I Became the Drug-Addicted Childhood Friend

– I can go home, right?

I need to go use the drugs.

The medicine the doctor gave me worked better.

What I want isn’t much.

Just spending time at home and resting comfortably.

Even lying down and staring at the ceiling would be nice.

“…Why?”

Han Si-Hoo asks again.

“Why do you want to go back?”

Han Si-Hoo’s expression seems a little dark.

He speaks in a subdued voice.

“Because it’s home…?”

Your text is mostly clear, but here’s a slightly polished version:

I can’t stay here forever.

That much is obvious.

It’s a burden on Han Si-Hoo too.

Since we’re friends, it’s good for us to consider each other.

[2 hours 17 minutes]

Time is still running out quickly.

Just facing the protagonist seems to overload my body.

[2 hours 15 minutes]

The time is passing too fast.

Unless my sense of time is twisted, that’s how it feels.

Is this drug not as good as the one the doctor gave me?

I don’t feel good.

“I need to take the medicine. I have some at home…”

“It’s okay.”

It’s okay?

It’s only okay when the drug is still working.

The effect of the 100-hour drug flashes before my eyes.

I was so happy.

At least, I think I was.

“Can I really go home?”

But how do I get home?

I don’t have enough of the drug’s effect to walk there.

“You’ll be treated.”

“Treated?”

That’s why you use the drugs—for treatment.

If I keep using them, my condition should improve.

I know because every time I take them, I feel better.

I want to feel better quickly.

[2 hours 12 minutes]

For some reason, even with the drug still working, I don’t feel good.

I can’t live like this forever, can I?

It’s in-between.

I feel like I’m mentally sound, but at the same time, not.

I think I need to take the medicine the doctor gave me.

“Yes, you’ll be treated.”

“Then what about the medicine?”

I need the drugs.

Why won’t they give them to me?

Even if this is considered a drug, its primary purpose is treatment, so there’s no problem.

Serious patients often get prescribed narcotic drugs, don’t they?

It’s clear since I lose my mind every time the drug wears off.

It’s unsettling to think I tried to attack Han Si-Hoo because of the drug, but…

The problem was that I overused the drug, not the drug itself.

Or was it?

The doctor gave it to me though.

I’m confused.

“Sorry.”

He’s apologizing.

Does that mean he won’t give me the medicine?

“If I just go home, it’ll be fine…”

That’s the only solution I know.

Maybe Han Si-Hoo doesn’t have any drugs.

I should’ve just stayed cooped up at home after all.

[2 hours 1 minute]

Time is slipping away.

Out of habit, I searched my pockets, but I was wearing a patient’s gown.

No pills.

Han Si-Hoo seems to be hesitating.

It looks like he’s trying to find the right words.

What do I do now?

I need to think.

But I can’t think.

I guess it’s because I haven’t taken the medicine.

“If I go home, the doctor will come and give me the medicine…”

I stopped talking mid-sentence.

Han Si-Hoo’s expression looked strange.

As soon as I mentioned the doctor, he seemed to feel uneasy.

“…The doctor?”

Right, the doctor said so.

“What did the doctor do?”

Han Si-Hoo is too close.

He grabbed my hand.

“Ah, ugh. Well.”

Why is my body still trembling?

Honestly, I feel like I’d react this way no matter who approached me.

I didn’t realize I had this kind of phobia of people.

Is this happening because I haven’t taken enough medicine?

“The doctor came to your house?”

“Ah, yes.”

I nodded.

“How often did they visit?”

“Sometimes.”

Of course, letting a stranger into my house wasn’t a good thing.

But since nothing happened, it was fine, wasn’t it?

There was nothing of value in my house anyway, so there was no theft or anything like that.

The doctor didn’t stay long either.

They just gave me the drugs and left.

Recently, they even gave me food.

Though there were a few drugs in it.

“Sorry.”

Han Si-Hoo let go of my hand.

[1 hour 28 minutes]

Time suddenly dropped a lot again.

“The drugs, they’re outside. You can use them, so there’s no need to go home. Not yet.”

“You have drugs?”

The drugs are outside?

That’s right.

This is a medical room after all.

Now that I think about it, Lee Yu-Ram has already given me medicine a few times.

I feel like I’m getting my energy back.

I stood up.

It’s time to move.

“I’m going out.”

The reason I’d been sitting in the corner was because there were no drugs, not for any other reason.

I just liked the darkness.

Han Si-Hoo didn’t seem scary anymore.

After all, why would someone giving me drugs be scary?

Moreover, I never had anything like a phobia of people in the first place.

I’m fine.

There was never any problem from the start.

