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

Coach Carter's sharp voice echoed across the training field.

"Rust—get over here!"

Even though he was only calling for Rust, every player on the field shuddered.

"Coming… Coach…" Rust responded immediately, steeling himself as he ran over.

Before Carter could say anything, Rust quickly spoke up. "Coach, no matter what that Chinese kid just told you, I can explain! I was going to teach him a lesson before, but I didn't! Because I'm a rational person! I know how important I am as the team's starting center-back, especially at this crucial moment before the tournament! So even if I was angry, I didn't get into a fight!"

Gu Ran quietly watched Rust, his expression calm.

Carter frowned. "Who the hell asked you about that? Wait… what? You almost got into a fight?"

Rust froze, then turned to Gu Ran with a shocked look. "Wait, you didn't rat me out?"

Gu Ran shrugged. "I don't snitch. Whatever happens between us, we settle ourselves."

Rust's expression twitched slightly before he quickly recovered, putting on his usual arrogant face. "Hmph, don't think that just because you didn't snitch, I'll start thinking you're a decent guy."

…

Wait, what?

Why does this guy sound kinda… tsundere?

Gu Ran nearly burst out laughing.

Carter, irritated, cut them off. "Alright, enough with your stupid drama! Rust, listen up—this Chinese kid wants to join the team."

"What? What??" Rust's eyes widened like saucers before he shouted, "I don't agree!"

Carter kicked him in the ass. "You think this is a wedding ceremony? Like your opinion matters?!"

Rust clutched his backside. "I mean, Coach, you shouldn't agree!"

Carter's tone turned cold. "Who joins this team is my decision. And right now, this Chinese kid has requested a one-on-one test against you."

Rust's stunned face quickly turned into one of pure joy. "Hahahaha! Chinese kid, you're actually looking for death! Do you even know my nickname?"

Gu Ran raised an eyebrow. "Isn't it just Rust?"

Rust smirked proudly. "A real man doesn't just have one nickname! 'Rust' is what others call me. But I have my own title—The Human Tank!"

…

Gu Ran: This guy is so damn cringe.

Rust flexed his beefy arms and gave Gu Ran an intimidating glare. "What's wrong? Too scared to speak? You still want to go one-on-one with me? Look at your tiny arms and legs—one shoulder check from me, and you'll be ground into dust!"

Gu Ran wasn't fazed at all. In fact, he found it a little funny. "I only need one part of my body to be bigger than yours."

Rust blinked. His outdated 286 CPU of a brain struggled to process the meaning behind Gu Ran's words.

Carter rolled his eyes. "Enough! The rules are simple—Rust, you'll start from the center circle and dribble toward the penalty box. If you make it there, you win. Gu Ran, your job is to stop him. If you successfully take the ball and cross the halfway line, you win. Understood?"

Both nodded. "Understood."

The test was straightforward. But the simpler the test, the more it revealed a player's actual ability.

Carter then turned to Rust. "Rust, don't embarrass the Steel Antlers. If you lose, it's a hundred frog jumps."

Rust immediately puffed out his chest and pounded it like an ape. "Coach, relax! I'm The Human Tank! Losing isn't in my dictionary!"

Carter nodded. "Good. You have five minutes to prepare."

He then picked up his broken tactics board and sat down, muttering to himself. "Can this thing even be fixed? Damn you, Olin…"

Rust sneered at Gu Ran. "So you really want to join the team? You must be looking for trouble."

Gu Ran smiled calmly. "No, I genuinely want to join."

Rust cackled. "Great! Because I'm about to show you that you don't belong here! Two days ago, you said you'd never played football before. And today, you suddenly want to join the team? You think the Steel Antlers are some joke? Just look at yourself—your little arms and legs won't survive one hit from me! And those shoes! Hahaha! Are you seriously wearing casual shoes? What do you think this is, golf? I could stomp on your feet and shatter your bones!"

Gu Ran chuckled. "Thanks for the reminder. If you hadn't mentioned it, I might've forgotten to put on my new boots."

With that, he calmly set down his sports bag and pulled out a pristine pair of Messi's signature football boots.

The light gold color was a perfect match for the natural grass field.

Rust's face instantly stiffened. His eyes locked onto the boots as if they were radiating holy light.

Those… those were his dream boots!

Rust licked his lips. "Wait… are those the ultra-expensive Messi F10 TRX FG boots?"

Gu Ran casually replied, "Expensive? Not really. Just £1,999."

"You said just?!" Rust's face twitched violently.

Although Southampton Private High was a private school, it wasn't on the level of elite schools like King's College, Eton, or Westminster.

For a student like Rust, £1,999 was definitely not pocket change.

His original plan was to work an entire summer at his dad's car wash after the tournament just to save up enough for those boots.

And yet…

Before he could even start saving, Gu Ran already had them.

Not in his dreams.

But on his feet.

Rust stared at the boots longingly. "Can I… touch them?"

Gu Ran smiled politely. "Of course… not."

Rust clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. "F***! As if I even care! Those are definitely fakes! I'm going to destroy you!"

With that, he stormed off toward the center circle, brimming with fury.

Ding!

"Rust's negative emotion value: 52 points. System bubble generated…"

A decent-sized white bubble appeared right where Rust had been standing.

Oh?

Gu Ran casually put on his shin guards, socks, and boots while discreetly stepping on the bubble.

The moment he touched it, the bubble burst into dazzling light, merging into his body.

Ding!

"You have received: 10 hours of specialized strength training. Daily collection progress: 3/10."

Nice!

Gu Ran took a deep breath and instantly felt a surge of newfound strength coursing through his muscles.

All the sweat, effort, and exhaustion Rust had poured into his training? Gu Ran had just stolen all the results.

Ding!

"You have accumulated 100 hours of specialized training. You have gained 1 attribute point."

Since this was football-related training, the attribute point could only be assigned to football-related skills.

Unlike the attribute points he got from messing with Sophie, which could be allocated anywhere.

After some thought, Gu Ran decided not to use it just yet.

With 60 Strength, he was already solid for a high school-level league.

If he found himself struggling against Rust during the test, he could always add points mid-match.

And if he did it at the right moment, it might even catch Rust completely off guard.

After finishing his warm-ups, Gu Ran jogged onto the field.

Rust stood at the center circle, one foot on the ball, arms crossed, wearing a smug expression.

The other players had all stopped their training to form a circle around them, eager to watch the show.

Carter put down his broken tactics board and checked his watch. "Alright, if you're both ready, begin."