"Fuck me... Jin, you were actually right!"
During the draw ceremony that evening, the Borussia Dortmund players all turned around to glare fiercely at Jin Hayes. Jin Hayes looked innocent. "What does it have to do with me? If you want to blame someone, blame Bruno Conti."
Half an hour ago. A group of young men had eaten and drunk their fill, and after a few rounds of party games, the atmosphere was already quite lively. Even the socially anxious Anna had gradually started chatting and laughing with a few of the other girls. As dusk fell, it was almost time for the draw. Marco Reus gathered everyone to go inside and watch the draw ceremony together in the living room.
"I'm sorry, Jin, it might be a bit cramped for the two of you."
"It's fine."
The living room in Reus's house was certainly spacious enough for a family of four. But with over a dozen people squeezed in at once, the space felt a bit tight. That wasn't the only issue—Reus's sofa wasn't very large. After the front was full, Reus even brought in a few chairs from the dining room. Even after bringing in everything he could, there still wasn't enough seating.
Mats Hummels simply stood behind the sofa with his arm around his partner. There was a single sofa on the side that Caroline had specifically left for Anna. Anna couldn't refuse, so she had to sit on it.
Jin Hayes was originally standing behind Anna's sofa, thinking the draw ceremony wouldn't take that long.
However, this knockout stage draw ceremony was a long process; after spending ages reminiscing about the group stage matches, the guests and the host began performing what felt like an impromptu comedy routine on stage. They kept talking back and forth incessantly.
Anna frequently looked back at Jin Hayes behind her. "Jin, psst, Jin!"
"What's wrong?" Seeing Anna calling him softly, Jin Hayes leaned down toward her. The two were so close that he nearly brushed her cheek.
"Um…" Anna whispered softly, "Why don't you squeeze in here with me?"
"Is that—is that okay?" Jin Hayes was still hesitating, but he saw that his teammates nearby were very relaxed. On the sofa, Nuri Şahin's girlfriend was simply sitting in his lap, and the two were already getting comfortable. Hummels was also behind them, holding his girlfriend close in an affectionate embrace. The injured Reus also had Caroline by his side, clinging to his waist like a koala.
The only one present with nowhere to settle was the bachelor Götze.
"I'm going to the restroom." Götze quickly left the living room, which was filled with the 'sweet smell' of couples.
Under the circumstances, Jin Hayes had no more reservations and simply sat down next to Anna. The sofa was quite wide, and since both Jin Hayes and Anna were thin, they managed to squeeze in together. However, they were already sitting very close. Having taken off her coat, Anna was only wearing a thin sweater. Jin Hayes could even feel the softness and warmth of the young girl's body. With just an arm's width between them, it felt a bit awkward no matter what.
Jin Hayes thought for a moment and looked at Anna beside him. The girl was also fidgeting, pretending to be calm while staring at the TV.
"Can I—" Jin Hayes tried to wrap his right arm behind Anna so that they would both be more comfortable. He could feel a slight tremor in Anna's body; she didn't speak, but only gave a gentle nod. Jin Hayes finally felt at ease putting his arm around her, resting it naturally on the girl's shoulder.
Seeing the two of them in such a cozy posture, Reus couldn't help but chuckle and tease, "And he says it's nothing, this guy Jin."
"Huh? I thought they were already a couple." Caroline was a bit surprised. "When we were chatting just now, the name Anna mentioned most was Jin Hayes. Only when talking about him would Anna smile."
"Pfft, these two are no good. When we were sixteen, we already—"
"If I hadn't taken the initiative, you would have been worse than Jin back then."
"Who said that?" Reus refused to back down and reached over to tickle her, and the young couple immediately started fooling around.
By this time, Jin Hayes had grown accustomed to their current position, and it seemed Anna had too. Her back was no longer tense and straight; she gradually leaned against Jin Hayes's arm and even tilted toward his firm chest, as if being held in his embrace.
Finally, the long-awaited pre-draw ceremony antics ended. An old acquaintance, Bruno Conti, came to the podium, ready to start the 2008-2009 Champions League knockout stage draw.
"Him again?"
"Why is it this guy again?"
The Borussia Dortmund players couldn't help but complain one after another. Last time, it was him who drew Borussia Dortmund into the Group of Death. If not for Dortmund's own strength and excellent performance, the two teams advancing from Group H should have been Real Madrid and Juventus. Dortmund would have been eliminated along with Marseille—lucky to get the Europa League, unlucky to go straight home. Who knew what this Bruno Conti would draw this time.
"I'm looking forward to it. All sixteen of these teams are strong. There are some familiar faces, and some that come as a surprise."
"For example, this young team—they are full of impact and show powerful attacking attributes no matter what team they face."
"That's right, I'm talking about Panathinaikos!"
The audience thought Conti was talking about Borussia Dortmund and were fooled by him once again.
"Alright, enough talk, let's get started. The Round of 16 opponents will follow the avoidance principle, avoiding teams from the same group as well as teams from the same league. The first two teams to face off are—"
The whispering in the living room temporarily ceased as everyone stared tensely at the screen. Anna couldn't help but feel worried for Borussia Dortmund's fate, her small hand subconsciously clutching the corner of Jin Hayes's shirt.
"Porto! Their opponent is—"
"Zenit Saint Petersburg!"
A wave of sighs filled the living room. Porto really had incredible luck; the weakest team among the group runners-up was snatched up by them. There weren't many weak teams left for Dortmund.
