The Regressor's Ice Is Golden - Chapter 14

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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014.

I stared at the contract in front of me.
Even if the boss did vouch for me, was it really okay to sign something this hastily?
“Could you contact my parents and get their permission?”
“Well, my guardian is actually my coach.”
“Ah, is that so?”
The employee glanced back and forth between the coach and me.
The coach simply smiled.
That was the expression he wore when he’d reached enlightenment.
I read the room carefully and filled in whatever they asked.
“No, never mind. Since this is a one-time thing, you don’t need to fill that part in.”
“Oh, right, of course. So what should I write there instead?”
Could you take your time? I’m getting a bit scattered.
Finally, the consent of my legal guardian as a minor.
With a sigh from the coach, the contract was signed.
The photographer yawned and stretched.
It looked like he’d run out of energy too.
“Shall we get started?”
“Yep.”
Someone in a light blue shirt arrived carrying an armful of clothes.
The first item was a Tracksuit Set.
Just a brand logo plastered on the chest.
‘Looks like something you’d pick up at the Underground Shopping Center for a few thousand won.’
I smacked my lips and headed into the changing room they’d shown me.
When I came out in the new outfit, four or five pairs of eyes turned to look at me at once.
“Oh.”
The photographer whistled first.
“Not bad at all?”
The light blue shirt whispered something to the checkered shirt.
“If you’d come over here, please.”
A staffer in a black hoodie—I had no idea when they’d arrived—guided me.
Finally, the photographer took his position behind the camera.
Whatever had pleased him, he was smiling.
“All right, let’s begin.”
I swallowed hard, staring into the camera lens.
“Look just a little lower, please. Put one hand in your pants pocket. Yes, like that.”
Then the lights flashed brilliantly.
Flash!
My eyes stung, and I couldn’t help but frown.
“Yes, that expression is great. Don’t close your eyes—once more.”
Flash!
“Good. Could you turn to the side? Keep your gaze here, though.”
Another flash!
We shot several more photos.
The poses shifted slightly, and the zipper on the jacket zipped and unzipped.
“That’s all. Go change back.”
“Phew.”
As the tension released, a sigh escaped me naturally.
Ha Seol glanced at the wall clock hanging behind the photographer.
We’d only shot one outfit, but the minute hand had already shifted.
“Want some water?”
The coach twisted open a bottle and handed it to me.
Only after a sip did I feel my mind clear.
“This burns more energy than I expected.”
“Looks like it.”
“Oh, an athlete like you handles it well, though~. I’ve heard some kids actually collapse sometimes.”
One of the staffers joked.
It took nearly six hours to finish all the photographs.
I wanted to quit everything right then.
I decided to offer a brief salute to all the models in the world.
“Thank you so much. I’ll call you again next time~.”
We parted ways cheerfully and left the studio.
Oh, and they paid generously, by the way.
The coach’s eyes had gone wide when she saw the deposit notice earlier.
“Ha Seol.”
“Yes?”
“Our lunch boxes are steak salads for the foreseeable future.”
“Please, be reasonable.”
That money would be better spent extending our rink rental by an hour next month.
Canned tuna and chicken breast are enough protein.
“Well then.”
Park Ji-ho, who had been quietly lurking in the corner the whole time, suddenly clapped his hands.
“I was hoping you’d give me something in return for introducing you to the job, junior.”
“Pardon?”
“Come on, you know.”
He crossed his arms and grinned mischievously.
“That sounds an awful lot like extortion.”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Look, it’s not a big deal or anything. I heard Cha Jin-hee choreographed your routine, but she wouldn’t tell me the details.”
“It was just a minor revision, actually…. So what?”
Why was he dancing around the subject like this?
Park Ji-ho scratched his head sheepishly and asked.
“When you rent the Ice Rink next time, would it be okay if I came along again?”
I thought he was angling for something major, but all he wanted was as simple as leftovers.
“I don’t mind, but… do you like Cha Jin-hee? You’re always trying to tag along.”
“What? Hey, you too?”
Yeah, he definitely likes her.
I ignored him and climbed into the coach’s car.
How could both of them be family and still act that way? I had no idea.
I glanced back and saw Park Ji-ho pouting and huffing indignantly.
The way he looked, I doubted he’d want to help out next time.
“I was joking. Thanks for your help today, really.”
“Oh… yeah. See you next time.”
The coach’s car glided smoothly toward the Ice Rink.

