"Kick It!"
“Kick it away!”
The agents scrambled into action, swallowing hard as they approached the ball.
-Thwoom.
With a thunderous boom like kicking a cannonball, they booted the rolling soccer ball.
“Whoa…”
These burly agents were pretty good at soccer, too.
The kicked ball soared an unimaginable distance—at least for me. Something no ordinary human could ever reach.
I gulped down a sweet marshmallow and thought to myself,
They must be enhanced humans.
I'd already suspected as much from their freakishly ripped muscles, but seeing that ball fly confirmed it.
Every agent here had undergone some kind of reinforcement, and I probably wouldn't even be a warm-up punch for them.
Guess I gotta live carefully…
Right as I was thinking I needed to cozy up more to Han A-young, the one managing these scary folks—
“Huh?”
-Thump! Thump! Thump!
The soccer ball we'd just kicked regenerated and started bouncing and rolling toward us again.
Aiming straight at me, like it had locked on.
The agent uncles came charging over once more.
I glanced at them briefly, then turned to Han A-young.
“Can I try kicking it once?”
I've always been the type to run and kick any ball that rolled my way.
Seeing this one made me itch to show off my long-sealed soccer skills.
Sure, ever since middle school, I'd mysteriously always ended up as a defender no matter what, but…
My shots? Those I had confidence in.
“Hmm…”
While Han A-young stroked her chin in thought—
-Thwoooom!
This time, a quick agent dashed in and unleashed another cannonball shot on the incoming ball.
Aw, I wanted to kick it.
As I watched enviously, Han A-young nodded like she'd made up her mind.
“I'll have the agents hang back. Give it a kick.”
Yes!
“I'll show you my super-strong soccer kick!”
“Don't push yourself too hard.”
She clearly didn't buy it.
I can do an amazing soccer kick, though.
Time to prove it.
-Thump! Thump! Thump!
The soccer ball started rolling my way again.
Probably figuring I looked easiest. Straight at me, head-on.
I hopped up quick, got into position.
Watched the bouncing ball carefully.
Powered up my legs and charged.
And—soccer kick!
“Ungh…”
In my imagination, it was perfect. But my body wouldn't cooperate, and I tripped flat.
Normally I'd have nailed it, but with these shorter arms and legs, my foot just didn't reach.
“Uuu…”
I stared sadly at the ball brushing past me.
The agents were already prepped behind me for my failure, so one dashed up and—
-Thwoom.
Fired off a cannon shot I could never match.
“Hing…”
As I gazed longingly at the ball sailing far away, Han A-young sidled over.
“Too bad.”
“…”
She knelt down, inspecting me all over.
Checking if I'd hurt myself in the fall, probably.
“I'm fine.”
I felt embarrassed after boldly stepping up and flopping spectacularly, but I said it anyway.
Didn't want her worrying over nothing.
“Hmm…”
Even after I insisted I was okay, she poked and prodded every inch before standing with a bright smile.
“Good, no injuries. Must be because you're an angel—super tough, huh?”
Hearing that made it click.
I'd tumbled pretty hard, and a normal person would've gotten scraped up.
But my skin? Not a single mark.
Hmm… how durable am I, exactly…?
It'd be nice to test it out, but…
Ugh… I hate experiments.
To check my durability, I'd have to hurt myself first.
That's kinda tough…
Then Han A-young spoke up again.
“Wanna try once more?”
“What?”
“That kick.”
“Oh, the soccer kick?”
A revenge chance here.
Not bad at all.
After one embarrassing fail, nailing it dramatically would be the perfect comeback scenario.
I was about to accept when—
Han A-young hesitated, then murmured,
“Um… and.”
“Yeah?”
“I dunno what kick you were going for, but…”
“Huh…?”
“That wasn't a soccer kick. That's more like a fighting move now…”
“Ah…”
My face burned hot.
Th-that wasn't a soccer kick?
“Uwaaa…”
I plopped down right there.
My spirit just died today.
So much mental pain…
“Uh… um…”
Han A-young looked guilty seeing me despair.
She crouched in front of me, flustered and fumbling.
Dug in her pocket.
And—
“H-here, take this.”
She handed me a chocolate bar in shiny wrapping.
Almonds and sweet caramel inside—my absolute favorite.
“Whoa…”
They say humans evolved to crave sugar for survival?
One look at that bar, and my gloom vanished like a ghost.
Even surprised me how fast.
“Here. Eat it and cheer up a bit.”
I hesitated.
If I took it, ate it, and perked right up?
I'd be a lame angel done in by one chocolate bar.
For my pride, I knew I should firmly refuse.
But that sweet chocolate scent wafting to my nose tempted me.
“Heuu…”
I squeezed my eyes shut, agonizing over it.
-Snap.
In the end, I caved to temptation and took the bar.
Carefully peeled the wrapper and took a bite.
“Uwaa…”
Overwhelming sweetness flooded my mouth.
Devilish combo of caramel and chocolate.
The mega-corp's R&D team's masterpiece, slaved over to hook you on sugar forever!
A powerless angel like me? No resisting this.
“Hehe…”
“So, back to sitting?”
“Yup…”
I followed as she smoothed my hair, settling back on the mat.
-Thwoom!
Right on cue, the soccer ball started bouncing and rolling again.
Seeing it, Han A-young handed me milk too—no risk of choking—and explained.
“Anomaly-36. Aka the soccer ball. It's an anomaly tied to those beat-up balls you find one per neighborhood.”
“Hmm…”
“It spawns on the halfway line at set intervals. If anyone enters the field, it bounces right to them.”
I tilted my head, polishing off the last of the chocolate bar.
Sounds super lame from the description.
“If it just rolled around, we wouldn't need agents here. The problem hits when you fail to kick it back.”
Han A-young rummaged in her pocket and pulled out a photo.
CLASSIFIED: Level 2 Clearance Required
Am I even allowed to see this?
I got scared—maybe I'd get in trouble for peeking at forbidden stuff.
But… she showed it to me, so it should be fine…
After a few weeks here, I'd learned Han A-young's authority was shockingly high.
I figured there was a reason, swallowed dryly, and checked the photo.
The scene was shocking.
A normal middle school… but trashed.
Tall, proud trees smashed like direct hits, toppled on the ground.
Classroom windows shattered, glass shards everywhere.
Flagpole wrecked, flags fluttering limp on the dirt.
Like it'd been bombed. Eerily desolate.
“…”
I stared blankly as Han A-young added,
“If Anomaly-36 isn't kicked before it reaches the running track, it goes berserk on its own.”
That's why the track was marked.
“Agency estimates about three hours of rampage.”
I dazedly watched the ball bounce over again.
Kicked away by an agent once more.
That worn-out thing, like any park ball, could wreck this much?
“Is that ball really that strong?”
“Normal ball until rampage starts. Then the material changes to something super tough we can't even identify.”
Tough material…?
“How tough?”
“Tried super-hard alloy cutters once. It held.”
“…”
“Gripper grabs? It dodges like a tease, or teleports back to halfway even if caught.”
Super-hard alloy cutters…? Grippers…?
Ugh, no clue on the tech stuff.
But yeah, that ball's insanely durable. Got it.
“So even our agency struggles to contain it once it ramps up. That's why agents are posted for strict management.”
“…”
“If we could just grab and study it, our tech would leap forward…”
She smacked her lips regretfully.
But hearing that, I had a different thought.
A super tough ball no normal method can destroy.
And it returns to halfway on its own after you mouth it?
Perfect doggy toy, right?
Found it.
Doggy toy!