The notice went up three days earlier.
Pinned crookedly to the board outside the staff room, handwritten in blue ink, smudged at the edges.
Inter-School Friendly Match
Selected Players List
Rudra's name sat near the bottom.
Not opening.
Not trusted.
Just included.
That was enough.
Match day arrived with a different weight.
The school ground had been marked properly for the first time—chalk lines uneven but intentional. Stumps stood straight, newly painted, white against brown earth. A few teachers watched from plastic chairs under a thin shade.
This wasn't recess play.
This counted.
Rudra adjusted the blue ribbon on his arm and took his place in the field.
His heart beat faster—not from fear, but recognition.
This is where effort meets record.
The first over went badly.
A mistimed catch slipped through hands.
A misfield turned a single into four.
The opposition ran freely.
By the time Rudra's team regrouped, the damage was done.
"Four down already," someone muttered.
Scoreboard chalk read it clearly.
4 WICKETS LOST
Too early. Too fast.
Rudra stood at cover, eyes sharp, breath steady.
No panic, he told himself. Read first.
A sharp drive came his way.
He moved early. Clean stop. Quick throw.
Reflex
Lv 05 (0 / 200 EXP) → (6 / 200 EXP)
Control restored, one moment at a time.
When it was time to bat, the pressure thickened.
Rudra walked in at number six.
Four wickets down.
The fielders crowded close, voices loud, confident.
He tapped the crease once.
The bowler ran in.
The first ball pitched short.
Rudra let it go.
Focus
Lv 06 (33 / 100 EXP) → (36 / 100 EXP)
The second ball came fuller.
He stepped forward, met it softly, guiding it past mid-off.
A single.
Batting Timing
Lv 01 (12 / 100 EXP) → (18 / 100 EXP)
No celebration.
Just rotation.
The third ball swung in late.
He adjusted, playing it under his eyes.
Hand–Eye Coordination
Lv 02 (24 / 100 EXP) → (28 / 100 EXP)
The scoreboard moved slowly.
That was fine.
Pressure didn't need speed.
It needed survival.
The partnership steadied the innings.
Not dominance.
Stability.
Then a call for a risky second run echoed.
"Two!"
Rudra hesitated for a fraction too long.
The throw came in fast.
Run-out.
He stood mid-pitch, bat inches short of the crease.
Out.
Silence followed.
No applause. No blame.
He walked back with head high.
The system remained honest.
Overall EXP
+18
Not success.
But correct effort under pressure.
As he sat on the bench, watching the game continue, Rudra felt something settle.
This wasn't about being a prodigy.
It was about becoming reliable.
And reliability, he knew, was built one difficult match at a time.