With the sound of the referee's whistle, the match between Manchester United and Chelsea finally began.
The waves of cheers from the crowd even made Jessica Jung, who had only debuted three months ago, stand up instinctively, swept up in the excitement. Beside her, Tiffany Hwang had somehow already made her way to the front row of the stands.
Tiffany, completely abandoning any pretense of ladylike behavior, was now hand-in-hand with a foreign football cheerleader, leaning halfway over the railing like a madwoman, wildly waving the Manchester United support items Park Ji-sung had given them whenever he touched the ball.
As a rookie who had just debuted three months ago, Jessica normally wouldn't have had the chance to travel abroad privately. But thanks to senior actress Song Yoon-ah, who shared the same manager as their group, they were unexpectedly given an opportunity to gain exposure in Europe and America.
Though the window was just one day, Jessica could guess what was really going on when she noticed their manager hadn't accompanied them—only Song Yoon-ah was there.
"Unnie, come here~"
Jessica smiled and waved Tiffany off. Their seats were actually in the Manchester United WAGs (Wives and Girlfriends) section. The atmosphere here wasn't as rowdy, which suited her just fine. More importantly, she spotted many faces she usually only saw on TV.
Jason Statham and Sylvester Stallone sat sternly in the front row, only showing the faintest hint of amusement whenever Chelsea players had the ball. Meanwhile, Song Yoon-ah was deep in conversation with the two leads from Transformers, paying no attention to the match at all.
But the most striking was the stunningly beautiful girl who had looked unhappy from the moment she arrived.
If it weren't for the Old Trafford big screen frequently panning to their section, that bombshell of a girl—Megan Fox—wouldn't have cracked a smile at all. And unless Jessica was imagining things, Megan's left cheek seemed slightly swollen, her eyes constantly tracking Claire Lee's movements.
Every time Song Yoon-ah pointed out who Claire Lee was and what he had achieved since his debut, Megan Fox would steal glances at Jessica from the corner of her eye.
"They know each other."
"Their relationship is… complicated."
"And the girl is the one at fault."
These were the conclusions Jessica drew from observing Megan Fox. She had always trusted her intuition—after all, it had helped her overcome countless obstacles over the years. This time, she had come prepared, knowing that making a mark in Europe would secure her more resources and attention within her group.
The "horse race" theory wasn't exclusive to domestic internet companies. In truth, the ones who truly embraced this cutthroat competition were South Korea's trainee agencies—with S.M. Entertainment leading the charge.
Emma Watson, on the other hand, was fully focused on Claire Lee's performance on the pitch. Though of French descent, she had moved to the UK long ago due to family reasons.
She had heard all about the Premier League's "money-driven football." But when her agency, Warner Bros., informed her that her entire schedule for the day was simply to attend Manchester United's match and show support for someone named Claire Lee…
Honestly, Emma was thrilled—though she pretended to reluctantly agree.
As one of Warner's biggest moneymakers, her schedule was usually packed, and she often found herself dragged into absurd commitments she'd rather avoid. This kind of assignment, though? She made a mental note to hint to her agent for more of these.
Sitting in the front row, Emma wasn't a die-hard fan of either team like the two action stars beside her. She was here more for the spectacle, to soak in the atmosphere of "financial football."
But if anyone pressed her on which side she supported, she'd say Claire Lee—after all, the guy she hadn't even spoken to yet was, in a way, closer to her.
However, the situation on the pitch didn't look good for Claire. Chelsea's defenders seemed to be targeting him deliberately. Every time he advanced into their half, someone would get a little too physical.
Even Jason Statham couldn't help but grumble, "Today might be Manchester United's downfall. Chelsea's already picked up two yellow cards. If Claire keeps playing like this, he'll be out for the season. That tackle from Terry just now looked brutal."
Emma furrowed her brows, listening intently. Beside Jason, Stallone stayed silent, but Shia LaBeouf behind them couldn't hold back. "His back injury just healed! Chelsea's clearly trying to take him out with these dirty tactics!"
Emma, wide-eyed like a curious child, absorbed every word. But when she caught Megan Fox's expression—her hands fidgeting nervously—Emma couldn't help but stick out her tongue slightly.
Megan's really worried about Claire Lee!
That was her first thought, but she quickly dismissed it. Megan Fox was engaged, after all. As an avid internet surfer, Emma immediately considered another possibility: "Maybe she just needs to pee? I get like that during intense filming too."
She kept the thought to herself, though—they weren't exactly friends.
The roar of the crowd grew louder as Manchester United's struggles became apparent to everyone in the stadium. With Claire's movements becoming increasingly sluggish, the cameras shifted their focus back to Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.
But no matter how the "United Duo" attacked, Chelsea's defense held firm. And the moment United slipped up, Chelsea's back four would suddenly push forward, turning into a six-man offensive line.
These six players advanced like a tank straight toward Claire Lee's position. Despite Claire's sharp anticipation—even setting up Ronaldo with a perfect lob—United just couldn't break through.