Medalist (メダリスト)

It's huge.

So we're doing intensive practice here today, huh?

Is Hikaru coming today?

If you tell me where Coach Akeuraji is right now, I'll tell you.

Coach Tsukasa isn't your coach anymore!

Just because you're in the same club, you think you're

the only one who has a special student-teacher bond with him?

Shut it, you two!

Did you two come here to mess around, or what?

Don't go making a ruckus, little brats.

JAPAN SKATING FEDERATION SELECTION JUNIOR SKATER A - IRUKA OKAZAKI

Make sure you don't go picking fights with kids from other countries

- when you get to Italy. - So annoying.

Italy… The Junior Grand Prix series…

Representing Japan in a world championship… So cool.

When I'm a junior skater, maybe I can…

- Wait, isn't that next year? - Wait, isn't that next year?

Once I'm a junior next year, I'll have to compete against people at this level…

The juniors are so scary.

INTENSIVE TRAINING

Hikaru…

I'm somewhere only special people get to go,

and I'm here with Hikaru.

Finally, I made it this far.

Her free leg is so high…

So it turns out…

When I saw her then,

and that time too,

turns out she didn't just look incredible because I wasn't as good as her.

Hikaru's not normal. She's awesome.

I'm not gonna lose.

The Chubu Block results aren't everything.

The real competition is All-Japans.

Yes, very nice. You're getting it down.

Rinna, can I have a minute?

Yes!

Looking good, Main. Your triple Lutz is nearly there.

Yes!

Wait.

Everyone except me can land a triple Lutz.

Yuna's triple Lutz-triple loop combination is steady.

If she carries on,

she should have perfected it by the time All-Japans comes around.

There's a chance

two of Shinichiro's skaters make it onto the podium.

- Okay! Your timing's improving! - Okay!

Inori Yuitsuka's victory at Chubu Block was magnificent.

However,

she was so focused on the strategy to polish her overall performance,

she probably didn't have a chance to practice

the triple flip or triple Lutz at all.

The two jumps she didn't include in her choreography.

Looking ahead to All-Japans,

Manaka has been working on her triple Lutz at the same time.

Very different to Inori, who's basically starting from zero.

Although she won Chubu,

in the long run, it might actually have been a setback.

- Miss Inori! - Oh.

Try to land with your toe a little closer.

Okay!

All-Japans Novice is what really counts.

She shouldn't have pushed for such a high level of perfection in the prelims.

Coach Tsukasa overlooked something very important.

If he's not careful,

that gold medal will start to feel like it's choking her.

Good job, everyone.

- Thank you. - Thank you.

Your jump looked really good today too.

- You think so? - Huh? Hikaru's not here.

Rioh! Where's Hikaru?

Huh? She went home halfway through…

- Yikes! Why are you so sweaty? Gross! - What?

Why are you the only one who's that sweaty?

I was trying to see how long I could keep skating without stopping…

Don't come near me!

Why did Hikaru go home?

- Excuse me! -

Yeah! Mika's my sister.

I knew it!

I've been wondering about that ever since I heard your last name!

This is amazing! I'm so happy!

But how did you know?

Actually, I started ice skating after I saw Mika and Marika

skating at the Nagoya Ice Fest.

No way!

I also started skating because I wanted to be like my sister!

We're like twins!

We're like twins!

- But wait… - Hmm?

You seem a bit different to the last time I saw you.

- Flex it! - Well, I kinda had a lot going on…

But this is good. You were watching

- Mika's ice show too, right? - Yep.

- - The ice show was amazing, wasn't it?

Yes, unforgettable.

- - I see. Now it all makes sense.

- Hmm? - Now that I know you're Mika's sister,

it makes sense that you're so good at skating.

Huh? I'm not that…

Whoa. No way. I mean, you do have the exact same last name.

- Huh? - Hmm. I see…

That's why you're so cute.

Of course. You're Mika Yuitsuka's little sister.

That's why you have such a cute little face and braids at the front.

And why you kinda suck at jumping.

Whoa.

Girls who can't cut it with their jumps all quit fast.

Reality sucks.

My sister isn't bad at doing jumps.

Oh?

She broke a bone.

She broke a bone

and that's why she quit.

If she'd kept…

If she'd kept skating, she'd have totally nailed the jumps!

Inori…

There's no room for "ifs" in a world where you play against the odds.

When you lose, are you gonna make excuses like,

"If only I landed that jump"?

- I won't. -

My sister wasn't bad at jumps.

I'm just like her, so I'm not bad at them either.

I can land difficult jumps and even win gold medals,

so I don't need any excuses like that.

Hmm. You sure got a big mouth.

How can you be so sure about that?

Because…

I've got abs too!

- Huh? Um… - Huh?

So I can land difficult jumps too!

That was crazy. You are so, so, so cute!

You're right. Looks like you've got abs, for sure.

You can land the jumps, then. Absolutely.

Good luck.

ICE SKATING RINK

Hmm.

Ah. Miss Inori. Are you doing homework?

- Coach. - Hmm?

Now that I'm writing it down,

I can see how little time left there is until All-Japans…

Yes, that's right.

I guess time isn't exactly on our side.

When Hikaru Kamisaki does a triple Axel,

she can score eight points with just one jump.

It's almost the same as the 8.1 points you got the other day

with your double Axel, Euler, triple Salchow.

You can't beat Kamisaki at All-Japans with difficult jumps alone.

You have to polish them and aim for GOE points.

Or you need to include them as part of a combination jump.

That's why it's important you learn to land the triple flip and triple Lutz soon.

E-Even if it might be impossible,

and even though I know it's incredible to have made it this far…

Hmm?

I really want to land the triple Lutz and triple flip too.

To put up a fight against Hikaru.

Miss Inori.

I even showed everybody my belly button!

Belly button? What do you mean?

Oh. Nothing…

- Anyway, I don't think it's impossible. - Huh?

No matter how fast you progress,

I predicted back at the summer training camp that your triple Lutz

and flip wouldn't be ready in time for the Block championship.

That's why I made a schedule with that in mind.

A schedule?

Yes, after the Block championship, we ramp up training for one month.

We improve the quality of jumps you haven't mastered yet in that short window.

So the first step was to win the Block championship.

So winning means we ramp up training?

The real reward for getting the gold medal is getting the best training.

The best training?

Yeah, the winner of the Block championship gets more attention

and has higher expectations placed upon them.

And then the experts pay attention to you too.

So, you mean…

A jump specialist, who's in high demand among top skaters,

is going to watch you!

Really?