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

A few minutes later, outside Costa Coffee—

Gu Ran and Rusty stood facing each other as a massive crowd gathered around them, forming layers upon layers of eager onlookers.

Watching a spectacle was human nature.

Especially when it was a "love rival" showdown.

"This Chinese kid really thinks he can challenge our school's main team player? What is he even thinking?"

"He seemed pretty calm back in the café, but now he's gone completely off the rails!"

"I actually thought he was smart, but he went and asked for a juggling match against Rusty?! He just handed away his advantage!"

"He's a total idiot! Hahaha!"

"My guess? He's actually quite cunning. He probably got bored of Sophie and is using this as an excuse to dump her."

"You know what? That actually makes sense!"

"Son of a b**ch!"

"Damn Chinese, just hit it and quit it?"

"Rusty, crush him! Destroy him!"

"Hey, is anyone taking bets? I bet this Chinese guy won't even reach thirty juggles after three tries!"

"I'm in!"

"Same here!"

The crowd was already overflowing with negative emotions, and the match hadn't even started yet.

Gu Ran shook his head, sighing internally.

He had already hit today's skill collection limit.

Otherwise, he could've picked up a street full of skills and training results!

Such a waste…

When this was over, he needed to go home and figure out how to upgrade his system rating so he could increase his daily limit.

Rusty noticed Gu Ran shaking his head and immediately assumed he was scared.

"Ha! Feeling nervous, little China boy? If you back out now and give up on Sophie, at least you won't make a fool of yourself. But if you really go through with this, you're gonna embarrass yourself big time!"

Gu Ran simply smiled.

"Let's start. You go first."

"Hmph! Keep count for me!"

Rusty grabbed the ball and began juggling.

His lackeys loudly counted each touch.

"One! Two! Three! Four…"

Rusty's ball control was mediocre at best—he was strong but not very agile.

His first attempt? Nineteen juggles.

The crowd was unimpressed.

After all, this was England—the birthplace of modern football.

Even by high school team standards, this juggling score was embarrassing.

Rusty wiped the sweat off his forehead.

"That was just a warm-up! Now I'll do it for real."

"One! Two! Three! Four…"

This time, Rusty managed fifty juggles—a clear improvement.

But the atmosphere remained awkward.

Fifty wasn't terrible, but it wasn't good either.

Rusty wiped his nose smugly.

"First two were warm-ups. Now, it's my real turn!"

"One! Two! Three! Four…"

His third try? Only thirty-seven juggles.

Rusty quickly adjusted his expression, pretending to be unfazed.

"Honestly… anything more than fifty is pointless. That's my max. Your turn, Chinese boy!"

He tossed the ball toward Gu Ran.

Gu Ran caught it, and for a moment, his heart swelled with emotion.

In his previous life, he had always loved football, but he never had the time to play, let alone train seriously.

It was only after finishing university and starting work that he could occasionally gather with friends to watch and play.

Even then, his friends always said he had natural talent—but by thirty, it was far too late to pursue a professional career.

But now…

Now, he had been reborn.

A new path lay before him!

How could he not feel excited?

His hands trembled slightly from sheer emotion.

Taking a deep breath, Gu Ran forced himself to stay calm and began juggling.

But something felt off.

His previous life's muscle memory was still there, but his current body was stiff and uncoordinated.

His past skills and instincts hadn't yet fully merged with this younger body.

He barely managed eight juggles before losing control of the ball.

Sophie's face went pale with despair.

Rusty let out a massive sigh of relief, then burst into laughter.

"Only eight? HAHAHA! Just give up, kid! I bet you'll never hit fifty in your life!"

But Gu Ran wasn't affected at all.

He simply took another deep breath and refocused.

His muscle memory was now fully awakened, and the ten hours of juggling training he had just collected…

Activated.

Rolling his shoulders, Gu Ran casually tossed the ball high into the air.

The crowd gasped in shock.

Sophie's heart nearly jumped out of her throat.

What kind of juggling technique is this?! This is a disaster!

Rusty and his goons laughed so hard they nearly collapsed.

A high toss like that? It was practically impossible to control when it came down!

Even professional players like Ronaldinho or Messi would struggle!

And then—

BAM.

The ball landed perfectly on the top of Gu Ran's foot.

The impact was massive, but he absorbed the force effortlessly, the ball only bouncing up ten centimeters.

A flawless first touch.

Rusty's face froze.

His goons stared in shock.

The crowd collectively sucked in a breath.

Was that… luck?

Did this Chinese guy just get lucky?

Or…

Was this… kung fu?!

Before anyone could react, Gu Ran had already begun juggling smoothly.

Each time the ball dropped to a low position, he expertly timed his touch.

Even more impressive, he added a slight forward spin to each juggle, keeping the ball stable and controlled.

His footwork was precise—he made sure to use the front part of his foot, near the toes, with his toes slightly raised to create a "cradle" effect, which gave him even more control.

To everyone watching, it looked like the ball was tied to his foot with an invisible string.

Sophie gawked in pure shock.

Gu Ran… was too cool.

Just a moment ago, he had looked like a total amateur, but now… he looked like a football genius?!

Wait.

Shouldn't I be upset right now?!

Sophie's face turned completely red as she remembered their bet.

Meanwhile, the ball count continued climbing—

Thirty juggles.

Rusty and his friends stood frozen, their eyes following the ball up and down.

Fifty juggles.

Rusty's mouth fell open.

One hundred juggles.

And Gu Ran was still going.

Rusty's face twisted in horror.

"T-This is impossible! This is impossible!"

But Gu Ran didn't even acknowledge him.

He was completely absorbed in the rhythm of his juggles.

His body was flooded with dopamine—this felt amazing.

At two hundred juggles, he switched styles, alternating between inside foot, outside foot, and knee touches.

At three hundred juggles, he incorporated tricks, including around-the-world moves, thigh bounces, and even shoulder juggles.

Gu Ran loved variety.

The once-hostile crowd had completely switched sides, now cheering wildly for him.

When he finally reached 361 juggles, the ball brushed against his shoe and bounced away.

The crowd erupted into thunderous applause.

Even people who had mocked him earlier were clapping.

This was an absolute spectacle.

But Gu Ran simply frowned slightly and muttered—

"That wasn't my best… Let me try again."

(End of Chapter)