"Awesome!"
"Truly awesome!"
"Jin, you're too awesome!"
"Guys, you should learn some new words."
In the away dressing room at the Allianz Arena, the Borussia Dortmund players were ecstatic after the match. It was clear that everyone had been very nervous beforehand. Their opponent was Bayern Munich, last season's double winner and Bundesliga overlord, which came with its own aura of pressure.
Both the Dortmund fans and the entire team felt that a narrow victory over Bayern would be a worthwhile result. Last season had been so difficult that Jin Hayes almost burned himself out. Whatever the result of the new season, it would be understandable; a loss would be normal.
Who would have thought they would win 5–1 at Bayern's home stadium? If Robben hadn't come on and created some threats, Borussia Dortmund might have kept a clean sheet altogether. Under immense pressure, they were met with an unexpected triumph, and Jin Hayes felt his teammates had gone a little crazy.
Neven Subotić brought two beers from the lounge, but before he could drink them, Mats Hummels poured one over Jin Hayes's head.
"WTF, man?"
"Four goals all by yourself! This is your deserved reward!"
"Exactly! Jin is our team's top scorer now—five goals in three matches!"
"It seems so. If he doesn't get the Golden Boot again this season, that would be too frustrating."
"How is that possible!"
Jin Hayes didn't feel that scoring four goals was that impressive. Most of them were achieved with Causality Shot Enhancement, and his regular shooting skills had not improved at all. Causality Enhancement was entirely a matter of luck and metaphysics.
Sometimes, even when he performed difficult moves, it was still hard to trigger, so it couldn't be a reliable weapon for him. More often, he had to break through in the final third to create opportunities and assist his teammates. A phrase Jin Hayes often said was: "I'd rather win the match than be a hero myself."
Jürgen Klopp, who had just finished the post-match press conference, returned to the dressing room and was stunned by the mess.
"What are you doing?"
"Coach!" Hummels was about to pour beer on Klopp, but Klopp's glare made him sheepishly retract his hand. They expected Klopp to get angry, but thankfully, the coach's stubbled lips curved into a slight smile.
"It's alright. We won beautifully today. Keep celebrating, just don't pour it on me. I just changed into these clothes." However, Klopp's expression quickly turned serious. "Don't think that just because we beat Bayern, we've accomplished something. The league is a long process. I ask you—what are your goals for the new season?"
Klopp's question stumped the Dortmund players. At the club's mobilization meeting at the start of the season, the management and coaching staff had set clear goals: finish in the top three and qualify for the Champions League. Why ask again about targets that had already been established?
Among the bewildered Dortmund players, only Jin Hayes seemed to be deep in thought. Yes, was top three truly enough? If there was a chance to contend for the top three, did it not mean they could challenge for the championship? Could they touch the silver salad bowl?
Jin Hayes couldn't help but raise his hand and answer loudly without hesitation: "Champion!"
His teammates turned their heads, looking at him with various expressions. Everyone probably had some thoughts about the title, but no one dared to speak first. Subconsciously, they still felt that Borussia Dortmund winning the league was a pipe dream. Jin Hayes directly put the matter on the table, and the Dortmund players immediately reacted.
We beat Bayern 5–1—could we really have a chance to win the championship?
"That's right—this is the fighting spirit we need!" Klopp's smile widened. "Don't you want to win the championship? If you do, say it out loud! If you don't even have that much courage, how can you work towards your goal? I'll ask you one more time: what is our goal this season?"
This time, the Borussia Dortmund dressing room erupted in unison with a single word: "Champion!!"
Champion!
"That's it! That's the feeling we want!" Klopp clenched his fist and vigorously threw an imaginary punch. "From now on, remember our goal! Beating Bayern isn't enough; we must defeat every opponent that comes next. Let the entire Bundesliga lie at our feet!"
"Hell Yeah!!"
Passions flared, and the atmosphere in the dressing room was reignited. The joy of defeating Bayern had transformed into an aspiration for the Bundesliga championship. Hummels, Schmelzer, Şahin, and other teammates were singing and dancing, arms around each other, chanting the team song. Even the usually low-key and gentle Marco Reus joined in, fooling around with everyone.
