A new day begins.The Monday after the expo felt different.Not because anything major had changed. The sun still hit the cracked school wall by 8 a.m., the chai stall near the gate still smells delicious, and the boys still gathered near the ground comparing bat stickers.But for Raj, everything felt lighter.He had no idea if it was the system updates,the crowd's applause at the expo or the way that unknown girl had smiled at him before disappearing.But something had changed.
"You look like you won the World Cup," Uday said, joining him near the classroom door.Raj smiled lightly. "Feels like I did."
"You did nothing," Zayed joined, placing his backpack onto the bench. "Just stood there and let people fall in love with a stitched glove."
"Exactly," Uday said. "That's what made him look like a legend."Raj laughed and said: "Relax, both of you. We've still got a lot of work to do."
"Like what?"
Raj pulled out a small notepad and flipped it open. "Prototype 2: Budget batting pads. We use foam, stitched fabric, and maybe bike tubes for strap grip."
Zayed blinked. "Where do you even come up with this stuff?"
Raj said : "Somewhere between poverty and late-night thinking."Their conversation was cut short by a soft knock on the open classroom door.Everyone turned.
A girl stood there quiet, composed, and holding a small school slip.She wore the same uniform, but her posture, her presence,felt like it didn't belong to this place.Like she came from somewhere bigger.
"Excuse me," she said, voice calm but confident. "Is this Class 9A?".The teacher nodded. "Yes. You're the transfer student?".She handed over the paper.
"I'm Priya."A few boys whispered.
Raj tilted his head slightly. The name didn't strike anything, but her face.He couldn't place it.But something about her made him stare a little longer than necessary.Not out of attraction but out of curiosity.
Priya was given the seat near the window diagonally behind Raj. She said nothing through the first few periods. Just scribbled neatly in her notebook and answered when asked.At break, a few students tried chatting with her.She was polite. Smiled. But didn't open up much.Raj stayed quiet.But he caught her looking at him once. And when he turned, she looked away.
[System Ping: Observation Detected]
Emotional Thread — faint but present
Identity status: Unknown. No current match.
Raj signed saying not again.Not like the girl from the expo.Or was it?.He tried not to overthink it.After school, he met Uday and Zayed at the back of the tea stall.They sat on an overturned wooden bench, sipping cheap lemon soda and scribbling notes on gear designs."We need to test the glove in real match conditions," Zayed said. "A real bowler, real sweat, real pressure."Raj nodded. "Let's ask Coach for a friendly match day."
"Done," Uday said. "Also... did you see the new girl?".Raj raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. Why?"
"She looks like someone," Uday said. "Can't tell who. Maybe from the expo?"
Raj blinked.His heart did a small flip thinking."umm.....maybe."
Later that night, Raj sat on his rooftop again, under the stars, with his schoolbag open beside him.The system watch buzzed.
RajCraft Brand Tracker
– Local Interest: 264 viewers
– Glove Showcase Video: 1,200 views
One potential scout from "Telangana Rising League" has bookmarked your name.
He stared at the screen, wide-eyed.Then laughed.Softly, but truly.He didn't laugh like this often.Not in the last life.Not when he was chasing the world.But this time, he wasn't chasing.He was walking and the world was watching.And someone maybe more was watching more closely than anyone else.
TO BE CONTINUED.....
"WHO'S WATCHING HIM OR WHO ARE WATCHING? GET IT KNOW IT BY READING NEXT ChapterS.THANK YOU."