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

Gu Ran sprinted forward at full force. When he turned back, he was startled by what he saw.

Coach Carter lay flat on the ground, his mouth full of grass.

A clear trench had been carved into the natural grass field by his beer belly.

"Coach! Are you okay?" Gu Ran rushed to help him up.

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Carter groaned as he got to his feet, holding his back. His face was red, but his tone was unnaturally calm. "Just now, I was demonstrating the incorrect way to pull on a resistance band."

Gu Ran: …

I must not laugh.

I must not laugh!

But damn it, thank goodness for the beer belly!

Otherwise, that would've been a prostate brake maneuver—oh god, I can't hold it in!

Gu Ran was internally convulsing with laughter but kept his expression composed, even adding a hint of admiration toward Carter.

"Coach, should we try again?" he asked with forced seriousness.

Carter immediately waved his hand. "No, no. Drummer, grab a substitute player. You two handle the resistance band for Gu."

"Yes, Coach!"

With two young, strong players holding the band, Gu Ran's resistance sprint noticeably slowed.

Drummer and the substitute weighed a combined 270 pounds. Not only were they strong, but with both of them pulling the band, the resistance was far greater.

After several sprints, Gu Ran was gasping for breath, nearly drained.

Drummer and the substitute weren't faring much better, nearly collapsing from the effort.

This type of resistance training, designed to build endurance and explosiveness, was brutally effective.

But Carter's training regimen wasn't over yet.

"Next, five sets of burpees. Twenty reps per set. Begin."

"Yes, Coach!" Gu Ran gritted his teeth and started.

By the time he finished the fifth set, his body felt like it was shutting down.

Carter was unfazed. "Ladder drills, ten sets."

"100-meter and 200-meter sprints, go."

"Yes!"

Gu Ran pushed himself forward.

After finishing the 200-meter sprint, he was completely winded, lungs on fire, panting uncontrollably.

The stamina he had recovered earlier had been entirely depleted.

Carter finally gave a nod of approval. "Gu, from what I see... you should be able to last a full match."

Gu Ran's eyes lit up, and he quickly followed up. "Coach… does that mean… I'll be starting next game?"

Carter smirked. "Take a guess."

Damn it!

This old fox!

Gu Ran was too exhausted to complain.

Carter continued, "Alright, that's enough for today. Now, focus on post-training recovery. Walk around the field for ten minutes, then head to the locker room for proper treatment."

Locker room recovery?

Might as well just go home and collapse in bed.

Then again, if I don't find a way to earn more talent points, I might not fully recover before the next match.

Gu Ran sighed, dragged his tired legs around the field for ten minutes, then pulled off his sweat-soaked jersey and slung it over his shoulder as he trudged toward the locker room.

The moment he stepped inside, a familiar scent of perfume filled his nostrils.

A graceful figure stood by the treatment table.

Their eyes met. Both froze.

Holy crap—

Maria?!

Why are you here?!

Maria calmly adjusted her gold-rimmed glasses, glanced at Gu Ran's sweat-drenched muscles, and smiled elegantly. "What are you standing there for? Go wash up."

What?

Did I hear that right?

Gu Ran felt his brain short-circuit.

Maria urged him, "Hurry up. Your coach practically begged me. I was going to refuse, but when I heard it was for your recovery, I agreed—on the condition that I don't stay overtime."

Maria was personally assigned to help with his recovery?

Damn!

No wonder Carter pushed me so hard today. He had already arranged for a professional therapist.

And out of the entire team, only I get this treatment?

The realization hit him, and he stammered, "Oh—oh! You scared me, Miss Maria! I thought you were here to… uh, teach me a lesson."

Maria chuckled. "Gu, you're adorable when you're nervous. There's no need to be. It's not like we haven't met before. Now, hurry and take a shower. Then lie down so I can start the muscle therapy. It'll help you recover faster."

I get it!

This is just like the recovery sessions in those… proper bathhouses from my past life!

"Yes, Miss Maria! I'll shower right away!"

Gu Ran grabbed a towel and rushed into the locker room shower, scrubbing himself clean.

Maria checked her watch and called out, "Are you done?"

Gu Ran dried himself off and stepped out, a towel wrapped around his waist. "All done, Miss Maria. Should I put on shorts first?"

Maria chuckled. "No need. I'm a professional. Trust me. Now, lie down."

"Okay…" Gu Ran braced himself and lay on the treatment table.

Maria opened her small medical kit and took out an ice pack, pressing it directly onto his muscles.

Gu Ran flinched violently.

"Relax. This is cryotherapy," Maria explained. "It contracts swollen muscles and quickly reduces fatigue. Professional players do this after intense training. Some elite stars—like Cristiano Ronaldo—use liquid nitrogen cryo-chambers worth 50,000 pounds for recovery. Turn to your side."

As Gu Ran shifted, Maria continued, "Your training facility is basic—no ice baths—so I have to use ice packs instead. By the way, do you live alone or with roommates?"

Gu Ran hesitated. "I… temporarily have housemates."

Maria nodded. "That's good. If you ever have the resources, I recommend getting a cryo-chamber. Three minutes inside, and your stamina recovers significantly. But make sure someone supervises you—going over three minutes can be dangerous."

"Cryo-chambers use ultra-low-temperature misting, reaching -150°C. Your body forms a protective vapor barrier, preventing direct nitrogen contact. That way, you won't get frostbite. Flip over again."

Gu Ran obediently turned over.

After all, she was a teacher, and in front of teachers, you had to behave.

Maria's mention of the cryo-chamber stuck in his mind.

Might be worth installing one in my new house once I move out.

Maria massaged his key muscle groups with ice for several minutes until Gu Ran's entire body felt numb.

After the ice treatment, she took out a heat blower and directed warm air over his muscles.

Gu Ran immediately felt his blood circulation accelerate.

Maria explained, "Normally, you'd go to a sauna, but since your facilities don't have one, I'm using a heat blower instead. Alternating between cold and heat speeds up recovery. The science behind it is complex, so I won't bore you. You probably wouldn't understand anyway."

Lying face down on the treatment table, Gu Ran covered his face.

I might not understand the science behind it…

But I definitely understand the process…