Intensive Training (Japanese: 強化練習 Kyouka Renshuu) is the twenty-third chapter of the Medalist manga.
Characters[]
(mentioned)
(mentioned)
Story[]
Inori arrives at Nagakute for intensive training along with Tsukasa. He showers her with praise for what she's accomplished so far, even though he's been saying the same things for over a week. As Inori makes her way to the rink, Main Kobuta sneakily follows behind her.
Inside, Inori meets Sota and Rioh. They've both qualified for the boys' All-Japan Novice A, though they were guaranteed spots due to being the only male skaters in the Chubu region this year. Inori asks Rioh if Hikaru's coming, but Rioh insists that she tell him where Tsukasa is first — he is intent on inviting him to stay over after learning Tsukasa dropped by while he was asleep. Inori tells Rioh to stop hogging Tsukasa when he's no longer his student, while Rioh calls her relationship shallow.
Their argument is interrupted by an irritated voice calls for them to shut up — Iruka Okazaki, one of the Junior designated skaters, is also joining the Novice skaters for training. Watching her train, the Novice skaters are stunned by her high jumps and the strong core muscles that allow her to execute a cantilever. It soon dawns on them that next year, they too will move up to the Junior level and directly compete against skaters like Iruka.
Hikaru lands a Triple Axel, while the other skaters start jumping Triple Lutzes left and right. However, Inori, the only one without a Triple Lutz, struggles and repeatedly falls, seemingly hindered by Tsukasa's previous training strategy. After one of her falls, Hikaru approaches her, but as soon as their gazes meet, she simply turns away without a word.
After practice, Main approaches Inori to ask about Mika Yuitsuka. When Inori confirms that Mika is indeed her sister, Main is thrilled. She reveals that she, too, was inspired to start skating after seeing Mika perform. The two bond instantly over their shared admiration for her.
Unexpectedly, Iruka walks up to Inori and inspects her face closely. Realizing she indeed shares Mika's surname, she begins making comparisons: her cute face, the braid on her forehead, and her "crappy jumps." She turns to leave, but Inori clings to her clothes and defends Mika, saying she broke a bone, and would've jumped lots if she kept going.
Iruka dismisses this argument, stating that figure skating is a game of probabilities and that "if only" scenarios don't matter. She challenges Inori, questioning if she's the type to make excuses and say she "would have won gold if only she landed a certain jump." Inori, however, insists that both she and her sister are capable skaters, and that she can land difficult jumps and win gold. When asked how she can be so sure, Inori lifts her shirt to reveal a six-pack, to everyone's surprise. Iruka bursts into uncontainable laughter, finding her exceedingly cute. Amused, she teasingly offers words of encouragement.
The next day, with only two weeks left until the All-Japans, Tsukasa joins Inori to discuss the competition. He points out that her previous 2A2A + 1Eu1Eu + 3S3S combo earned her 8.1 points, which only slightly surpasses the 8.0 points Hikaru Kamisaki can earn with a single 3A3A. He advises her that learning a Triple Flip or Lutz soon would be ideal, but also acknowledges the challenge — which is why he has invited a highly sought-after jump expert to work with her.