WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Hydrogen B
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 63: VS.
──────
‘Why?’
Julia wondered.
‘Really, why?’
Normally, she did not take on this kind of work.
Her philosophy was that life was too short to waste time on such things, and her talent too limited.
Yet there were two reasons she had come here.
‘Why did the department head ask me for such a favor?’
One was because it was a request from her mentor.
It was not easy to refuse a request from a mentor who rarely asked anything of others.
‘Why offer such an enormous sum for just one month of lessons?’
The other reason was the fee she had heard about along with the offer.
Even Julia, who had never lacked for money, had doubted her ears when she heard it. It was enough to hire an entire orchestra and still have money left over, let alone a top-class violinist.
Her curiosity over that absurd sum was precisely why she had accepted the proposal.
“You seem to have many questions, Julia.”
“Was it that obvious?”
“I’m quite perceptive.”
From her black hair held neatly with a jade hairpin to her silk dress, and even the strangely mature air that contrasted with her youthful face.
Li Qing-yu was a beautiful girl who seemed to embody an Eastern air of mystery. Smiling softly, she added:
“That is also because the people who came before you had many questions.”
“So I wasn’t the first after all.”
“You guessed?”
“There are usually only so many reasons to offer this much money for this kind of work.”
Julia answered frankly.
Then, curiosity in her eyes, she asked Li Qing-yu:
“Just out of curiosity, what number am I?”
“The third.”
“That is unexpected.”
“Because it is too few, or too many?”
“Too few. The terms were so generous that I thought I was about the hundredth person you had called in.”
Julia’s half-joke was also half-serious. Otherwise, she could not understand such an outrageous fee.
As if she understood how Julia felt, Li Qing-yu smiled and spoke.
“Were the terms a bit excessive?”
“Not a bit. Very. I was wondering whether you intended to make me do something illegal.”
‘Though I am equally curious about this girl’s identity.’
East Asians were said to age well, but no matter how Julia looked at her, Li Qing-yu seemed no older than her late teens.
Yet this girl had not only invited her, but rented out an entire top-class café at the Leviathan Hotel to entertain her.
Of course Julia could not help wondering who Li Qing-yu really was.
As though she had read Julia’s suspicions, Li Qing-yu continued with a gentle smile.
“I have no intention of asking you to do anything dangerous or illegal. It is simply that you are the only person who can do this, so your fee has risen accordingly.”
“There are many first-class violinists besides me.”
“But world-class violinists are rare.”
Julia did not bother denying it.
She was not the greatest performer in the world, but it was an objective fact that her name was always mentioned whenever people spoke of the finest violinists.
And there was a reason her reputation stood out even among so many violinists, beyond mere ability.
“Especially world-class violinists who have no Skills related to music or performance, and are not Players at all.”
Since the Iron Age began, most people once called first-class had fallen from their positions.
Composers, singers, directors, financial experts, professors, doctors, prosecutors. Countless people had lost their places to Players.
Simply by using Skills, Players could gain techniques and abilities beyond those of the best professionals.
Yet even in this era, some had stubbornly held on to their place through their own innate ability.
Julia was one such exception.
Without borrowing the power of Skills, she performed on equal footing with world-class Players. Julia Franke, known as the Witch of the Violin.
“That is a rather unexpected reason.”
“Is it?”
“Usually, people do not prefer non-Player performers. Learning from a Player is faster and more precise.”
“Yes. Usually, that is true.”
Li Qing-yu readily agreed.
Players could use Skills alone to identify a student’s aptitude and potential, things an ordinary performer might struggle to discern even after months of teaching.
And with Skills such as 『Instruction』 or 『Growth Acceleration』, they could produce several times the learning effect.
It was only natural for an ordinary performer to want instruction from a Player.
“But the person who invited you this time is a little... No, quite special.”
“Hm? You were not the one who invited me?”
“If you mean the person who sent the invitation and will pay for your lessons, then yes, I am. But if you mean the person who wants your instruction, then no.”
“I see...?”
Li Qing-yu’s calm answer only made Julia more curious.
Having met many members of high society, Julia could tell that Li Qing-yu was the sort to command others, never be commanded by them.
Naturally, she had assumed this girl would be the one she was teaching. To learn that she was merely an intermediary was unexpected in several ways.
‘Could she be arranging lessons for a younger sibling or a friend?’
After making a few guesses about Li Qing-yu’s circumstances, Julia decided not to pry into the details and instead focus on the student she would be teaching.
“In what way are they special? Talent? Or personality?”
“In both ways.”
“I see. They must be quite a difficult student.”
Julia smiled wryly.
Whether someone had talent but a poor personality, or a good personality but little talent, they were bound to give a teacher a headache.
If both were problems, she could understand why the two before her had given up.
Li Qing-yu watched her with an odd expression.
“Well, it will probably be difficult in a different way from what you are imagining.”
“What do you mean?”
“It is difficult to explain in words. You would not understand or accept it unless you experienced it yourself.”
“...?”
“So I would like to ask you in advance.”
Li Qing-yu spoke calmly to the puzzled Julia.
“If possible, please do not listen to that person play. At least not for a while.”
For a moment, Julia wondered if it was a joke.
