Oliver Bloom and Logan Pierce touched the wall simultaneously, still neck and neck, but once their heads emerged from the water, Logan was the first to look up at the scoreboard.
In the lane next door, Oliver lowered his head, raised his arm above water, glanced at his wrist, and then smiled slightly, almost imperceptibly.
If not for the slow-motion replay, it would be impossible to notice his gesture.
"...What's he looking at? Is he checking a watch? But he isn't even wearing one..."
The commentator asked, a question likely shared by people around the world.
Only Elise Don knew that there was once a watch on that sturdy forearm.
Oliver Bloom was looking at the hand-drawn, childish digital watch—the moment he hit the line, he knew that Elise Don had etched the result onto the dial.
Therefore, he didn't need to look up.
46 seconds and 90 milliseconds, he achieved it flawlessly.
Elise Don watched the replay, finding it hard to articulate her feelings.
