Songs For Us [English Version]

Twenty-one. The smile at the end of a program.

"So, you're training kids now"

Dalia nodded.

"And they call me 'coach Dalia', it's really funny"

Javier giggled.

"What about the Japanese boy?"

She shrugged. It had only been one week since Hiroyuki Yoshida's arrival at her home rink, and she was still overwhelmed with the amount of changes in her life.

During the morning, she'd help a group of children with the Basics -which was also helpful to polish her own skills- and after lunch, Irene would try as hard as she could not to murder her two pupils. Hiro -like he asked Dalia to call him- was always following her after he declared how 'elegant and pretty' he thought Dalia's skating was. He always listened and nodded to everything coach said, and then he'd ask her for advice when his basic English skills made it hard for him to fully understand Irene's words. However, even if he was thirteen, he was far more disciplined and talented that everyone around his age in that rink.

"Hiro-kun is too good for his age. And, holy skating pandas, Javi! He has Yuzu's mushroom haircut from when he was his age."

Of course, like most skaters in younger generations, he admired Yuzuru. Sometimes, she saw glimpses of Japan's beloved boy in Hiro's skating. An immensurable natural gentleness and an impressive talent, the way he smiled at the idea of a new challenge, that intense desire to be better in those piercing eyes.

"Oh no!"

She punched him playfully and he laughed.

"I did some research" She revealed to which Javi relied with a 'sure you did, he's Japanese after all'. "He's Japan's Junior National Silver medalist."

"Oh, so you kind of have the next Yuzuru training with you"

"No, not the 'next Yuzu' -he's incomparable- but someone who has the potential to hold onto his legacy" The unknown future of such a young boy really frightened her. What if she wasn't good enough to help Japan's promise? "He also has good Axels, it's infuriating"

Javier laughed, leaning on the boards. Dalia glanced at her coach standing outside EUC's practice rink, and since the woman was still talking with Javier's coach, she kept chatting with her friend.

There, were the skaters' stories went by, a new feeling of understanding between them was born. For years, Javi had assumed the task of representing his country at the top of the sport. Now Dalia, who was slowly starting to be named around the world like the skater challenging the Ladies' Elite knew what it really meant. The pressure, the expectations, what it meant to fall: to fail to her country, disappointing everyone. Javier knew that very well. And if Dalia wanted to reach the top, she'd have to learn to deal with it and to carry that kind of weight in her shoulders. That was the biggest challenge.

~

The European Championship was watched by all the skaters assigned to compete at 4 Continents. It was the return of Olympic bronze medalist, Carolina Kostner. It was also the first time Dalia Rodriguez and Evgenia Medvedeva clashed after delivering amazing performances at their respective Nationals.

And just like Javi had told Yuzuru, the two ladies began to push one another. It was amusing. Both girls were impressive in their own way, different and extremely competitive inside the rink -their steel gazes made it clear. Off ice, the world adored the pics they shared of them on Instagram, and the friendship that was born during the GPF.

However, one thing was clear. The Russian coaches of the girls disagreed with the feeling. Eteri Tudberitze and Irene Zhdanov created an atmosphere of their own when they stood in the same place: no talking, no stares -just proving whose coaching skills were better with their trainees' victory.