herself. “This hair clip isn’t up for grabs—I just bought it!”

“No, no,” Lin Tian chuckled. “Thank you.”

Upon reflection, this was the first gift Gan Yanyu had ever given him. Still, there was one question he couldn’t resist asking:

“Yanyu, do you know what it means when a girl gives a guy her hair tie?”

“What does it mean?” She tilted her head, genuinely puzzled.

Of course she didn’t know. Lin Tian stifled a laugh. Here she was, giving away something so symbolically loaded without the slightest clue of its significance.

In the world of subtle romantic gestures, handing over your personal hair tie to a boy carried weight—it was akin to planting a flag. A silent declaration to any other girls eyeing said boy: Back off—he’s taken.

This particular nugget of relationship trivia had come courtesy of Xu Yong. Though Lin Tian himself hadn’t dated much, he knew plenty about these unspoken rules thanks to his friend’s endless musings on romance.

But Gan Yanyu? She lived in her own bubble, blissfully unaware of such modern courting customs. From her perspective, she likely saw nothing more than a simple token of gratitude. To her, it probably held no deeper meaning—and therefore, she wouldn’t think twice about it.

For Lin Tian, however, ignorance wasn’t an option. He raised his wrist under the warm concert hall lights and examined the small red accessory. At its center sat a tiny diamond-shaped glass bead, catching the light and shimmering faintly.

Well… why not keep it on?

If he took it off or tried explaining its implications to Gan Yanyu, things would only get awkward. Besides, it didn’t necessarily have to signify a romantic bond. Knowing her, if pressed for an explanation, she might say something like—

“It’s declaring ‘exclusive partnership rights.’ Why shouldn’t I?”

Lin Tian lowered his hand, amused by the thought. Keeping it on could lead to some entertaining moments later—like when Gan Yanyu eventually figured out what it meant and turned beet red in embarrassment.

The idea made him look forward to that day already.

As the orchestra began their performance, Lin Tian observed the conductor waving his baton while the musicians below played in perfect harmony. Out of curiosity, he leaned toward Gan Yanyu and whispered, “What level are the players in this orchestra?”

“It depends on the orchestra,” she replied matter-of-factly. “Take ‘Starry Sky,’ for instance—a locally renowned professional group. Most of their members are graduates of music conservatories, and many have won smaller awards domestically and internationally.”

“There are also bigger names, like the ‘Matador Orchestra’ led by Master Wan Qi before his retirement. They’ve performed in world-class concert halls, so their standards are incredibly high. Only musicians with prestigious accolades and impressive resumes qualify to join.”

“For a lot of musicians, having served in top-tier orchestras is a badge of honor they’re proud to flaunt.”

Lin Tian nodded thoughtfully. He recalled how Master Wan had once mentioned wanting to recruit him into the orchestra if he hadn’t retired yet. Whether it was genuine or polite flattery, it was still high praise for any performer.

Thinking about it, proving oneself as a musician came in many forms: performing at renowned venues, serving in prestigious orchestras, holding titled positions within musical associations. Accumulate enough years and accomplishments, and even mediocre talents could earn the title of “musician,” basking in the admiration of younger generations.

Yet none of that interested Gan Yanyu. Instead, she chose the hardest path of all—to claim victory at the highest levels of competition. Perhaps it wasn’t about proving herself but about representing her hometown and championing classical music itself.

From that standpoint, Gan Yanyu’s grandpa deserved every ounce of respect she commanded.

---

The soothing melodies filled the hall, creating an atmosphere both relaxing and serene—but dangerously sleep-inducing. Lin Tian stifled a yawn and glanced sideways at Gan Yanyu, who sat ramrod straight, completely engrossed. Her fingers twitched mid-air, mimicking invisible strings, and her lips moved silently, mouthing something.

“Yanyu?” Lin Tian called softly.

“A-Ah!” Startled, she jolted upright.

“What were you doing?”

“I…” She hesitated.

“Practicing cello?” Lin Tian guessed.

“Yes,” she admitted sheepishly.

“You know all these pieces too?”

“All three symphonies they’re playing tonight? Every movement.” She stopped abruptly, realizing how boastful it sounded.

“Wow, Miss Gan,” Lin Tian teased. “How many songs do you actually know?”

Aside from the occasional original compositions, Lin Tian rarely saw her practice anything else. After their rooftop meeting, where she’d improvised briefly, he hadn’t witnessed her tackle other works.

“Oh, not that many,” she brushed it off lightly, quickly redirecting her attention to the stage.

Something felt… off. Was she deliberately avoiding the topic?

It reminded him of the question he’d posed days ago: Why had returning home caused her so much stress compared to performing in England? Back then, she’d attributed it to being out of practice after a long hiatus. That was partly why he’d brought her here today—to familiarize herself with the venue.

But Lin Tian suspected there was more to it. Then again, Gan Yanyu without secrets wouldn’t be Gan Yanyu. If she didn’t want to share, he wouldn’t push her. All he hoped was that whatever burden weighed on her wouldn’t interfere with next week’s performance.

