**One Kick Girl — Chapter 171:
"Voicemail: A Message From the Past (It's Awkward)"**
Psychological damage • Audio-based trauma • Character development (unfortunately)
1. The Notification That Should Not Exist
The phone sat there.
Mocking them.
NEW VOICEMAIL (1).
Raon pointed at it from across the room.
"…It's still there."
Shion nodded. "Voicemails don't disappear on their own."
"That's evil."
"Yes."
Yuno leaned over. "Just listen to it."
Raon recoiled. "ABSOLUTELY NOT."
2. What a Voicemail Really Is
Shion crossed her arms.
"Raon. A voicemail is a ghost of a conversation you failed to attend."
Raon's face drained of color.
"…Why would you say it like that?"
"Because it's accurate."
Synthra added helpfully,
"It contains tone, expectation, and judgment. Preserved forever."
Raon lay face-down on the couch.
"I want to fight a god again."
3. Tactical Planning (For Listening)
They formed a semicircle.
Shion took command.
"Okay. We do this safely. Low volume. Speaker mode. Group emotional support."
Yuno held snacks like emergency rations.
Raon hugged a pillow like a shield.
"…If it asks me to call back, I will die."
"No one can force you to call back," Shion said.
Raon whispered, "They can hope."
4. Playback Initiated
Shion pressed play.
Static.
Then a voice.
"Hi, uh… Raon?
This is… uh… just following up from earlier…"
Raon made a strangled noise.
"You didn't say much, so I just wanted to clarify—"
Raon kicked the air.
"IT'S THE SAME PERSON."
"Anyway, no rush! Just give me a call when you can."
A pause.
"…Or email.
Or… yeah."
BEEP.
Silence.
5. The Aftermath
No one spoke.
Raon stared at the ceiling.
"…They sounded disappointed."
Shion corrected gently. "They sounded human."
"That's worse."
Yuno nodded. "Disappointment implies expectations."
Raon curled into a ball.
"I have failed society."
6. Spiral Detected
Raon sat up suddenly.
"What if they think I'm rude?"
"They won't," Shion said.
"What if they think I'm dead?"
"Also unlikely."
"What if they leave ANOTHER voicemail."
Shion paused.
"…Possible."
Raon screamed into the pillow again.
7. Wisdom from the Side Characters
Manager Kimchi poked his head in.
"Just text them."
Raon froze.
"…You can do that?"
"Yes."
Raon's world shattered.
Yuno gasped. "TEXTING IS ALLOWED AFTER A MISSED CALL?"
Shion nodded. "It's the modern solution."
Raon whispered, "…Why did no one tell me this."
8. The Message
Shion handed Raon the phone.
"You write it. I supervise."
Raon's hands shook.
She typed slowly.
Hi, sorry I missed your call earlier!
I was tied up but saw your message.
Let me know a good time to follow up.
She stared at it.
"…Is this acceptable to humans?"
Shion smiled. "It's perfect."
Raon hit send.
9. Victory (Quiet, Uneventful)
Nothing exploded.
No alarms.
No judgment beams from the sky.
The phone remained silent.
Raon exhaled for the first time in hours.
"…I did it."
Yuno clapped softly. "Character growth."
Raon groaned. "I hate this arc."
10. Epilogue: The True Horror
The phone buzzed.
TEXT RECEIVED.
Raon froze.
Shion checked it.
"It says: 'Sounds good!'"
Raon blinked.
"…That's it?"
"Yes."
Raon collapsed backward.
"All that fear… for THIS?"
Shion patted her head.
"Welcome to adulthood."
Raon whispered, "…I want to go back to kicking suns."
END OF CHAPTER 171