Taiyaki and Cake (Japanese: たい焼きとケーキ Taiyaki to Keeki) is the third chapter of the Medalist manga.
Characters[]
Story[]
Nozomi is happy to see Inori enjoying herself on the ice but still views skating as just a hobby. After learning that Nozomi plans to support Inori's skating only until middle school, Tsukasa suggests they convince her otherwise by winning a medal at the Meikoh Cup, a competition divided by skill levels that allows beginners to participate. Inori inquires about Hikaru but learns that she will compete in a Novice group, far out of her reach. Determined to catch up to skaters her age, Inori resolves to win first place.
At the rink, Hitomi introduces Inori to her clubmates at Lux Higashiyama FSC, who warmly welcome her despite her shyness. WHowever, when she practices her program with them watching, her stage fright sets in, causing her to forget her choreography. The next day, in an effort to help Inori overcome her nerves, Tsukasa decides to have her skate alongside her, his elegant, smooth, and precise movements fully captivating her.
As they continue to practice, they are interrupted by loud yelling from across the ice a little girl and her coach, both speaking to each other with dramatic, and abrasive manners. Getting carried away, the girl crashes into Tsukasa, forcing her coach to apologize. The coach and the girl are introduced as Mario Nachi and Ryoka Miketa of Gravity Sakuradori FSC, respectively. Ryoka initially refuses to apologize until she catches sight of Inori's cuteness and immediately befriends her.
In subsequent days, Inori is constantly dragged around by her new friend. When Inori tells Ryoka that she needs to talk with her coach however, she grows dissatisfied that Inori is putting grown-ups before her friend. She claims that listening to grown-ups too much will make a person an idiot, attributing her growth in skating to her own efforts rather than her coach's guidance. When Inori insists on going, admitting that she lacks the confidence to learn skating on her own, Ryoka snaps, accusing her of being like the people she despises — those who fear adults.
Observing Ryoka's practice for the Meikoh Cup, Tsukasa notices her executing a double jump, which is advanced for the Prelim level. He suggests that Inori try it as well, but with limited time, there are two possible approaches:
- The Strawberry Shortcake — Focus entirely on mastering the double jump, which acts as the "strawberry," the star ingredient of the cake, but at the risk of diminishing the overall performance quality.
- The Strawberry Taiyaki — Prioritize refining the basics and maintaining high quality, though it may still be difficult to secure a win.
Inori asks for Tsukasa's help in choosing, but Tsukasa insists on having Inori make her own decision, an ability important for her future as a figure skater. No matter which strategy she picks, Tsukasa promises to lead her to victory. Inori ultimately decides to go with the Taiyaki approach for more time to refine her dance elements — she wants to be like her coach and dance beautifully just as much as she wants to win.
As the competition nears, Mario recognizes Inori as a threat and adds a 2S2S + 1A1A combo into Ryoka's program. Determined to defeat Inori, Ryoka trains tirelessly, even when she has to practice at 4 AM due to limited rink availability.
With only 4 days until the competition, Inori stil struggles with the jump, but Tsukasa gains inspiration when he encounters a lost dog chasing its tail. Excited, he rushes back to the rink, even carrying the dog. He instructs Inori to try a flying sit spin, which she manages to execute nearly perfectly on her first attempt. After some calculations, Tsukasa realizes that incorporating the flying sit spin would raise Inori's base score higher than a program with a double jump. He modifies Inori's program, confident that she will get first place.