ICE SKATING RINK
[Tsukasa] Bend your legs a bit more. Push firmly off the ice.
One, two. Yeah. Good rhythm.
Ah. You're flapping your arms every time you push off.
Try to resist moving 'em.
Yes, sir.
[Tsukasa] And a one, two. One, two.
[sighs]
All of my arm muscles feel like jelly.
Yeah, skating requires a lot more upper body strength than people realize.
But if you're getting sore, that means you're growing.
Let's get you nice and strong!
Yes, sir.
I can't believe it. Her forward crossover is almost perfect in only three lessons.
[laughing]
Oh, composure.
[Inori] What... What the heck?
[sighs]
Learning to skate gracefully is harder than it looks.
And yet I'm having so much fun.
Hmm?
A high jump. So cool.
She looks like a first grader, but her sit spin is really good.
Coach keeps telling me I'm doing well, but I still can't do anything.
I'm no good.
[Ms. Yuitsuka] Inori.
Mom, you're here.
Where's Coach Tsukasa?
He's, uh... I don't know.
Oh.
There's a Badge Test coming up. Wanna take it?
What's a Badge Test?
PRELIM BADGE TEST
A Badge Test is figure skating's certification exam.
Think of it like an English or kanji proficiency test in school.
Starting with Prelims, or level zero,
you'll gain a badge every time you pass the test for the next level up.
These tests determine your qualification level for different tiers of competition.
Up to the international stage.
[Hitomi] Here's what the badges look like.
[gasps]
If I can get this badge,
that means people think I'm good at skating.
And if I can get them all, then everyone will think that.
And one day...
- I'll take it. - [gasps]
But she's only had three lessons so far.
Honestly, this one you can pass just by going for it.
Otherwise, we could start preparing for next month's test instead.
No, let's do it now!
- Yeah? - Great.
After this, we'll be able to get you started practicing spins and jumps.
[Inori gasps, squeals]
[Hitomi] Then start thinking about a song you'd like to skate to.
Once you can jump, I'll choreograph a program for you.
My very own program?
Yeah! [cheers]
- Program! - Tone it down, Inori.
Well, at least the waltz jump will come naturally to her.
[chuckles]
TWO WEEKS LATER
We haven't been here for a minute, have we?
Remember, for your sister?
Yeah.
- [phone ringing] - Mmm? [grunts]
[gasps] Oh, honey, I need to take this.
Hello?
Yeah. Hi, how are you?
[Inori] My very first test. What happens if I don't pass?
- [thud, clatter] - [yelps]
[whimpers]
- [phone ringing] - [stranger sighs]
[whimpers]
[breathes shakily]
[Ms. Yuitsuka] We're here! I'm so sorry we're late.
[Tsukasa] No worries. We got time.
[gasps] Wow.
This place is huge.
See that? Those are level five kids.
They're finishing up the last of their exams.
Level five.
Wow.
A program. Amazing.
Programs are a required element of the exams for all of the higher levels.
[grunts, screams]
[gasps]
[examiner] Unfortunately you didn't have enough rotation in your jumps,
including the one where you fell.
But we hope to see you try again.
[skater crying] Okay.
[breathes shakily]
Looks like the Prelim tests are scheduled for the very end today.
Do you wanna hang out here with me?
Watch the higher level kids skate until we...
Hmm? Hey, kid?
[whimpers]
Uh...
[sighs, chuckles]
You're such a cutie.
I feel much better now.
[singsongy] When you're feeling kinda down, just worm hunt around.
Down on the ground, wormy worming-- [grunts]
Huh?
Oh.
[yelps] I'm so sorry! I didn't realize someone was already here.
It's okay.
Not like this is my patch of grass.
[gasps] You're so...
Your dress makes you look like a fairy tale princess.
[chuckles] Do you wanna be friends?
You mean that?
Sure I do. I mean, you skate, right?
[whimpers] I do.
Your leggings gave it away.
Oh.
This is my home rink. I'm here all the time.
I see.
So you're a beginner? What level?
Huh? How did you know I'm a beginner?
Did you find it yet?
[screams]
I did.
Whoa, it really did get thrown out.
Whatever. I found it.
Looks like he broke his phone again, by the way.
No wonder I couldn't reach him earlier.
[grunts] Damn that grumpy old man.
Mmm? Who's this kid?
Huh? [gasps]
I'm, uh... I... My name is Inori Yuits--
I wasn't talking to you, you ugly shrimp!
[shrieks]
Rioh. You're always so mean. Apologize to her!
[Inori] "Ugly shrimp?"
- I wouldn't expect you to get it. - [whimpering]
[gasps] Hey, wait!