It was late evening, but the road was surprisingly quiet.
I opened the window, and the late spring breeze drifted in.
“Don’t get involved with that boy romantically.”
The coach glanced at the rearview mirror and offered her commentary.
“Is that even possible?”
“Fair point. You’re probably better off single anyway.”
We traded these pointless jokes.
“Oh, that’s right, Ha Seol. Starting today, you’ll be sharing the rink with other skaters. The coaches from the other clubs and I worked out the logistics. That’s okay with you, right?”
“Sure, no problem.”
I’d thought for some time that having the entire rink to ourselves was extravagant anyway.
“But who will we be sharing with?”
“You should know.”
The name the coach gave me was enough to catch me off guard.
“…But why would they want to train with us?”
“Apparently there was an issue with her Skating Boots and she spent a lot of money on repairs. We haven’t been in the best financial shape either, so it’s mutual support—we’ll push each other along.”
“I see.”
I pretended to accept the explanation and looked out the window.
But inside, I was on edge. My palms had begun to sweat.

***

Ever since Lee Yu-na had risen to prominence, every child who admired her had rushed to start figure skating.
That generation came to be known as the Yuna Kids.
One among them would come to occupy a position in men’s singles figure skating—a barren landscape until then—that rivaled Lee Yu-na’s own.
“Hello, I’m Choi Ji-hwan.”
“I’m Ha Seol.”
Yes, this is the athlete greeting me now.
I exchanged pleasantries with proper courtesy.
His career, in three lines, reads like this:
Four consecutive Olympic appearances for South Korea in men’s singles.
At the third Olympic Games he competed in, he brought home the first bronze medal in Korean men’s singles history.
Beyond that, he was the first figure skater to earn military exemption through an Asian Games gold medal.
By any measure before my return, he was a formidable figure.
……For now, I decide to stay calm.
Does Choi Ji-hwan have some connection to me at this point in time? No.
Do I owe him anything, or is there something I need to settle with him? No.
Or does he interfere with my training?
If such things bothered me, I couldn’t even get through rehearsal before a competition.
Besides, today there are seven or so elementary school children here training alongside us.
So there was no reason to worry about it.
I glanced at him.
Choi Ji-hwan before his Olympic debut.
Seeing him in person…….
‘He’s really tall, isn’t he?’
Accounting for the skating boots, he appeared to be around 173 centimeters.
By the time of his second Olympic appearance, as I recalled, he’d crossed 180 centimeters.
With a frame that tall, it must be difficult to wind up the rotations while jumping.
“Pretty remarkable, right, even by your standards? This guy’s something special.”
Of course I would know.
I offered the coach a smile.
“You’re working on the Free Program today, yes? I understand you’re also doing Turandot.”
“Oh, that’s right. I was thrilled to hear the news.”
While the two coaches chatted away, I studied his expression.
He seemed equally uncomfortable.
“If there’s anything you need, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Ah, thank you.”
This was unbearably awkward.
I abandoned small talk and called to the coach.
“Should we head in to practice soon?”
“Yeah, we should.”
The white ice rink was bustling with elementary school children.
As usual—the Ina Bauer, followed by the Double Axel.
After landing lightly, I could see Choi Ji-hwan warming up as well.
He started with a few steps.
He handed his outer jacket to the coach and poured himself a Blue Ion Drink, taking a sip.
Then he glided across the ice, building speed rapidly, into a Triple Loop.
The sound of ice cutting rang out cleanly.
It was a high, long-distance jump.
‘He said his boots had problems, but he’s jumping well.’
I spun through a Twizzle and approached the coach.
“My knee’s been hurting less today—can I try practicing the combination?”
“You mean the consecutive jumps? Are you sure about that?”
“I’m planning to do the connected Loop as a double.”
