Chapter 11: Our Role Model

"Haha—"

The sound of Zack's laughter broke the silence after five or six seconds. He mocked, his face filled with sarcasm. "You? Shave your head? You should take a look in the mirror, it's laughable!"

"If you find it funny, then laugh some more," Evan responded calmly, not taking Zack's mockery to heart at all.

In his past life, as the CEO of a company worth over a billion, he had seen it all. This petty quarrel was nothing more than child's play.

Would an elephant respond to the insults of an ant?

Well... at this point, he felt more like an elephant in its early years!

"Pfft!"

Romy leaned toward Nia, her eyes sparkling. "Nia, don't you think Evan is really cool?"

"He's interesting," Nia replied with a soft smile, giving her opinion.

"You—" Zack's face turned red with anger. He punched the air in frustration, hitting nothing but empty space. The feeling made him want to spit blood.

"I?" Evan stood next to Nia, his tone casual. "I'm on Nia's team. We're taking on you three." He ruffled his hair, his eyes glinting playfully. "Watch out, I might just shave your head."

"N-No…."

Nia panicked and waved her hands in the air. "Evan, I don't know how to play basketball, I—"

"It's fine," Evan interrupted with a gentle smile. "Just stand back and watch."

He didn't give her a chance to refuse. He leaned down slightly, his face near her ear, inhaling the faint fragrance that lingered on her. A sense of calm washed over him, something he hadn't felt in a long time.

This feels great…

If only it could last forever.

Nia took a few steps back in surprise, her cheeks flushing. She was so nervous that her words stumbled. "Really… is this okay? I—I feel like I'll be a burden."

"No way."

Evan shook his head, affirming, "When I say it's fine, it's fine."

Several boys from the class had noticed the interaction, though they weren't sure what exactly was going on. But they had all seen how Evan had whispered to Nia, and it was enough to spark some gossip.

"Whoa, Evan's bold, huh?"

"It's his first day here, and he's already flirting with Nia, the school's beauty?"

"Our role model!"

"This guy is done for! Look at Zack's expression. Yikes, that's terrifying!"

"Good-looking, tall, smart, and now he's got some serious flirting skills? Why do I have to share a class with this freak?"

A few meters away, Zack's fists clenched tightly, and his eyes burned with fury. His murderous intent was clear.

He had been harboring feelings for Nia for a while, and now, this new guy had the audacity to act so familiar with her in front of everyone. It was a slap in the face!

If he didn't get back at Evan, he wouldn't be able to hold his head high in class anymore.

"Alright!"

Zack gritted his teeth. "We'll do it your way. Romy, Su Ke, and I will be one team. No points, just the first team to score five wins!"

"No problem."

Evan nodded, unconcerned about the rules. After all, losing wasn't an option for him.

In his past life, basketball had been his sport for over a decade. Losing to someone like Zack was unthinkable. If that happened, he might as well just buy a tofu block and end it all.

"Wait."

Zack's voice turned cold and sharp. "Since we're betting, the losing side should have a punishment."

"Oh?" Evan raised an eyebrow. "What kind of punishment?"

"Simple!"

Zack's eyes gleamed. He raised his voice. "If you lose, you'll have to run three laps around the track, shouting 'I'm useless!' while you do."

"Evan, don't accept this!"

"Zack, this is too much!"

Nia and Romy protested at the same time. To them, the punishment was nothing short of an insult.

Even Su Ke couldn't help but speak up. "Zack, we're all classmates. We see each other every day. Are you out of your mind?"

But Zack ignored them, his gaze still fixed on Evan. "Do you dare to bet?"

Evan gave Nia a reassuring gesture, then glanced at Zack with a playful smile. "And if you lose?"

"Me?" Zack laughed arrogantly. "There's no way I'll lose. Do you really think you can beat me?"

"I can," Evan replied calmly. "So if you lose, you'll have to do the same."

At this point, many of the boys from Class 2 had gathered at the edge of the court, watching the unfolding drama. They were curious, but mostly they felt a bit sorry for Evan.

"What's this guy thinking?"

"Zack's the captain of the basketball team. His skills are top-tier. Is Evan looking for trouble?"

"Poor guy, he's about to embarrass himself in front of everyone."

Zack had already lost his patience. He wanted to humiliate Evan in front of the entire class. "Enough talk, let's do this!"

He grabbed a basketball from the ground and tossed it toward Evan. "Don't say I'm bullying you. I'll let you take the ball first."

The ball flew toward Evan's face at high speed, clearly meant to make him look foolish. But the next moment, Zack's smug expression faltered.

Evan casually extended his right hand and caught the ball, effortlessly. He gave Zack a half-smile. "Just don't use this as an excuse when you lose."

Turning to Nia, still in a daze, Evan spoke softly. "Nia, just watch from the sidelines."

Nia's mouth opened slightly, wanting to say something, but she didn't know what to. Especially when Evan called her "Nia." Her face turned even redder.

This Evan…

She had warned him before, so why did he still call her that?

As Nia was lost in her thoughts, Su Ke pulled her hand and led her to the center line. "Nia, let's just watch this game calmly."

In truth, Su Ke was regretting her decision to support Zack earlier. If she hadn't, none of this would've happened.

Now, they were stuck in this strange situation. What even was this?

Romy hesitated for a moment before following them toward the sidelines.

At this point, the court was left with just Evan and Zack, unknowingly turning it into a one-on-one showdown.

Evan dribbled the ball casually, a calm expression on his face. "You ready?"

"Let's go!" Zack shouted, charging toward Evan, aiming for the ball.

His plan was simple: assert his dominance first, make Evan see how strong he was.

But Evan only shook his head slightly and murmured, "How naive."

He didn't move from his spot. Just as Zack was about to get within three meters of him, Evan suddenly jumped straight into the air.

A three-pointer?

The crowd gasped.

"Holy crap!"

"He's not going to make it!"

"How dare he try?"

"Like a fish out of water…"

"Buddy, where's your sword?"

…

Swish—nothing but net.

The ball went through the hoop.

In that moment, the noise of the crowd stopped. No one could speak. Their jaws dropped in shock.

It went in?

Evan had been at least two meters away from the three-point line. Given the distance, everyone assumed it was impossible for the shot to go in.

But… it did.

Nia, Romy, and Su Ke stood near the center line, their mouths agape.

"Did it go in? Really?"

"So awesome!"

…

Evan smiled faintly, muttering to himself, "Hmm, looks like my shot's still on point."

No pride, no surprise. Just calm as always.

Zack's hand hung frozen in mid-air, barely half a meter away from Evan. But it felt like a huge gap—one he couldn't bridge.

He stared at the basketball, still bouncing on the floor. His face paled slightly.

How did he make that shot? It was pure luck, wasn't it?

"Let's see if your luck holds out," Zack sneered. He walked toward the basket, picked up the ball, and said, "Now it's my turn."

"Bring it on."

Evan lazily stepped back to the free-throw line, unconcerned.

"Wow, he's so cool!"

"Total swagger."

"I can't take it anymore, Evan, you're my favorite!" Some girls on the sidelines couldn't help but shout, their eyes sparkling with admiration.

Zack clenched his teeth, furious.

"Damn it!"

He cursed under his breath. This guy had totally embarrassed him!

With a deep breath, Zack dribbled the ball smoothly, his speed suddenly increasing. In the blink of an eye, he bypassed Evan and charged toward the basket.

But Evan didn't move to stop him. He simply stood still, letting Zack race past him.

"Pathetic!"

Zack sneered, his eyes fixed on the hoop. As he neared the basket, an idea popped into his head. He couldn't resist.

With a burst of speed, he jumped into the air,