I don't give a crap what you have to say.
If we don't already know who you are at your age,
you're either an outsider or you suck.
If you can't even skate, don't even bother talking to me.
Ignore him. He's just a jerk.
Rioh!
[sighs]
[shakily] I'm back.
[whimpering]
What the...
Oh. Hey, you dropped your...
[shrieks]
[screams]
Inori, what happened to your hair?
Come here. I'll fix it.
[Hitomi] Well, this is chaos.
Just get out there and do your best like you do every week in practice, 'kay?
Yeah. 'Kay.
[Tsukasa] Something's really shaking her up.
- Hey, Inori. - [gasps] Y-Yes?
How about we do a little review, huh?
What do you do to keep yourself from braking while you're gliding?
Uh...
Just think through your practice runs, step-by-step.
I can't... Um...
I... I don't remember.
Oh, no. What do I do?
What do I do?
If she skates like this she could hurt herself.
- Maybe she ought to sit this one out. - Sit it out?
No, let's do it now. Okay?
[Tsukasa sighs] We can't do that. She needs this win and she needs it now.
Here, grab my finger.
Tsukasa.
How is that gonna help?
Ignore them. Do it.
[Inori breathes shakily]
All right. Now you're gonna grab this one over here with your other hand.
Yeah, perfect.
Now touch my thumb with your thumb.
Now pinkies.
Now repeat on the left.
Thumb.
Left pinky.
Right pointer.
Feeling calmer now?
Uh, yeah.
Take a good look.
This is no different from our rink in Osu.
So we're gonna do what we always do out there one more time,
and then your mom is gonna take you home.
It'll all be over soon.
One more time.
Can I hold on to these until they say it's my turn to go?
It calms me down. They're wormy.
You don't say? Yeah, do it.
Oh, my gosh. He's such a great coach.
[Tsukasa] Thank God that distraction trick really works.
We would've been cooked if she'd stressed herself out any more.
[staff] Next up is number five, Yuitsuka.
It's time.
You ready?
Mmm.
I'm going to do what I always do.
I just gotta do it one more time.
I can do it. I can remember.
Your first exam will see how well you can skate on one foot.
Start on this line here, push off and skate in a semicircle.
You need to push hard enough that you can make it all the way around
without stopping in the middle.
When you get back to the line, you'll switch feet and push off again.
Then repeat that all the way down.
Once you've skated that inside, outside track,
you'll turn and skate the same thing again.
Only this time, you'll do it backwards.
Remember that a good push still only gets you so far.
The more important thing is learning how to balance your weight
in exactly the right place on your blades.
To go forward, keep your weight aligned with your ankle.
To go backwards, put your weight just in front of your arch.
Get it right, and you'll get the ice and your blades to do all the work for you.
And you only need to tilt your ankle very slightly to change edges.
You'll derail yourself if you're unsteady,
so focus on keeping your core strong.
Her forward and backward skating is perfect.
Cross is next.
So just listen to the music. Skate, "one, two."
[Hitomi] Wow, Inori really locked in, huh?
I'm so proud of both of you.
Yes!
[examiner] Next, Miss Inori Yuitsuka.
Yes.
You pass. Good work.
PRELIM PASS - HOWA
Congratulations!
Thanks.
- Mom, look. I passed my first exam. - Hmm?
Oh, that's wonderful. You've worked really hard for this.
I think you've earned the right to keep skating.
Seriously?
Yes. I'll let you do it up till middle school
like your sister did.
[gasps]
Mm-hmm.
[parent 1 groans] The little ones outgrow their costumes so fast.
[parent 2] I know, right?
[Inori] Till middle school.
But I don't know. Maybe I can stay if I'm really good.
Only, how good would I have to be?
[sighs]
[parent 1] That Inori Yuitsuka girl annoys me though.
[parent 2] Yeah, I don't get it.
She's already 11, and she still can't even jump yet?
[parent 1] If the coaches have that much time to spare,
they should be spending it on the kids who can actually skate.
[cries]
- [gasps] - [both exclaim]
- Hey, are you okay? - [grunts]
Wait.
Don't I know you? You're the beginner.
Huh? Oh. Yeah, hi.
My regular rink is having an inspection,
but I wanted to practice so I came here instead.
- [parent 1] I heard she's still Prelim. - Huh?
And a blind dog could pass level zero.
At her age, she should be at least level four.
[Inori sighs]
Like they'd have any idea. I bet they can't skate at all.
[gasps] Uh...
[chuckles]
So cool.
[Inori whimpers]
- Whoa. Isn't that Hikaru? - [gasping]
- Hikaru? [gasps] - It is.
