Legendary Football Superstar

Another day, another shot at life. Luke was up at the crack of dawn, sticking to his usual routine, jogging all the way to school.

UCLA's smack dab in the middle of Westwood. To the west, you got the Pacific Coast Highway leading to Malibu, where the rich and famous hang out; to the east, there's downtown LA with the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Kodak Theatre; north, you hit Beverly Hills, where all the Hollywood big shots live; and south, you got Santa Monica with its beaches and sunshine.

From Luke's pad to campus, it's about 16,000 feet. To keep up with his training, Luke runs to school every day, does a lap around campus, and then hits the training ground to finish up. After that, he cleans up in the training ground's bathroom and gets ready for classes.

This way, he gets his workout in and saves on bus fare. Win-win, right?

Rolling into the Westwood campus, the place is all semi-open with wide roads, old- school libraries, modern buildings, tall trees, and a bunch of young folks. The whole vibe is pure California energy, hard to ignore.

"Morning!"

"Morning!"

There's no real gate at the campus, but they got a barrier to keep out random cars. The guard in the booth knows Luke by now, so they exchange greetings every morning.

"Last night's game was sick!" The guard pumped his fist, making Luke grin. He saluted back and shouted, "Thanks!" but kept on running.

"Good morning!" someone yelled from the side. Luke didn't catch it at first, but then he saw a group of five or six people waving and shouting, "Good morning!" Their voices echoed around.

Luke was a bit surprised. He didn't know them, but he waved back. As he ran past, he heard their cheers, making the quiet campus come alive.

And that was just the start.

All along

I nodded,

running path, people were greeting him. Some just sm others shouted excitedly. One dude even ran alongside him, grinning like an idiot, which made Luke a bit uneasy. Luckily, the guy couldn't keep up and dropped off after five minutes. Luke sped up and left him behind.

Usually, it took Luke about twenty-five to thirty minutes to run around campus, but today he did it in under eighteen, leaving him a bit winded when he hit the training ground.

Running 33,000 feet daily is more about endurance than speed. But Luke figured he should start mixing in some interval training, running at different speeds, since energy use in a race isn't constant.

Before he could think it through, he heard cheering. Looking over, he saw a dozen people in the stands, waving and shouting like he was a rock star.

Luke didn't expect this and changed his running path.noveldrama

It was just past seven. Most classes start at nine, so the campus was usually quiet. The training ground would only have staff around. But now, there was a small crowd in the stands, going wild?

The world must be nuts!

Coming to his senses, Luke listened and realized they were shouting, "Bambi! Bambi!" Their voices were cracking and hoarse, making the whole scene pretty funny, and Luke couldn't help but laugh.

Clearly, last night's game had turned Luke into a campus legend.

In American high schools and colleges, sports culture is off the charts. In high school, the quarterback or the basketball team captain are basically royalty. In college, the games get more serious, tied to leagues, and students go nuts over wins or throw fits over losses. Even the non-sports fans get caught up in the school spirit.

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Luke had been in the U.S. long enough to know this. But he never thought he'd be the star of the show, at least not this soon. After all, he was from Avalis, a group still trying to find its place in this melting pot.

Luke waved at his fans, gave them a quick nod, but kept on running. Today's run felt different, with all the noise from the stands. He felt like the main character in a TV show, always in the spotlight, surrounded by adoring fans.

Jeff watched Luke running and couldn't help but jump up, "Nate, I'm telling you, he's the savior, the savior of the UCLA Bruins!" He was buzzing with excitement. "The season ended last night, and instead of chilling, he's still grinding. This is so rare! Jesus Christ! Why didn't the school spot him earlier?"

If Luke had heard this, he would've rolled his eyes. He knew the season was over and would've loved a day or two off, not out of laziness but to chill and recharge. Balancing work and rest is key to hitting those higher goals.

But here's the kicker. As of yesterday, his daily training plan was at "13/14," meaning if he skipped today, the past thirteen days of training would be for nothing. But if he kept going today, he'd earn another basic point. Luke didn't want to miss out.

So, he wasn't "self-disciplined" but "compelled." But once he got into the run, it wasn't

as bad as he thought. Maybe because of his persistence over the past five months, his body had adapted. Maybe he should keep it up tomorrow too.

"Have you ever thought that maybe it's because he's Asian?" Nate pointed out.

Jeff waved it off, "I don't care if he's from Avalis or England. The point is, he's got the skills, the talent, the drive, and he can lead us to victory, making the Trojans' fans eat their words! I like him! I support him! He's my hero!"

Then Jeff turned to his other friends and shouted, "What do you guys think?"

"Of course!"

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"Definitely!"

Their loud responses triggered another round of cheers. They had partied until dawn and hadn't slept at all. Clearly, they were still riding the high. This victory was enough to keep them celebrating for days.

What could be better than ending the season by crushing a rival? Yeah, a fourth- quarter comeback with four touchdowns!

"Bambi! Bambi!" Jeff saw Luke slowing down and eagerly shouted, "Bambi, can you sign my scarf?"

Luke was caught off guard, exhaling deeply and inhaling slowly to catch his breath. He looked at Jeff in surprise, reflexively nodding. Then he saw the fans jumping down from the stands and swarming around him. "Oh my God, Bambi, last night's game was epic! You're a god! A god!"

Luke looked at the team scarf and the pen handed to him. This was a first for him. Even for the main players on the team, signing autographs wasn't a big thing. College leagues aren't pro leagues, and fans' support is more about school pride than idolizing the players.

"I tried to buy one of your jerseys, but the school store didn't have any, so I got a scarf. Hope you don't mind," Jeff said excitedly, all in one breath, without even pausing.

"No, of course not," Luke said, taking the scarf and the pen. "What's your name?"

"Jeff. My name is Jeff Locke!" Jeff looked at Luke with bright eyes. "I'm your biggest fan! You're amazing! Wow!"

Jeff's excitement was contagious, and a smile spread across Luke's face as he signed his first fan autograph on the scarf.

He chose to sign his name from Avalis, his original name.