Otaku Translation: My Girlfriend Is a Cello Player C106

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Chapter 106: Preparing for the Bilibili Debut

Since the creation of the Moonlight and Cat account, the comment section had always been divided into three types of people.

One group assumed that Moonlight and Cat were already in a romantic relationship and gleefully shipped them.

Another group hoped they’d become a couple someday, eagerly imagining scenarios where their favorite creators would confess their love to each other.

And then there was the third group—those who believed Moonlight and Cat were just actors hired by a company but still wished for their “characters” to fall in love so they could indulge in shipping fantasies.

No matter what, the end goal was always the same: ship, ship, ship.

Unfortunately, Moonlight and Cat had never addressed this question directly, leaving fans stuck in endless speculation. Now that they were planning a "fan Q&A" segment, ignoring or dodging such a crucial topic would feel like a slap in the face.

“So, Lin Tian, what do you think? How should we answer this?” Gan Yanyu asked suddenly.

After all, when she first learned about these rumors, she had panicked and rushed to ask Lin Tian for advice. Back then, he had reassured her, saying it wasn’t a bad thing to let the audience believe whatever they wanted. Naturally, it made sense for her to toss the question back to him now.

“Hmm…” Lin Tian stroked his chin thoughtfully, falling silent.

Letting people assume things was one thing. But outright confirming something? That was an entirely different matter.

It was like writing “Peking University graduate” on your TikTok bio. Outsiders could speculate all they wanted, and fans could run wild with theories, but as long as you didn’t personally confirm it—or use that title to promote yourself—you were safe from criticism.

“What do you think?” Lin Tian countered, throwing the ball back into Gan Yanyu’s court.

The girl lowered her head, absentmindedly crumpling the empty boba cup in her hands, producing faint crackling sounds.

“I…” she began hesitantly.

A heavy silence settled between them.

If Lin Tian said, “Why don’t we just admit it?” it might come off as though he were taking advantage of the situation under the guise of filming a video. Though, truth be told, he wasn’t exactly above ulterior motives. Still, he genuinely didn’t know how Gan Yanyu felt about the idea. As a girl, she deserved the final say in this decision—it only seemed fair.

But here she was, deflecting the responsibility back to him.

Unless… unless she truly didn’t care either way.

In which case, Lin Tian could casually announce something outrageous, like, “By the way, my wife is pregnant, and we’ve been married for three years with a kid!”

“Maybe we should just tell the truth,” Gan Yanyu finally said after a prolonged pause.

“And what is the truth?” Lin Tian prompted gently.

“We’re not in a relationship,” she replied firmly. “Just friends.”

“Oh.”

Lin Tian nodded. This was indeed the most straightforward answer.

Wasn’t that exactly what they should say? What else was there to add?

And yet, those ten seconds of awkward silence earlier spoke volumes.

Realizing this, Lin Tian found himself at a loss for words again.

Meanwhile, Gan Yanyu seemed lost in thought too. She was the one who suggested being honest, yet now she sat silently, sucking air through her empty boba cup.

She sucked the plastic hard enough to wrinkle the cup, then exhaled, smoothing it out. Stretching and shrinking it repeatedly, the sound of crinkling plastic echoed through the quiet café.

Finally, Lin Tian moved on, selecting a few more fan questions to discuss with Gan Yanyu. Once they finalized the content, it was time to figure out the format of the video.

As the saying goes, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” If they were going to debut on Bilibili, they needed to create a video that fit the platform’s unique vibe.

There was even a tongue-in-cheek phrase among users: “Spend enough time on Bilibili, and you’ll start smelling like… B-site flavor.”

What set Bilibili apart from other platforms was its strong association with otaku culture and anime-inspired aesthetics.

“For example, your current outfit doesn’t scream ‘otaku’ at all,” Lin Tian remarked, gesturing toward Gan Yanyu’s attire—a simple white T-shirt paired with denim shorts.

Her figure was undeniably attractive, radiating real-life charm rather than fictional allure. While her jet-black hair and impossibly long legs might appeal to certain Bilibili enthusiasts, there were two issues: First, Gan Yanyu never showed her face on camera. Second, Lin Tian wouldn’t allow her bare legs to appear in the video.

