The Regressor's Ice Is Golden - Chapter 42

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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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042.

Meanwhile, Cha Seo-hi’s coach kept watch on the skater currently running through her program.
Kim Ha-seol typically danced the full choreography even during run-throughs, and she executed all her jumps as doubles at minimum.
So here in this cavernous arena, where echoes bounced off the walls, the already-dazzling skater’s movements seemed to shine all the brighter.
Even though this was only a rehearsal, not the actual competition.
Playing to the preferences of the higher-ups was nothing new, but there was something odd about how this girl seemed to harbor a particular grievance against that one.
The coach didn’t know the full story, but she suspected it had to do with losing the twin sisters to her as a choreographer.
“Fair point. At least you’re not sabotaging her progress today.”
“Yes, Coach, I know. It’s just—when I see her practicing like that, I get so irritated I can’t help but hover nearby—”
Tsk.
Only then did the skater flinch and listen to her coach.
The kid was growing up, getting older and chattier by the day.
“Which is exactly why you need to stay focused and ignore her. Look at this.”
Kim Ha-seol was executing a combination jump.
Not the flashy triple jumps she’d perform in actual competition.
A Double Lutz, followed by a Double Toeloop.
The coach smiled faintly.
“You’ve heard the rumors, haven’t you? That girl reduced her Technical Content for this competition. That means the prize today won’t go to her.”
“Really?”
“So pay attention, miss.”
The irritable skater’s eyes widened.
“This is your moment. Even if she had a Quadruple Salchow, do you really think you can’t make the Podium?”
“……No.”
Yes, nod like that.
The coach handed her a bottle of water and whispered.
“Keep it light. Jumps fly best when your mind is light. Isn’t that right?”
“Yes, Coach! Just trust me!”
The fourth group’s run-through was winding down.

