One Kick Girl — Chapter 6: "Rent, Kicks, and Consequences"
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1. End of the Month
Bills.
The only villain Raon couldn't defeat in one hit.
Stacks of glowing hologram invoices floated around her apartment: rent due, power due, noodle debt (don't ask). Each one politely blinked in red.
> [NOTICE: FAILURE TO PAY WILL RESULT IN A LEGAL ROUNDHOUSE TO YOUR CREDIT SCORE.]
Raon groaned into her pillow.
"Why does society cost so much?"
Shion looked up from her laptop. "Because you keep destroying buildings that society has to pay for."
"That was one time!"
"Seventeen."
"…Still counts as one."
Shion sighed. "Your rent is due tomorrow. And you spent your last paycheck on limited-edition ramen."
Raon sat up. "That was an investment in morale."
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2. Enter the Landlord
Their doorbell rang. Three times. Each ring more judgmental than the last.
Shion tensed. "It's her."
Raon froze. "…The Landlord?"
"The same. Codename: Mrs. Kwon. Hero Rank Unknown. Threat Level: Bureaucratic."
The door creaked open. Mrs. Kwon, a tiny old woman in a pink tracksuit, stepped in with the aura of a final boss. Her eyes could audit souls.
She smiled sweetly. "Good morning, girls. You look broke."
Raon gulped. "I, uh, meant to transfer rent yesterday, but then I accidentally destabilized the resonance field—"
Mrs. Kwon raised an eyebrow. "You kicked reality again, didn't you?"
"…Maybe."
She sighed. "Every month, same story. Kicks, monsters, cosmic disasters. You think the bank cares about that? My mortgage doesn't run on excuses."
Shion stepped forward nervously. "We'll have the money soon. Promise."
Mrs. Kwon handed her a paper. "Good. Because next week, inspection day. I find one hole in the wall, one scorch mark, one dimensional rift—"
Raon: "Define dimensional rift."
Mrs. Kwon: "Eviction."
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3. Plan B: Hero Side Jobs
That evening, Raon and Shion sat surrounded by holo-ads for quick gigs.
> "Delivery drone repair — 10 credits."
"Mascot at children's party — 50 credits."
"Monster cleanup crew — hazard pay included."
"Pose for One Kick Girl cereal promo — 1,000 credits."
Raon brightened. "That last one sounds easy!"
Shion frowned. "You remember what happened last time you did an ad?"
"People loved it!"
"You kicked the camera."
"…It was mocking me."
Still, rent was rent. So they accepted.
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4. The Cereal Commercial
Scene: A cheap studio.
Theme: "Kickstart Your Morning with One Kick Crunch!"
Raon stood in front of a green screen, holding a cereal box with her face on it.
Director: "Okay, Raon! Big smile! High energy! Shout the line and do a little kick for the kids!"
Raon's eye twitched. "A little kick?"
"Yes! Something fun, light, friendly!"
Shion whispered, "Please… for the love of physics… hold back."
Raon inhaled.
Smiled.
Kicked.
The studio imploded.
Camera crew vanished into the ceiling. The cereal box disintegrated into grain dust. The green screen achieved sentience and fled.
Shion buried her face in her hands.
"Congratulations. You just kicked breakfast into extinction."
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5. Desperate Measures
With the ad gig cancelled (and fined), they were back at zero.
Raon: "We could sell merch?"
Shion: "Your merch keeps exploding in warehouses."
Raon: "Autograph signing?"
Shion: "Last time you signed a fan's shirt, it combusted."
Raon: "Noodle-eating contest?"
Shion blinked. "…Actually, that one's safe."
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6. The Noodle Showdown
That night, they entered Ramen Royale, a televised eating competition.
Grand prize: exactly one month's rent.
Raon took her seat. Opposite her sat Chef Broku, the reigning champion — arms like tree trunks, apron that said "FEED OR BE FED."
"First to finish 100 bowls wins," he grunted. "Hope you're hungry, girl."
Raon cracked her knuckles. "Hope you like losing."
Three… two… one—GO!
Instant noodles vanished at light speed. Broku slammed bowl after bowl. Steam filled the air.
Then, halfway through, Broku slowed… and fell face-first into the broth.
The crowd gasped.
Raon wiped her mouth. "He was strong… but my metabolism is stronger."
Announcer: "SHE DID IT! ONE KICK GIRL JUST BROKE THE WORLD RECORD FOR RAMEN CONSUMPTION!"
Shion, watching from the sidelines, smiled. "And rent's paid."
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7. The Twist Ending
The next morning, Raon stretched proudly.
"See? Easy win. No kicking, no explosions, no—"
THUMP.
The ceiling cracked. Ramen bowls rained down like divine retribution.
Shion's eyes widened. "Raon… the leftover resonance from your eating speed created a vacuum vortex. The noodles are raining up."
Outside, noodle shops across the city floated into the sky.
Mrs. Kwon's voice echoed from the hallway.
"RAON!"
Raon winced. "Oh no."
Mrs. Kwon kicked down the door. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY RESTAURANT?!"
Raon nervously held out an envelope. "Rent's… paid?"
Mrs. Kwon's eyes twitched.
Then, unexpectedly, she smiled.
"…Keep it up. Next time, kick inflation instead."
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[End of Chapter 6 — "Rent, Kicks, and Consequences"]