Wounds and Fins (Japanese: 傷と鰭 Kizu to Hire) is the forty-fourth chapter of the Medalist manga.
Characters[]
(mentioned)
(cameo)
Story[]
Iruka begins her program, immediately drawing Inori's full attention. Her jumps earn high GOEGOE scores from the judges. Inori admires her exceptional poise, and above all, her incorporation of head movements in her dances, a display of remarkable balance. This is further evidenced during her Step Sequence, where she skillfully integrates artistic upper body movements to appeal to the judges without compromising her precision in turns.
As she skates, Iruka recalls that while she was little, Mika Yuitsuka commended her talent and told her to try for the Olympics. When Mika quit, she waited alone for her to light her path again, something she has now moved past. She saves her combo jump, the 3F3F + 3T3T for the second half. She even modifies her choreography to match Inori, adding the same post-landing twizzle that Inori performed, but on a different level. For her final spin, she executes an inverted Camel Spin, facing upward while continuing to move her arms in sync with the music. She then changes foot for a combo spin, adopting a stance modeled after Inori's opening pose, before transitioning into a high-speed Upright Spin. She follows the spin with another series of dance moves to finish off the program.
| Order | Element | Base Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3Lz3Lz | 5.90 |
| 2 | 2A2A | 3.30 |
| 3 | StSq?StSq? | ? |
| 4 | ? | ? |
| 5 | 3F3F + 3T3T | 9.50 |
| 6 | ? | ? |
| 7 | CCoSp4CCoSp4 | 3.50 |
As soon as she finishes, Inori joins the audience in a fervent round of applause, standing to cheer loudly for Iruka. Iruka reflects that perhaps she no longer needs to hold onto her anger — Mika is no longer special to her, as others have taken her place. Her score of 73.83 is announced, surpassing Inori by a whopping eight points.
In the evening, Tsukasa reviews the results from today's SP with Inori. She is excited to see that one of the judges gave a +4 GOEGOE for her 2A2A, though the highest and lowest scores were omitted when calculating the final average. Iruka, however, has received numerous +3s and +4s, and even a +5. Inori acknowledges that today's SP was a test of the best "Taiyaki Strategy," admitting that her own was sub-par.
Inori then discusses Iruka's choreography with Tsukasa, who shocks her by accurately replicating it from memory after just one viewing, an ability Tsukasa would love to impart on Inori if he could. Later, as Tsukasa leaves, Miho requests to speak with him, asking if he would mind her cautioning Inori when she becomes too fixated on results, which Tsukasa welcomes. Overhearing their conversation, Inori faces the city view on her balcony, reflecting that she isn't upset about not achieving immediate results, but is rather concerned about how Tsukasa might feel if she struggles to improve. Hearing a splash downstairs and spotting Iruka in the swimming pool, Inori decides to join her.
The pool is deeper than expected, and Inori struggles to stay afloat. Iruka rushes to rescue her, and they relax together on a float afterward. Inori brings up Iruka's earlier comment about her complex, admitting that it struck a nerve. She feels that everything is going her way: her skating, the international opportunity, and everyone's support. Yet, her life free of struggles makes her feel ashamed, as though she is hurting others to get it. She fears that people might resent her for succeeding only due to the kindness she has received, and wonders if she'd be better off having to support herself somehow, like working a job.
Iruka pulls Inori close, wrapping her arm around her head. She points out that many privileged individuals fail to recognize their advantages, attributing success entirely to their own talent and pretending they know all about adversities. She expresses frustration at people who waste their opportunities without understanding how fortunate they are.
Iruka then reveals that her parents were abusive to her. Despite this, they still funded her skating career, which she sees as their twisted way of expressing love that she has no choice but to accept. Coach Seiji has since helped her create distance from them, allowing her to skate free from harm. Learning this, Inori takes Iruka's hand in a quiet gesture of support, prompting Iruka to point out that her ability to provide comfort stems from the kindness she has experienced herself. She reassures Inori that she needn't worry about hurting others, and challenges her to try a quad at tomorrow's free skate and rise to the bar she set today.