“Waaaaahhh!”
From the packed stands, a torrent of cheers rained down like a downpour.
So the rumors were true—figure skating really was popular in Japan.
Cha Seo-hi drew in a breath of cold, humid air.
The third group’s performance had ended, and an announcement in English and Japanese crackled through the speakers.
She was the first skater up.
The moment her name was called, she burst onto the Ice Rink and waved enthusiastically.
“Waahhh!”
The roar, the cheers, and the lingering echo of skates carving through ice!
One by one, the other skaters were introduced, and another Korean name was called.
A girl with short black hair, wearing the same Taegeuk-marked jacket as Cha Seo-hi.
Kim Ha-seol likewise stepped onto the Ice Rink and waved.
The final skater took the ice, and the six-minute practice session began.
“Feeling all right?”
“Yes!”
The ice was a bit soft, and……wait.
Cha Seo-hi looked down at her feet and faltered.
For a moment, she couldn’t see her own blades.
Now that she thought about it, throughout this entire Ice Rink…….
“Ah, there’s quite a bit of fog, isn’t there? The Ice Quality is a touch more humid than usual. Be careful out there.”
“Got it!”
Cha Seo-hi drank some water without hesitation and accelerated again.
Finding an opening, she turned and positioned herself to jump.
The most critical jumps: the Triple Lutz, and the Triple Toeloop.
Crack!
With a harsh sound, the Toeloop landing wavered.
‘Man, I really need to be more careful.’
And then, abruptly, a sharp cutting wind sliced past nearby.
She lifted her head to see Kim Ha-seol accelerating as well, positioning herself to jump.
But it wasn’t for the Toeloop.
‘Toeloop?’
From a distance, a sharp whistle cut through the air as the skater launched skyward.
And landed cleanly.
‘Is she trying to start the combination jump itself with a Toeloop?’
A standalone Triple Flip was mandatory, so she couldn’t skip it anyway!
If her condition really was off, then lowering the technical content did seem like the right call.
Cha Seo-hi, who had seized on that belief like iron, broke into a smile.
The coach was right.
This is a fight I can win!
‘I can do this!’
After a few more practice jumps, the six-minute run-through ended.
Cha Seo-hi remained alone on the ice while the other skaters filed out.
{Representing Republic of Korea, Seo-hi Cha.}
As applause rained down, Cha Seo-hi stepped forward to the center of the rink with a confident smile.
Roxanne’s Tango, from the Moulin Rouge soundtrack.
Now that she thought about it, there was gossip that Kim Ha-seol’s coach had choreographed this piece for her.
Given that Kim Ha-seol never actually performed Roxanne, she must have chickened out and bolted!
‘Like she had any right to be afraid.’
Why had the coach put her through all this?
Lyrical violin notes drifted quietly through the arena.
An arrangement that began plaintively and built toward a violent orchestral climax.
The first jump was a combination she’d moved to the opening for stability.
Cha Seo-hi turned confidently backward, bent her left edge, and tapped lightly.
Triple Lutz, Triple Toeloop.
“Yesss!”
‘That’s it!’
A strong beginning.
She bounced through a Split Jump and continued the choreography.
A Double Axel approached via several edge transitions.
The Flying Sit Spin, a mandatory element this season.
And with a Three-Turn spinning her into position came the Triple Flip!
Crack!
For a moment, Cha Seo-hi lost her balance, fists clenching as she threw out her arm.
She didn’t fall, but the landing came too early.
Still, it was fine!
‘I landed all the jumps!’
Mission accomplished!
Exhilarated, Cha Seo-hi began her Camel Spin.
One position held to one, two, three, then flipping her body and another one, two, three, then executing a proper spin as she caught her leg——
And the moment the spin ended came the passionate onslaught of the Step Sequence!
Lost in the dance, Cha Seo-hi found herself laughing for no reason she could name.
But there was one thing she hadn’t noticed.
That non-jumping elements still needed to be performed cleanly, even if they didn’t count toward difficulty.
Which meant she’d botched one Toeloop turn.
Even the coach’s brow had furrowed.
‘Oh no.’
In fact, it wasn’t until after the Step Sequence ended that she realized it at all.
Cha Seo-hi snapped back to focus.
One final element remained: the Change Foot Combination Spin.
A spin where she cycled through positions—sitting, arching, standing—while changing her supporting foot once to execute the rotation.
By the time she’d counted the rotations crisply and struck the final pose, the music had already ended.
She turned her head and the mangled Toeloop trace came into view.
‘Did I miss it?’
There was no way to know for certain now.
She could only wait for the judges’ marks.
For now, Cha Seo-hi skated slowly toward the boards.
“Good work out there.”
“Yes……!”
She sat in the Kiss and Cry with her coach, but her mind was still spinning.
It all felt like a dream, completely unreal.
“Princess, look at the camera.”
“Oh.”
Only then did she wave with her coach and blow a kiss to the lens.
Moments later, the scoreboard lit up with the announcement:
[65.95]
“Oh, not bad at all. Pretty solid even without the back-half bonus. Right?”
“Ha-ha.”
Only then did Cha Seo-hi smile genuinely, her whole face opening up as she nodded.
Unaware that the judges had simply been lenient with her Step Sequence Level.
Well, accepting the judges’ ruling was part of an athlete’s duty anyway, so what did it matter?
“Thank you.”
“Arigato gozaimasu.”
After the next skater’s turn began, Cha Seo-hi and her coach rose from their seats.
On the way to the waiting area:
“One, two, three. Spin, tap. Da-da-da, Twizzle.”
Kim Ha-seol was warming up, her feet pattering in rhythm.
“Ah, thank you for your hard work.”
“Yes.”
Kim Ha-seol and her coach merely bowed lightly and stepped aside.
Cha Seo-hi watched her with peculiar intensity.
The fact that she knew the other skater had changed her Program Layout meant the other skater would have no reason to be surprised about knowing hers.
Yet the score was still quite high, wasn’t it?
‘She’s remarkably composed.’
Cha Seo-hi left, leaving Kim Ha-seol to resume her choreography and Step Sequence practice.
She didn’t notice the faint smile playing at the corners of the short-haired girl’s lips.

