It's not like he was the first person to be in that situation but his response made the difference.
He was bold enough to speak back to the announcer, stand up to Jeremiah Walter, a supposed genius, make a declaration that grabbed the attention of all those that listened, and then finally, picked a class that was destined to lead him down a path of no return.
Everything he did was crazy and there was no one that could deny that fact.
But that was what caught everyone's attention.
It was impossible for Elena not to relate to him in a way.
He was basically the polar opposite of her.
She had everything including talent, brains, and skills meanwhile Nathan had only his brains to speak for him.
She came from an illustrious background while he had none.
She was destined for greatness and he was destined to die the death of a nobody.
But that never happened.