“So, what should I wear then?” she asked.

“Do you have any favorite anime?”

“Nope, not really.”

“What about music-themed anime? Have you seen Bocchi the Rock!?”

In this world, 60% of films and animations overlapped with those from Lin Tian’s past life, though some works existed here in alternate forms. He hadn’t yet figured out the exact pattern of which ones did and didn’t exist.

“Bocchi the Rock!? That’s such a strange name,” Gan Yanyu mused, struggling to connect the terms.

“Well then, why don’t you cosplay?” Lin Tian snapped his fingers, struck by inspiration.

Cosplay was the fastest way to immerse oneself in otaku culture. Imagine Gan Yanyu dressed as Hitori Gotoh—their shared air of natural clumsiness would make her perfect for the role. Plus, the costume consisted of a pink tracksuit layered over a pleated skirt, completely covering her body. Safe, wholesome, and family-friendly.

“Ah, cosplay?” Gan Yanyu frowned, looking hesitant. “I don’t think I’d be good at it.”

“Miss Gan, are you actually doubting your own looks?” Lin Tian teased, pulling up pictures of Hitori Gotoh on his phone and showing them to her.

Gan Yanyu studied the image of the pink-haired anime character thoughtfully.

“I don’t think this style suits me,” she declared earnestly.

“It doesn’t suit you?”

“Yes. If I’m going to cosplay, there’s another character I’ve always liked.”

“Oh? Who?” Lin Tian leaned forward, intrigued. So Miss Gan had her own ideas about cosplay, did she?

Gan Yanyu pulled up an image on her phone and handed it to Lin Tian.

Professional office attire: a sleek blazer, OL uniform, half-rim glasses, black stockings, and high heels.

“Nope,” Lin Tian rejected immediately.

“Why not?” Gan Yanyu protested, sitting upright with indignation. “This is a character I’ve always admired!”

“All right, fine. If you insist on dressing like this, I’ll tell everyone in the new video that Moonlight is actually a 40-year-old greasy middle-aged man, and Cat is my personal secretary tasked with filming videos as part of her job.”

That wasn’t cosplay—that was method acting.

“Fine,” Gan Yanyu pouted, sulking quietly.

Upon reflection, Lin Tian’s reasoning did make sense—it wouldn’t be appropriate.

To Lin Tian’s surprise, despite her seemingly innocent demeanor, Gan Yanyu harbored an interest in such provocative outfits. Perhaps it stemmed from curiosity about what she lacked? Either way, Lin Tian couldn’t let her follow through with it. Kids knew nothing.

In his eyes, flaunting “office lady” aesthetics on internet platforms bordered on exploiting suggestive imagery. Line up a dozen similar accounts and fire away—they’d hardly qualify as wholesome entertainment.

“How about reconsidering Bocchi the Rock!”

Pictures alone might not capture the essence of the character. Lin Tian scrolled through memes featuring Hitori Gotoh and showed them to Gan Yanyu.

“Not bad,” she admitted, perking up slightly. “It’s like a little pink pudding,” she added.

Seeing the memes sparked genuine interest in Gan Yanyu, Lin Tian explained. “That’s the charm of Hitori Gotoh.”

“But otaku fashion isn’t limited to just this style, right?”

“True, but since you’re unfamiliar, I’ll guide you.” In truth, if Gan Yanyu had patience, he could introduce her to other characters. For instance, he wouldn’t mind seeing her cosplay as Megumi Kato—a character known for wearing white thigh-high socks.

Then he could offer to massage her legs… and thoroughly enjoy the process.

“If we’re talking otaku styles, I actually have something suitable,” Gan Yanyu interjected suddenly, her tone serious.

“You do?” Lin Tian raised an eyebrow skeptically.

“Yes, it’s at home right now.”

“Really? Go try it on,” he urged, though doubts lingered.

“Okay.”

As she turned to leave, Gan Yanyu paused, pivoting back with bright, questioning eyes.

“What about you? If I’m changing into an otaku-style outfit, why aren’t you?”

Lin Tian sighed. Her wounded expression revealed a sense of unfairness. They were filming together, after all—didn’t she want to see him dressed in something ridiculous too?

