I Just Wanted to Play Soccer, But I Became a Hollywood Heartthrob

"Damn it! That bastard actually pulled it off!" Rusty's face twisted in shame and frustration.

There was nothing he could do—Gu Ran had juggled 361 times on his first attempt, while his own best record was only 50.

Rusty had personally handed Gu Ran the golden opportunity to flex on him.

But for Gu Ran, this wasn't about showing off—he was genuinely serious about going again.

The dopamine rush from juggling was simply addictive.

Plus, he wanted to test his limits.

This attempt was far from his best performance.

In his previous life, his record was 874 juggles, and today, he didn't even reach half of that.

Analyzing the reasons:

He wasn't wearing proper football shoes. He hadn't stretched properly before juggling. His new body lacked coordination, flexibility, and endurance.

Given these conditions, hitting 300+ juggles was already an overperformance.

However, if he simply focused on clean, basic foot juggling, he was confident he could reach 500 to 600 without much issue.

After all, this body was young—

And youth meant boundless energy.

"I'm going again! I'm going again!" Gu Ran ran after the ball.

"No need! That's enough!" Rusty's face burned red as he grumbled, "Chinese kid, I admit it... you win."

Gu Ran looked unsatisfied. "Why are you giving up so quickly? How about… we pretend that last round didn't count and let me go again?"

Sophie's almond eyes widened before she rushed over and pinched Gu Ran hard.

"That's enough!"

Rusty covered his face and roared, "Are you trying to humiliate me twice?! Wasn't once enough?!"

Gu Ran quickly waved his hands, "That's not what I meant! I just feel like… football is kinda easy, you know?"

This time, he really was showing off.

Rusty's veins bulged in fury.

"Chinese kid! Don't get cocky! So what if you can juggle? Juggling isn't real football!"

"I admit, I lost this match. I can't compete for Sophie anymore! I, Rusty, keep my word—I won't bother her again!"

"But listen up!"

Rusty jabbed a finger at Gu Ran's chest.

"I don't accept this loss."

"You don't understand real football. If you've got the guts, face me in a real match!"

"This time, it's got nothing to do with Sophie!"

"This is just man versus man. I'm going to show you what real football looks like!"

A real football match?

Gu Ran's eyebrows twitched.

This… this is a great opportunity.

If he beat the school team's starting center-back in front of everyone, he could definitely secure a spot on the team.

Joining the team meant competing in the National High School Cup.

Which meant…

Playing against the best high school footballers in England.

And in every match, he could steal more professional skills!

Jackpot!

Gu Ran flashed a calm smile.

"You're right, Rusty. Juggling isn't all there is to football. I'd love to understand what real football is."

"So I accept your challenge."

"Today is Saturday. Monday after school, I'll meet you on the pitch."

Rusty grinned and gave him a thumbs-up.

"You've got guts! I'll be waiting with my teammates!"

"See you Monday!"

Rusty then turned toward Sophie, his face solemn.

Sophie instinctively inched closer to Gu Ran.

Rusty sighed.

"Sophie… I loved you so much… but I guess we're not meant to be."

"By the way, can you give me your friend Susanna's number? You know, the one with the… big assets?"

Sophie's eye twitched.

"…Get lost."

"Got it, got it!" Rusty and his boys scattered like rats.

The onlookers laughed and slowly dispersed.

Before long, only Gu Ran and Sophie remained at the café entrance.

"Let's go."

Gu Ran was already thinking about upgrading his system.

He didn't even spare Sophie a glance.

After all, there was no audience anymore.

He didn't need to act anymore.

Sophie's face reddened.

She pretended to stay calm.

"Where to?"

"Home, of course."

Sophie's heart raced.

Is he… really planning to do something to me?

Oh my god! Why did I promise to let him do whatever he wanted if he won?!

Sophie stood frozen in place, her expression a mix of panic and embarrassment.

She lowered her head and whispered,

"But… my parents are home…."

Gu Ran, already ten meters ahead, hadn't heard a word she said.

"Gu Ran!!!"

Sophie stomped her foot.

Gu Ran turned around, confused.

"Huh? What's wrong?"

Sophie gritted her teeth.

"Go to hell!"

Then, she stomped forward angrily, walking ahead of Gu Ran.

Gu Ran was completely bewildered.

What's her problem?

Why is she suddenly mad again?!

I didn't even do anything!

I just said we should go home!

I mean, isn't that the logical thing to do now that everything is settled?

Gu Ran observed Sophie's furious stomping—

Her negative emotion level must be hitting 90 points right now.

Too bad I can't collect anything today!

I need to wait until midnight…

Such a waste!

From now on, he needed to be more selective with his skill picks.

Good thing that once the daily limit was hit, negative emotions wouldn't generate bubbles anymore.

Otherwise, seeing them and not being able to collect them would be torture.

Hmm… could I negotiate with Sophie? Maybe ask her to hold her anger until after midnight?

Yeah… maybe if he ignored her, she'd bottle it up for later.

So, Gu Ran silently followed behind her.

Meanwhile, Sophie got angrier with every step.

In the café, he was grabbing her waist, staring at her with deep affection, lifting her chin, showering her with flirty gestures…

Now, he wasn't even talking to her?!

That bastard Gu Ran! That scumbag!

He's playing hard to get, isn't he?!

Fine! I won't talk to you either!

Hmph!

With silent tension hanging between them, the two walked home.

Sophie's house was in the Harbor District, just a fifteen-minute walk from Costa Coffee.

Her family was upper-middle class—the house wasn't large, but the lawn was neatly trimmed and well-maintained.

As soon as she entered, she stormed upstairs to her bedroom.

"Welcome back."

Sophie's dad, sitting in the living room, glanced at her before returning to his newspaper.

"Good afternoon, Uncle Andrew," Gu Ran greeted politely.

This house felt so familiar from his past life.

He barely contained his emotions as he spoke.

Andrew Turner—almost 40, already balding, and wearing a tight Southampton football jersey that made his belly look even bigger.

"Ah-ha! Our Chinese genius is back!"

"What do you want for dinner? I'll have Aunt Sally cook for you."

Gu Ran quickly waved his hands.

"Oh, no need to trouble her, Uncle Andrew. I'm not picky."

Andrew turned toward the kitchen and shouted:

"Sally! Gu wants lamb kidney pie! Medium-rare! And grill some oysters! Also, make a big dish of mustard onion mashed potatoes! Oh, and lamb organ pudding!"

Sophie's mom called back from the kitchen.

"Got it! I'll start cooking!"

Gu Ran: "…."

Andrew winked at Gu Ran.

"By the way, Gu—you're 17, right? Wanna drink tonight? There's a big match: Southampton vs. Northampton!"

Then, he leaned in and whispered secretly:

"I bet 1,000 pounds on Southampton winning!"

Gu Ran's eyes flickered.

His past-life memory kicked in.

He knew exactly how this match ended.

It was time… to make a big move.

(End of Chapter)