"The second matchup: Lyon—their opponent is—"
"Dortmund, Dortmund—" Everyone was praying in unison, but unfortunately, the guest drew a slip of paper, and the whole venue erupted in cheers.
"F.C. Barcelona!"
Barcelona's luck was also great, essentially getting a favourable path to the quarter-finals. There weren't many weak teams left now.
Soon, the third matchup was revealed.
"Manchester United vs Inter Milan!"
Another clash of the titans. The atmosphere at the draw was becoming increasingly intense.
"Panathinaikos! The opponent is—Villarreal!!"
"Fuck! Is UEFA looking out for La Liga?" Nuri Şahin was not happy.
In La Liga, besides the two Madrid teams eliminated by Borussia Dortmund, the Yellow Submarine and Barcelona had both received excellent draws. The only weak team among the group winners was taken by Villarreal. The players present didn't believe for a second that this wasn't rigged.
"Bayern Munich, the opponent is—Sporting CP!"
Bayern's stroke of luck also made the Borussia Dortmund players very annoyed.
"Don't tell me we're actually going to draw a powerhouse?" Mario Götze was starting to panic.
"Three matchups left. Let's see—Chelsea, the opponent is, Juventus!"
"It really is a clash between two teams that excel at defending. Shield vs Shield."
"The penultimate group, Liverpool!! The opponent is—Roma!"
When this result came out, everyone was stunned for a moment. Then, everyone simultaneously looked at Jin Hayes.
"Jin, any thoughts?"
"Regarding this result, I can only say—it doesn't matter, let's just get it done."
"Fuck me—Jin, you were actually right! We drew a Premier League powerhouse!"
"What does it have to do with me? You can only blame Bruno Conti."
With only the last pair left, all suspense was gone. The guest, Bruno Conti, smilingly unfolded the slip from the small ball. Borussia Dortmund. The next slip was one very familiar to Jin Hayes. Arsenal.
The Gunners, Arsenal.
Meanwhile, in North London.
"What the hell?" The Champions League Round of 16 draw was playing on the TV screen, the light reflecting off Cesc Fàbregas's face, making his expression look uncertain. He ran into him. After a year, the two were about to meet again, except this time as opponents.
Speaking of which, Fàbregas wasn't even sure if Jin Hayes was a friend. Deep down, there was probably more jealousy toward Jin Hayes. Whether it was Jin Hayes's phenomenal performance in the Bundesliga or Arsène Wenger's affection for him, it all made Fàbregas incredibly envious. It was as if he had worked hard to become the best student in class, but in the heart of the teacher he respected, there was always someone else who had already moved on. No matter how hard he worked, his status in Wenger's heart always felt slightly secondary.
If Arsenal could pay over €30 million and promise to resolve the work permit issues, Wenger would likely have brought Jin Hayes to the Emirates Stadium immediately. Then again, Fàbregas couldn't blame Wenger; deep down, he himself didn't truly belong to Arsenal—his heart was still with La Masia.
[Congratulations on making it to the knockout stage.]
[Thanks. ]Fàbregas took out his phone and couldn't resist sending a text to Jin Hayes; the other side replied quickly. Fàbregas's little scheme had succeeded, and a smirk curved his lips.
[Leave the rest to us. Your Champions League journey should end here. ]
After sending the message, Fàbregas was already imagining the anger, fear, and panic on Jin Hayes's face.
[Do you know what I'm going to say? You guys are indeed the ones whose Champions League run will end, so you can focus on the battle for the top four in the league. ]
This—Fàbregas felt like he had punched a bale of cotton; he felt completely unsettled. This kid was quite confident, wasn't he? Looking down on Arsenal like that—he'd regret it. Instead, it was Fàbregas who lost his cool first. He already couldn't wait to fast‑forward to next February to face off against Jin Hayes.
…
Back at Reus's house.
Seeing Jin Hayes sending a text, Anna habitually looked away. She hated prying into other people's privacy; she didn't even care to follow her own family's business. But who was Jin Hayes texting? So late at night—driven by curiosity mixed with a certain sour feeling, Anna changed her ways and peeked at Jin Hayes's phone screen. Little did she know her small movements were perfectly clear to Jin Hayes. He held the phone directly in front of Anna's face.
"Here, Fàbregas just sent a challenge."
"Oh." Anna pretended not to care, but secretly felt delighted.
"Are you on good terms with him?"
"It's okay; we were friends before." But it was hard to say. What Jin Hayes liked more was the Arsenal of the Thierry Henry era; it was just fondness by association that he had some good feelings toward the current Arsenal. But he wasn't exactly a fan of this team. Encountering his former club, he was more than happy to send Arsenal back to the Premier League to focus on the top‑four race. With Everton and Aston Villa chasing closely behind, Arsenal was under pressure. As for the title, there wasn't a shred of hope. The top tier of Manchester United, Chelsea, and Liverpool had already opened up a gap of nearly ten points.
Looking at the Champions League matchups on the screen, Jin Hayes also couldn't wait to return to North London. Porto vs Zenit Saint Petersburg; Lyon vs Barcelona; Manchester United vs Inter Milan; Panathinaikos vs Villarreal; Bayern Munich vs Sporting CP; Chelsea vs Juventus; Liverpool vs Roma; Borussia Dortmund vs Arsenal.