Kyoto Uji Ice Arena
Let's see, my yoga mat and backpack...
Maybe they're in the suitcase.
Huh?
The suitcase... huh?
No way... Did someone accidentally take it with them?
Let's see, I arrived at the venue,
heard them tell me to leave my stuff here,
then placed the yoga mat and backpack here...
Ahh...
I haven't had it this whole time...
Ahh...
I must have forgotten it somewhere!
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I must have forgotten my skate shoes somewhere.
I had them when leaving the house.
I had them when I got to the Shinkansen station and when I got off...
Ah!
Inori, don't let go of my hand, okay?
If you'd like, how about I put your stuff on the luggage rack?
Ah, thank you very much!
There we go.
I'm sorry.
I understand. So then you left them on the train, right?
Yes.
I'll try contacting the rail company.
Yes, please do.
It was important to her, I should have been holding onto it...
Mom...
No! I mustn't let myself be overcome with anxiety before the competition!
I mustn't sigh! I mustn't sigh!
Don't worry, I'll make sure to support you.
Mhm.
They were there!
It seems that ten stations ahead they found and put a lost item into storage!
Is that true?
But, 10 stations ahead is...
I'll go and get them.
Inori-san, go join up with the main event, then warm up and wait for me.
Eh?
I'll call a taxi.
There's not enough time to wait for one.
I'll run to the station.
From here?
Yes. I'll without a doubt make sure that Inori-san participate in this competition!
Tsukasa-sensei!
I'm sorry!
Don't worry! Relax, relax!
It's my job to guide Inori-san towards her goal!
It's 10:20 right now. The level 1 exam starts at 11:30.
Inori-san's in the 3rd group, so 12:20.
I will make it in time!
It hurts. Impossible.
You can still do it.
So then, Tsukasa-sensei's out getting...
Yes, the head coach Hitomi sensei,
Is chaperoning a competition in Tokyo, and isn't here.
I understand.
If you have any trouble, please tell me.
I'm sorry.
It's my fault.
I'm so sorry.
Someone like me. Having to help someone like me.
You could put your whole life into it, and you would never beat Hikaru.
Ah!
This is no time to be repenting for my shortcomings.
If Coach comes back and I've become completely unable to perform,
that would be completely unacceptable.
-Ma'am -Ah, yes?
I just took a look at the schedule,
There's some withdrawals among the entry-level kids and it looks like it's proceeding a bit ahead of schedule.
Eh?
If she's not able to enter soon...
And if we're not able to make it in time...
Most likely, it'll be treated as her withdrawing.
I'll go start warming up.
Inori?
The only thing I need to be thinking about right now is properly skating.
Kizu Station
Because Coach told me he'd make sure I can participate!
Kyoto Uji Ice Arena
Inori, aren't you running a bit much?
Yeah, maybe.
You haven't been running that much before.
Maybe it'd be a good idea to take a small break?
Ah, that girl.
Kehehehe
For the girls others hail as geniuses,
before they received those titles, I wonder what kind of person they were.
If they appear out of nowhere with dazzling results, they're labeled a genius.
If they put the time in and get results, they're labeled a prodigy.
For the rest of us nobodies who've yet to receive a title,
with our hopes and dreams for the future,
we can only step out onto the ice.
Shishido Seira's score is 23.37.
Shishido Seira (Star Hiroshima FSC)
Her current rank is first place.
23…
When the say Shishido,
that must mean she's the daughter of that speed skater, Shishido.
As you'd expect.
Inori?
I'm gonna go warm up one more time!
See? What'd I tell you, I can jump just fine.
That's just because there's not many level 1 skaters who can land doubles.
That's all you're getting praised for.
Level 1's just too low, huh. I wanna pass level 6 already.
I was talking about going through a full song before with Tsukasa-sensei.
As expected, there's no run up on the ground so I can't turn properly for a double.
We're going to win!
I want to win.
I want to win!
Seira-chan was way faster than me.
If I'm not filled with energy, I can't beat Seira-chan.
I have to believe in myself!
Remember that Tsukasa-sensei told me to "Win!"
For this whole time, that useless side of me I can't forget's far off and difficult dream.