***

-Creak.

The door opened.

Lee Yu-Ram, who was waiting outside, approached Han Si-Hoo as he came out.

“Oh? You came out together?”

Lee Yu-Ram was surprised to see Yoo Seo-Ah following him.

“Yes.”

Han Si-Hoo looked somewhat exhausted.

“I guess a friend is still a friend.”

She said while observing Yoo Seo-Ah.

Her condition had certainly improved.

Her eyes were still slightly unfocused.

It felt a bit unsettling.

“Did you have a good conversation?”

“To some extent.”

Did the conversation go well?

“Really?”

“She says she wants to go home, probably to take some drugs.”

Han Si-Hoo said, seating Yoo Seo-Ah in a chair.

She sat down willingly.

Yoo Seo-Ah didn’t strongly resist Han Si-Hoo.

“The medicine?”

Yoo Seo-Ah asked Han Si-Hoo as if urging him.

“…Ah, I see. Just a moment.”

Lee Yu-Ram grabbed a vial of medicine from a tray.

She filled a syringe with the drug.

Yoo Seo-Ah’s eyes were fixed on the vial.

“Okay, I’m going to roll up your sleeve.”

“Yes.”

Yoo Seo-Ah rolled up her sleeve.

The scars on her arm were revealed.

There were so many marks, as if from being cut by a knife.

There were also traces of failed needle entries and old needle marks.

Han Si-Hoo now understood why Seo-Ah was wearing bandages.

-Snap.

Another needle mark was added to her arm.

“This should make you feel better.”

“Thank you.”

Yoo Seo-Ah smiled as she said that.

But it wasn’t the bright smile Han Si-Hoo had hoped for.

Something was fundamentally twisted.

“Please understand, it’s hard to stop an addiction like this all at once.”

“What kind of shot is it?”

“A sedative. It has some narcotic components. She should be fine for a while.”

Lee Yu-Ram explained while cleaning up the drugs.

“But her arm… the scars…”

“Huh?”

Yoo Seo-Ah raised her arm and showed it to Han Si-Hoo.

Cuts from hitting glass, scars from knives, and self-inflicted wounds.

There were many scars.

“This?”

The image of the shattered mirror came back to her.

Her bloodied arm.

“Oh, this?”

Where did the bandage go?

The neatly wrapped bandage was gone.

“This… I didn’t want to show it…”

She spoke as if she had just remembered and pulled down her sleeve.

She tried to cover her arm again, but it was too late.

There weren’t originally any scars or wounds.

About half a year ago, there definitely weren’t any.

Before Han Si-Hoo entered the Academy.

He recalled Yoo Seo-Ah in summer, wearing short sleeves because it was hot.

They had fun playing together back then.

Even on the rain-soaked asphalt during the monsoon season, they had fun.

But now?

If anything, she seemed broken.

Han Si-Hoo couldn’t shake that thought.

Because it was the truth.

“…For now, you’ll need to keep taking care of Seo-Ah. She’s your friend, right?”

Lee Yu-Ram said as she stroked Seo-Ah’s head.

Yoo Seo-Ah, with her unfocused eyes, seemed to enjoy the touch.

“Yes.”

This time, I won’t make any mistakes.

We’ll go back to how things were before.

He thought as he responded.

“Well, it’s the holidays now, right? Even though the graduation was full of incidents and didn’t end well… it’s all over now. You’ll be moving up to high school too, Si-Hoo.”

Lee Yu-Ram seemed to be thinking about something.

She sounded like she was talking to herself.

“So, this is the Academy’s medical room, not a hospital, you know that, right?”

“Yes.”

“This kind of treatment is only available to Academy students, especially during the holidays.”

Lee Yu-Ram touched the medical equipment and medicine bottles around her.

Each item cost millions of won at least.

It wasn’t something that could be given to just anyone.

Not to mention the cost of the drugs.

“But Seo-Ah… she’s not a direct family member, so she’s not eligible for Academy benefits…”

Yoo Seo-Ah wasn’t an Academy student.

Realizing this, Han Si-Hoo felt a sense of despair.

It would be difficult for Seo-Ah to receive care within the Academy.

“That’s true.”

“She’d probably have to be admitted to a general hospital, but that’s not ideal either, right? General hospitals can’t always provide protection around the clock. It would be hard to prevent anything from happening.”

“Then, if I stay with her during the holidays…”

“That’s a good idea, but what about after the holidays? Treatment won’t be over by then.”

Her condition wasn’t something that could be easily treated.

It was clear how much medicine she had taken.

Han Si-Hoo couldn’t stop thinking about the scars on her arm.

