Borussia Dortmund's fatigue was becoming increasingly apparent.
Just after finishing a major Champions League battle, they returned to the Bundesliga after a three-day interval.
Borussia Dortmund drew 1-1 at home against Hoffenheim.
For the Bumblebees, using a rotated lineup, a draw against a strong and well-prepared Hoffenheim was already the best possible outcome. To ensure the players got enough rest, Jürgen Klopp didn't even let Jin Hayes take the field.
"Coach?"
"Hey, don't look at me. It's not my fault; it was a collective recommendation from the coaching staff."
Seeing Jin Hayes after the match, Klopp turned his head and walked away. After only a few steps, his assistant, Željko Buvač, ruthlessly complained from the side:
"That's not right. You were clearly the one who insisted on letting Jin Hayes rest despite all opposing views."
"Buvač, you're so damn annoying!"
Jin Hayes stood aside, watching Klopp's clumsy performance. He originally wanted to say something but decided against it. He knew Klopp was looking out for him. This season, Jin Hayes had the highest number of appearances for the entire Borussia Dortmund squad, playing every single match.
Even an 'Iron Man' in his prime wouldn't be able to handle it, let alone a sixteen-year-old youth. His physical recovery was exceptional, beyond the scope of normal sports science, but no matter how much Jin Hayes proved he could handle two matches a week, Klopp didn't dare gamble with him. If he were to suffer an injury, it would be too late for regrets. A healthy Jin Hayes was more important than the outcome of a single match.
However, Jin Hayes pulled out his phone and scrolled through the match reports from elsewhere.
Hamburg 1-3 Wolfsburg—the Wolves had completed a powerful nine-game winning streak. They were now only three points behind Borussia Dortmund in the standings.
A single match could reverse the situation and propel them to the top of the table. The good news was that the direct clash between Wolfsburg and Borussia Dortmund was scheduled for Round 32 of the Bundesliga, at which point the title race would become clear.
The bad news was that during this period, there were many strong opponents like Schalke 04, Werder Bremen, Hertha Berlin, and Hamburg. Meanwhile, Wolfsburg's schedule was relatively easy, with only Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich as heavy-hitting opponents left. The Bundesliga title race was complicated and confusing; no one could accurately predict the outcome until the very end.
"Forget it, just gotta do it." As a player, all Jin Hayes could do was play every match well.
There was still a week until the next Bundesliga match. Although Borussia Dortmund drew 1-1 with Hoffenheim, the whole team still received a one-day break. In Klopp's words, training for a single day wouldn't improve their combat effectiveness anyway, so they might as well take a good rest and recharge for the grueling schedule of the following week.
After being tense for nearly half a month, Jin Hayes suddenly relaxed, and he felt a bit at a loss. It was Sunday, and there was no need to go to school for extra classes. Jin Hayes sat on the swing in the backyard, soaking up the sun, feeling so lazy he was about to fall asleep. Suddenly, a pair of cold little hands covered his eyes, and the person behind him intentionally deepened their voice: "Guess who?"
Jin Hayes thought about it with feigned seriousness: "Scarlett Johansson?"
"Oh! So you like that type? Then go find Scarlett."
The young girl let go, her nose wrinkling slightly as she made a move to leave. Jin Hayes was quick, pulling her into his arms in one swift motion.
"Aw!" Anna lost her balance and frantically wrapped her right arm around Jin Hayes's neck, straddling his lap. The swing moved backward under their combined weight, then swung forward again as Jin Hayes kicked off the ground. This scene couldn't help but remind Jin Hayes of a movie scene he'd seen as a kid—one that had left an impression, though he quickly pushed the thought aside. Anna soon noticed that something was off with Jin Hayes.
"Hey? You... let me down quickly."
"Don't move!" The more Anna struggled in panic, the harder it was for Jin Hayes to stop the swing. After a bit of a struggle, it finally stopped. Jin Hayes suspected that a few more seconds would have been even more embarrassing. Anna quickly hopped away like a little rabbit. Once she regained her composure, she punched Jin Hayes's shoulder several times. Then, fearing she had hurt him, she couldn't help but rub his shoulder.
Pfft.
"You have the nerve to laugh!" Anna was about to put on a stern face, but seeing Jin Hayes's thick-skinned grin, she couldn't help but burst into laughter herself.