Jin Hayes didn't know what they were so hyped about. But… Screw it! Let's get hyped first!
"We stand together, loyal and true, cheering for football!
Borussia Dortmund!
In front of any opponent, we will never lose courage or faith. Cheering for football!
Borussia Dortmund!!"
…
Borussia Dortmund's 5–1 away victory over Bayern once again caused an earthquake in German football. Since last season, Dortmund's miraculous performances had repeatedly redefined the country's perception of the team.
As expected, the Lothar Matthäus column in Bild published a match review.
"Allianz Tragedy! 16-Year-Old Magician Nails Bayern to the Pillar of Shame."
"Gentlemen, this is football—when the arrogant defending champions encounter an awakened youth storm, the scoreboard at the Allianz Arena does not lie. Bayern Munich, with a 5–1 rout, declared to all of Europe: the cracks in the Bundesliga throne are clearly visible.
"And the creator of this massacre is a 16-year-old Asian boy, a devil who made Lúcio do the splits and Philipp Lahm despair with his sliding tackles—Jin Hayes.
"Hoeneß's arrogant pre-match remarks have now become a dagger pointed at himself. Klinsmann's 'happy football' seemed like child's play in front of Jin Hayes—undisciplined high defensive lines, loose midfield interceptions, and blind reliance on Ribéry's individual play. These loopholes were torn to shreds by Dortmund's high-pressure strangulation tactics.
"When Mark van Bommel was toyed with by Jin Hayes's backheel, I seemed to see the shadow of Maradona humiliating the German defence in 1990.
"Bayern's problems go far beyond tactics. From the chairman to the players, everyone underestimated the speed of Dortmund's evolution. Klopp's new system is not yet fully formed, but it is already enough to wreak havoc in the Bundesliga—like a precisely operating machine, driven at high speed by Jin Hayes, this engine. Their counter-attacks are not blind long balls, but rather dismember defences with surgical precision through the Şahin–Jin Hayes–Reus triangular passing.
"Here, I must once again praise the boy—even though my column has praised him many times before. Scoring a world-class goal in less than a minute, showing excellent poaching ability in header contests inside the box, and two solo goals that are enough to shock the world. German football hasn't seen such a monster combining art and violent aesthetics in a long time!
"My previous column pointed out the weakness of Dortmund's frontline; the lack of a prominent centre-forward reduced their goal-scoring ability. However, Jin Hayes's performance has compensated for this problem. He has made the Black and Yellows' attack even more lethal.
"Of course, a player's explosion only means he is in good form. Dortmund still deserves continued observation. But I believe that as long as they maintain this momentum, they have the potential to compete for this season's Bundesliga championship. The Yellow and Black Youth Storm might sweep through the league and challenge for the throne!
"Also, a suggestion for Mr. Hoeneß: instead of boasting to the media, why not write a large cheque and take Jin Hayes away? The value of this boy will soon exceed the combined total of Bayern's entire defence."
— Written by Lothar Matthäus, published in Bild Sports Section
…
Jin Hayes found that his popularity seemed to have exploded during this period. Back in Dortmund, while buying a bottle of mineral water at a convenience store, the owner would enthusiastically waive the fee and ask for a photo together.
Some fans even drove all the way to the Heinrich home, and a group of enthusiastic young women unfurled banners outside to express their admiration for Jin Hayes. After scoring four goals and defeating Bayern Munich, he had truly become a god to the Dortmund faithful.
"Jin! We love you!"
"Jin—"
Didn't they say foreign fans were all rational? Why were they more passionate than the fan circles back home?
Suddenly, the tranquility of the entire neighbourhood was broken. The Heinrich household was troubled.
"These people are so annoying." Anna frowned, put on noise-cancelling headphones, and seriously continued reading her book.
Hans and Maria were equally helpless. "If it gets too bad, we'll charge them for tours. Ten euros to enter, and an additional fifty for a photo with Jin."
