"Damn it! He actually pulled it off!" Rusty's face was flushed with shame and anger.
He had no choice; after all, Ronald managed to juggle the ball 361 times on his first try, while Rusty could only manage 50 at most.
It was Rusty himself who had unknowingly elevated Ronald to a higher status.
But for Ronald, it wasn't about showing off—he genuinely wanted to give it another go.
The dopamine rush from playing soccer was truly addictive!
Moreover, Ronald wanted to see if he could push his limits further.
This time, his ball-juggling performance was far from his best in his previous life.
Back then, his record was 874 juggles, so today's performance was barely half of that.
If he had to analyze the reasons, it would be because he wasn't wearing proper soccer shoes, and he hadn't stretched properly before juggling.
But the most important reason was that this body, after being reborn, lacked coordination, flexibility, and physical fitness.
To be able to juggle over 300 times in one go was already beyond his usual level.
Of course, if he wasn't showing off with tricks and just used the top of his foot, he could probably juggle five or six hundred times without a problem.
That said, although this body has its shortcomings, it has one big advantage—youth!
Youth means not being afraid to start from scratch!
Youth means being full of energy from head to toe!
"I want to try again, I want to try again!" Ronald ran to pick up the ball.
"No need! That's enough!" Rusty said, his face red with frustration. "kid, I admit... you won."
Ronald, still not satisfied, asked, "Why did you give up so soon? How about... we don't count the last round, and you let me try again?"
Sophie's almond-shaped eyes widened as she rushed over and gave Ronald a hard pinch, "That's enough!"
Rusty, covering his face, roared, "This is too humiliating! It wasn't enough to humiliate me once, now you want to humiliate me a second time?"
Ronald quickly replied, "That's not what I meant. I just thought... juggling the ball is pretty easy."
He really wasn't trying to show off this time; it was the truth.
As expected, Rusty glared at Ronald furiously, "kid! Don't push your luck! Easy? Hmph, so what if you can juggle? Juggling isn't everything in soccer! I admit, you're better than me at juggling, and I lost our bet! I'm also not going to compete with you for Sophie anymore! Rusty is a man of his word; I'll never bother her again! But today, I have to tell you! I, Rusty, am not convinced!"
"kid, you don't even understand what real soccer is! If you've got the guts, face me on the real soccer field! This isn't about Sophie anymore; this is a pure competition between men! I'll show you what real soccer is!"
A real soccer match?
Ronald's eyebrows lifted slightly.
That might actually be a good idea!
If he could beat the main center-back of the school team in front of the entire soccer club, there's a good chance he could join the team!
And if he joins the school team, he'd have a chance to compete in the English High School Cup, where he could face off against top-level players from across the country!
In those matches, there would be plenty of opportunities to pick up professional soccer skills!
Thinking of this, Ronald smiled confidently,
"You're right, Rusty. Juggling isn't everything in soccer, and I'd love to learn what real soccer is—so I accept your challenge. Today is Saturday. Next Monday, I'll meet you on the school soccer field for a real match."
Rusty gave a thumbs up, "You've got guts! My teammates and I from the school soccer club will be waiting for you on the field! See you Monday!"
With that, Rusty walked over to Sophie with a sullen face.
Sophie instinctively moved closer to Ronald.
Rusty sighed, "Sophie, I once loved you so much, but it seems we're not meant to be... By the way, can you give me your friend Susanna's number? You know, the one with the really big..."
Sophie's lips twitched, "… Get lost."
"Alright, alright!" Rusty hurried off with his buddies, tails between their legs.
The crowd dispersed with laughter, leaving only Ronald and Sophie at the café entrance.
"Let's go." Ronald was already thinking about going home to study the system ratings, not even sparing Sophie a glance.
After all, there was no audience anymore, so there was no need for any "authentic" acting.
Sophie's cheeks flushed as she asked, trying to remain calm, "Where to?"
"Of course, we're going home," Ronald replied.
Sophie's heart pounded wildly!
He really wants to do that with me?
