Ryan chuckled, leaning back on his elbows. "Rex, Sourov. He’s not abandoning ship. That guy actually talked to me about it."

  Sourov’s frown deepened. "He did? And?" He waited expectantly, his initial concern giving way to curiosity.

  "And," Ryan continued, a pyful glint in his eyes, "he said he just wanted to… 'taste other kinds of sports taste'." Ryan mimicked James's slightly formal way of speaking, adding a dramatic flourish with his hand.

  Sourov remained unimpressed. "’Taste other kinds of sports taste’?" He repeated skeptically. "What does that even mean?"

  Ryan ughed again. "You know James. He’s got his own way of putting things. But seriously, he expined it better than that. He said he’s not leaving Judo for basketball. He sees it as… cross-training, almost."

  Sourov’s brow furrowed further. "Cross-training? Basketball? For Judo?" He sounded utterly unconvinced.

  Ryan eborated, “Yeah, he thinks pying basketball, especially in a team environment, will make him mentally stronger. He said it’ll help him with… strategy, quick thinking, dealing with pressure, all that stuff. He thinks it’ll actually benefit the Judo club in the long run.”

  Sourov considered this, his frown slowly easing. He still looked a little skeptical, but the concern had definitely faded. “Mentally stronger, huh? By pying basketball?” He tapped his chin thoughtfully. “I guess… I guess I can see that. Team sports are different. More… dynamic, maybe?”

  Ryan nodded enthusiastically. “Exactly! And you know James, always thinking ten steps ahead. He’s probably got some grand pn we don’t even know about yet.”

  A small smile touched Sourov’s lips. He shifted his weight, gncing back at the basketball court where the sounds of cheering were still echoing. “So… you think it’s a good thing then? Him joining the basketball team?”

  Ryan grinned, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “Good thing? Sourov, have you seen him py? The guy is… unbelievable. He’s sinking shots from everywhere. They’re calling him a miracle worker out there.” He chuckled. “Opponent will get absolutely demolished. It’s hirious.”

  Sourov’s smile widened slightly. He remembered his initial doubts about James, his reservations about the quiet, unassuming newcomer joining their Judo club. He’d been wrong. Completely wrong.

  Ryan, noticing Sourov’s softening expression, pressed further. “Looks like you’re starting to think of him as a comrade now, huh? Remember at first, you were all, ‘I won't practice if he join here? Does he even know Judo? He is just a barbaric guy.’ You practically didn't want him in the club.” Ryan teased, nudging Sourov pyfully with his elbow.

  Sourov’s smile turned into a full-fledged grin. He ughed softly, shaking his head. “Alright, alright, you got me. I admit it. I was wrong about him. Completely wrong.” He paused, then added, a genuine note of admiration in his voice, “Well, who knew that guy is so talented in… everything? Judo, apparently basketball now… what’s next? Chess champion?”

  Ryan threw his head back and ughed, the sound ringing out across the field. “Chess champion James! I can totally see it! Or maybe he’ll join the debate club and become a master orator! Who knows with that guy?” He sobered slightly, a hint of genuine wonder in his voice. “Yeah, that guy is truly something else.”

  Sourov nodded in agreement, his gaze drifting back towards the football field. He could vaguely hear the renewed roar of the crowd, undoubtedly another impossible shot from James finding the net. He shook his head again, a mixture of amusement and respect filling him. James. The quiet, unassuming Judo club member who was now turning heads and bending minds on the basketball court. He was indeed, something else. And maybe, just maybe, Ryan was right. Maybe this “taste of other sports taste” would actually make him even stronger. For Judo. And for everything else he decided to try his hand at. Because with James, it seemed, anything was possible.