The Regressor's Ice Is Golden - Chapter 44

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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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044.

The Osu Rink, nestled inside the Nagoya Sports Center that Chizuru had invited us to, had an unusual setup—an indoor ice rink built into a shopping arcade, the kind you’d find tucked along a busy street in Korea.
The whole structure was quirky in its own way.
‘The layout is interesting.’
Even at this late hour, there were people practicing on the ice.
Or rather, to put it differently—
“Good evening, and welcome, Kim Seol-ah…”
There were quite a few unexpected spectators to greet us.
From the look of things, they seemed to be students from Chizuru’s Club.
“Everyone, listen up~.”
The club coach was saying something—probably introducing me.
It sounded like she was talking about today’s competition results.
Sure enough, the moment medals were mentioned, the kids’ eyes lit up.
Most of them were Novice-level skaters, and even just their stares made me feel the weight of attention.
Then they all started asking questions at once, but since it was Japanese, I couldn’t understand a word.
Chizuru’s coach came over with a translation device.
“Come over here. I’ll show you the equipment.”
“Oh, yes.”
Coach Park and I hurried over with her.
The rink counter had its lights off, but several cardboard boxes were stacked neatly there instead.
Chizuru’s eyes widened as she turned on the translator.
“Koyama must have taken out all the equipment and left for the day.”
“Is that okay?”
“Well, he usually stays pretty late. Something must have come up.”
Not my problem, so I decided to let it slide.
“Goodness, how much is all this worth?”
Coach Park let out a sigh, and the two of us began carrying the boxes one by one.
Next to the information desk was a bulletin board with a nice poster pinned to it.
Fushimi no Fuyu FSC.
Even without being told, I could tell this was promotional material for the club.
There were a few more posters like it on the bulletin board.
Now that I thought about it, most people usually start by taking lessons at a local rink or joining a club like this one.
I had done the same in elementary school.
‘Hmm.’
It made sense that they’d organize group clubs like this—it worked better for both skaters and coaches.
But once I entered the Junior level, I’d always trained under Coach Park’s direct management and competed that way.
At the time, they’d just said vaguely that I couldn’t keep coming, but looking back now…
‘I must have been kicked out.’
Since my parents had passed away, they probably thought the lesson fees wouldn’t be paid.
Anyway, after we finished moving all the boxes, we sat down in the lounge and started unpacking the equipment.
Chizuru’s coach calmly operated the translator.
“Since we’re putting this together in a rush, we might not be able to do a full fit check.”
“That’s fine. Since we’re still looking for equipment in Korea, this will just be temporary. We’ll keep it borrowed until the gala show, at most.”
“Ah, so we should hope to get it back a bit later then?”
“Haha, thanks so much!”
Coach Park answered quickly and eagerly opened the boxes of skate boots.
It had barely been any time since she came from Thailand to Japan, yet the way she wielded that translator was an art form.
Once the boxes were fully unpacked, she pulled out the right Blade from the pair I’d been using before.
The left one wasn’t in much better shape—it was on death’s door.
“You’ve been using quality equipment. Since using just one new Blade would throw off your balance, it’s better to replace both.”
“Yes, understood.”
Coach Park nodded and turned to look at me.
“Seol-ah, want to take a look for yourself?”
“Yes.”
First things first.
I carefully pulled out a Blade from the box and held it lightly.
What might surprise people is that figure skate Blades aren’t completely flat.
If you look closely, there’s a convex curve running along the length of it, like a half-moon file.
It’s the part that distributes weight differently, allowing for turns and spins.
“What were the ones you used before like?”
“Similar, but…….”
They were a bit flatter than this.
The blade thickness was fine, but something flatter seemed better now.
I carefully placed it back in the box.
Next was the second one.
This one……, the blade thickness is subtle.
“Oh, if the bottom where the ice makes contact is thinner than the top, there’s an advantage in gliding speed. But Edge Control will be tricky,” Koyama said.
“I don’t think I can afford tricky Edge Control right now.”
