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

Sophie Turner sat back down, her pretty face still puffed with frustration.

Right in front of her on the table, floating in mid-air, was a dim gray bubble—one that only Gu Ran could see.

Compared to the one dropped by the waitress earlier, this bubble was noticeably smaller and less complete in shape.

Gu Ran sat across from Sophie, his gaze filled with both disappointment and anticipation as he locked onto the bubble.

This… is way too small.

He shook his head regretfully.

Why is it so tiny?

Oh… now I get it!

Earlier, the system said that Sophie's negative emotion value was only 17 points. That was far lower than the waitress's 38 points, which must be why this bubble is so much smaller.

So, the size of the bubble is directly linked to the negative emotions of the person who dropped it.

But what skill could be inside Sophie's bubble?

Sophie was brilliant in academics and acting, and she was a future Hollywood superstar. Whether it was perfect English pronunciation, acting skills, or even something from her studies, anything she dropped had to be useful!

Excitement flashed through Gu Ran's mind as he stretched out his hand.

The moment his fingertip touched the bubble, it shattered, turning into a strand of light that flowed into his body.

Ding~

"Host has obtained a skill from a damaged bubble: Bra Unclasping Technique +1. Today's collection progress: 2/10."

"Friendly reminder: This skill enhances the host's proficiency in unclasping bras. No matter how complex the clasp design, you can now undo it with ease."

...Bra Unclasping?!

Gu Ran froze in place.

Wait…

What the hell kind of skill is this?!

What use does a grown man have for a bra unclasping skill?!

It's not like I wear—

Hold on. A skill is a skill. You never know when it might come in handy.

Gu Ran's expression stiffened, his arm twitched slightly, and then he casually retracted his hand, pretending like nothing had happened. He picked up the menu on the table as if he had simply been reaching for it the whole time.

But Sophie had already noticed his weird movement and strange expression just now.

Her face flushed with embarrassment as she instinctively covered her chest with both hands and leaned back slightly.

Gu Ran, however, was too absorbed in studying the system bubbles to notice her reaction.

Because just now, he had seen a new number change.

Today's collection progress: 2/10?

Did this mean he could only collect a maximum of 10 bubbles per day?

Then it wouldn't be smart to pick up just any random bubble.

If the first two gray bubbles only gave garbage skills, then it meant:

Some gray bubbles are worthless because the person dropping them doesn't have any impressive skills. Others might contain good skills, but the negative emotion value wasn't high enough.

The waitress's gray bubble was probably the first type—she just didn't have any valuable skills to drop.

Sophie's gray bubble was likely the second type—she had great skills, but her negative emotion wasn't high enough to drop a good one.

That means Sophie definitely has better skills to offer!

Now, the question was: how do I increase Sophie's negative emotion value?

As Gu Ran studied the menu absentmindedly, his eyes couldn't help but scan Sophie up and down with an intense gaze.

That was the final straw.

Sophie, who had already been on edge, finally couldn't take it anymore. She clutched her chest tighter, her voice stammering in outrage.

"Gu… I told you to pretend to be my boyfriend, not act like a pervert!"

…???

Gu Ran snapped back to reality, realizing how wrong the situation looked.

He quickly changed the subject.

"Ahem… I don't know what you're talking about, Sophie. Let's just order something to eat."

But Sophie wasn't going to let it slide.

"Not so fast! Explain what you were just doing first!"

"I wasn't doing anything! Absolutely nothing!"

Gu Ran raised both hands in surrender, then innocently shrugged.

"It's all a misunderstanding. Besides… what's there for me to take advantage of? Even though we're pretending to date, I've always just treated you like one of the guys, you know?"

Sophie froze.

Then her face turned stormy.

In Western schools, girls start caring about their figures early on—especially at fifteen or sixteen.

Sophie had long, gorgeous legs, classic British beauty, but there was one thing she wasn't confident about—her chest size.

And now, this guy just outright said she had "nothing to take advantage of" and that he saw her "as one of the guys"?!

Ding~

"Sophie Turner's negative emotion has reached 65 points. Generating system bubble…"

65?!

Why so high?!

Gu Ran was completely shocked.

What did I even say to piss her off this badly?!

But before he could think too much, his attention was completely captured by the new floating bubble in front of Sophie.

It was no longer gray—this time, it was a brilliant sky-blue bubble, large and full, radiating an extraordinary glow.

A high-level skill bubble!

Gu Ran instantly reached out for it like a starving man grabbing food.

But before he could touch it, Sophie saw his hungry stare, mistook it for something else, and finally exploded in anger.

"You still say you're not a pervert?! Not even a minute has passed, and you're at it again!"

Furious, she slammed the table and shot up from her seat.

"Gu Ran! If I ever agree to go on a date with you again… I'll do your laundry for three months!"

With that, she stormed out of the café without looking back.

She walked fast, assuming Gu Ran would chase after her and apologize.

Truth be told, she had a slight crush on him. That's why she chose him to be her fake boyfriend—she even considered the possibility that they might turn real.

But now? This date was a disaster.

She swore to herself that no matter how much he begged, she wouldn't forgive him!

…

Meanwhile, Gu Ran sat happily in his chair, completely ignoring Sophie's dramatic exit.

Because the bubble she dropped was still there!

Now, with no distractions, he immediately reached out and grabbed it.

The sky-blue bubble burst into dazzling particles of light and merged into his body.

Ding~

"Host has obtained a skill from an abundant bubble: Stanislavski Acting System - Realism +1. Today's collection progress: 3/10."

"Friendly reminder: Your acting skills have significantly improved, especially in playing roles like an innocent fool or a naive sweetheart."

Oh, hell yeah!

Finally, a decent skill!

Even if this skill seemed more suited for women, it was still a legitimately useful ability!

Gu Ran was ecstatic.

His theory was correct—as long as someone had expertise in something, he could snatch their skills through system bubbles.

And all it took was making them feel negative emotions…

Just thinking about it made him even happier!

As for Sophie?

She could stay mad for a bit. He could apologize later.

Worst case? He'd just act seriously in their fake dates next time. Maybe even make her a hand-brewed drink or two.

Right now, the most important thing was figuring out how this system worked and planning his perfect future.

Meanwhile, outside the café, Sophie stood pouting on the steps, waiting.

He's not even coming after me?

"What the hell is up with him today? He's acting like a completely different person…"

Just then, a gruff voice called out from nearby.

"Well, well, if it isn't Sophie. What a coincidence!"

She looked up and her face fell.

A towering, muscular boy with slicked-back hair was approaching with his gang, grinning.

It was Rusty.