Date: August 1993
Location: SMA Negeri 1 Padang
Age: 11
Pak Ardi walked in without warning and dropped a thick stack of papers onto his desk.
"Put away your notebooks. This is a surprise assessment."
Groans and eye-rolls filled the room.
"National-level material. Mixed subjects. Timed. No phones, no group work, no excuses."
He began handing out sheets. Rakha accepted his without hesitation, pencil ready.
The questions weren't just hard — they were meant to intimidate:• Abstract math logic.• Economics modeling.• Political history case studies.• Long-form Bahasa Indonesia argument analysis.• Even a strange ethics question about governance.
Rakha's pencil flew. His brow didn't wrinkle — only his breathing slowed. Deep. Controlled. The kind of test he liked. One that separated noise from clarity.
From the corner of his eye, he noticed someone watching him. Not Pak Ardi.
Alvino Tanuwijaya.
Tall, well-dressed, with a blazer even when no one else wore one. Top of the class. Son of a known local businessman. Rumored to have private tutors and connections in local government. Always calm, always calculating.
And now — very clearly — interested in Rakha.
Alvino smirked just slightly before looking down at his own paper.
The message was silent but clear.
I see you. Don't get comfortable.
Later That Day – After the Quiz Results
The scores were posted on the bulletin board by noon. The top five:
Rakha Yudhistira Halim – 98.6
Alvino Tanuwijaya – 96.2
Tari Alifah – 93.5
Winda Prameswari – 92.0
Hasyim Rachmat – 91.8
Gasps. Murmurs. Shock.
"The anak kecil beat Alvino?""He's eleven!""No way this is real…"
Rakha read the board once. Blinked once.
Then walked away.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
National Curriculum Diagnostic Passed (Top 1%)Rival Recognition Triggered: "Alvino Tanuwijaya – Academic Combatant"Intelligence-Based Confidence +10Passive Trait Evolving: "Mental Resilience – Tier II"
The clubroom was nothing special — a dusty storage space behind the science wing, with mismatched chairs, an old whiteboard, and one flickering fluorescent light that buzzed like it had complaints.
But the people inside were different.
Rakha stepped in quietly and scanned the room. Twelve students. Most wore their uniforms slightly looser, hair styled just outside school regulation. They looked like they belonged in a business pitch, not a biology test.
One girl sat at the front, writing rapidly on a big book. A senior boy leaned against the wall, flipping a business magazine. Another had an actual calculator — not for show, but in active use.
"Heh. That's the kid," someone whispered. "The accelerated one."
"Seriously? What's he doing here? This is a senior club…"
Rakha ignored it. He walked to the corner, pulled out his notebook, and took a seat. He didn't need to defend his presence. His ideas would do that for him.
A moment later, the door creaked open again.
"Good afternoon, all."The voice belonged to a tall, thin man with glasses and a faded batik shirt. "Pak Beni," the teacher supervisor. "Let's begin."
He turned to Rakha.
"We have a new applicant. Normally we don't accept first-years, but… he made quite the impression."
Rakha stood, nodding politely.
"Rakha Yudhistira. I came not to join — but to contribute."
A chuckle from the back. "You got anything worth contributing?"
Rakha opened his notebook and calmly flipped to a page titled:"3 Rural Products That Could Dominate Urban Markets."
Liquid Saka (Red Sugar Syrup) – Branded & bottled for health-conscious youth.
Recycled Bamboo Packaging – Cheap, eco-friendly, scalable.
Sweet Cane Chips – New twist on sugarcane waste, turned into crispy snack.
He passed the notebook to the front row. Silence stretched.
Then the girl at the front — Tari Alifah, the same one from lunch last week — leaned forward and asked:
"Do you have a pitch deck?"
"Not yet," Rakha replied. "I have diagrams. Calculations. Test batches. My village helped run the initial model."
Her brow lifted.
"You're already running prototypes?"
"Why wait?" Rakha shrugged. "Capital is time. Time is life."
Someone in the back muttered, "Anak kampung talking like a CEO…"
But it wasn't mocking. It was half-impressed, half-threatened.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
Club Entry Challenge Passed
Influence in Extracurricular Arena: +15
New Tag Acquired: "Young Innovator"
Member Status: Provisional (Pending First Project Pitch)
Connection Deepening: Tari Alifah – Interest Level +1
After the meeting, Tari caught up to him at the courtyard.
"You're not like most kids," she said.
"I'm not trying to be."
"You will be tested, you know. Especially here. You threaten the pecking order."
Rakha looked ahead. "Let them peck."
Evening – SMA 1 Padang Courtyard
Classes were over. Most students had gone home. But Rakha lingered near the school courtyard, reviewing notes under a tree, notebook open like always.
He didn't hear footsteps until someone was standing in front of him.
Alvino.
Clean uniform, no sweat, perfect posture. He wasn't smiling — but his tone was calm, measured.
"You're good," Alvino said. "Too good for someone with mud still on his shoes."
Rakha didn't react. "So are you here to praise or provoke?"
Alvino raised a brow, just slightly impressed.
"Neither. Just to say… next month is the Forum Debat Nasional Pelajar. Our school sends two representatives.""And you think I'm taking your spot?""You already did — on paper."
A pause. Then a challenge.
"Let's see if you can do it on stage."
He walked away before Rakha could answer.
Rakha didn't need to. He already knew the answer.
Later That Evening – Clubroom Hallway, Bulletin Board
On the wall outside the Entrepreneurship Clubroom, a fresh piece of paper had been pinned under glass:
ANNOUNCEMENTNext Friday – SMA 1 Business Prototype ShowcaseTop 3 teams will present in front of a jury panel: school staff + local entrepreneursRequirements: Proposal | Budget Plan | Physical Demo | Presentation
Registered Teams (so far):
Team ALVINO — "Urban Coffee Cart with Cold Brew Expansion"
Team TARI — "Cheescake Urban Market Trial"
(Slot Available)
Others may apply by Monday.
Rakha read the board with his hands behind his back. The usual murmurs bubbled behind him.
"Eh, that Alvino kid again…""Tari's group has real packaging already.""Wonder if the prodigy will show up too…"
Rakha's lips barely moved, but a whisper slipped out:
"Not 'if'… how hard."
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
Dual Challenge Paths Confirmed→ Academic Combat: Debater Selection Begins Next Week→ Enterprise Track: Product Innovation Showcase Pending
Time Remaining: 6 DaysStrategy Phase Unlocked: "Divide, Disrupt, Deliver."
Evening – Rakha's Kos Room, After the Day Ends
Rakha sat at the edge of his mattress, staring at his notebook in the glow of a cheap desk lamp.
On one page was the quiz. On another — a sketch of Alvino's face.
So that's the mountain they built here…
He didn't smile. But he didn't feel pressure, either. Only purpose.