I’m already managing my left foot’s Plantar Fasciitis with Taping and sheer willpower—I wasn’t about to make things harder.
This one’s out too.
Then I pulled out the third blade……?
“What’s wrong with the Toe Pick on this one?”
“Oh!”
Chizuru’s coach’s eyes widened, and she clapped her hands together.
[Now that I think about it, there was a blade that a kid who quit skating left behind for a secondhand sale. It must have gotten mixed in.]
“Ah, I see.”
That one would’ve been good—what a shame.
Given how little time we had to test, every second counted, so this one was out too.
And…….
[Hey, what about mine? Would you want to try it?]
“?!”
The unexpected offer made us both snap our heads up.
Chizuru’s eyes widened, then she smiled awkwardly.
After exchanging words with her own coach, Chizuru handed the translator back.
[I’ve only been polishing a spare set and haven’t used it yet. Want to take a look at that too?]
“Y-yes……?”
She was offering it just like that?
No matter that they were spares—if I just took them, what was I supposed to do?
Coach also stared at us both in disbelief, switching back and forth between us.
“No, even so, there’s such a thing as propriety. But of course, given the time……. Still, I don’t know…….”
[Two days or so should be fine. They’re backup blades anyway, so they won’t interfere with her regular practice. If there’s a gala show, we can stop by the club afterward and return them.]
And time was already running very late.
If I was going to attach the new blades and check my jumps, we really were pressed for time now.
In the end, we…….
[I’m happy to help!]
I watched blankly as Chizuru beamed and brought over another cardboard box.
Trusting that she meant what she said.
And remarkably, what Chizuru brought was.
“These are good.”
“Right?”
No, I wasn’t being polite—they were genuinely better than I expected.
First of all, they were made by the same company as the blades I’d been using.
They were a bit thicker, but that was better than something too thin.
Coach Park nodded with grim determination.
[Let’s attach these.]
We brought out my Skate Boots, which had lost their blades.
Coach Park took out a screwdriver and began tightening the screws one by one.
As always, with delicate precision and steady strength.
Soon both the left and right halves, which had been split apart, had their blades attached.
After that, not a single person spoke.
I slowly put on the skates, tying the laces tight.
Until I stepped onto the rink side.
While everyone else held their breath—everyone except those practicing—I set my feet on the ice.
I started with the very basics.
Figure Eight, Backward Figure Eight, T-stop, Forward Crossover.
Then Three Turn, Mohawk, Choctaw.
White trails traced circles across the ice as frost scattered in their wake.
Just as it always had.
These skates were never naturally tuned to my feet—they weren’t mine.
But right now, I needed them.
To climb one step higher.
‘Balance feels okay. A bit rough, but close enough to my usual feel.’
So I went ahead as I always did.
I arched my back deeply into a Layback Ina Bauer.
Then I straightened my spine and kicked my right leg into the air, aiming for the opening.
A thin, cold wind brushed across my cheek.
A Double Axel.
Whoosh—!
“…….”
I watched the spinning world halt around me for a moment.
The cold scent of ice, the tips of my skates beneath me.
Every sense was in its place.
“Coach.”
I made my way slowly toward the barrier.
Coach Park stood with his hand clamped over his mouth, as if he might cry.
So I could smile and nod.
“Wow, congratulations!”
Chizuru clapped her hands together gleefully.
She was muttering something as if it were her own business, delighted by the success.
“Coach, can I borrow your phone?”
“Of course.”
Feeling a bit awkward, I stepped back off the ice.
[Thank you. I’ve incurred quite a debt with you.]
[No way! I’m just glad you could compete safely!]
[When you get a chance to come to Korea, I’ll treat you to something delicious.]
Whether that chance would come, I didn’t know, but the World Championships were held fairly often in Mokdong, and more were scheduled there.
When that happened, she’d have reason to visit once or twice.
We might run into each other on the international circuit anyway.
“All right then. There’s still more we need to check, isn’t there?”
Coach Park clapped his hands together.
“The Free Skating run-through starts in just a few hours. Let’s verify everything we can while we have the chance.”
“Yes.”
That’s how a late-night practice session away from home was scheduled.