He gritted his teeth.

“Then…”

“There’s one solution.”

“A solution?”

“Make Seo-Ah an Academy student. Then she can stay as a student.”

“What?”

Han Si-Hoo asked, surprised by the suggestion of making Seo-Ah an Academy student.

“Is that even possible?”

“Yes. In fact, even if you don’t like it, that’s how it’s going to be.”

Even if I don’t like it?

That sounded strange.

“To enroll in the Academy, you need to be an Awakener…”

Is she an Awakener?

The black magic and black sword.

It would be stranger if she weren’t an Awakener.

“The Academy already plans to admit Seo-Ah. They’ve reported that she’s an Awakener who was captured by villains. And they know you’re connected to her.”

Lee Yu-Ram sighed as she explained.

That’s how the law was set up.

“You know, right? Once someone is revealed as an Awakener, they’re automatically enrolled in the Academy. So, Seo-Ah will become a student.”

“But Seo-Ah could only control magic because of the drugs…”

That’s just speculation.

A drug that can turn anyone into an Awakener.

It sounds absurd.

“As far as I know, there’s no drug that can artificially create Awakeners. The higher-ups must think the same. If she’s not an Awakener, it’s an even bigger problem.”

Lee Yu-Ram glanced at Seo-Ah, who was sitting beside them.

Was she listening to the conversation?

Yoo Seo-Ah, half asleep, was enjoying the effects of the drugs.

She seemed ready to fall asleep.

“Even if she’s really an Awakener, enrolling a sick person in the Academy…”

Han Si-Hoo looked at Seo-Ah as he spoke.

“The Academy knows that too. Even if she enrolls, she’ll be placed in a special class. She might even get individual lessons.”

“A special class?”

This was news to him.

“Well, you’re an exceptional talent. The higher-ups want to keep you at the Academy. They’re hoping that by keeping Seo-Ah here, you’ll be more cooperative.”

Lee Yu-Ram explained the Academy’s intentions.

The Academy wasn’t particularly kind.

They had simply found a way to bind Han Si-Hoo, their valuable asset, to them.

“I see.”

Han Si-Hoo nodded, understanding.

The Academy had found a way to take advantage of the situation.

One reason they hadn’t publicized Seo-Ah’s existence.

But now that things had come to this, there was no choice.

“The Academy doesn’t expect much from Seo-Ah. Even if the semester starts, she won’t attend regular classes. She’ll be separated from the other students and receive private lessons. Think of it as rehabilitation.”

Though they wouldn’t know for sure until it actually happened.

Lee Yu-Ram kept her thoughts to herself.

Even she hadn’t heard of the special class.

It was a hastily arranged solution.

Han Si-Hoo was now one of the Academy’s top students.

As long as Han Si-Hoo remained valuable, Seo-Ah would be safe.

“The only concern is… she used to live in the slums, right? And she wasn’t attending school.”

“Yes.”

Lee Yu-Ram frowned slightly.

The idea that there were children who hadn’t even received basic education bothered her.

“Still, Seo-Ah knows the basics, right? Even if the Academy is a safe place…”

If her level was too low, it could be dangerous.

Han Si-Hoo had experienced the Academy’s middle school section to some extent.

He didn’t have any problems adjusting.

“I think she’ll be fine.”

Seo-Ah should be able to manage Academy life.

Even if she was naive, she wasn’t stupid.

At least that’s how Han Si-Hoo saw it.

As long as she didn’t use the drugs.

“Well, if you say so, then I’m sure it’ll be fine. As she gets treatment at the Academy, Seo-Ah will get better too.”

“Yes.”

It seemed like everything was working out.

He was relieved that they had found a solution.

Han Si-Hoo no longer had to resort to the extreme choices he’d been considering.

“Good, now take Seo-Ah with you.”

“What?”

“Are you planning to stay here? We’ve long passed the time to close the medical room. It’s still the holidays, after all.”

Lee Yu-Ram sounded tired.

She didn’t know how many hours of overtime she’d put in.

Even teachers needed rest during the holidays.

“Alright, I’ve organized the medicine over there. Take Seo-Ah to your dormitory. If anything happens, contact me right away. I have work outside, so I need to leave soon.”

“Okay…”

Originally, Yoo Seo-Ah wouldn’t have been able to receive treatment at the Academy.

A civilian harmed by Academy activities?

Ignored, or dealt with.

From the beginning, Han Si-Hoo was the only person who could protect Seo-Ah.

Throughout the entire conversation, Yoo Seo-Ah had been staring at the floor.

To be precise, at the empty box under the desk.

The box Lee Yu-Ram had taken the drugs from.