---

Two and a half hours later, they stepped out of the concert hall into the cool night air. The moon hung high above them as Lin Tian stretched lazily. Sitting through two and a half hours of symphony music had left his butt sore. Compared to that, his own twenty-minute performances suddenly seemed less grueling.

Beside him, Gan Yanyu yawned discreetly, clearly tired too.

“How was it?” Lin Tian asked.

“The music was beautiful, the venue spacious, and the audience well-behaved—no noisy kids.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Lin Tian rolled his eyes. “I wanted to know if coming here helped ease your nerves.”

She hesitated, her delicate features clouded with thought.

Lin Tian knelt beside her and playfully rolled up the hem of her trouser leg, revealing her slender legs. Sure enough, faint red marks dotted her thighs.

“Ah! What are you doing!” Startled by his sudden move, Gan Yanyu recoiled.

“Drawing on your legs again, huh?” Lin Tian asked.

“Not really drawing,” she mumbled guiltily. “Just refreshing the canvas…”

Lin Tian sighed. Even attending a symphony concert had left her this anxious? He understood, though. It was like sitting in class during introductions, knowing you’d soon take the stage yourself. The anticipation alone could make anyone jittery.

Gan Yanyu must’ve felt the same way, picturing herself standing on that very stage next week. Her heart was probably racing nonstop.

With seven days left, Lin Tian placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “You’ve got this. Trust in your abilities.”

She nodded silently, her gaze lingering on his wrist—the wrist adorned with her red hair tie.

“Lin Tian,” she murmured.

“Hmm?”

“Will you keep wearing this? Or will you take it off once we leave?”

Lin Tian studied the hair tie, unsure why she was asking. With a smile, he replied, “Do you want me to keep wearing it?”

“Yes.”

Even prepared for her honesty, Lin Tian felt his heart skip a beat. Did she somehow understand its meaning?

“Why?” he prodded.

“Because I don’t usually carry hairbands when I go out. If I need to tie my hair up, I can just borrow it from you,” she explained earnestly.

Lin Tian fought the urge to sweat-drop. Of course. Only someone pure-hearted like Gan Yanyu could remain oblivious to such subtext.

“Alright, I’ll keep it on,” he promised.

Her face lit up instantly. “Okay.”

---

Thursday. Six Days Until the Concert.

Early morning found Lin Tian walking into Qingzhou Seventh High School’s senior year classroom. Already, a crowd had gathered around the podium, where the mock exam rankings had been posted.

“Here we go again,” one student groaned. “How do they score so high?”

“Isn’t it always the same trio dominating the top three spots? Lin Tian, Su Ran, Zhao Liangming—it’s practically tradition.”

“They’re unstoppable. One excels at math, another at English, and Lin Tian? No weaknesses whatsoever. They’re leagues ahead of everyone else.”

“Lucky us, though. Our top students aren’t balding nerds—they’re attractive geniuses!”

“What’s wrong with liking smart, pretty girls? Or are you afraid you don’t measure up?” Another teased.

Discussing test scores was a favorite pastime among high schoolers, whether they aced exams or barely scraped by. Students huddled together, analyzing results like strategists plotting global domination. Sneaking peeks at crushes’ grades or gloating over rivals’ lower rankings added spice to the ritual. And secretly recalculating your own potential rank based on hypothetical corrections? That mental arithmetic rivaled Black Friday bargain hunting in intensity.

“Though…” someone muttered, “Lin Tian slipped this time. Su Ran and Zhao Liangming widened the gap significantly.”

Curious, Lin Tian approached the list. A quick glance confirmed the truth: third place in class, sixth overall. Normally, he maintained a comfortable lead over Su Ran and Zhao Liangming, but this time, Su Ran had surged ahead by a full twelve points.

It stung, but it wasn’t unexpected. Lin Tian was human, after all. No one could slack off indefinitely and retain their peak performance—not in Zhonghua’s hyper-competitive education system. The margin between triumph and defeat was razor-thin; falter even slightly, and others would seize the opportunity.

Their homeroom teacher Zhang Juan’s concerns about Lin Tian’s balance between academics and extracurriculars suddenly seemed prophetic.

Six days remained. Lin Tian resolved silently to focus fully on supporting Gan Yanyu through the upcoming concert. Once it ended, she’d return to school, and he’d dedicate himself entirely to catching up academically. With luck, they’d both deliver satisfactory results before the art exam deadline.

Later that evening, Lin Tian returned home to find the system interface awaiting him.

"Tension & Excitement" Emotion Collected: 63,628/50,000

Mission Complete: Compose a duet video with your partner, garner 500k likes, and collect 50k units of "tension and excitement."

Reward: Physical Recovery Capsule x1

Lin Tian froze. How had this happened? He’d monitored the data closely over the past few days, and growth had been minimal. While "Symphony in G Minor: Pathétique" racked up views rapidly, it failed to evoke the required emotions.

Confused, Lin Tian checked TikTok analytics. That’s when he noticed: "Moonlight and Cat" had surpassed 1 million followers. Meanwhile, the casual behind-the-scenes clip of "Can-Can Dance" he and Gan Yanyu uploaded casually had exploded, amassing over 80 million views worldwide.

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