“This round’s next, right?”
“Yep.”
Chizuru took a deep breath and pulled the Hoodie over her head.
The clothes Ha-seol had given as a gift were wonderfully warm!
‘I should ask to take a photo together later.’
The Ice Rink was empty now, with the third skater of Group 4 sitting in the Kiss and Cry.
The fourth skater shed her jacket and stepped onto the ice.
“There she is! That’s her!”
“Oh, what a lovely costume.”
Her mother nodded and produced a pair of opera glasses.
The moment Chizuru pressed them to her eyes, the skater came into sharp focus.
‘Let’s see.’
Across the Ice Rink, where mist still lingered, blue flames seemed to dance in the fluttering hem of her skirt.
Ha-seol’s condition looked solid.
She’d mentioned her foot hurting, but she’d landed it successfully during the Run-through, so time would tell.
Soon the announcement echoed across the arena, introducing the skater.
As applause thundered down, Chizuru cried out with all her strength:
“Kim Ha-seol! You’ve got this!”
The skater gradually slowed her speed, gliding to the center of the rink and stopping.
Standing on one toe, hand on her hip, she raised her other hand to shield her forehead—her signature starting position.
Then, through the vast arena, came the bright opening of a bandoneon!
Astor Piazzolla’s Allegro Tangabile.
The choreography unfolded as her hand swept through the air, leaving her forehead.
‘Wow, she’s smiling!’
The skater broke into a bright, radiant grin, beginning her performance, then quickly picking up speed.
It was hard to believe she’d complained of foot pain.
And now, as she straightened her torso to attempt the first jump…?
‘An Axel?’
Before the thought fully formed, the skater’s feet lifted lightly into the air.
She landed the Double Axel cleanly and continued her glide without a pause.
The blue flames whirled around her in a blazing arc.
‘Wow, unbelievable.’
Chizuru’s eyes widened as she tracked every movement of the skater.
The choreography was densely packed with connective elements throughout.
Without breaking that momentum, she glided into a Triple Flip via a light Mohawk Turn!
The athlete launched herself skyward despite the softness of the landing.
Only then did Chizuru understand.
The Program Layout was not significantly different from the Thailand competition.
She had changed only one thing.
The simple Double Axel—accompanied by connective elements before and after the landing—was handled in the early section.
And in the latter half, where she was originally scheduled to land another Double Axel, she planned to place a combination jump instead.
‘Stamina… won’t it fail her?’
Just watching was enough to steal one’s breath.
The Flying Sit Spin, its rotations counted with razor precision, concluded with a fluid exit.
And now the highlight and defining identity of this program began.
“The Step Sequence! I really loved this part. It’s so elegant. It puts my mind at ease.”
“Y-yes.”
It was harder than it looked, honestly.
Chizuru didn’t argue with her mother’s words and instead kept her focus on the skater.
Behind the melodies of all manner of wind instruments, a rough piano line surged in.
Matched to it—rich upper body movements and expression, speed, and a beautifully traced Twizzle!
Against the bandoneon’s rasping cry, she pushed off the ice and rose, then swept her upper body wide in an Illusion.
Sweat began to form on the hand holding the opera glasses.
‘Ah.’
And so, without thinking, she asked herself the question.
That girl—one year younger, yet the same age on skates.
Just yesterday evening, they’d traded jokes and small talk like close friends.
And now she was dancing on the ice, grinding her soul with every movement.
‘She’s the one I have to compete against.’
Realizing that, Chizuru felt a moment of vertigo.
She came back to herself when the skater took her position for the final jump.
The Triple Lutz of the second half. And…
The Returner’s Ice Rink – Episode 42
E-book Release Date | 2026.06.05

Author | Corcarolli
Publishers | Huh Heung-beom, Park Geon-won
Published by | Potent

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List Price | 100 KRW

© Corcarolli 2026

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This e-book is published under contract with the author, and any unauthorized reproduction, distribution, sharing, or reproduction of this work is prohibited without written consent from both parties.

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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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