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

Damn!

So it was just training?!

Gu Ran let out a sigh of relief, then immediately thought—

This is perfect!

Watergate might be a bit annoying, but when it came to football, his skill was undeniable.

And since the entire team's system revolved around Watergate as the false nine, training with him would significantly improve their attacking chemistry.

Without hesitation, Gu Ran nodded.

"Sure, no problem! Teammates should always train together."

"Great! It's settled then!" Watergate patted Gu Ran's shoulder before happily running into the locker room.

The moment he left—

Another figure appeared.

"Hey, Gu!"

It was Westbrook.

His eyes shined with excitement as he approached.

"Man, your performance today was amazing! That rainbow pass you sent me at the end—damn! That felt so good, I nearly stiffened up from head to toe! Stiffened! You know what I mean?"

Gu Ran: …

What the hell is wrong with this team?!

Before Gu Ran could react, Westbrook continued—

"I think since we both play on the left flank, we should practice overlapping runs and rainbow passes more often. That way, I can deliver even better assists to our forwards and avoid the mistakes I made today. So… are you free tomorrow afternoon? Let's train together for an hour!"

Uh…

To be fair, the left-wing combination was crucial.

If they could improve their coordination, they might even develop an entirely new tactical system for the team.

Gu Ran nodded seriously.

"Alright, no problem. Teammates should always train together."

"Awesome! It's a deal!" Westbrook patted Gu Ran's shoulder and sprinted into the locker room.

Before Gu Ran could take a step forward,

yet another player appeared.

"Hey, Gu—"

It was Flower, the right-back.

"Gu, your performance was amazing today! But I think during that last attack, instead of passing left, you should've sent the ball to our right wing.

Of course, it's not your fault. We haven't trained together yet, so it makes sense that we weren't on the same page.

So, are you free tomorrow afternoon? Let's train together for an hour!"

What the hell?!

This was the third person asking to train with him!

Practicing with a right-back wasn't entirely necessary, but large-scale switching of play was an important skill.

And if they wanted to develop a dual-wing attack, coordination between the left and right flanks would be key.

Gu Ran laughed helplessly and said,

"Alright, no problem. Teammates should always train together."

Flower gave him a big thumbs up.

"Great! It's a deal! See you tomorrow afternoon!"

Then he jumped into the locker room, doing a 'Siu!' celebration on the way in.

Gu Ran: …

He was just about to move when—

A pair of strong arms suddenly wrapped around him from behind.

"HAHA! GU! YOU WERE AMAZING TODAY!"

Holy shit—another one?!

What the hell is wrong with this team?!

Why did every single one of them start with the exact same line?!

Gu Ran quickly broke free from Rusty's embrace.

"Rusty, if you wanna talk, then talk. No extra unnecessary actions."

Rusty grinned.

"HAHA, sorry, I'm just so damn excited! We held Pirate Ship to a draw! You should've seen Albert's face when he left the field—he was so pissed, his nose almost bent out of shape!

And their fans? They were absolutely losing their minds! HAHAHA!"

Thank God he's not asking for a training session…

Gu Ran smiled.

"Rusty, honestly, your defensive performance at the end was outstanding."

Rusty laughed proudly.

"Of course! I told you—I'm the team's best center-back!

But man, I still feel like it's a shame. If the ref didn't blow the whistle early, and you had reached my clearance, we might've actually beaten Pirate Ship!"

Gu Ran nodded in agreement.

That last play was indeed a missed opportunity.

But honestly, stamina was the real issue.

Before Gu Ran could respond, Rusty suddenly leaned in.

"I think we need to work on our passing chemistry. If we train together, next time we won't waste any more chances.

So… are you free tomorrow afternoon? Let's train together for an hour!"

Gu Ran's mouth twitched.

You? A center-back? Training passing with me?!

Okay, fine—defensive coordination was important.

But damn it! I already agreed to three others!

Seeing Gu Ran hesitate, Rusty suddenly got serious.

"Gu, I swear—after this match, my fire for football has been lit. I really, really want to take this seriously!"

Bullshit.

You just want to impress the girl fans who threw their bras onto the field.

Gu Ran sighed in defeat.

"Fine…"

Rusty grinned and threw an arm around Gu Ran's shoulder.

"I knew you'd say yes! Good brothers help each other… play football!"

What choice do I have?!

Gu Ran, resigned to his fate, muttered,

"Alright… let's improve together."

Before Rusty could even leave, two more players approached.

Glider and Nancy.

"Hey, Gu!"

"Are you free tomorrow afternoon?"

"How about we train together for two hours?!"

Holy crap.

This is getting out of hand!

"I—"

Before Gu Ran could refuse,

Two more players joined the fray.

Blindman and Captain Bread.

"Gu!"

"Are you free tomorrow afternoon? We should train together!"

"F*ck off! I asked first!"

"Captain gets priority!"

"Bullshit! There's no captain in one-on-one training!"

"HOLY SH*T! Are you all planning a mutiny?!"

"Listen, this has to be first-come, first-serve!"

The entire team started arguing over who got to train with Gu Ran first.

The hallway outside the locker room turned into absolute chaos.

Gu Ran tried to calm them down.

"Wait! Listen to me first—"

Blindman cut him off.

"Gu, this has nothing to do with you. Just go inside and relax!"

WHAT?!

How did his own training schedule become something he had no say in?!

Gu Ran was completely speechless.

When did he become the most in-demand player on the team?!

Just as things spiraled out of control—

A towering 196cm figure stepped in, effortlessly pushing everyone aside.

It was Bawanglong, the goalkeeper.

"What the hell are you guys fighting over?!"

Everyone froze.

Bawanglong scanned the group and growled—

"We're all brothers. What's there to fight over?!"

Silence.

Then, with an authoritative voice—

"The one who should train with Gu the most is… me."

"WHAT?!"

"F*ck off, Bawanglong!"

"You're a goalkeeper! What the hell would you even train together for?!"

"Yeah, what? You want Gu Ran to start passing back to you every play?!"

"You idiots don't get it," Bawanglong snarled.

"I made one mistake today with my throw. If Gu and I had better chemistry, we would've scored a third goal!"

"You actually have the balls to bring that up?!"

The team exploded into another argument.

Gu Ran stood completely frozen.

The entire team wanted to train with him…

Even the goalkeeper.

This has to be my limit.

At least Coach Carter won't be fighting over me, right?

"QUIET!"

Carter's booming voice silenced everyone.

Standing behind them, holding the match stats sheet, he glared at the squad.

"Everyone, get in the locker room.

I have important things to announce."

"Yes, Coach!"

The entire Bucks Ironhorns squad obediently filed into the locker room.

Gu Ran: …

What the hell just happened?

(To be continued.)