“We’ve filmed countless episodes already. Has anyone ever cared what I wear?”

He spread his hands helplessly. He understood his audience well enough. If dressing up could attract fans, he’d strip down to showcase his abs or muscles without hesitation. The reality was, no one paid attention to him.

Gan Yanyu’s presence in the videos overshadowed everything else. Even without showing her face, her iconic elegance left fans fantasizing endlessly.

“Still, since we’re appearing together, our styles shouldn’t clash too much,” Gan Yanyu muttered sulkily.

“It’s otaku style, isn’t it? I can pull that off too,” Lin Tian retorted.

“With what?”

He pointed to his head. Did she not understand the value of the classic anime protagonist hairstyle—the legendary “M-shaped hairstyle”?

“Fine,” Gan Yanyu huffed, her voice tinged with barely noticeable irritation.

“Then I’ll go change,” she announced before leaving.

As Lin Tian watched her go, he mentally prepared himself. He knew Gan Yanyu well—classical and conservative, her wardrobe likely consisted of skirts and school uniforms. Where would she find anything remotely “otaku”? To her, drawing a fake mustache under her nose might be the epitome of Japanese style.

Regardless of her interpretation, Lin Tian decided to humor her suggestion. Once she realized how impractical her idea was, convincing her to wear thigh-high socks for a leg massage would be child’s play.

“How’s this?”

Before him stood Gan Yanyu in a sailor uniform: a blue-and-white top adorned with a long, creamy scarf; a navy pleated skirt paired with knee-high white socks; and her long hair cascading over her shoulders. The ensemble screamed straight out of a Japanese anime.

On a girl blessed with a naturally pure and innocent appearance, the sailor outfit unleashed nuclear-level charm.

“...”

Gan Yanyu adjusted the scarf at her chest, waving a hand in front of Lin Tian’s dazed expression. Tilting her head, she asked, “Well? Is this otaku enough for you?”

“Miss Gan,” Lin Tian exclaimed, clasping her hand dramatically. “If playing the cello doesn’t work out, let’s debut as idols in Japan! I’ll be your producer, write idol songs for you to sing, and together we’ll scam otaku wallets worldwide. Your beauty will conquer the world!”

“You idiot,” Gan Yanyu blushed furiously. “Can’t you compliment me sincerely for once?”

“At this point, failing to hype up Miss Gan’s visuals would be criminal negligence on my part,” Lin Tian stated solemnly.

“All right, all right. Let’s film this video now!”

Plans changed. Originally, they intended to finalize the fan questions and video style before filming in a couple of days. But after seeing Gan Yanyu in that sailor uniform, Lin Tian’s creative juices overflowed.

Why hadn’t she mentioned having a sailor uniform sooner? It was peak otaku perfection.

Lin Tian knew Bilibili’s audience of weebs inside and out. Show them overly filtered TikTok livestreams or generic influencer faces, and they’d dismissively label them as “sluts.” But put those same “sluts” in JK uniforms, speaking in cute voices with exaggerated mannerisms, and suddenly they’d transform into loyal fans.

Even if the streamer moonlighted elsewhere with explicit pricing, it wouldn’t stop them from milking unsuspecting Bilibili viewers.

This analogy wasn’t meant to imply that wearing JK uniforms equated to being a streamer—it simply highlighted the cultural significance of sailor outfits and JK aesthetics in the eyes of young otaku boys.

Gan Yanyu’s sailor uniform, however, was a glimpse of true authenticity amidst superficial trends.

Lin Tian arranged props purchased before but unused until now. He laid a fluffy white circular rug in front of the sofa, placed two plush dolls on the couch, and hung a white backdrop to conceal the café’s formal ambiance. Instantly, the space transformed into a cozy, anime-inspired setting.

“Let’s start recording.”

An hour later, after several takes, they finally completed the video. Unlike their usual short music clips, this fan Q&A stretched to twelve minutes.

Lin Tian registered a Bilibili account under the same name and titled the video:

“Newcomer Announcement: Hello everyone, we’re Moonlight and Cat. From today onward, we’ll officially debut on Bilibili!”

He then hit publish.

https://www.novelupdates.com/series/my-girlfriend-is-a-cello-player/

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