Ahhh! Why did I say I'd let him do whatever he wanted?!
Sophie stood in place, her face full of conflicted emotions, and whispered, "But... my parents are home."
Ronald, already ten meters ahead, hadn't noticed that Sophie hadn't followed or heard what she said.
"Ronald!!!"
Sophie stomped her foot in frustration!
---
Ronald finally turned around, looking puzzled, and asked, "What's wrong?"
Sophie angrily replied, "You... go to hell!"
With that, she stomped off ahead of Ronald, her long legs striding furiously.
Ronald was completely bewildered:
What's going on?
Why is this girl suddenly throwing a tantrum again?
I didn't even do anything! All I said was that we should go home!
The matter is resolved, so shouldn't we go home?
Watching her walk off, it seemed like her negative emotion level was about to hit 90 points!
*Sigh! What a waste! I can't collect anymore today!*
*I have to wait until after midnight for that!*
Such a waste!
I wonder if I could negotiate with her to hold off her anger until after midnight…
I've got it! I won't say anything to her now; maybe that will make her hold it in…
So, Ronald silently followed behind Sophie.
The more Sophie walked, the angrier she got!
Just a while ago in the café, he was holding her hand, gazing at her with deep affection, teasing her chin, and confidently wrapping his arm around her waist—so why isn't he saying a word now?
Damn Ronald! Stupid Ronald!
Playing hard to get, are you?
I will never speak to you again, hmmp...
The two of them walked in this manner, one in front and one behind, heading home.
Sophie's home was in the harbor area, just a fifteen-minute walk from the Costa Café.
Sophie's family was considered middle class locally. The house wasn't very big, but the lawn in the yard was neatly trimmed and spotlessly clean.
As soon as Sophie entered the house, she headed straight to her bedroom on the third floor.
"You're back."
Sophie's father, sitting in the living room, glanced at her and then returned his attention to the "Southern Football Journal" in his hands.
"Good afternoon, Uncle Andrew," Ronald said, walking into the familiar house, trying to suppress his excitement and smiling as he greeted Sophie's father.
As usual, he was very polite.
So, in Andrew Turner's eyes, there was nothing different about Ronald today compared to before.
Andrew was nearly forty, but his hair was already thinning, much like a certain character. He was wearing a Southampton F.C. No. 10 jersey, his rugged frame stretching the shirt into a tight fit.
"Aha, our bookworm is back? What do you want to eat tonight? I'll have Aunt Sally make it for you."
Sally Turner was Sophie's mother.
Ronald quickly responded, "Thank you, Uncle Andrew, but I don't have anything specific in mind."
Andrew immediately turned and shouted towards the kitchen, "Sally! Ron wants lamb kidney pie! Medium rare will do! Also, grill some oysters! Make a large portion of mustard onion mashed potatoes, and finally, a big bowl of haggis pudding!"
From the kitchen came Sophie's mother's reply, "Got it! I'll prepare it right away!"
Ronald: …
Andrew winked at Ronald, "Ron you're already 17, right? Want to have a drink together tonight? There's a local derby between Southampton and Northampton later; want to watch it together?"
Before Ronald could reply, Andrew lowered his voice and mysteriously said, "I've bet 1,000 pounds of my private money that Southampton will score more than three goals!"
Ronald's eyebrows twitched slightly.
His memories of this local derby from his previous life were instantly triggered!
At this time, Southampton was still a League One team, while Northampton was a League Two team.
Although both teams were from the city of Southampton, Southampton was clearly stronger, and after this season, they would finish second in League One and be promoted to the Championship, England's second-tier league.
Meanwhile, Northampton had always been a lower-tier League Two team with barely any professional players.
This match was part of a domestic cup competition, which brought these two teams from different leagues together.
From a technical standpoint, Southampton could completely crush Northampton.
But…
According to his memory from his previous life, tonight's match would end in a shocking upset, with Southampton losing to their local rivals, Northampton!
This is the advantage of having knowledge from a past life!
So…
It's time to make a big move!
end.