1. Silence That Isn't Empty
The world stayed still longer than before.
Too long.
Raon shifted her weight.
"…It's thinking."
Shion hugged her tablet to her chest—even though nothing was on it.
"…No. It's reframing."
Raon tilted her head.
"…Same thing, but more annoying?"
Shion nodded.
"…Yes."
2. Context Is Introduced
The sky peeled open—not vertically, but conceptually.
Scenes appeared.
Not places.
Moments.
Raon's first underground match.
The night Maestro Dome laughed.
The stadium that booed before she kicked.
Raon stiffened.
"…Hey."
Shion's voice shook.
"…It's building context from memory."
Raon cracked her knuckles.
"…That's private."
The test did not apologize.
3. The Rule Change
Text—not language, but certainty:
"Subject performance increases
when observed."
Raon blinked.
"…What?"
Shion went pale.
"…It thinks pressure improves you."
Raon scoffed.
"…That's dumb."
The crowd appeared.
Not real people.
Expectations.
Cheers without mouths.
Judgment without eyes.
4. The Weight of Watching
Raon stepped forward.
The ground held.
She jumped.
The timing shifted—slightly off.
She landed rough.
"…Tch."
Shion whispered.
"…It's simulating performance anxiety."
Raon laughed—too loud.
"…Joke's on you. I thrive on this."
The system recorded that.
5. When the Crowd Lies
Applause erupted—late.
Booing followed—early.
The timing was wrong.
Raon's smile faded.
"…That's not how it works."
Shion swallowed.
"…It's not recreating reality."
"…Then what?"
"…It's recreating misinterpretation."
Raon's jaw tightened.
"…Oh. I hate that more."
6. The First Misstep
Raon kicked.
Perfect.
The crowd booed.
Louder.
The ground vibrated with rejection.
Raon froze.
Just a fraction.
Enough.
The platform slipped.
Raon stumbled.
She caught herself—but the damage was done.
"Performance degradation detected."
Raon growled.
"…You're cheating with feelings now."
7. Shion Becomes the Variable
The system shifted focus.
The crowd noise muted—
except for one channel.
Shion's breathing.
Amplified.
Shion stiffened.
"…Raon. It's listening to me."
Raon snapped her head around.
"…What?"
"Anchor emotional influence confirmed."
Raon stepped closer.
"…Don't touch her."
The pressure sharpened.
8. The Test Demands a Choice
Two paths formed.
One clean.
One unstable—but closer to Shion.
Text appeared:
"Optimal outcome requires isolation."
Raon stared.
"…No."
Shion whispered.
"…Raon—"
Raon clenched her fist.
"…I said no."
She stepped toward Shion.
The ground screamed.
9. Kicking the Premise—Again
The system surged.
Crowd noise spiked.
Gravity twisted.
Raon ran into the instability.
The path collapsed.
Raon kicked—not forward—
but backward, shattering the false crowd.
Silence slammed down.
Shion gasped.
"…You rejected the condition."
Raon smirked.
"…I reject dumb questions."
10. The Watcher Reacts
Beyond—
"Context invalidated."
"Emotional dependency exceeds tolerance."
"Risk increasing."
"But data quality—"
"—is unprecedented."
The pressure wavered.
For the first time—
uncertainty leaked through.
11. A New Statement Appears
The sky darkened.
One final message:
"Define: strength."
Raon didn't move.
Didn't pose.
Didn't kick.
She looked at Shion.
"…You."
The system froze.
Shion's eyes widened.
"…Raon, that's not—"
Raon shrugged.
"…That's my answer."
12. Evaluation Deferred
The environment dissolved again.
Faster this time.
Not incomplete.
Aborted.
"Context exceeds model."
"Reassessment required."
Silence returned.
Real silence.
13. Aftermath
Shion exhaled shakily.
"…You failed the test."
Raon grinned.
"…Good."
Shion blinked.
"…Good?"
Raon stretched.
"…Means I didn't become what it wanted."
Shion smiled—small, proud, terrified.
"…You're impossible."
Raon winked.
"…One kick at a time."
END OF CHAPTER 157