Chapter 275: Lin Tian’s Performance Advantage
It’s over.
Watanabe Satoru thought to himself.
He took a deep breath, let his arms drop, raised his head to gaze at the ceiling of the concert hall.
The gilded decor was so dazzling that it nearly blinded him, and his back was drenched in sweat.
Admittedly, this was a pretty challenging piece.
But I did it!
A surge of gratification washed over him.
He stood up, went to the front of the stage, and bowed.
For a moment, thunderous applause erupted from the audience!
Even those who didn’t know a thing about pianos found themselves blown away by the performance!
“Even though this tune wasn’t as good as expected, I think he played it really well!”
“Yeah, the notes were jumping all over, but he made great transitions—super fast!”
“Just listening, I bet his hand speed could rival a machine!”
The practice piece had its own charm since it’s designed purely for practicing technique.
Its emotional impact couldn’t be compared with other pieces, but nobody cared about that.
The crowd just marveled at how Watanabe Satoru could play such a non-melodic tune so skillfully.
That itself showed some serious talent!
In fact, this performance looked impressive to outsiders.
Insiders would bow in respect—or kneel.
In the dressing room, the guys who just finished playing, like Williams and Lloyd, were also in awe.
“What an awesome newcomer! That piece required frequent leaps and complex runs, and not many could nail it like that.”
“Best Newcomer? Watanabe should win for sure! Only rookies in the final?”
They paused when they mentioned the next newcomer.
“Lin Tian!”
These words caught everyone off guard.
They almost forgot his name!
This guy stunned Nishikawa Yuha right in the first round with “Croatian Rhapsody.” He’s everyone’s top pick for knocking Nishikawa out.
If it’s Lin Tian…
Things just got interesting!
“Yeah,” Lloyd hesitated then commented, “but doesn’t Lin Tian’s skill seem a bit raw?”
“Yeah,” Williams agreed grimly, “his technique feels hollow, even if his expression is solid. It’s like he jumped straight into advanced stuff without solid fundamentals.”
Williams felt this disparity.
To achieve mastery, one needs years of practice.
Yet Lin Tian, through sheer talent, picked up incredible skills in a short time.
But with less than two decades of experience, his strength seems surface-level.
“The challenge for Lin Tian against Watanabe’s ‘43rd Etude’ is real!”
Everyone understood.
This piece targets Lin Tian directly!
Coincidentally, both are rookies in the final.
And each is the only rookie their opponent can go toe-to-toe with in the finals.
It’s just too convenient.
Hardly anyone plays etudes in competitions.
Saying it was a lucky draw is stretching it.
But for Watanabe Satoru to predict Lin Tian’s weakness before the competition, and foresee this matchup—it’s impossible.
Now, everyone was disappointed.
“Lin Tian’s chance at Best Newcomer is gone with that etude!”
“For sure. A gap in technique is hard to bridge with choice of piece.”
“Ah, what a waste! With all the composing skills, he might’ve snagged a prize in this match.”
Lin Tian looked up.
Right there was Nishikawa Yuha.
“Can I call you ‘Lin Tian-kun’?”
“Suit yourself.”
“‘Lin Tian-kun,’ it’s my turn now! The next one is you. Get ready!”
Nishikawa punched the air to encourage Lin Tian.
“Alright.”
Lin Tian nodded, “You do the same.”
After watching Nishikawa leave the dressing room,
Lin Tian continued pondering.
Yao Han stood up finally.
“I’m heading back to my room, Lin Tian-sensei.”
His gaze forward, a slight smirk on his lips.
“It’s your call: wait it out or throw caution to the wind.”
Only Lin Tian remained.
True, he couldn’t help being moved by Watanabe’s performance.
The dude wasn’t as simple as he appeared.
Sure, Lin Tian’s own playing wasn’t yet top-tier, but his sense of level wasn’t lacking.
Given Watanabe’s skill, placing among the top five was believable.
As for Lin Tian?
No clue.
Top-tier harmony with Gan Yan Yu or a questionable chance at nationals.
When soloing, every pianist saw he wasn’t among the elite.
One relied on feeling and connection; the other on raw technique.
A clear chasm existed that Lin Tian struggled to cross.
What then?
Choosing another tough piece for a head-on battle wouldn’t work.
But he needed to showcase enough skill.
So, he had to play to his strengths.
Actually, the critics were wrong!
Lin Tian’s “performance” indeed sucked in terms of his piano mastery.
But performance encompasses many aspects.
Like the emotion he learned from Gan Yan Yu.
Thus, with a deeply emotional performance, maybe he could bridge the gap.
And precisely—
Such a piece graced Lin Tian’s choice for the finals.
“Next, Nishikawa Yuha will perform a self-composed nocturne titled ‘Silent Door.’”
As the voice echoed across the stage,
Lin Tian looked up at the big screen as Nishikawa stepped confidently onto the stage.
Then his face turned rigid.
Coincidence, again?
(The End)
