**One Kick Girl — Chapter 144:
"The Girl Who Still Fights"**
Relearning combat • Quiet defiance • Shion's eyes say everything
1. Morning Without a Kick
Raon woke up sore.
Not "I got punched by a god" sore.
Muscle-learning sore.
Her legs felt wrong—not weak, just… unused in the way she loved most.
She swung them off the bed.
Paused.
"…Still can't kick."
Shion sat beside her, already awake.
Watching.
Raon sighed.
"…Okay."
2. Training Without Instinct
The practice room felt unfamiliar.
Too wide. Too honest.
Raon threw a punch.
Too slow.
Blocked.
She twisted—her leg rose instinctively—
Stopped.
She nearly fell.
Shion caught her arm.
Raon laughed bitterly.
"…I keep forgetting."
Shion shook her head.
Not disappointment.
Encouragement.
3. Learning to Hit With Hands (Rude Awakening)
Raon wrapped her knuckles.
Punched the bag.
It barely moved.
"…Wow. My arms are decorative."
She tried again.
Better.
Again.
Worse.
Her breathing grew uneven.
Frustration bubbled.
Shion stepped in front of her.
Held up one finger.
Wait.
Raon inhaled.
Exhaled.
4. Fighting Without Signature
Raon sparred a drone.
No kicks allowed.
She ducked. Blocked. Grappled.
Clumsy.
Messy.
Real.
The drone adapted.
Raon adapted back.
Slower—but smarter.
She used walls.
Angles.
Weight.
The drone went down.
Raon stared.
"…That worked."
Shion smiled.
Small. Proud.
5. The Silence Between Them
They sat together afterward.
No words.
But understanding filled the gap.
Raon glanced at Shion's throat.
"…It's not fair."
Shion shrugged lightly.
Raon clenched her fists.
"…I'll fix it."
Shion shook her head.
No promises.
Just trust.
6. The World Notices Change
Outside HQ, whispers spread.
"She's different."
"She's slower."
"But she doesn't stop."
Threats probed.
Nothing big.
Testing the waters.
Raon felt it.
"…They're circling."
Shion nodded.
7. A Fight That Isn't a Spectacle
An ambush.
Three compliance knights.
Raon stepped forward.
No flourish. No opening kick.
Just movement.
She slipped inside a swing.
Elbow. Knee—stopped halfway. Headbutt instead.
She used the floor.
The wall.
Gravity.
It wasn't flashy.
It was effective.
The last knight fell.
Shion exhaled.
8. Identity Rewritten (Quietly)
Raon leaned against a wall.
Panting.
"…I miss it."
Shion touched her shoulder.
Raon smiled.
"…But I'm still me."
The sky flickered faintly.
Like it was taking notes.
9. The System Hesitates
Somewhere deeper—
A system flagged an anomaly.
"SUBJECT EFFECTIVENESS:
UNEXPECTEDLY STABLE."
"DEPENDENCY REMOVAL FAILED."
Raon stretched her arms.
"…Hey, Shion."
Shion looked up.
"If they give my kicks back…"
Shion raised a brow.
"…What?"
Raon grinned.
"I'm gonna be worse."
Shion laughed silently.
10. Stinger: The Lock Cracks
A faint sound echoed.
Like metal under stress.
Somewhere—
A rule bent.
Not broken.
Yet.
Raon felt it in her bones.
"…Soon."
Shion nodded.
Ready.
END OF CHAPTER 144