I Became the Drug-Addicted Childhood Friend

Translator: Elisia

Editor/Proofreader: SemiPickle

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Hello. Nice to meet you.

I’m Cheon Yoo-Seong, and I’ve just enrolled in the Academy.

I’m a 16-year-old boy…

And I’ve awakened ice powers.

First year in high school.

I’ve heard that this Academy is quite well-known, sometimes even appearing on TV.

Just waiting for the entrance ceremony makes my heart race.

“Haha.”

The girl sitting next to me must be a new student too.

She’s wearing a black eye patch over one eye.

Is she cosplaying?

Her aura feels intense, so it’s hard to strike up a conversation.

Even glancing at her makes me feel uneasy.

I just sat here because there weren’t many empty seats left, but now I regret it.

It’s probably because I came late.

“Heheh.”

She keeps laughing strangely.

I’ve heard that while the Academy is admired, it also attracts some odd people.

There certainly seem to be a lot of eccentric characters here.

Many of them look quite intimidating.

“…Oath.”

A representative is standing at the front of the auditorium.

Her blue hair looks just like mine.

Her name is Cheon Yoo-Hwa.

She’s my twin sister.

She’s holding the microphone and saying something, but I can’t focus.

“You there.”

The girl next to me speaks to me in a strange tone.

The bandages on her hand… is that a fashion statement too? Like her eyepatch?

I also wonder if the ribbon on her uniform sleeve was originally part of it.

Her eyes seem a bit unfocused, which makes her scarier.

I’ve learned to be cautious around this type.

“…Pardon?”

She’s kind of cute, but still scary.

This isn’t the kind of school life I imagined.

I can’t hear my sister’s oath over the noise.

If I had to guess, she’s probably saying how happy she is to have enrolled in the Academy.

“To think you’d dare sit in the same space as me.”

Is she annoyed?

“I’m sorry.”

I think I now understand why no one sat next to her.

An eyepatch and bandages… is this what they call “eighth-grader syndrome”?

I’ve heard that some Awakeners go through phases like this.

“Consider yourself honored, as you won’t get many chances to see me around the Academy.”

“I’m sorry…”

I just keep apologizing.

What is she even talking about, when we’re both new students?

I should keep my distance.

“…That concludes the new student oath.”

Yoo-Hwa steps down from the stage.

I knew she’d do well; she’s used to these kinds of events.

“Next, we’ll hear from Han Si-Hoo, the top new student…”

Han Si-Hoo?

I’ve seen him on the news before.

He’s been a rising star since last year.

I heard he was the standout talent in the middle school division.

I feel like I’d like to compete with him sometime.

Though Yoo-Hwa, sitting up front, would probably put up a better fight than me.

“Hello, fellow new students of the Academy…”

It feels like he’s looking this way.

I think I just made eye contact with Han Si-Hoo.

I’m not too bothered by it, but this girl next to me is really uncomfortable to be around.

I’d like to move seats, but it doesn’t seem possible in this atmosphere.

“Excuse me, may I ask your name?”

“You dare ask for my true name?”

True name? What’s she talking about?

I’m starting to get a headache.

“I’ll acknowledge your courage. I’m Yoo Seo-Ah. And you?”

“Cheon Yoo-Seong.”

It’s probably a good idea to be cautious around someone named Yoo Seo-Ah.

I feel sorry for her; she doesn’t seem like someone who will make friends easily.

“Why are you wearing bandages and an eyepatch…?”

I’m curious.

I’ve never seen anyone like her before.

“They’re seals.”

“Pardon?”

“They’re suppressing my powers of darkness. It’s best if you don’t come too close.”

Normally, I would think she’s just a troubled kid and brush it off.

But the problem is, this is a school for Awakeners.

It wouldn’t be surprising if something really was sealed.

“Ah, I-I see.”

If the other students are like this, school life is going to be tough.

No, surely not.

I really hope there are some normal people here.

“You… your hair color is the same as Cheon Yoo-Hwa.”

Yes, that’s right.

Blue hair is pretty rare.

Though, at the Academy, you see all sorts of colors.

I wonder if it’s related to our awakening powers.

“She’s my family.”

We’re twins, so we should at least look similar.

“I see.”

I can’t imagine what kind of environment someone would need to grow up in to speak like this.

But I get it.

The world is a mess, so anything is possible.

Time flies while I’m preoccupied with my odd seatmate.

People have been going up and down from the podium for a while now.

Now someone who looks important has taken the stage.

It’s the principal, apparently.

He doesn’t look like the image of a typical school principal.

He looks young.

From appearances alone, he could be in his 30s.

He must be one of the influential people at the Academy.

An elite even among the Awakeners.

Since today is the entrance ceremony, maybe he’ll say something special.

“Welcome.”

The principal begins speaking.

Just standing there, he exudes a strong sense of authority.

You can tell he’s among the strongest of the Awakeners.

“Congratulations on becoming students of the proud Academy.”

He continues with his speech.

The girl next to me has finally stopped staring at me.

Thank goodness.

***

[15 hours 4 minutes]

I used a bit more of the drug today, since I had to meet so many people.

Han Si-Hoo doesn’t know, but I prepared five syringes before the entrance ceremony.

I’ve used two today.

I have three left.

Luckily, I haven’t had any issues like the drug wearing off yet.

[15 hours 3 minutes]

No, maybe I overused the drug a little today.

That’s probably why my head feels a bit fuzzy.

But isn’t it fine as long as I’m happy?

“…That’s all.”

Clap clap clap.

The applause grows louder.