"Ahem... anyway, the weather is quite nice today. Why don't we go for a drive?" Jin Hayes quickly changed the subject to ease the previous embarrassment.
According to the standard template for a football player taking a girl out, it should involve driving a luxury car, shopping for luxury goods with a supermodel, and conveniently getting snapped by paparazzi for some exposure. Both Jin Hayes and Anna could have gained a wave of traffic through such gossip.
After shopping, they would have a meal at the hardest-to-book Michelin-starred restaurant, costing over a thousand euros per person. They would be personally received by the Michelin chef, sparking envy among the surrounding diners—a bit of showing off.
Afterward, he'd take his supermodel girlfriend to a nightclub and be the coolest guy in the place. Strike a few poses, take some selfies for social media, and earn another wave of likes from fans. After a day of such a glamorous itinerary, one would fully experience what it means to live the high life.
Clearly, neither Jin Hayes nor Anna had the self-awareness of a celebrity. Setting Jin Hayes aside for a moment, Anna was already one of the agency's most popular models, highly favored by international brands as a 'New Face.'
Occasionally, on the streets of Dortmund, Munich, or London, one could still see large print advertisements featuring Anna. It was said that the agency was working on entering Anna into major supermodel competitions like Elite Model Look, and trying to get her onto the runways of Milan Fashion Week and New York Fashion Week to make a splash.
From a newcomer to a professional model, then to an international supermodel and a legendary one, Anna's path to stardom was smooth.
Logically, she could have used Jin Hayes's status to gain rapid exposure, fueled by the rise of social media platforms. Anna could have saved herself years of hard work. Instead, she reduced her exposure as much as possible; aside from necessary print ad shoots, she completely avoided social media and media interviews. The glamorous life of an international supermodel was not worth mentioning in Anna's eyes.
Hearing Jin Hayes's suggestion, Anna shook her head gently. "You finally have a day off; you should rest at home. Going out for a drive all day will tire you out."
"Don't worry about me. Look at Mats, Nuri, and the others—they all love taking their girlfriends shopping, dining at high-end restaurants, and going to clubs. I want to make you happy too. Otherwise, with training every day and going abroad for matches, I feel like I have no time to spend with you."
"Aren't you spending time with me right now?" Anna stroked Jin Hayes's chiseled face with affection, her delicate fingers sliding over his unshaven stubble.
"But—"
"Since you want to spend time with me, then teach me how to play football."
"Eh?"
"I wanted to play when I was a kid, but no matter what, the coach couldn't teach me."
"Is it possible that you were just too clumsy?"
"So ein Quatsch! (You're so annoying!)" Anna stomped her foot playfully and pinched Jin Hayes's cheek.
"Alright, alright. Shall we go to the training base then?"
Fifteen minutes later, Jin Hayes and Anna, having changed into training gear, arrived at the deserted training base, enjoying the entire pitch to themselves. Old Man Schuller, the gatekeeper, saw Jin Hayes with a quiet girl and smiled happily. Asking no questions, he let them in and opened the doors to the locker room, equipment room, and training pitch.
"The whole base is yours. Have fun!"
After saying that, he winked at Jin Hayes. It was the first time the old man had seen a star from his club bring a girlfriend to the training base for a date.
"Playing football is mainly about developing a rapport with the ball, treating it like your partner or a part of your body. First, try juggling the ball." Jin Hayes carefully recalled his years of training and, like a real football coach, began teaching Anna from scratch.
"I know how to juggle."
Living in Dortmund, who doesn't know how to kick a ball a bit? Anna wanted to show off in front of Jin Hayes, so she flicked the ball up and began juggling with alternating feet. It looked decent at first, but as the ball's trajectory became irregular, she gradually panicked and kicked it high into the air. The girl closed her eyes and ducked her head in fright.
Pfft.
Jin Hayes even had time to laugh at her, not even looking at the ball. As the ball was about to hit the ground, Jin Hayes cushioned it with his toe; the ball, like an obedient kitten, came to a dead stop on the grass.
"How did you do that?" Anna was stunned. She had seen many perfect traps, but such an effortless touch was rare.
"This is my bread and butter. It's no big deal."
