At that moment,
Heather Crown, who had been watching the sprint competition from the sidelines, walked over carrying a bottle of water.
She had meant to give it to Brad Brook, her boyfriend. But as she approached, her eyes widened in surprise.
"Wow… you're incredible! You ran even faster than Brad!" she exclaimed.
Heather's favorability rating toward Aiden immediately spiked. From mildly negative, it jumped to genuinely impressed. After all, raw talent naturally draws admiration.
Brad's face flushed with anger. The coach had just suggested Aiden join the college track team, potentially replacing him and representing the school in the state championships. Brad couldn't argue with the coaches' decision.
But Heather - his girlfriend - just openly praised Aiden over him.
"Who is this guy?" Brad thought furiously. "How could this nobody, Aiden, outshine me? Track and field has always been my strongest domain. I can accept being called out on other things… but not here. Not in sprinting. And now she's praising him, in front of everyone?"
"Heather, what do you mean? You actually think he's better than me? In what way is he better? Am I really that worthless? Not even as fast as him? If he's so great, why don't you just be with him?" Brad shouted, letting his frustration boil over.
Of course, he immediately regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth.
"You yelled at me? You actually yelled at me? You weren't like this when you were pursuing me! It's been less than a month, and your true colors are showing? Aiden is your high school classmate, and he just complimented you as the sprint champ back then. And you? You can't even keep up with him! Why are you taking it out on me?" Heather's eyes glistened with tears.
Though she appeared delicate and gentle, Heather's personality was strong-willed. She wasn't the type to silently accept insult.
"You, Brad, aren't treating me well but there are plenty of people who would!" she shot back, her voice firm.
Brad's heart sank further, realizing he had dug himself even deeper. But Heather wasn't done: she kept highlighting Aiden's speed and skill, implicitly comparing him to Brad.
"Heather, don't go too far! I've been putting up with this for so long!" he tried to plead.
"Fine, Brad," she snapped, anger rising. "I brought you water during your competition, and not only did you not appreciate it, but you lashed out at me after losing. Are you even a man? If you're really a man, go beat Aiden! Prove yourself! If I wasn't blind back then, why would I have even fallen for you?"
Her fury was genuine, and she wasn't afraid to show it.
"Alright, enough," the coach intervened casually. "Brad, there's no need for a scene. Aiden, have you thought about joining the track team?"
"No, thanks. I've got other things to take care of," Aiden replied coolly, walking away without looking back.
He left as quickly as he arrived, leaving only an aura of awe behind him.
"No way… such raw talent… it's a huge loss if he doesn't join the track team! It's a loss for American collegiate sprinting!" one coach muttered.
"Coach, I'll talk to the school administrators. I'll also reach out to his academic advisor," another suggested.
"Good plan. Let's do it," the first coach agreed.
Meanwhile, the tension between Brad and Heather had already created a noticeable rift.
Two students in the stands, recording the sprint on their phones, quickly uploaded a short video with the caption:
"College Track Meet: Random Student Enters and Runs Like a Demon!"
The clip instantly began circulating across social media, capturing the attention of the entire campus.