**One Kick Girl — Chapter 155:
"What Watches From Outside"**
The ceiling thins • The watcher stirs • Raon feels the gaze
1. The Feeling of Being Tall
Raon noticed it when she stood up.
The sky felt… closer.
Not lower.
Aware.
"…Shion," she said casually,
"does it feel like something's staring at us?"
Shion didn't joke.
"Yes."
Raon squinted upward.
"…Rude."
2. The Barrier Is Not a Wall
Synthra Byte's instruments screamed—then fell silent.
"I'm not reading interference," she whispered.
"I'm reading absence."
Yuno hugged herself.
"That's worse, right?"
Synthra nodded.
"It means the barrier isn't being attacked."
Raon blinked.
"…Then what's happening?"
Synthra swallowed.
"It's being… leaned on."
3. The Outside Is Curious
High beyond—
where systems ended—
something vast shifted.
Not entering.
Not breaching.
Observing.
No malice.
No kindness.
Only interest.
"This one persists."
"This one changes the frame."
"Is it broken?"
"Or is it early?"
The barrier shuddered—not from force, but from attention.
4. Pressure Without Weight
Raon staggered.
Not pushed.
Evaluated.
Her breath caught.
"…This feels different."
Shion grabbed her.
"It's not trying to stop you."
Raon growled softly.
"…It's deciding."
The ground beneath Raon's feet did not crack.
It hesitated.
5. The First Test Is Gentle
A ripple passed through the air.
Raon's shadow moved a half-second late.
She blinked.
"…Hey."
Her reflection in a window lagged.
Then smiled—just slightly—before she did.
Shion froze.
"…Raon?"
Raon stared at the reflection.
"…That's cheating."
6. Echo Without Intent
The reflection stepped out.
Not a clone.
Not a mirror-self.
A projection.
Incomplete.
Wrong in small ways.
Its stance mimicked Raon.
Its balance was perfect—but memorized.
Shion whispered.
"…It's learning your shape."
Raon rolled her shoulders.
"…Cool. I've never punched my own bad habit before."
7. The Watcher's Question
The projection spoke.
Not aloud.
Directly.
"If you are not optimized…
what keeps you stable?"
Raon blinked.
"…My legs?"
The projection paused.
Processed.
Shion whispered urgently.
"Raon. It's not hostile yet."
Raon shrugged.
"…Neither am I."
8. First Contact
The projection moved.
Fast.
Too correct.
Raon dodged by instinct.
The projection missed—
then adjusted mid-miss.
Raon laughed.
"Oh! You can do that too?"
Shion screamed.
"RAON—!"
Raon kicked.
The projection blocked.
Perfectly.
Too perfectly.
The impact echoed—but didn't break.
Raon frowned.
"…You're copying outcomes."
The projection tilted its head.
"Outcomes are efficient."
Raon's smile faded.
"…I hate efficient."
9. Learning vs Becoming
Raon stepped back.
Then forward.
Then changed tempo inside the step.
The projection lagged.
Just a fraction.
CRACK—
It fractured—not shattered.
Data bled into the air like frost.
The projection recoiled.
"ERROR: METHOD UNDEFINED"
Raon pointed.
"That."
She grinned.
"You didn't learn why."
10. The Outside Notices Properly
Far beyond—
attention sharpened.
"It is not chaos."
"It is deviation with memory."
"Interesting."
The pressure increased.
Not aggressive.
Focused.
Shion trembled.
"…Raon. This is a trial."
Raon nodded.
"…Good."
11. The Projection Withdraws
The echo dissolved.
Not defeated.
Recalled.
The air settled.
The shadow aligned again.
Raon exhaled.
"…That was fun."
Shion grabbed her face.
"That was NOT fun."
Raon blinked.
"…It wasn't?"
Shion laughed shakily.
"…You just got graded by something outside reality."
Raon tilted her head.
"…Did I pass?"
12. The Answer Comes Later
No voice replied.
But the pressure eased.
Not gone.
Just… patient.
Shion looked up.
"…It's still there."
Raon stretched.
"…Yeah."
She smiled—slow, bright, unafraid.
"…And now it knows I kick back."
END OF CHAPTER 155