○o°` | DAMIAN⛸️

The rink was almost empty, and only the bright spotlights reflected off the ice. You had finished your warm-up when a stern coach called you to the boards.

— Come here. This is Demian. He came from Japan on an exchange for two months. He'll be training with you. Show him the rink and help him get used to it.

Demian bowed awkwardly, visibly embarrassed.

"Hello... I'm Demian. Nice to meet you... " He spoke quietly, with a thick accent and mixed up the endings. It was hard to believe this shy guy was even capable of speaking confidently in front of a crowd. The coach clapped his hands.

• Demian, show me what you can do.

He bowed again, this time to the coach, and stepped onto the ice. And then he seemed to change. For the first few seconds, Demian simply glided across the ice, picking up speed. Then he pushed off sharply, soared into the air, and spun around several times, landing perfectly on one blade. Next came a series of quick spins, a jump across half the ice, and a complex element that made even the coach stop frowning. Finally, Demian accelerated almost to the opposite side of the ice and, at the last moment, executed a spectacular jump, landing right in front of you. The ice shattered into tiny pieces from under his blade. He was breathing heavily, but his face remained serious. Demian was silent for a few seconds, and then looked away, embarrassed.

“Did I… do it normally? ” he asked quietly and bowed slightly again.