The living room smelled of cardamom tea and something sweet—probably Anya's doing. Sunlight poured through the windows, casting long shadows across the wooden floor where Vihaan sat, phone in hand, still replaying that pass. The assist. His first for Schalke. He didn't care that it was just a friendly. It meant something.
"Anyaaa! Stop feeding Momo your laddoos!" his mother's voice rang from the kitchen.
Vihaan looked up. The family cat, Momo, was pawing at a half-eaten sweet, courtesy of his 10-year-old sister who sat cross-legged on the floor with sticky fingers and a proud grin.
"He likes them!" Anya protested, licking her hands clean. "Besides, he said thank you with his eyes."
Vihaan chuckled.
"You're going to make him diabetic," Arjun muttered from behind a newspaper, lowering it just enough to glance at the sugar-coated feline. "Then you'll be paying for his insulin."
"I'll trade my comic books for it," she said seriously, before shooting Vihaan a sly glance. "By the way, someone got selected for the first team. But he didn't even tell us! Not even me!"
Vihaan leaned back into the sofa, a lazy smirk creeping up. "Was going to. But someone was too busy trying to poison the cat."
His mom entered just in time to catch that. "Poison what?"
"Nothing," Vihaan and Anya said in perfect sync.
Their father, who had just walked in with a mug of tea, chuckled. "Alright, alright. Let's hear it properly now. What happened?"
Vihaan cleared his throat, trying to suppress the growing smile. "Coach Müller pulled me aside after the match. Said I'm going to be part of the first team squad for the next matches."
"That's... huge," Arjun said, setting the paper aside, eyes lighting up. "Schalke doesn't hand out praise like candy."
"I know," Vihaan said quietly. "Still feels unreal."
Anya clapped exaggeratedly, then leapt onto the sofa beside him. "So you're like, officially famous now?"
"Not even close."
"Should I start calling you Superstar Big Bro?"
"No."
"Too late. Already told Dadi."
Vihaan laughed, tugging gently at her braid.
Their mother beamed, then gently ran her fingers through Vihaan's hair. "You've been working hard. It shows."
And then—
[System Notification]
New Quest Unlocked: "Climb the Ladder"
Objective: Earn promotion to Schalke U-17 before the season ends.
Requirements: Consistent performance in the next 6 matches, 3 MVP ratings, and Coach Müller's full trust.
Time Limit: 3 Months / 6 Matches
Rewards:
+200 SP
+15 Stat Points
+3 Overall Rating
+Title Unlocked: "Rising Star"
+Unlock Access to U-17 Team Training Sessions
Vihaan blinked, the golden hue of the quest box fading as his family continued talking.
Three months. Six matches. One shot.
The Week That Followed-
Training had intensified.
It wasn't just drills anymore—it was a battlefield. Every minute was a test, every touch judged. And Vihaan wasn't just surviving. He was thriving.
His body moved sharper now—faster. First Touch Mastery gave him an edge, but Field Scanner was the real weapon. He saw angles other kids didn't. Runs before they happened. Pressure before it arrived.
Coach Müller watched from the sidelines, arms folded, a thoughtful crease between his brows.
The morning scrimmage was tight. Vihaan slipped into the pocket, received the ball, and whipped a no-look pass out wide, perfectly splitting the defenders.
A whistle blew. "Again!" Müller called. But his tone had changed. Less critical. More curious.
Later, as the squad cooled down, Müller pulled his assistant aside. "Did you see him last month? Raw. Inconsistent. Now…?"
The assistant nodded. "Different boy."
"He's seeing the pitch like a veteran. I don't know what changed—but I like it."
Vihaan, off to the side tying his laces, heard none of it. But something inside told him he was being noticed.
Back Home – Friday Evening
"So do you have a match tomorrow?" Arjun asked, scrolling through his phone, lying diagonally across Vihaan's bed.
"Yeah. And this time it's serious. It's an official match now."
His father stepped into the room, sipping his tea again. "This is where you start making people remember your name."
Vihaan looked up. "That's the plan."
Arjun grinned. "Remember when you used to cry when your shin guards were itchy?"
"I was six."
"Still counts."
"I'm going to record the match and send it to Grandma," Anya piped up from the doorway. "She says you look like a baby goat when you run."
Vihaan blinked. "A what?"
"She meant it as a compliment."
Everyone laughed.
That night, Vihaan sat at his desk, staring at his stat sheet.
Current Stats:
Overall: 48
Pace: 61
Stamina: 56
Strength: 46
Jumping: 47
Dribbling: 57
Passing: 51
Shooting: 46
Defending: 39
Vision: 46
Composure: 47
Awareness: 45
Work Rate: 58
SP: 150
Stat Points: 3
Skills: First Touch Mastery (Lv.1), Field Scanner (Lv.1)
He hovered his finger above the "Apply" button for stat points—but paused. No. He'd wait for now.
He needed this next performance to be about him, not the system.
Outside, the moon hung low over Gelsenkirchen. A soft breeze stirred the curtains. And Vihaan, in the dim quiet of his room, whispered a single promise to himself:
I will not be forgotten.
Tomorrow, the real test began.