Hot Passion (Japanese: 熱血 Nekketsu) is the twenty-fifth chapter of the Medalist manga.
Characters[]
Story[]
At night, Tsukasa picks up Inori from her home — Tsukasa has broken a rib from his fall, and Inori subsequently falls into a slump, unable to land anything more than a Single Lutz. With the All-Japans fast approaching, Tsukasa contacts Coach Uobuchi and manages to reserve time. However, due to his packed schedule, it will require them to travel to Niigata by the next morning.
Excited for their road trip, Inori eagerly chats with Tsukasa along the way. They stop at a convenience store for dinner and have a video call with Nozomi. As they continue driving, Inori remains animated, her excitement keeping her from sleeping.
Eventually reaching a rest stop, Tsukasa has to force Inori to go to sleep. However, she wakes up after some time and notices Tsukasa sitting alone outside, looking contemplative. When he hears a noise coming from the car, he immediately rushes over only to find it was Inori.
Tsukasa lets Inori off the car and suggests they talk. As they take in the scenery of Lake Suwa, Inori asks if his rib still hurts and thanks him for taking her. Tsukasa reassures her that he'll do his best to recover and mentions that the lake freezes entirely in winter. Inori is thrilled at the idea of skating and jumping on it, but it is unfortunately not permitted. Instead, Tsukasa promises that they'll visit rinks all over Japan and jump on all kinds of ice. He also tells her that it's okay if she can't land her jumps tomorrow — they'll find other ways to build her up.
As Inori grows tired, Tsukasa offers to carry Inori back to the car to prove his health. Resting on his back, Inori remarks on the warmth of his body. Tsukasa explains that he naturally runs hot, and in her drowsy state, Inori muses that he must have been born warm so he can skate forever without getting cold. As he walks, Tsukasa tears up, silently vowing to make the world recognize that, Inori, too, was born to skate.
The next morning, Tsukasa and Inori arrive in Niigata.