Otaku Translation: My Girlfriend Is a Cello Player C192

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Chapter 192: Winners and Losers

“YES!”

The moment the results were announced, Lin Tian raised his fist in triumph, releasing all the pent-up emotions he’d been holding back.

—Damn, it felt good.

Finally.

Three months had passed since their debut performance at the concert hall. From The Starlight Cup to The Parrot Cello Contest, Lin Tian and Gan Yanyu had fought their way through multiple stages together.

This was the first time Lin Tian truly felt like they’d won—not just a victory, but an overwhelming one.

Though it was only the semifinals, this win was enough to lift their spirits sky-high.

As joy washed over him, Lin Tian couldn’t help but reflect on how far they’d come.

So this competition…

It really could be won.

Every step of the way, there had always been some obstacle or setback that left them “just short” of success. At times, Lin Tian had almost given up hope entirely. But he knew better than anyone—victories weren’t meaningful because of their outcomes alone. It was the journey that made them precious.

When Toba Jianhui entered the picture, Lin Tian had mentally prepared himself for another two years of struggle. Yet here they were, having achieved what once seemed impossible.

Even Lin Tian found himself deeply moved by this triumph. And if he felt this way, then for Gan Yanyu—who had dedicated everything to reaching this goal—it must have been even more profound.

One step closer to her dream.

“…”

Lin Tian turned to look at Gan Yanyu, expecting to see her overwhelmed with excitement.

But instead, she stood still, staring blankly at the large screen, lost in thought.

Suddenly, Lin Tian remembered something.

Two years ago.

At sixteen years old, Gan Yanyu had walked off the very same stage during The Parrot Cello Contest semifinals. The exact same eight-player showdown, in the exact same venue. Back then, she abandoned the competition and fled to England, earning herself the label of “deserter.”

Now, returning to this place and securing victory in the semifinals…

This win meant so much more than anyone else could understand.

Gan Yanyu seemed to sense Lin Tian’s gaze and slowly turned toward him. She looked surprised for a moment, then smiled brightly, hands clasped behind her back.

“Great job, Lin Tian. We’ve advanced.”

“Yes.”

Meanwhile, the large screen displayed the scores for Group B’s four contestants:

Gan Yanyu: A+ (9), A (3)

Christine Nanali: A+ (4), A (2), B+ (3), B (3)

Yun Qiuqiu: A+ (3), A (2), B+ (6), B (1)

Mao Junfeng: A+ (0), A (1), B+ (8), B (3)

After the scores were revealed and everything settled, not long afterward—

“Whoosh—”

Lin Tian glanced toward the sound.

In the corner of the room, Yun Qiuqiu stood up, slung her cello over her shoulder, and began packing her things. Without saying a word, she pushed open the door and walked out.

Even the mighty “Queen of the Otakus” couldn’t remain unaffected by the outcome. Watching her leave, Lin Tian felt a pang of sympathy.

For all her nonchalant demeanor, who among those gathered here didn’t harbor dreams?

In this world, where there are winners, there will inevitably be losers. For those eliminated, the road ahead was long. Back home, Yun Qiuqiu would likely return to her life as a shut-in, pouring her passion into creating anime-inspired performance videos.

On the other side of the room, Mao Junfeng let out a yawn and stretched lazily. His companion patted him on the shoulder sympathetically.

“Too bad, Brother Feng.”

“Heh, no need to feel sorry for me,” Mao Junfeng replied with a hearty laugh, waving dismissively. “I got lucky just making it to the semifinals. Competing in these quarterfinals has already been a win for me. Besides, this experience will look great on my resume.”

The oldest contestant in the room, Mao Junfeng exuded the maturity of a man approaching middle age. Walking over to Lin Tian, he extended his hand warmly.

“Mr. Lin Tian, Mis Gan Yanyu. Fantastic performance. Best of luck in the finals.”

“Thank you,” Lin Tian nodded, shaking Mao Junfeng’s hand firmly. Though their interactions had been brief, Mao Junfeng’s chamber music had left a lasting impression on him.

“Haha, see you around!”