"Wow! So cool!" Anna's blue eyes were filled with admiration. In her eyes, even Jin Hayes's simplest trap seemed to glow. He was truly the man she loved.
"Come on, you try too. Don't keep your ankles too stiff, and try to relax your knees—" Back in the realm of football, Jin Hayes was a strict coach, giving meticulous instructions. From time to time, he would touch the back of Anna's knees to correct her juggling posture. Soon, Anna indeed felt her juggling become much smoother. From initially not being able to do more than ten, she could eventually do a hundred in a row without the ball hitting the ground.
Jin Hayes was dazed. He had only been teaching her for less than half an hour. Could she be the real football prodigy?
"What should I learn next?" The girl was full of a sense of accomplishment. Even though she was dripping with sweat and out of breath, she was still enjoying herself immensely.
"Is there anything you're interested in?"
"Free kicks. I always feel like free kicks are really cool."
"Uh..." Speaking of free kicks, Jin Hayes felt a bit guilty. It seemed his shooting curse had also spread to set pieces. His penalties and free-kick shots were both atrocious. In the team's penalty practice, Jin Hayes was basically at the bottom of the order, even behind the goalkeeper, Roman Weidenfeller. Head coach Jürgen Klopp didn't mind this at all: "Don't worry about it, Jin. Everyone has their strengths, and you're already excellent enough."
Jin Hayes had already reached the pinnacle of the football world in terms of ball carrying and progression. Even if Lionel Messi or Ronaldinho were on the pitch, they wouldn't necessarily do it better than him. Recently, having built up his muscle strength, even his physique was starting to show an advantage. Klopp didn't dare imagine what kind of player Jin Hayes would become if he improved in other areas.
In the team, Jin Hayes didn't have the slightest confidence in his free kicks. But since he was just teaching Anna, even if he didn't know how, he had to pretend to be an expert. How could he show weakness in front of the girl he loved?
Even if he hadn't mastered it himself, he had seen enough good technique from his teammates. Nuri Şahin and Marco Reus had both taught Jin Hayes some free-kick techniques; he had learned just by watching.
"Okay, try taking a shot first." Coming before the goal, Anna's shot was weak and soft, slowly rolling in. The girl stared at Jin Hayes after kicking, forcing Jin Hayes to keep a straight face so as not to laugh.
"It's okay, let's adjust your movement first—pfft."
"You are laughing at me!"
"No, I'm professionally trained. No matter how funny it is, I won't laugh." Unless I can't help it.
Jin Hayes pulled another training ball from the basket nearby and placed it on the ground.
"Like this, first take a certain run-up distance... Right, then follow my movement to swing your leg." Jin Hayes first demonstrated the entire shooting sequence in slow motion: the run-up, the arm swing, and the leg swing. Then he let Anna try while he stepped forward to carefully adjust her form.
"When running up, try to adjust your steps so that your standing foot is about this far from the ball. Too far or too close will affect the quality of the strike..."
"Yeah, and then try to draw a circle with your left arm, swinging it like this." As Jin Hayes spoke, he stood behind Anna, the two of them pressed close together in an incredibly intimate posture.
Wait a minute?
It's now!
Ever since he started teaching Anna to kick free kicks, a faint throbbing had emerged in the depths of Jin Hayes's heart. The feeling at this moment was incredibly clear. It was just like the feeling when he first awakened his technical and physical talents—completely transparent, his soul merging with heaven and earth. The voice in his heart was on the verge of breaking out.
Just as Jin Hayes was immersed in that mysterious sensation and about to awaken that voice—he was suddenly interrupted by Anna.
"Süße (Sweetie)," the girl whispered.
"Eh?" Jin Hayes was stunned, not yet having reacted. Anna suddenly turned her head and gave him a light peck on the cheek.
Could Jin Hayes stand for this? Just as he was about to grab Anna in his arms, the girl anticipated him and nimbly jumped away.
"Come back! Let me give you a kiss too!"
"No! You're an improper coach!"
"Today, I'm going to be improper!"
Afternoon, Dortmund Training Base.
The young boy and girl chased each other across the pitch.
"What's that noise?"
Klopp, who had been busy for most of the day, heard laughter coming from the training pitch. He looked over but saw no one. The famous Bundesliga tough-guy manager shuddered and made the sign of the cross on his chest.
"It's broad daylight, don't do this!"