The Regressor's Ice Is Golden - Chapter 33

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

033.

Cha Jin-hee stood stunned in the phone booth, receiver pressed to her ear, staring up at the ceiling.
From the moment she heard that declaration, it felt as if ice had crystallized in her skull.
The blazing sun bore down on the world with the fury of a thing trying to incinerate everything.
Sweat pooled beneath her stifling school uniform, but she couldn’t bring herself to care anymore.
“Can I actually do this?”
“You already did. In the preliminary round.”
“It’s been years since I retired from Novice.”
“So what? Then what were you doing when you came to watch the preliminary round with Park Ji-ho?”
Cha Jin-hee fell silent, dropping her gaze.
The sun was too bright.
Fine. Let’s say that’s how it was.
Meanwhile, Kim Ha-seol cleared her throat once.
From the kid’s perspective, it would be hard to feel real about any of this.
Her name never even made it into the choreographer credit, and she’d received the pay like pocket money.
Coach Park, worried her parents would ask questions, broke it down into cash several times over.
After the preliminary, she’d been too busy studying and talking with me.
And if I’d taken that kind of beating last night, my head would’ve been completely gone too.
So I decided to hammer home the undeniable facts, loud and clear.
“Listen to me, Cha Jin-hee. You’re a genius.”
“What?”
“That program—sure, there’s nothing wrong with Coach Park’s choreography, but the part where you substituted Roxanne with Tanguible and restructured it? That was you.”
“That was only because the program overlapped with Cha Seo-hee, and besides, you originally made the—”
“Hear me out.”
She’s talking right now.
I cleared my throat and began speaking deliberately.
“Of course you’ll have a lot to handle. We’re not at an age where we can work part-time jobs or live independently yet.”
She was barely thirteen, and she’d only been wearing her school uniform for half a year.
She’d have to spend several more years under her parents’ control, and there was plenty of studying ahead to survive later on.
Her family background alone was a minefield of potential backlash, so there’d be plenty of stress just getting through school.
But despite all that, because she’d done it, I could be certain.
The Short Program first place in the preliminary round went to Tanguible.
Not Roxanne.
“If you don’t trust my word, then trust the scores I brought home and the medal. Do you know whose name is on that first place and silver medal? And I know exactly how hard you pushed yourself.”
Months of waking early and sleeping late, all while evading her parents’ eyes.
That level of passion was equivalent to staking your entire life.
“So I don’t think you’ll fail. I think Coach Park helped you because she knew that. Honestly, while you were doing it, I don’t think you were just going through the motions.”
……
So I wanted her not to give up.
“I’m going to need you going forward.”
For a long time, there was no answer from the other end of the line.
Cha Jin-hee looked down at the teardrops falling silently onto the floor.
The brightness was unbearable.
Having delivered that blow, Kim Ha-seol exhaled a long breath.
“The JGP Thailand registration deadline is only thirty-six hours away now. Think it over until then.”
The call ended there.
Cha Jin-hee hung up the receiver and stood dazed, staring out through the phone booth window.
At that brilliant, searing sky, blazing the color of a skirt hem torn by wind.
She went into the school bathroom and washed her face.
As water dripped from her hands, she met the eyes of her reflection in the mirror.
She looked down at her wet hands and her bruised knees.
‘A choreographer…’
There was no room to argue against what Kim Ha-seol had said.
The truth was, she was the one who should be most frustrated with this whole mess.
Not only had she lost what she loved, but here she was studying early for university entrance exams still five years away.
For a major she didn’t even like, much less felt suited for.
The time to head to cram school arrived right on schedule, and Cha Jin-hee boarded the bus.
The moment she sat down, she plugged in her earbuds and opened YouTube.
She played the direct camera footage of Kim Ha-seol’s Short Program from the Grand Prix qualifier.
A flowing blue skirt swaying to the brisk, rapid tango rhythm, and the gleam of cubic zirconia.
And the athlete’s movement.
Something she had created.
While attending classes at the academy and studying, not a single stray thought crossed her mind.
There was simply no sense of reality.
When she came to, evening had fallen.
She left her belongings in the study room and headed to a street near the shopping center.
She stepped into another payphone booth, inserted coins, and dialed the familiar number.
“Hello?”
“It’s me. Park Ji-ho.”
“Are you crazy?”
Park Ji-ho startled at the unfamiliar form of address—one he almost never heard from her in everyday life.
The moment he heard that dramatic reaction, tears came unbidden.
“I’m just—damn it, it’s not—”
Park Ji-ho said nothing in reply.
He simply listened quietly to his sister’s grievances and frustration.
While his sister shouted and vented her anger.
For as long as the coins he’d inserted would allow.
“Sniffle… I’m sorry. See you at school.”
“Yeah.”
Immediately after hanging up the payphone, Cha Jin-hee picked up her cell phone.
Coach Park, who answered, was still the warm person he’d always been.
Listening patiently even to her tear-cracked, wet voice.
“Coach… please add my name as Choreographer. And there are a few more things I’d like to revise.”
And she took down Coach Park’s email address.

***

The first leg of the Junior Grand Prix Series: JGP Thailand.
Because of this competition held in the latter half of August, there was an absolute mountain of things to do right after leaving the training camp.
Both externally and internally.
“You’ve got everything ready?”
“Yes.”
All necessary documents had been submitted, and her passport renewed.
Park Ji-ho, whom she ran into again at school, had altered the Competition Costume for her.
He reattached loose beads and cubic zirconia, and resewed places where the seams had come undone.
When she received the altered costume during his break time, she heard news about Cha Jin-hee.
“I’ve been exchanging notes with her through her locker and the shared cubby. We used the payphone sometimes too. She says you should read this before your Short Program.”
“Really?”
Opening the shopping bag, there was a beautiful Letter Envelope inside.
“Man, even I find it amazing, you know? Even with all that, she just keeps adding choreography details…”
I simply nodded silently.
Cha Jin-hee, amid all her difficulties, had added more details to the choreography and sent video footage via email.
Remarkably, even though she couldn’t skate as she wished.
As for the person in question, she was hardly seen at school anymore.
Between her parents’ intimidation and the need to study relentlessly, there was no helping it.
“Hey, don’t worry. You know she’s mentally tough. I’ll watch the broadcast for you.”
“Ha… thank you.”
I smiled softly and looked at Park Ji-ho.
The Grand Prix Thailand event was Wednesday at 3:45 p.m. local time.
Which meant 5:45 p.m. Korean time.
Since she’d just debuted as a junior, in her first year, she’d naturally be in the first group.
The perfect time to watch right before dinner.
“When do you leave?”
“Tuesday morning, so tomorrow. I’ll come back Sunday.”
“Okay. Have a good trip!”
“Thanks.”
I exchanged a high-five with Park Ji-ho and we parted ways.
And a few days later.
“Come on, one, two, three!”
Click!
Three skaters in total were heading to the first competition in Thailand.
One first-year boy with a single entry ticket, one girl a year older with the same allocation, and me.
“All right, we’re done. You can take down the banner whenever you’re ready.”
The moment we finished the press photo shoot, we went through departure screening and boarded the plane.
With a rumbling sound and the strange sensation of lifting off, something felt disorienting.
‘It’s been so long.’
I hadn’t set foot on a plane in over a decade.
I glanced sideways at Coach Park, already fast asleep in the adjacent seat.
‘Status Window.’
The familiar blue window appeared before my eyes.