With a casual wave, Mao Junfeng went back to packing his belongings. As he did, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. Stubble peppered his jawline; his skin bore the marks of years spent outdoors. Compared to the fresh-faced eighteen-year-olds in the room, he looked worlds apart.

“…”

Pausing briefly, Mao Junfeng chuckled softly before continuing his task.

He wasn’t particularly talented or famous compared to others. He was just an ordinary cellist—a hardworking musician who stumbled upon a unique style that allowed him to stand out in a pool of 260 competitors and make it to the semifinals. Though defeated, he wasn’t disheartened.

In this room, he was fourteen years older than Gan Yanyu and Lin Tian—the youngest participants. Ahead of him lay prodigies whose youth, talent, and potential vastly overshadowed his own. But he had reached the limits of what an ordinary person could achieve.

To be blessed at thirty-two, to catch even a fleeting glimpse of greatness—Mao Junfeng considered it an honor.

This chapter of his musical journey had been worth every step.

Once finished packing, he glanced at Lin Tian and Gan Yanyu, then, as if resolving something, approached them once more.

“Mr. Lin Tian, Miss Gan Yanyu,” he said earnestly. “Though I may not be the most skilled, I pride myself on being a good judge of character. Let me tell you—both of you are far stronger than Bai Xi. Beat her in the finals.”

Raising a thumb in approval, Mao Junfeng bestowed his heartfelt blessing.

“Thanks for the encouragement,” Lin Tian replied.

With instruments slung over their shoulders, Mao Junfeng and his partner headed for the door. Before stepping out, he paused, turning back to the pair watching him.

“Goodbye,” he said with a smile, pushing the door open and disappearing from view.

In the now-empty green room, staff members filtered out to attend to Group A’s resting area, leaving only Lin Tian, Gan Yanyu, and Nanali behind.

The golden-haired girl sat silently, head bowed, biting her lip and clenching her fists tightly. Finally, she rose and approached Gan Yanyu.

“…”

Here it comes.

Finally, the moment Lin Tian had been waiting for.

Some things were best said by someone like Nanali—they carried a certain weight.

He’d anticipated this speech for so long.

She’ll say it.

She’ll definitely say it.

“Gan Yanyu, don’t think winning today means you can rest easy. I’ll keep chasing you, practicing harder than ever. One day, I’ll surpass you—I swear.” Nanali declared boldly, her voice ringing with determination.

—Damn, that felt good.

Lin Tian exhaled deeply.

Only someone like Nanali could deliver such a heartfelt, underdog-style declaration. The emotional payoff was off the charts.

“…”

Gan Yanyu stared at Nanali, momentarily stunned. Then, she broke into a gentle smile.

“All right,” she said softly.

“I’ll work hard too, but don’t push yourself too hard. Remember to take breaks—that’s what Lin Tian taught me.”

At those words, tears welled up in Nanali’s eyes, spilling down her cheeks uncontrollably.

“That’s why… I can’t hate you…” she whispered, covering her face with trembling hands.

In the next instant, Gan Yanyu stepped forward, opening her arms to embrace Nanali. She gently stroked the girl’s soft blonde hair as Nanali leaned into her, sobbing quietly.

“I’m sorry,” Gan Yanyu murmured tenderly.

“…”

Standing nearby, Lin Tian crossed his arms, observing the touching scene. His expression shifted subtly.

Why did this feel so different from what he’d imagined?

He never expected Gan Yanyu to show such maternal affection.

Tsk.

Maybe next time, he should challenge her to a match too.

After Nanali left, a staff member informed Lin Tian and Gan Yanyu that, as Group B’s winners, they needed to stay behind. Once Group A’s match concluded, Gan Yanyu would join the winner of Group A onstage for promotional photos leading up to the finals. These images would hang in Qingzhou Concert Hall for half a month.

Until then, they were free to roam as they pleased, provided they returned in time.

With Gan Yanyu agreeing without issue, the staff departed, leaving the two alone in the green room.

“Lin Tian,” Gan Yanyu suddenly turned to face him.

“Hmm?”

“Thank you.”

“Thank me?”

“Yes.”

“Aren’t we beyond formalities like ‘thank you’ by now?”