If they can't get out on the ice, then don't listen to a word they say.
[Inori] Wait. Is that who she is?
The girl who won Japan's National Novice B Contest last year.
Hikaru Kamisaki!
[Inori whimpers]
Sh-She's fast! How is she so fast?
She only pushed off once, but she's like the wind.
It's like the ice is moving her all on its own.
[Tsukasa] The right point of balance will maximize your speed and your grace.
So find your center and just keep practicing.
Before you know it, you'll be flying.
[gasps]
- [grunts] - Huh?
[gasps]
[straining]
[gasps]
- [gasps] - [both grunting]
- [Inori groans] - [giggles]
[laughs]
Ah, you startled me!
And, hey. You can really keep up.
Are you really Prelim?
[Inori breathes shakily]
Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?
- You... - What?
You're so cool! I want to jump like that too!
Oh.
Oh, you wanna jump, huh?
- I wanna do that. - [chuckles]
I've never seen a jump up close like that before!
You got so high, and you made landing look so easy.
I've never seen anyone do that. Ever!
I can't jump like that.
Well, yeah. But you're still Prelim.
So no one expects you to be jumping yet.
But I'm never gonna beat you unless I can jump like that right now!
[gasps]
Hikaru, please teach me.
I need to learn that jump now.
I want it. I need it.
Um... Did you get possessed, or what?
Teach me jump.
Please teach jump. I need it. Tell me how.
Well... I mean...
I have to learn that jump as soon as possible.
[yelps]
[groans]
I don't have time.
[crying]
We're the exact same age, but we're so far apart.
[crying]
I know I can jump, but I can't teach someone who's never done it.
And different clubs.
Oh. I'm really sorry.
It's cool. I'm glad to see you again.
So, uh, what's your name?
Oh, that's right. I'm, uh, Inori Yuitsuka.
And I'm Hikaru.
Now we get to be friends for real. What do you say?
You really want to be friends,
like, with me?
[Hikaru] You're totally different from my first impression of you outside.
And you were really fun to skate with. We should do it again soon.
Yeah. If you really want to!
- Do you practice now? - Yeah.
I always like getting to the rink right after lunchtime.
What? Like, you leave school early?
Some days I leave early.
Some days I don't go at all.
The rink is only open certain hours, and with the way I wanna skate,
I need all the practice I can get.
Really?
It sounds like you spend more time at practice than you do anything else.
You should practice as much as you can too.
I want to,
but I don't think my mom will give me permission.
I don't get why she'd stand in the way of you wanting to improve.
But I don't have a mom, so I guess I'm not really one to talk, am I?
[blows] You should tell her that you want to get better at this.
It's not like she can read your mind, right?
Wow, Hikaru.
Let's go again.
You wanna know why I practice as much as I do?
I asked my coach to get me to the Olympics.
You did? Really?
The problem is, adults all assume they know how we feel.
That we'll be satisfied with good enough.
Not me. I'm not like that.
And if you feel the same way, then you've gotta speak up.
You have to tell them. Or they'll never know.
That simple?
I really hope you get to join me in competitions soon, Inori.
[Inori] The skaters I look up to work so hard to be where they are.
They practice all the time, earn their badges.
They go to competitions together.
She's right. I don't want to be good enough.
I want to be like her.
Am I allowed to want that? It's so selfish.
[Tsukasa] Hey, Inori!
I didn't think you were gonna be here today
since we didn't have a lesson on the books. Glad I came to check.
Ta-da!
What is it?
Well, open it.
No way.
Congratulations on your very first badge.
You're really killing it.
And now we get to work on your jumps.
You finished my original lesson plan in half the time.
I've had to scramble to put our next lesson together.
I'm still pretty new at this whole coaching thing,
but I promise I'm gonna do my absolute best for you--
[grunts]
Coach Tsukasa.
Uh--
If I tell you I want to be the best skater in the whole entire world,
would you please help me do that?
Literally. I want to be number one in skating.
I don't care if I never get to do anything else fun for the rest of my life.
I don't care if I have to do a bunch of hard stuff I hate
for hours on end every single day.
And I don't know how long it will take or how hard it will be,
but I want to be the best.
I wanna win.
I want to go to the Olympics, win a gold medal.
But I need help from a lot of people.
And if you help me out, then maybe I could get my mom to--
- [Tsukasa] Let's do it. - [gasps]
I swear to you, I'm gonna make you such an incredible athlete,
people will think you were born in those skates.
Mark my words, I'll make you a figure skater Japan will be proud of.
Mmm.
So our first order of business is passing level one,
because you still don't know how to jump.
Right!
Hmm.
Mmm.