Tsukasa-sensei promised her he'd grant it.
Since the day I told him that dream. Always.
I also want to firmly believe I can succeed.
I want to be the believable me that Tsukasa-sensei believed in!
Inori-saaaan!
Coach!
I kept you waiting!
What number are they on right now?
What happened? Your whole body's drenched.
Eh? Oh this? It's sweat.
Sweat?
Here!
My skates!
Ema, give a great performance and end this.
Ok.
What's with that girl, Seira?
Getting all cocky while putting up the high score.
I'll make sure to pull you down.
I'm not gonna lose to Seira, I've absolutely got to rise above her.
Yuitsuka-san? Number 24, Yuitsuka-san?
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
I'm Yuitsuka, Inori.
Ah. Alright. I'll put down OK...
Hey!
Wait, gross! What are you all drenched for?
Ah, well that's...
Such an important moment and you're being this reckless!
What would you have done if you didn't make it in time?
Ahaha... You're right.
Coach!
Really, thank you so much!
Relaxed. I was able to get relaxed!
With all the encouragement you've given me up to now, Tsukasa-sensei,
and the skates you brought me, I'm filled with energy!
I-Inori-san!
Alright, then let's get moving.
I'll be off.
Once again, without me having done anything, she's grown...
With a kid around that age, you take your eyes off her for a moment,
and she's gone and grown herself, shocking isn't it.
Yeah.
But, that's exactly why coaches like us have to pay attention.
Oh?
Before, in the Kyoto badge test,
I told you Ema had a fever and couldn't participate, right?
You did.
A year ago, Ema suddenly grew.
With her growing pains she wasn't able to get any jumping practice done.
Because she was rushing her self-training, all over her body began to hurt even more.
As she rested then started training again, because she was rushing she took it too far and once again, pain.
She rested again and on restarting her training did the same thing.
In truth, she failed the level one exam twice. The kids' level one.
Eh?
I tried telling her not to overpractice so hard,
But no matter what, she'd overdo it.
It's not Ema's fault.
But somewhere in me too, because we were lagging behind I was rushing too.
I get how you feel.
For kids, when they see adults like that they sense the feeling they're giving off.
Ema too, unconsciously took in that mood.
And I think she kept overpracticing from that.
Thanks to that we've had to take quite the detour.
But even still, that Ema's made it this far is from tirelessly putting in effort,
and her power to come back from each failure.
I haven't done anything special myself.
Well, it's that kind of reason why,
as a coach you need to keep that in mind, but there's no way to get over it.
As for the athletes from the third group.
Please start your practice now.
Your practice time is 5 minutes.
A successful double loop. Good, keep it up!
How's the level 1 exam? Did Sacchan manage to place?
That's impossible now.
Seems the Shishido kid got a 23 pointer.
Ah, the skater Shishido's daughter, right.
The genes of a genius parent certainly flow through their kid, don't they.
-Um... -Huh?
Are you perhaps Oosu Rink's receptionist?
Ahh! This is bad!
If she found out I was letting her daughter skate in exchange for earthworms...
Thanks for having us in your care. What brings you here today?
W-What do I do? Try to fool her?
No, it's not good to lie. I've no choice but to be honest.
A-A bit before I heard from Inori-chan she'd be participating in this competition.
Like
Normal
Not much
Favorability
Twiing
Eh? Y-You're serious?
Then, for Inori's sake you've come all the way to Kyoto?
Can I sit next to you?
Ah, feel free.
Practice time has concluded.
Athletes, please gather at the rink side.
-Hm? Hey, Mama. -Oh?
That girl's still there.
Ah, that.
The first kid will start immediately so they've got to stay.
Number 17. Kitora Kanna-san. Fukuoka Park FSC.
Wahh!
Ready, and!
Mm!
It's the same single Lutz and double toe loop Seira did.
Although...
That jump's high.
She's higher than Mike-chan!
The toe loop's a jump where the tip of the blade is pushed against the ice.
She made such a large hole.
She may be small but she has monstrous strength.
Kitora Kanna (Fukuoka Park FSC)
Kitora Kanna's score is 23.03.
Her present rank is second place.