The thrifty Maria began to calculate on her fingers. She had only been half-joking, but as she added up the numbers, her eyes lit up, realising this business might actually be quite profitable.
Maria's gaze shifted to Jin Hayes, who couldn't help but shiver.
"Oh, don't listen to her. Jin, this matter might only be resolvable if you step outside and talk to them." Hans shook his head.
"No problem, Hans. Leave it to me." Jin Hayes was familiar with handling such situations. He had been surrounded by eager fans outside the training base before. If it were just him living alone, it would be fine, but he couldn't let them disturb the Heinrichs or the neighbours.
Jin Hayes went out without hesitation to face the fans. Inside, Anna quietly took off her headphones and peered out the window, watching him from a distance. She saw him flash a charming smile at the flamboyantly dressed young women, signing autographs for everyone and enthusiastically posing for photos.
Hey!
Where did your hand go?!
And you all—could you dress even more revealingly?
Hmph! How shameless.
To be honest, Jin Hayes quite enjoyed the fans' enthusiasm. They were all local high school and university students, young and full of energy. Being hugged between two attractive fans, feeling the warmth and catching their perfume, the 16-year-old couldn't help but feel a little lightheaded.
But before he could properly enjoy the attention, Anna suddenly appeared—having changed into a Prada bodycon dress, as if she had stepped straight off a Vogue photoshoot. The path from the front door to the roadside became her runway. The moment Anna stepped out, she instantly captured everyone's attention. No matter how fashionable these fans dressed, their overall image and aura simply couldn't compare to a professional supermodel. Anna stood out like a swan among sparrows.
As everyone stared in awe, the cool and ethereal Anna walked up to Jin Hayes, expressionlessly linking her arm through his. "Darling, it's time to go nack."
The sudden change left the female fans utterly disappointed. They had thought they might have a chance to win Jin Hayes's favour, but it turned out he was already taken?
"Excuse me, this is a residential area. Everyone, please disperse. Thank you for supporting Borussia Dortmund, and I hope we can cheer for the team together at the stadium." Anna lifted her chin as she finished speaking, then directly walked home with Jin Hayes on her arm. The other fans felt outclassed and could only leave.
The neighbourhood finally returned to its usual tranquillity.
Hans and Maria watched their daughter's performance through the window, stunned. "When did Anna ever dress like that?"
"It's normal. Our daughter's grown up." Maria leaned contentedly on her husband's shoulder, a doting smile on her face. "Speaking of which, Anna is exactly like you when you were young. And I was as handsome as Jin."
"Oh, come on. You weren't even a tenth as good-looking as Jin when you were young. You were a little chubby."
After entering the house, Anna quietly released Jin Hayes and let out a long sigh.
"What was that all about?" Jin Hayes leaned against the door with his arms crossed, watching her with interest.
"Nothing. They were too noisy."
"I thought—"
"Don't overthink it! I definitely didn't make it official with you!" Anna kicked off her high heels and scurried upstairs on her bare, delicate feet.
Jin Hayes stood awkwardly. "I wasn't overthinking it—"
That night, the Champions League group stage draw ceremony took place. The whole family huddled together on the sofa, filled with nervousness and anticipation.
Uncle Hans, holding a beer, gestured animatedly, continuously commenting on the various Champions League teams to Jin Hayes.
Anna, wearing bear pyjamas, quietly came downstairs and sat down next to Jin, habitually tucking her feet up, curled on the sofa like a kitten. Normally, she preferred to curl up in the single armchair in the corner. This was the first time she had actively come to sit so close to him.
Could it be that she was really declaring her territory this afternoon? Could it be…
Suddenly, Jin Hayes's mind was no longer on the Champions League draw ceremony on television. The draw continued in the background, but his attention was fixed on the girl beside him.
For the first time, he wondered if there was more to her sudden appearance than just annoyance at the noise. The soft glow of the TV reflected in her eyes, and he caught her stealing a glance at him before quickly looking away. The room was warm, and the Champions League anthem played, but all he could think about was the subtle shift between them. Maybe tonight wasn't just about football after all.