Though Gan Yanyu often preferred polite decorum, the current atmosphere made her sudden gratitude feel unexpectedly awkward for Lin Tian.

“This victory wouldn’t have happened without your efforts, right?”

Crossing her hands in front of her, Gan Yanyu continued softly:

“I know everything. In both the preliminaries and the semifinals, I simply did my part, yet the results were completely different. If I had to pinpoint why, I’d say it was the ‘emotion.’”

“I don’t know what kind of magic you used to pull this off, Lin Tian, but I recognize the effort you put in behind the scenes.”

“Thank you, Lin Tian—for working so hard.”

Finishing her heartfelt words, Gan Yanyu bowed deeply to him.

“No need for that, Miss Gan,” Lin Tian quickly interjected, pulling her upright. His cheeks flushed slightly despite himself.

Indeed, Lin Tian had fought the semifinal battle entirely on his own. From grappling with Toba Jianhui’s criticisms to receiving inspiration from Yao Han, and finally experimenting with subtle musical tweaks—all of it had been done secretly, without Gan Yanyu’s knowledge.

Yet somehow, she had sensed his contributions.

……….

How perceptive of her. Truly impressive, Miss Gan.

“…”

“Lin Tian,” Gan Yanyu suddenly reached out, grasping his hand. Startled, Lin Tian met her gaze. Her eyes shone with sincerity and warmth.

“In the finals, I won’t let you carry so much of the burden. I’ll win completely on my own strength.”

“Truly worthy of the ‘Group of Death,’” He Shumo remarked, flipping through the score sheets.

As judges, they hadn’t known the full scoring results until this moment.

“Even the three eliminated players received grades above Excellent-B.”

He sighed wistfully.

“Such a pity about Yun Qiuqiu and Christine. Both are extraordinary cellists who, on any other stage, would have achieved remarkable success. Unfortunately, they faced Gan Yanyu and Lin Tian.”

It reminded him of turbulent eras in history when legendary figures clashed in pursuit of dominance. Each contender, placed in another era, might have carved out their own empire. But gathered in the same time, only one could emerge victorious while the rest faded into obscurity.

Thinking about it, it was truly lamentable.

“They still had a chance to win,” Yao Han chimed in, leaning back in his chair with a grin. “Too bad—Lin Tian threw a wrench into the works.”

“Did you hear what everyone’s saying about us?”

Yao Han gestured toward the other judges seated farther down the table.

Turning, He Shumo saw the local Qingjiang musicians chatting animatedly.

“Gan Yanyu is truly a rare gem—a born performer.”

“And that pianist, Lin Tian—he complements her perfectly. Their chemistry is incredible. I love these two young talents.”

“That performance of Canon in D Major was undoubtedly A+-worthy. Those three A’s must be…”

The rest went unsaid, but everyone understood.

Given Chief Judge Toba Jianhui’s earlier critique, it was inevitable that some judges, out of respect for him, awarded lower scores. To outsiders, those three A’s likely came from the three Beijing-based judges.

“I trust you didn’t betray Toba Jianhui, right?” Yao Han quipped seriously, patting He Shumo’s shoulder.

“Well…”

“As Toba Jianhui’s staunch supporter, giving an A grade was already a stretch. You’ve done admirably.”

“Actually…”

He Shumo adjusted his glasses nervously.

“From the contestants’ perspective, this Canon in D Major…”

“Wait—you didn’t give it an A+, did you?” Yao Han interrupted sharply, his eyes widening in alarm.

“Mr. He, we agreed to follow Toba Jianhui’s lead. Even if you think it deserves excellence, sticking to an A suffices. Giving full marks reveals your stance.”

Sweat poured down He Shumo’s forehead.

“I’ve sinned. My apologies, Mr. Yao Han.”

Wiping his brow, He Shumo asked hesitantly, “And what about you?”

“Me? Don’t mistake me for someone like you. I’m Toba Jianhui’s absolute loyalist. Whatever grade he gave, I mirrored exactly.”

“You know his scores? He didn’t mention them to anyone.”

“No one understands Toba Jianhui better than I do.”

Yao Han patted He Shumo’s back.

“You’ve still got much to learn, my friend.”

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