One Kick Girl — Chapter 8: "Bounty Boards and Broke Heroes"
The Hero Union smelled like regret and disinfectant.
Raon stepped inside, hoodie up, hands buried in her pockets. The air conditioning blasted like a frozen typhoon. Rows of exhausted heroes sat slumped over cracked plastic chairs, scrolling through holographic bounty boards that flickered with low-paying monster gigs.
At the counter, a bored receptionist looked up.
"Name?"
Raon yawned. "One Kick Girl."
The receptionist typed lazily. "Rank?"
Raon blinked. "Rank?"
Shion sighed behind her. "You never registered with the Union."
Raon pointed at the cracked floor. "I saved downtown yesterday!"
The receptionist didn't even look up. "Without registration, it's considered vigilantism. Congratulations. You broke three property laws and voided your bounty claim."
Raon stared at him. "…So I kicked a building for nothing?"
He shrugged. "Pretty much."
---
The Hero Union lobby was a temple of disappointment.
Posters of famous S-Rank heroes lined the walls — Maestro Dome, Synthra Byte, and the infamous Baron Silence — all posing like gods of style, each with their own branded drink sponsorships.
Below those posters, C and D ranks sat hunched over job listings like starving pigeons.
Shion whispered, "Most of these missions barely cover transportation costs. You'll need to choose carefully."
Raon swiped through the list on her phone:
Roach swarm in Block 13: 500₩ + complimentary insect repellent
Lost cat near sewage drain: 200₩ (cat may be sentient)
Small-time villain: Masked Mantis. 1,000₩ + coupon for noodles.
Raon frowned. "Why is everything so… broke?"
Shion adjusted her glasses. "Because the top heroes monopolize the big contracts. It's a broken system. The stronger you are, the less you need to work — and the weaker ones starve fighting trash mobs."
Raon's eye twitched. "So… if I want real money, I have to climb ranks?"
"Exactly."
Raon clenched her fist. "Then I'll kick my way to the top."
---
Later that day —
The streets of Neo-Seoul's lower district stank of engine smoke and desperation. Raon and Shion arrived at the mission site: a half-collapsed warehouse where "Masked Mantis" was reportedly hiding.
Inside, graffiti covered the walls. Empty noodle cups littered the floor.
A figure with oversized bug goggles and a green trench coat stood on a crate, shouting into a stolen microphone.
"DOWN WITH HEROES! THEY STEAL OUR JOBS! THEY—wait, who are you?"
Raon stepped in, yawning. "Rent collector."
The villain blinked. "What?"
Raon cracked her neck. "Sorry. Wrong line. I meant—Hero."
Shion facepalmed.
The Masked Mantis raised two spiked batons. "You'll never take me alive!"
Raon raised an eyebrow. "Okay."
He lunged—
—and vanished midair.
One kick.
One instant.
The warehouse roof peeled off like a sardine lid. Dust, silence, then a faint thud two streets away.
Raon stood there, foot still glowing faintly from the kinetic burst.
Shion blinked at her data screen. "...Confirmed. Target is in the next postal code."
Raon nodded. "Mission accomplished."
Her phone buzzed.
> [Mission complete. Payout: 1,000₩ + 1 noodle coupon.]
Raon pumped a fist. "Finally! I can pay—wait, what's the coupon's expiration date?"
Shion squinted. "…Yesterday."
Raon's face darkened.
---
Back at the Hero Union —
Raon slammed her phone on the counter. "I beat the guy! Give me more pay!"
The receptionist didn't blink. "You destroyed public property worth 12,000₩. Your net balance is negative eleven thousand."
Raon froze. "…So I'm more broke now?"
"Technically, yes. You owe the city."
Raon turned slowly to Shion. "How far can one person fall in a single day?"
Shion sighed. "I believe the technical term is 'rock bottom.'"
Raon rubbed her temples. "Then it's time."
Shion blinked. "Time for what?"
Raon looked up, eyes blazing with fierce determination.
"Time to find the ultimate-paying monster. Something so dangerous, so high-risk, that no one else dares touch it."
Shion tilted her head. "And if it kills you?"
Raon smirked. "Then I die debt-free."
---
To be continued...