The principal steps down from the stage.

It’s about time for me to get up as well.

The Special Class needs to leave a bit earlier.

“I’ll remember this meeting. Consider it an honor.”

Cheon Yoo-Seong.

Cheon Yoo-Hwa.

I know there’s something between them.

If there’s a problem, Han Si-Hoo will handle it.

By the way, the way I speak is just an act.

If you’re wondering why, well…

Let’s go back to a week ago.

***

My daily routine involved staring blankly at the TV screen.

Flipping through channels, I stopped at an animation corner.

It was an anime about magical girls.

If Seo-Ah had grown up in a better environment, would she have watched things like this?

It was actually kind of fun to watch.

-So, you’ve finally come.

It must be the final episode.

The main characters are gathering to defeat the boss monster.

-See the evil you’ve done!

-We’ve come this far, so there’s no other choice. This will be the final battle.

The way they fight with magic wands is impressive.

I wonder if any Awakeners out there fight like that.

-The time for judgment has come.

I wonder if Seo-Ah would have played along, copying this if she’d had a chance to watch it.

Considering her environment, she matured too quickly.

She shows some innocence, but I’ve rarely seen her act like a child.

-With the power of love!

“Hm…”

Pretending to do that?

If it were the brighter, more carefree version of Seo-Ah from before, it might have suited her.

I’m curious what it would have looked like, so I tried it myself.

The main character’s pose.

The protagonist’s line.

“With the power… of love.”

It’s not easy.

It feels a bit pathetic.

Looking down at my arms, I see the marks from my injections.

I finish wrapping my bandages.

Now I look more like the boss monster.

“She’s wearing bandages too.”

-Kuh, in the end, I’ll have to use this.

If I were to copy anything, it should be that.

Should I try it?

If Seo-Ah had played like this…

I wonder what it would have been like.

-I am one born from the abyss, destined to wield the power that will transform the world. No one can stand in my way!

Is that a spell?

It’s hard to keep up with.

It seems like they’re preparing for an attack, extending one hand forward as they speak.

“I am one born from the abyss… destined to change the world…”

I extend my hand into the air, mimicking them.

The other hand held back.

Hmm.

It feels more fitting than copying the protagonist.

If I had an eyepatch, I’d look even closer.

Thud.

The door swings open forcefully.

Rena walks in.

I was in the middle of a pose.

“Huh?”

She’s laughing.

It’s a mischievous laugh, more so than usual.

“Oh…”

“The one born from the abyss, destined to change the world… what was it again?”

She imitates me.

She even mimics the pose.

My face flushes with embarrassment.

“So cute!”

“Ugh.”

She caught me.

I didn’t even know Rena was here.

Had she switched shifts with Han Si-Hoo?

“It’s fine, it’s fine. It’s cute, don’t worry!”

Did I just get caught copying an anime?

And I’m almost a high schooler?

I just wanted to see what Seo-Ah would look like striking that pose.

I couldn’t imagine it.

Well, her height and development make her seem less like a high schooler anyway.

Maybe it’s because she didn’t eat well while growing up.

I don’t even know her exact age.

She lost her parents when she was young.

“Wanna try again?”

“Again?”

“I’ll do it with you. Let’s show it to Si-Hoo when he gets here!”

Her eyes sparkle, making it hard to say no.

She wants to do it together, and that’s just friends playing, right?

That doesn’t seem so bad.

But showing it to Si-Hoo… that part’s confusing.

“Wh-why Si-Hoo?”

“Don’t be shy. You were practicing, right? Like practicing your smile and greeting. It’s the same thing.”

She caught me.

I mean, I had been doing that in my room all the time.

“You’ve already got a good smile, so all you need is confidence. Whatever happened in the past, forget it all.”

“……”

“You need moments like this. You can’t be down all the time. Don’t feel pressured. I just like seeing you have fun.”

The atmosphere had been really heavy.

That’s why I practiced smiling.

I can’t become the perfect version of Seo-Ah that Han Si-Hoo wants.

I’ve tried practicing, but I can’t bring out an innocent smile.

Going back to the past is impossible.

“Si-Hoo gets worried all the time. When both you and Si-Hoo are like this, it makes me sad too. I’d love to see you both being playful like this.”

“Is that so…”

“Alright, I’ll play the role of Sapphire!”

Sapphire? Is that the protagonist’s name?

She seems to know the anime well.

“I used to play like this with my little sister. Brings back memories.”

So she’s family-oriented.

I could tell when she helped me put on my clothes and rewrapped my bandages.

She must have had a little sister.

“…I am the one destined to save the world…”

As I play along, the goal shifts.

Instead of imitating a character, I’m creating a new one.

Maybe because of the drug’s effects, I’m getting more into it.

“Yeah, yeah, that’s the right feeling. Good.”

This might be a decent excuse for the bandages on my arm.

If anyone asks at the Academy, I wouldn’t know how to explain it otherwise.

If they think I’m just a kid with a case of “eighth-grader syndrome,” they’ll probably understand.

It’s actually a good way to keep an upbeat image while covering the dark reality of my bandages.

As far as I know, there aren’t any characters with this kind of concept.

I’ll just show off a bit, full of ego and delusion.

Yes, I’ve sealed a black dragon in my left hand.

It’s true.

Isn’t it great to play this character legitimately?

I still can’t forget Han Si-Hoo’s shocked reaction when he returned to the dorm and saw me.

He bought me the eyepatch later.

It was fun to play with the three of us.

[47 minutes]

The only thing that bothers me is the small field of vision in one corner of my sight.