Teaching someone without listening to them play was more absurd than teaching music to a deaf person.
But the moment she saw Li Qing-yu’s eyes, serious instead of smiling as before, she realized she meant it.
“...Why?”
“Because you will want to run away.”
Julia looked at her with some suspicion, considerable doubt, and curiosity.
Li Qing-yu gave a faintly bitter smile.
“At least, the two who came before you did.”
In conclusion, Julia accepted the request.
Li Qing-yu had been so serious, and Julia truly wanted to meet the person this girl kept insisting was so special.
Though even Julia had been uncomfortable when she had to sign a confidentiality agreement.
In any case, only after the agreement had been signed did Li Qing-yu finally lead her to the student.
“This is where the student I am supposed to teach is?”
“Yes. They are waiting inside this practice room.”
“Just to confirm, what are the usage restrictions for this practice room?”
“None.”
“...The usage time?”
“No. I mean every facility at the Leviathan Hotel, including every instrument and device in this practice room.”
An executive suite had already been prepared for her as well.
Julia stared blankly at the smiling Li Qing-yu, blinked several times, then asked dazedly:
“Are you trying to bankrupt me?”
“Do not worry. While you are teaching, every expense will be covered as part of your instruction fee.”
“Just who am I supposed to teach for you to go this far?”
Julia was genuinely curious now.
But Li Qing-yu did not answer. She merely smiled and glanced through the door.
“You will understand when you see them yourself.”
Leaving only those meaningful words behind, Li Qing-yu quickly departed, saying she would only be a distraction.
Julia looked uncertainly at the empty space she had left behind for a moment.
Then she gave a small sigh, steeled herself, and opened the practice room door.
“Hallo, schön dich zu treffen. (Hi, nice to meet you.)”
And there she met him.
A man sitting with his legs crossed.
A blue baby bird perched on his head.
The person who greeted her with one hand casually raised.
A black-haired young man whom Julia would remember as the most unusual student of her life.
* * *
“Student Lee.”
“Lee.”
“Hm?”
“At my age, being called a student is rather embarrassing. Just call me Lee.”
“...All right, Lee.”
As though he were granting her special permission, the young man calmly chose how she should address him.
Julia wore an odd expression.
Despite her youth, she had taught many students, but this was the first time she had met one so arrogant immediately after they had introduced themselves.
‘Perhaps he is the poorly raised grandson of some conglomerate owner?’
That would explain it. Both his arrogant personality and the tremendous wealth that allowed him to use the Leviathan Hotel as though it were his own home.
But something did not quite fit.
‘For someone like that, he seems strangely dignified...’
His appearance and manner of speech seemed merely arrogant.
Yet Julia, who had met many members of high society, sensed a peculiar dignity in the young man’s attitude, despite his complete lack of formality.
It felt less as though he were showing off, and more as though he objectively believed he deserved to act this way.
And that strangely old-fashioned, refined German pronunciation...
‘Yes. Like an aristocrat.’
During her studies in the British Empire, she had seen old aristocrats there.
In particular, he reminded her of elderly nobles from martial families, retired soldiers proud of their military achievements.
The sort of old men who served tea and pastries with an indifferent air so that their strict manners would not burden their guests.
Of course, the difference in age was great. Still, if he had grown up under such a grandfather, he might have inherited this attitude.
‘Perhaps he is a young master from some aristocratic family.’
Julia stopped her speculation there.
If they had made her sign a confidentiality agreement, they surely had circumstances of their own. She had no desire to dig deeply into them.
More importantly, there was something she needed to learn before Lee’s identity.
“I was not told anything beforehand. Could you tell me about your experience first?”
“Experience?”
“Yes. Things like what competitions you have entered and what prizes you have won.”
In truth, Julia was not someone who valued credentials highly.
No matter how famous the music school one had attended or what prizes one had received, credentials were only credentials. She believed that only performance could truly prove a performer.
Still, because Li Qing-yu had made that request, Julia intended to be satisfied with hearing about his experience for now.
“I have nothing like that.”
“...Nothing? What do you mean?”
“I have never entered one of those competitions or anything like that.”
“What?”
Julia could not help being startled.
Unlike Li Qing-yu, whose age was difficult to guess, Lee was clearly a young man in his twenties.
Any ordinary performer who had learned violin from childhood would naturally have entered at least a few competitions by his age.
But not only did he have no record of winning prizes, he had never even entered a competition?
“Just in case, Lee, where did you learn the violin... No, who taught you?”
“Regrettably, the kids who came before ran away before they could teach me anything. If we are speaking of learning about the violin, you will be the first.”
Watching the black-haired young man smile mischievously as he added, “If you do not run away too,” Julia felt the corner of her mouth twitch.
But she did not explode.
Instead, she asked one final question with the last of her hope.
“Then when did you first play the violin?”
“About a month ago.”
The moment she heard Lee’s proud answer, Julia laughed hollowly and finally uttered two words.
“Verdammt Scheiße.”[1]
Footnotes:
[1] Verdammt Scheiße: German profanity, roughly “damn shit.”
“Verdammt Scheiße” is German profanity, roughly meaning “damn shit.”
Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried
