The Regressor's Ice Is Golden - Chapter 40

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

040.

The moment I got home, I pulled up the internet on my Apple iPad.
Then I searched for Purple Company.
On the surface, it’s just an ordinary sports management firm.
At least, it was until a few days ago.
[TK Group Acquires 51% Stake in Purple Company… Vertical Integration of Sports Entertainment Business]
This was an exclusive report that broke early this morning.
Under corporate law, with that percentage of shares, a shareholder can exercise majority voting rights.
They can appoint directors, approve financial statements—all unilaterally.
In short: that agency is going to revolve entirely around Cha Seo-hui’s fingers.
‘If I’d signed with them, I’d have been done for.’
Of course, TK isn’t stupid and won’t make their intentions that obvious.
But advertisements will pile up for one player, and information about how the figure skating world works will become skewed.
‘All of it will go straight into Cha Seo-hui’s training.’
A father’s love for his daughter can blind him completely.
I went to the management company’s website.
There are several figure skaters under this agency besides Cha Seo-hui.
I recognized quite a few names.
Some of them I’d seen at the Athletes’ Village, and we’d even gotten along fairly well.
They’ll probably experience reduced access to information, fewer sponsorships, and less support for training expenses.
It’s unfortunate, but there’s nothing I can do about it.
“So, here’s what this means.”
Coach, who’d been watching over my shoulder, crossed his arms.
“The Federation is going to start tiptoeing around them too.”
“They will. And there’s a good chance Ice Time Practice slots will be cut.”
“Most critically…….”
In a few days, the sixth leg of the Junior Grand Prix is being held in Japan.
Since Purple Company just got on the TK line, all their scheming won’t happen at once right away.
Which means the real leverage at this moment would be people.
Considering TK is a conglomerate that holds its own on the global stage.
“Ha Seol, um……, I think I mentioned this once before.”
Coach fell silent for a moment.
“I told you that grades of execution, component scores—judges score those things using their own discretion.”
“…….”
“The scores might not come out high. You might not take the Gold Medal this time, like before. It’s going to be a pretty tough competition.”
A hand weathered and calloused from years of work wrapped around my shoulder.
“But I hope that won’t be a reason for you to give up.”
I quietly set down the Apple iPad and leaned my head back against him.
“I don’t think I’m the kind of person who’d give up that easily.”
“Hah, right.”
“It’ll be okay.”
I could only say it like a promise to myself.
“It’ll be fine.”
As his hand gently patted my shoulder, I decided to think about this rationally.
First: Thailand gave me substantial Ranking Points along with the Gold Medal.
Let me turn the Apple iPad back on and search again.
Based on last year’s standards, the minimum results for those advancing to the Grand Prix Final was one Gold Medal and a fifth-place finish.
With good luck, even a non-podium result could still get me a shot at the Final.
The odds are low, but the Grand Prix Final is in early December, so there could be withdrawals in the meantime.
So that’s the thing.
“……Coach, before we leave the country, let me get as much Ice Time Practice booked as possible. And I think I need to do some work.”
“What work?”
“Oh, let me rephrase. It’s more like I need to get some people working.”
I explained what I wanted done, and Coach looked at me like I’d lost my mind.
“You…….”
“I’ve got a long career ahead of me as a skater. If there’s something I can do, I have to do it.”
Because to grow stronger, you have to prove you’re strong.
For now, I need to focus on making it to the Final.
After we finished cleaning up, Coach suddenly spoke.
“I’ve been noticing you seem lost in thought lately. Sometimes you stare off into space like your soul’s wandered away.”
“Oh, really?”
When I turned around, he was grinning at me in that peculiar way of his.
“Sometimes you look older than your years. Act your age, will you?”
……
My heart nearly stopped.
All I could manage was an awkward smile.

Before departing for Nagoya, I sent text messages and emails to four people in total.
The first was Park Ji-ho.
[Senior, is your mother’s business going well?]
I’d heard that Hooks, the sports fashion brand, had exploded in business ever since I won the Gold Medal.
But for a startup, that kind of growth wasn’t necessarily a blessing.
The company couldn’t handle the demand.
What it needed was a boost from somewhere reliable.
The second was my agency.
[This is the company that supported me even before I competed in the preliminary selection. Their business operations are expanding recently, and they’re directing resources toward sports equipment with an emphasis on athlete welfare……]
All of Sports had a long history, and with that came plenty of experience working across different countries overseas.
Hooks lacked that network and capital, while my agency constantly needed more funding for athlete welfare.
So I was wedging one more player into the equation.
The third was Choi Ji-hwan.
[Senior, have you ever thought about doing a photo shoot?]
He had plenty of experience with that sort of thing, so he’d handle it well on his own.
The final message was sent via social media direct message.
[Chizuru, how have you been? Would you want to come to Nagoya to watch the competition?]
I wasn’t just looking for an audience to react to this whole spectacle—
Having someone my age who knew the local situation nearby would be helpful if anything went wrong.
Better to have overseas friends and make the most of it.
“All packed. Ready to go?”
Coach locked his luggage and psyched himself up.
The day of departure had arrived.

***

Shinozaki Chizuru was thrilled for the first time in ages.
A friend she’d made overseas was coming to compete in her hometown!
She was a year younger, sure, but in terms of skating age they were the same, so it didn’t matter.
Her mother, who was driving from the front seat, played along.
“You’re that happy to see her?”
“Yep!”
Chizuru gazed out the window with fresh eyes.
“She’s such an amazing person.”
Paper-straight short hair, clear and piercing eyes.
Though younger than herself, she was composed and mature yet somehow radiant.
And that Short Program—that passionate dance—she’d never seen anything like it from anyone her age.
‘I get to see her again.’
More than anything, she was grateful that Ha Seol had asked her to come watch.
As they entered the airport vicinity, a wide-open ocean came into view.
It was an exhilarating sight even though she wasn’t the one departing.
By the time they parked in the vast parking lot, the plane’s arrival time was nearly upon them.
“Perfect timing!”
“Let’s hurry.”
As soon as her mother gathered their things, Chizuru hurried toward the airport terminal.
On a Friday, Chubu Centrair International Airport was fairly crowded.
Among all those people, Chizuru managed to spot the Korean delegation.
White jerseys with red and blue patterns, and the Taegeuk flag on their chests.
A group centered around two female skaters about her own age moved as one.
The moment she recognized someone she knew, her voice shot up.
“Ha Seol!!”
The short-haired female skater turned her head listlessly, then her eyes widened.
“Oh!”
In the same instant, a dozen pairs of eyes fixed on the visitor all at once.
Shinozaki Chizuru flinched at the attention.
“Ah.”
“Ah~.”
Ha Seol said something to the group in Korean, and their faces softened back into pleasant smiles.
She’d introduced herself, apparently.
Then another skater blinked and asked something, words tumbling out.
Shinozaki couldn’t understand, but it seemed they were talking about her.
Yet the atmosphere felt somewhat……off.
‘Why do they look uncomfortable?’
She recognized this skater too.
Didn’t she say she’d won a silver medal in Azerbaijan?
In any case, Ha Seol suddenly grew serious and fell silent.
Staring straight at the other skater.
As that usually composed gaze turned cold, Shinozaki felt her breath catch.
Then Ha Seol smiled with effort, quickly pulling out her phone to type something and show it to them.
[Sorry about that. Let’s meet again this evening.]
“!”
Shinozaki nodded and watched them off.
Just then her mother came hurrying over from a distance.
“Really, you should’ve stayed with me. You gave me quite a scare.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
Still, she stood there for a while, watching the group recede.
That earlier sense of discord had been buried under an awkward laugh and a message promising more to come.

‘Is she out of her mind?’
I recalled the mine I’d triggered back at the airport, detonating in bursts whenever the opportunity arose.
I’d bet anything that Purple Company’s situation was thanks to Cha Seo-hui’s influence.
I didn’t know exactly what she’d said to her father to make it happen, but regardless.
What mattered was that the whole affair had given Cha Seo-hui unnecessary confidence.
That she could throw her weight around in this world without consequences.
“Well, fretting about it won’t solve anything right now, so let’s focus on what we can do. Where’s the address?”
Coach carefully gathered up what he’d bought at the duty-free shop.
“Won’t you be cold? Wouldn’t it be better to wear an outer layer?”
“I’m running hot, so I want to dress lighter. And wearing the team uniform might draw unwanted attention.”
I grabbed the accommodation key card and sighed.
For the record, where we were headed was Shinozaki Chizuru’s place.
We’d received an invitation to have dinner together there.
When I’d asked if it was really okay to just show up, she’d said her daughter had been thrilled at the prospect—apparently she didn’t have many friends.
‘I’m not sure whether to laugh or cry at that one.’
In any case, Shinozaki Chizuru’s apartment was just a few subway stops away.
The building was a bit old, but clean and quiet.
When I pressed the doorbell in the entrance, a middle-aged woman who looked identical to Shinozaki Chizuru greeted us warmly.
“Welcome~!”
“Ah~! Korean, is it~! Much obliged!”
Coach replied to the Korean greeting in Japanese with that shameless ease of his, and we stepped inside.
Shinozaki Chizuru appeared over her mother’s shoulder, smiling softly.
I raised my phone translator with a faint smile.

[Ever since she came back to Japan, my daughter’s been talking about you so much. She said she’d made a wonderful friend.]
[Haha! That’s wonderful! Your daughter is a very beautiful and impressive skater as well.]
The vocabulary had degraded to match the translator’s level, fitting as much as the soft, fluffy steamed egg.
So I ended up barely touching the egg custard and the grilled mentaiko.
Truth was, from the moment I’d decided to come here, any real focus on the meal was off the table.
Which meant I should at least try to make conversation.
Shinozaki Chizuru happened to pick up her phone just then.
[Is the food delicious?]
The monotone electronic voice from the translator was decidedly jarring.
[If we’re sharing a meal together, even instant ramen becomes a feast.]
“Pfft.”
Mother and daughter spray their food at the same moment, laughing at the same things.
Shinozaki Chizuru’s mother was saying something, but it was in Japanese, so I couldn’t follow.
I calmly continued eating my pollock roe.
As long as everyone’s happy, that’s what matters.
[The food is delicious, of course. Thank you so much for the invitation.]
“Ieiea! Coach, yes!”
Shinozaki Chizuru’s mother waved her hand and pulled out a tissue.
I left Coach and her mother to their conversation and turned my attention to Shinozaki Chizuru.
[How have you been? I’m sorry for the surprise this afternoon.]
[It’s fine. What happened?]
[One of the skaters with me said something stupid. Since we’re on the subject, I’ll tell you.]
Shinozaki Chizuru watched me with bright eyes as I typed on my phone.
[You know that rink where the competition’s being held? Have you ever been there?]
Let me hear what the local skater has to say about the rink.
The Returner’s Ice: Golden Chapter 40
E-book Publication Date | 2026.06.05

Author | Korkarolli
Publisher | Heo Hung-beom, Park Geon-won
Published by | Potent

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

UCI | G720:N+A101-20260514092.0040
List Price | 100 Won

ⓒ Korkarolli 2026

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

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