**One Kick Girl — Chapter 128:
"Freedom Has No HR Department"**
You can't file a complaint against instinct.
1. The Email That Should Not Exist
The email arrived at 8:01 AM.
That alone made it hostile.
Raon stared at her phone.
"…Why is it smiling?"
Shion leaned over.
The subject line read:
WELCOME TO THE HERO COMPLIANCE PIPELINE! 😊
Raon's soul visibly tried to exit her body.
"I didn't apply for this."
"You were volunteered," Shion said flatly.
Raon scrolled.
Orientation date.
Dress code.
Acceptable kick angles.
Prohibited emotional intensity levels.
Raon stopped breathing.
"…There's a section called 'Escalation Through Proper Channels.'"
Shion nodded.
"They want you to ask permission to save people."
Raon whispered:
"That's illegal in my heart."
2. Orientation Day (Hell, But Carpeted)
The building was beige.
Aggressively beige.
Not evil. Not threatening.
Just… soul-dampening.
A banner hung above the entrance:
HERO OVERSIGHT & WELLNESS CENTER
Protecting You From Yourself
Raon recoiled.
"This place smells like disappointment."
Shion scanned the room.
"No windows. Soft lighting. Neutral colors."
Raon squinted.
"…This is a trap for emotions."
3. Meet HR (They Fear Her)
The HR representative smiled with professional bravery.
"Welcome, Raon! I'm Cynthia."
Raon stared.
Cynthia slid a clipboard forward.
"Let's begin with a few standard questions."
Raon crossed her arms.
"Okay."
Cynthia swallowed.
"On a scale from one to ten, how likely are you to use violence to solve a problem?"
Raon didn't hesitate.
"Depends on the problem."
Cynthia typed nervously.
"And… how do you feel about authority?"
Raon leaned closer.
"…Is authority being weird right now?"
Shion coughed to hide laughter.
4. The Rulebook vs Reality
They handed Raon a manual.
It was thick.
Weaponized thickness.
She opened it.
Page one:
RULE #1: DO NOT ACT ON INSTINCT
Raon snapped it shut.
"No."
Cynthia blinked.
"…No?"
Raon nodded firmly.
"No."
Shion added helpfully,
"She runs on instinct.
If you remove it, she becomes a chair."
Raon smiled.
"I hate being furniture."
5. Simulation Training (Big Mistake)
"Perhaps a practical assessment," Cynthia said weakly.
A simulation room activated.
Holograms flared.
Scenario title:
HOSTAGE SITUATION — WAIT FOR AUTHORIZATION
A fake villain appeared. Fake civilians. Fake danger.
A countdown timer started.
Authorization pending…
Raon tapped her foot.
Five seconds.
Ten.
The hostage screamed.
Raon snapped.
She kicked.
The entire simulation exploded.
Lights died. Walls cracked. The villain ceased to exist conceptually.
Silence.
Cynthia whispered:
"…You didn't wait."
Raon shrugged.
"He was rude."
6. HR Attempts De-escalation
Cynthia clutched her clipboard like a shield.
"You violated protocol."
Raon tilted her head.
"But everyone's alive."
Shion checked the readouts.
"Actually morale increased by seventeen percent."
Cynthia's eye twitched.
"That's not how metrics work."
Raon grinned.
"That's how people work."
7. The Real Problem Emerges
An alarm chimed softly.
Not emergency.
Administrative.
A voice echoed:
UNSANCTIONED HERO ACTIVITY DETECTED.
COMPLIANCE RESPONSE INBOUND.
Shion stiffened.
"…They built a system."
Raon cracked her neck.
"Of course they did."
From the far corridor, footsteps marched.
Not villains.
Not monsters.
Auditors.
Clad in gray suits with glowing armbands:
ENFORCEMENT COMPLIANCE UNIT
Raon squinted.
"…Why do they look punchable?"
Shion murmured.
"Because they're trained to stop people like you."
Raon smiled wider.
"That's cute."
8. Freedom Does Not Clock In
The lead auditor raised a device.
"Raon, you are ordered to stand down."
Raon didn't move.
"Why?"
"Your actions exceed authorized parameters."
Raon looked at the terrified HR staff. The broken simulation. The still-breathing civilians.
"…Your parameters are slow."
The device hummed.
Restraint fields activated.
Raon flexed.
They shattered instantly.
The auditors froze.
Shion stepped forward, voice sharp as glass.
"You cannot regulate instinct.
You can only respond to it."
Raon took one step forward.
"I don't work for you," she said calmly.
"I work for this."
She gestured to the city beyond the walls.
9. Exit Interview (Violent)
Raon kicked the door open.
Not metaphorically.
Physically.
Sunlight flooded in.
The beige recoiled.
The auditors didn't follow.
They couldn't.
Outside, the world waited.
Messy. Unapproved. Alive.
Raon stretched.
"…I quit."
Shion smiled.
"I'll send the resignation email."
10. Stinger: A New File Opens
Back inside the system, alarms quieted.
A new classification appeared:
STATUS UPDATE:
Subject: One Kick Girl
Designation: NON-COMPLIANT VARIABLE
A pause.
ACTION:
Begin Containment Strategy.
Somewhere deep in the city…
something old, something patient, something very organized…
noticed her.
Raon sneezed.
"…Do you feel that?"
Shion nodded.
"Yes."
Raon grinned.
"Good.
That means I'm doing it right."
END OF CHAPTER 128