As I mentioned before, Osu Rink had plenty of people practicing late into the evening.
Figure skating was popular in this neighborhood, after all.
At this rink alone, they said two or three clubs shared the ice simultaneously.
You had to seize the gaps between them and make your move.
“Come on, one more time. Get your posture, and up! Check!”
Crash!
The fifth Triple Lutz landed hard on the ice.
I grabbed at my aching thigh and got back up.
No matter how well-fitted your equipment was, you still had to break it in and internalize it before you could use it properly.
By that standard, falling only three times out of five was fairly decent.
My thickly taped leg picked up speed again.
‘Just a little more.’
If I could land a Triple Toe Loop after this, I could attempt Free Skating with the reduced difficulty layout.
During the break earlier, I’d dumped most of my accumulated points into my Precision Stat.
My Strength Stat had dropped because of the Plantar Fasciitis pain.
So right now, the two stats were at this level.

Strength : B-
Precision : B+

Fortunately, by a stroke of luck, my Strength Stat had recovered naturally, so I was able to bring the letter grade back up to B.
If the Turandot Choreography wasn’t relatively forgiving, I’d have been in real trouble.
Of course, with a medal on the line, I wasn’t going to phone it in.
I refocused and took my position for the jump.
Drawing every last sensation from the soles of my feet, right down to the fingertips of my soles.
A deep Outside Edge glide backward on my left foot, then the Toe Pick strikes down!
“Up, check, up, check!”
Crack, whoosh, crack, whooosh—!
A Triple Lutz, followed immediately by a Triple Toe Loop.
“Okay!”
“Wow!”
The coach clenched his fist in approval, and the elementary school children watching gasped in admiration.
I returned to the boards, breathing heavily.
“Think you can pull it off?”
“Let me show you each Triple Jump individually. Three attempts each.”
“Aren’t you pushing too hard?”
“Then just watch the Loop and Flip.”
“Approved.”
My ultimate weapon—the combination jump—I planned to keep hidden until the very end.
I’d successfully pulled off today’s smoke screen, and now that it had come to this, there was no way I could afford to lose.
‘If I can’t make it to the Podium after all this, I’m done for.’
And if this story somehow made it to some press interview, things would get messy fast.
I’d borrowed equipment from a Japanese skater I’d befriended at the competition, and if I lost?
I didn’t know whether they’d call me a traitor or just pathetic.
I gritted my teeth and reset my position.
After the Lutz, the two most crucial cards in this game.
A Mohawk Turn to plant my feet, then I tapped the Toe Pick lightly on my right foot as I pivoted.
A solo Triple Flip.
A rough cracking sound echoed out.
‘Not quite enough rotations.’
Then I accelerated again, turned backward, crossed my left foot in front, and prepared to move forward.
My right foot, gliding backward on the Outside Edge, I struck it to wind up the rotation—!
Whoosh—!
“That’s it. Your Triple Loop is solid.”
“Got it.”
The coach nodded.
The last card—it was probably best to save that for tomorrow’s check.
There would be plenty of eyes watching then.
“Thank you very much.”
“No problem.”
Unfortunately, my practice at the Osu Rink ended there.
As I gathered my things and headed out, I caught a glimpse of the wall clock one last time.
1:26 a.m.
Seven hours and 34 minutes until the JGP Grand Prix, my sixth appearance.
The Returner’s Ice in Gold – Chapter 44
E-book Release Date | 2026.06.05

Author | Korcarolli
Publisher | Heo Heung-beom, Park Geon-won
Published by | Potence

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Price | 100 won

ⓒ Korcarolli 2026

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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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