[Kim Ha-seol]
Age: 13 years old (Born February 27)
Height: 163cm
Weight: 46kg
Secondary Sexual Characteristics Progression: 36%

Strength: B+
Stamina: B+
Flexibility: B
Precision: B+
Artistry: A

[Biological Metronome] (D/Active)
[Grasping Movement] (D/Active)

Special Notes: Regressor, Indomitable Spirit
!Status Abnormality! Physical Changes from Secondary Sexual Characteristics
[Points: 3]

Once I activated the special ability I’d chosen, my Artistry stat climbed to a solid A.
Not a negative bump—a pure, clean A.
Reading the special ability description confirmed it had a corrective effect built in.
‘Even just the cleanliness of line work will be worth watching.’
Add in the choreography Cha Jin-hee had revised and sent over, and this program would be relentlessly engaging.
I planned to stamp that impression into every viewer with these special abilities.
Through impeccable rhythm sense and expressive movement.
I found myself curious what the comment section would look like watching it.
I’d managed to push Strength, Stamina, and Precision all up to B+ as well.
That was the fruit of grinding hard in the athlete residence training facility.
‘And I’ve managed to protect my hip flexibility too.’
As long as nothing unexpected happens out there, things should go smoothly.
During the rest of the flight, I spent the time rewatching the videos Cha Jin-hee had sent.
After landing and moving to the hotel, I unpacked and did some light stretching.
I didn’t venture outside the accommodation.
I wasn’t here as a tourist, after all.
It was around then that I opened Cha Jin-hee’s letter.
Pink stationery with handwriting that showed how carefully she’d tried to write neatly.
It was mostly expressions of gratitude and what she planned to do going forward.
And then the most important part—her encouragement.
[You said to believe in your score and your medal, but I’d rather you didn’t skate for my sake.]
Either way, we’re choreographer and athlete before we’re friends.
[Even if you fall on a jump or mess up the competition, it’s fine. Don’t apologize to me for it—just skate with conviction. I had more fun making this choreography than I have in a long time.]
The last sentence ended like this:
[The more you overthink dance, the worse you perform it. Isn’t that right?]
I let out a soft laugh as I folded the letter.
I placed it carefully back in the envelope and collapsed onto the bed.
Tomorrow’s schedule was set to start early in the morning.
I grabbed breakfast from what I’d packed at the hotel, then headed straight to the arena for a run-through.
In a sense, that’s when the competition truly began.
‘Let’s see what happens.’
Whether what I’d prepared would hold up in an international competition.

IWIS International Training Center.
One wall of the white ice rink bore a large Thai flag alongside various others.
And a few rows of modest spectator seating.
The women’s singles short program would begin after the pairs short program finished.
An English announcement echoed through the venue as the skaters were introduced one by one.
Thirty-six competitors total; the first group took to the ice in turn.
{We will now begin the warm-up for Group 1 of the women’s junior division. Warm-up time is six minutes.}
I gradually picked up speed, taking the measure of the rink’s dimensions.
‘It’s a bit tight, but this is manageable.’
If I just skate the way I always do, it should be fine.
The ice quality is better than I expected.
A little soft, but I can adjust my power output.
I peeled off my jacket and handed it to Coach Park.
“You’re in good form. Anything uncomfortable?”
“Let me tighten my boot laces one more time before I start.”
“Good call. Doesn’t look like there are many competitors worth worrying about, anyway.”
For the short program, there simply wasn’t anyone else prepared to attempt a combination like the Triple Lutz-Triple Loop.
I took a sip of water and handed the bottle back to Coach Park.
“Skate easy, just stay relaxed.”
“Understood.”
Group 1’s warm-up ended.
My turn was fourth.
Regressor’s Ice Chapter 33
E-book Publication Date | June 5, 2026

Author | Korkarolli
Publisher | Heo Heung-beom, Park Gun-won
Publishing House | Potent

Address | [04783] 9th Floor, 8 Yeonmujang 11-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul
Phone | 02-6320-8500
Fax | 02-6320-8585

UCI | G720:N+A101-20260514092.0033
List Price | 100 Won

ⓒ Korkarolli 2026

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

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