One of the key attractions of short videos is that they capture life as it happens.
Such perspectives, like a stranger's recording of a "waiter" playing the piano in a restaurant, naturally tend to elicit people's fondness and attention.
With 120,000 likes on Douyin, this likely means there have been over 5 million views.
On the whole of Douyin, this might not be much.
But what's crucial is that this video had its location tagged—
[Qingzhou SWING Restaurant]
When a video with 120,000 likes is brought into real life, close to oneself, especially within the campus community,
It counts as truly remarkable popularity!
"Let me see!"
Lin Tian eagerly took the phone.
In the video, he was wearing his work uniform, sitting at the restaurant's piano, performing "Dream Wedding."
Around him, many restaurant guests crowded and took photos.
It was such a simple, unedited video….
Yet the comments section was already filled with thousands of comments!
[Holy shit, is this guy a high school student? So awesome...]
[I've been learning piano for three years and I might not even have such skill.]
[This bro is so handsome! Where's the restaurant? I want to check it out!]
[A handsome guy playing the piano, I can't imagine how much more delicious that makes the food!]
[Am I the only one curious what the name of this piece is?]
[....]
Before opening the comments section, Lin Tian had thought that most of the discussion would be about "Dream Wedding."
After all, this was a world-renowned piano piece in his previous life.
You'd think that this would count as the piece's impressive debut and that it would be shocking enough!
But it turned out, less than twenty percent of the comments discussed the piece.
For most people, it seemed that they only knew the piece sounded good, nothing more.
In fact, many probably assumed it was just a piano piece they hadn't heard before - there are so many unheard yet beautiful instrumentals, nothing unusual there!
This gave Lin Tian a bit of a headache.
The other eighty percent of the comments.
Some described the shock brought about by the video, while others... were trying to unbox Lin Tian!
They gave Lin Tian a very cool nickname, "Piano Guy."
And then they went wild in the comments.
[Within ten minutes, I want all the information on this Piano Guy!]
[He's so handsome, he's got to have a Douyin account, right? Secretary, check for me!]
[Quick, quick, quick, if I don't know the name of Piano Guy in one day, I won't be able to sleep well...]
Netizens, other than being slow to find a wife, are incredibly quick at everything else.
Soon, some in the comments section started to spill secrets.
[Not entirely sure, but... feels like it's Lin Tian, a senior from Qingzhou Seventh Middle School next door.]
[He's indeed handsome, a lot of younger girls in our school are familiar with him.]
[Not just handsome, but also has good grades, always within the top ten of his grade....]
Damn!
He's been fully unboxed!!
Lin Tian felt a sudden sense of dread.
What he hadn't expected was.
How come so many people knew him?
Ever since starting high school, Lin Tian had been very low-key, staying at the edge, the kind of person who'd stay seated if there was no need to move around.
He might not even remember all his classmates' names.
He always thought he'd been quite successful at being peripheral at school.
At least he rarely encountered anyone trying to chat him up…
It seems he'd been merely deceiving himself?!
But using Xu Yong's case as an example, it makes sense.
After all, even Xu Yong could recognize Gan Yanyu, who had taken a year off.
As long as she's a top-tier beauty, even if she's not at the school, a guy like Xu Yong would be aware of her.
High school students, usually crammed with academics, occasionally a little bit of unfounded gossip is enough to be a topic of conversation for a long time....
A handsome guy whose name is always near the top of the grades list.
It'd be unlikely to say no one in the grade knows him.
However, the revelations aren't over yet.
[But... Senior Lin Tian seems to have a "chronic scowl syndrome", looking quite mean when expressionless, and he's always a loner at school, giving off the impression of being hard to get along with....]
[There have long been rumors that Senior Lin Tian has a very pretty girlfriend outside, so he's disinterested in the girls at school, always showing a scowl...]
[If sisters from other schools are interested and thinking of making a move, my advice is to save it... Our own senior high school girls haven't dared to try, let alone us younger ones... You outsiders wouldn't even have a chance in line....]
Seeing this.
Lin Tian looked up and towards Xu Yong.
"Yong, do you think I usually have a sour face?"
"Where's the sourness? You've just got a classic stoic face."
"Isn't that also called a sour face?"
"The difference between having a dead mom and not having one is still there." Xu Yong stated solemnly.
"You're right; my mother is indeed quite alive."
Lin Tian nodded, then looked back at his phone.
When he refreshed again, the comment with the revelation had already disappeared.
In the comments section, there continued to be a dribble of similar revealing comments, but before long, they also gradually faded away.
Lin Tian speculated.
Is this probably Douyin's protection mechanism?
For some comments that are direct exposures, it would limit their reach, even deleting them.
This is also a sort of protection for the people in the videos, preventing their information from spreading.
What's more, the protagonist is a high school student.
However, seeing many people in the comments looking for the Piano Guy's Douyin account.
This might not be a bad thing.
Anyway, tonight focus on pondering short video ideas, and discuss further with Gan Yanyu tomorrow.
...
After school in the afternoon, Lin Tian left the classroom.
It happened to be the peak period for school letting out, with people coming and going on the playground.
Walking in the campus, Lin Tian distinctly felt that the focused gazes coming his way were much more than before.
It's really spread, huh...
Lin Tian was somewhat helpless.
"Hello, you!"
Just then, two girls blocked Lin Tian's path.
One of the girls looked embarrassed and shyly said,
"Excuse me, are you Senior Lin Tian?"
Hearing someone actually make the first move.
For a moment, many of the girls around, who had already been watching, deliberately slowed down their steps.
"What is it?" Lin Tian asked.
"I... I wanted to ask, is the 'Piano Guy' on Douyin you?"
"What Piano Guy?" Lin Tian frowned.
This change in expression immediately frightened the speaking girl into trembling,
"No, it's nothing!!"
A friend of the speaking girl suddenly became very interested in digging at the ground with her toe.
She gradually took a couple of steps back, trying to put on an appearance of unfamiliarity.
"Anything else?" Lin Tian asked.
"Yes... there is!"
Then, the girl mustered her courage and said loudly,
"Senior Lin Tian, do you have a girlfriend?!"
As soon as these words came out.
All the bystander girls around miraculously quieted down at the same moment.