“Hmm, that should be manageable. Give it a try.”
Finally.
I nodded and pushed off from the ice.
The powerful weapon for this season’s results.
The Lutz-Loop combination I hadn’t managed in some time.
‘I hope the feel for it is still there.’
I rapidly increased my gliding speed and set my position.
The deep outer edge of my left foot, and timing the toe pick strike against the ice.
The world spun in a blur, and my right foot touched down on the ice.
‘That’s it, just like that!’
The moment I pulled up into the spin.
Thud!
Something heavy crashed into me, the sound sharp against my ears.
The impact threw off my axis of rotation.
Bang!
When I came to, I was sprawled on the ice.
“Ugh…….”
I blinked, trying to make sense of what had happened.
Choi Ji-hwan was crouched near the edge of the rink.
“Choi Ji-hwan!”
At the Coach’s voice, he wobbled to his feet.
From the way he moved, he didn’t seem hurt.
He smacked the ice with his toe pick, then stepped off.
“Hey, I told you not to dig into the ice!”
His habits left something to be desired.
I scrambled up and got off the ice myself.
Choi Ji-hwan was already on the bench, unlacing his Skating Boots.
“What happened?”
The Coach didn’t answer, just glanced sidelong at the two of them.
Their murmured conversation drifted over.
“Is the collar still loose?”
“It’s gotten worse.”
“Hmm, you did put those through a lot last season.”
“When’s the shipment supposed to arrive?”
“It’ll take a while. The season starts soon.”
“Sigh…….”
Choi Ji-hwan frowned and rummaged through his bag.
The way his expression shifted told me he’d left something behind.
What was he trying to do, anyway.
I opened my own bag.
Since it doubled as a school bag, I kept most of my supplies in there.
I dug through the pockets and pulled out several unopened rolls of Box Tape.
I’d bought them back in the novice days when I was having boot problems.
I walked over with them in hand.
“Here, if you need tape, you can have these.”
“Oh!”
The Coach’s eyes widened.
“Are you sure you can spare them?”
“Yeah, I have plenty left since I’m upgrading my boots soon.”
“Thanks. I’ll return them after I use them.”
The Coach took the Box Tape with a broad smile.
Choi Ji-hwan looked between us in bewilderment before suddenly catching on.
“Here, try them on.”
I glanced over, then turned back to the Coach.
The Coach was squinting with amusement, a smirk playing at his lips.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“You, this kid — Cha Jin-hee kept pushing you to add a Triple Loop, complaining about your checks.”
“What are you talking about, seriously.”
“Just glad there’s still some humanity left in you.”
I let out a snort and climbed back onto the ice.
Either way, I couldn’t afford to waste three whole hours of practice time.
I had to focus on my training.
I picked up speed again, pushed off hard, positioned myself.
With a click, I launched into the Double Lutz.
The moment my right foot touched down, I pulled up hard into the spin.
‘Please.’
With a sharp whistle, my right foot landed back on the ice.
Landing successful, at least.
Now I just had to make one more rotation and dismount.
‘One more time.’
I picked up speed again.
From the same point as before—a Triple Lutz.
And this time, I threw myself into the rotation with even greater force.
My body coiled inward, tight and explosive.
At last, my right blade sang out as it landed clean.
“Ha… ha.”
I gasped for breath.
Triple Lutz, Triple Loop—a consecutive jump combination.
Someone watched this secret weapon grow steadier with each attempt.
…
Choi Ji-hwan’s eyes narrowed.
The Reincarnator’s Ice Rink, Episode 14
E-book Release Date | 2026.06.05

Author | Corcaroli
Publisher | Heo Heung-beom, Park Geon-won
Published by | Potent

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List Price | Not for Sale

© Corcaroli 2026

This e-book is protected under copyright law.
This e-book is published under contract with the author, and unauthorized reproduction, copying, distribution, or sharing without written consent from both parties is prohibited.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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