Ohhh
Another 23...
Inori-san, let's get prepared.
Ah, alright.
It's you again?
I'm sorry! I'm sorry!
Ritsuki-san, stop that. You're lacking calm.
It's fine. Calmness is my strong point after all.
Number 19. Kogama Ritsuki-san. Okayama Tina FSC.
First off. Double Salchow and single axel.
Crap! I got caught in the hole and it turned into a single.
Stay calm. Stay calm. If I change the next jump it'll be fine.
Double
Single
High
Score
Low
My choices are...
A double toe loop and single axel.
Or a double loop and single axel.
The one I'm most likely to land is...
The double toe loop!
Single axel!
Good. Recovery successful!
Ooohh~
You did well adjusting.
Kogama Ritsuki (Okayama Tina FSC)
Kogama Ritsuki-san's score is 23.28.
Her present rank is second place.
Kogama Ritsuki (Okayama Tina FSC)
Ohhh!
Everyone's really chasing after me!
I'm so happy~!
Another 23 pointer.
Hm?
It's fine. In your program for today,
you have a flying sit spin into a broken leg,
and furthermore a double Salchow into a double loop.
That's to say,
you've got two strawberries on top, a deluxe strawberry taiyaki.
De-
Deluxe strawberry taiyaki?
If you're able complete it all without any misses, you have the chance to surpass them.
Okay.
Number 20. Kurosawa Miihi-san. Star Hiroshima FSC.
I won't lose to Seira!
In the first place, the one who originally transferred from speed skating to figure skating was me.
Seira only came in after when she copied me.
How's that?! More than Seira, I'm the one who loves skating!
I refuse to lose to her!
She's only level one but can already do that pretty of a spirtal.
She's sure got a light body.
Holding my leg up is hard.
But, I mostly made made it through without wavering.
After that, unlike the jump-only Seira,
I'll highlight my expressive skating!
What I love most about figure skating is this!
This expressiveness is why I transferred into figure skating!
Waah!
She's super pretty~!
Good, with this I should surpass Seira!
With this I can beat Seira!
Kurosawa Miihi-san's score is 23.34.
Kurosawa Miihi (Hiroshima FSC)
Her present rank is second place.
T-Three hundredths of a point I lost by? No way.
The level, is quite high isn't it.
A girl who can't act, but whose jumping ability can capture the high score.
A girl who can stay calm and deal with accidents.
A girl who can make use of her flexibility to raise her acting score.
Each and every one of them is impressive.
Mm... Inori...
Alright, my shoelaces are OK.
I can feel the joy in my body, putting on my skating shoes again
I'm glad to hear that!
Yes!
Inori-san's the calmest she's ever been today.
If she's able perform her acting as usual here...
-Sensei -Huh?
Maybe, I too,
would be better off putting a double jump into my combo?
Why's that?
I mean, all the girls who scored 23 points, they all...
Ah, of course, for me that'd still be difficult so I don't know...
The reason I didn't change your jumps,
wasn't because I thought you aren't able to do them.
Eh?
If you're able to do your current jumps even better,
I think you'll be able to score higher with that.
Is that right?
Taking off from the correct edge,
And then the flow from your leap to landing.
If you're able to keep these two things in mind, you'll be able to gain extra points.
Extra points.
Yep, that's why if you hit your goal of having no misses,
Without a doubt, you'll get your winning score.
Calm down and let's skate properly.
Coach's face... It's a face that thinks I can really win.
Number 24. Yuitsuka Inori-san. Lux Higashiyama FSC.
-Now, go! -Yes!
Oh? What's this?
I'll show them the best I can do right now!
Eh?
D'oh!
Eh? I fell? Ehhh?
Inori-saan!
You haven't started yet so you're fine! Hurry and take position!
A-Alright!
My lifespan just shrunk.
I just used up the rest of my lifespan.
Right now, I just had a huge burst of speed.
I wonder what that was.
I focused on my shoes, and properly held my posture.
Huh? Isn't this that thing Tsukasa-sensei's always telling me?
Her condition for winning is to do never miss and do her entire routine in perfectly.
Come on and turn this around.
Inori.
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