After all—
Scoring against Ethan Vale was easier said than done in reality.
Ryan walked to the top of the court then he began dribbling.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Ethan lowered his stance and his expression became serious.
From starting till now since the game started—
He stopped viewing Ryan as a freshman instead, he viewed him as an opponent.
Ryan noticed immediately his experience a small smile appeared on his face.
'Good, At least he's taking this seriously now.' he thought then suddenly realised his current ability, 'fuck he really taking me seriously then I am fucked up.' he thought with fear but he doesn't show in front of Ethan and court.
The two stared at each other.
One represented years of training and experience with a good body.
The other carried memories from a previous life with a weak body.
Ryan's current body wasn't as strong as Ethan's.
That much was obvious.
Ryan had a different body in previous life. That body was well fit and strong but now he is inside the body of a young rich boy who never played sports, so it's difficult for him.
Whenever they made contact, Ethan's physical advantage became clear.
But skill wasn't determined by strength alone.
The crowd watched without blinking their eyes fixed on the court.
Even Jack stopped talking and making jokes.
Lucas focused intensely.
The atmosphere became increasingly tense.
Ryan suddenly attacked.
One step forward.
The basketball moved between his legs.
Then another crossover.
Ethan reacted instantly.
Neither player gained an advantage.
Back and forth.
Attack and defense.
Movement and counter-movement.
For the first time that day—
A genuine smile appeared on Ethan's face.
This smile on his face is neither of a rich heir of a big corporation nor a Young Master of any powerful family.
But the smile of a basketball player enjoying competition.
Meanwhile, Ryan felt exactly the same as Ethan.
'Damm, that smile, hmm. Finally you acknowledge me and ask your opponent.' he thought and felt proud.
When the two of them were playing, they didn't look at the disparity in their status or the family backgrounds they came from; all they saw was each other's skills.
Only the challenger standing before him.
Ryan inhaled deeply.
'My body isn't as strong as his...Then I'll rely on technique.' he thought.
The next second—
Ryan exploded forward.
His dribble suddenly became unpredictable.
Instead of using the textbook movements common in this world, he performed a rapid hesitation dribble before instantly switching into a low crossover.
The basketball almost seemed attached to his fingertips.
Ethan's eyes narrowed.
'What's that...?'
Ryan didn't stop.
Another crossover.
Then a sudden behind-the-back dribble.
Without pausing—
He spun the ball back to his left hand in one smooth motion.
The surrounding students gasped.
"What was that?"
"I've never seen that move before!"
"Is that some kind of street basketball?"
Even the Basketball Club members exchanged confused looks.
They had never seen those techniques of basketball that Ryan used.
Ryan smiled inwardly.
'These moves don't exist in this world's basketball.'
Back in his previous life, basketball had evolved for decades.
Players constantly created new combinations of dribbles and footwork.
To Ryan…these moves were normal because he was a player in high school but he left when he started going to college and started his own business.
To everyone else...
They were completely unfamiliar with those moves.
For the first time—
Ethan lost his defensive position by half a step. He didn't see these moments and didn't know how to break this movement.
Ryan seized the opportunity immediately.
He drove toward the basket.
The crowd held its breath but after seeing this they burst out.
"He's past Ethan!"
"No way!"
Jack gave a serious face, 'He knows how to play basketball but in the information that I have…' he suddenly smiled, 'lets see how much secret you're hiding my friend.' he thought.
Lucas was seeing Ryan give it all of his to win this bet but he saw Ryan was trying to survive.
Inside the basketball court.
But Ethan didn't panic after Ryan passed him.
Instead, his lips curved into a faint smile.
"Interesting."
He planted his foot firmly.
Instead of chasing the ball—
He anticipated Ryan's final movement.
Ryan jumped for a layup.
Just as the ball left his hand—
A shadow appeared beside him.
Ethan had already caught up.
His stronger body exploded upward.
Bang!
His palm met the basketball cleanly.
A powerful block.
The ball flew toward the sideline.
The crowd erupted.
"What a block!"
"As expected of President Ethan!"
Ryan landed first.
He looked at the blocked ball before smiling helplessly.
"So that's the difference..."
Technique alone wasn't enough.
Ethan's physique was simply superior.
Years of disciplined training had built strength, speed, and explosiveness that Ryan's current body couldn't match.
The game continued.
Ryan repeatedly used unfamiliar dribbling combinations.
Each one surprised Ethan.
Each one forced him to adapt.
Slowly—
Ethan began understanding the rhythm behind Ryan's techniques.
His defense became tighter.
More precise.
Ryan attacked again.
This time using a quick step-back before driving inside.
Ethan met him head-on.
Their shoulders collided.
Ryan immediately felt the difference.
It was like running into a solid wall.
His balance shifted.
The ball slipped slightly.
That tiny mistake—
Was enough.
Ethan stole the ball cleanly.
He immediately sprinted toward the opposite basket.
Ryan chased after him with everything he had.
But...
The gap in physical ability became obvious.
Ethan rose high into the air.
The basketball left his fingertips.
Swish.
The net rippled beautifully.
Silence around the whole basketball court.
Thunderous applause exploded across the court.
The referee raised his whistle.
"Game over!"
"Ethan Vale wins."
Ryan stood quietly for a few seconds.
His breathing was heavy.
Sweat covered his forehead.
He had lost the game with fair and square there no regret if Ethan didn't take him in club.