I Became the Drug-Addicted Childhood Friend

Translator: Elisia

Editor/Proofreader: SemiPickle

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“Just once, could you die for me?”

She said, holding a kitchen knife.

Inside the dark house, the sound of water leaking could be heard.

“What are you talking about?”

Han Si-Hoo looked at Yoo Seo-Ah.

“They said they’d give me the drug. The doctor. For life.”

In the end, it was because of the doctor again.

Being at the academy wasn’t enough to erase the traces of the doctor.

“…I see.”

The messy dorm room came into view.

The reason for not answering the calls was now obvious.

A shattered device.

For some reason, pieces of rope were lying on the floor.

Several empty syringes.

Bottles that once contained pills were rolling around.

The sound of overflowing water could be heard from the bathroom.

I started to wonder what she had been doing.

“So, just help me this one time.”

When I hear the words “help me,” I can’t refuse.

“Can’t you die for me just this once?”

Just once.

Yoo Seo-Ah earnestly pleaded, holding the kitchen knife.

This wasn’t the kind of request you could make to anyone.

Han Si-Hoo didn’t know what had happened to Yoo Seo-Ah today.

He didn’t even know how much of the drug she had taken.

He had rushed back while fighting in a nearby city.

He had saved many people.

He had rescued children being attacked by monsters.

The emergency call had rung out at that moment.

Several unknown civilians and one friend.

Who should I prioritize?

The chronic shortage of manpower was the problem.

There were few people working as Awakeners.

Even the number of those summoned to the academy was insufficient.

If Han Si-Hoo left, how many more people might suffer?

He tried calling, but there was no answer.

So, should I retreat back to the academy from here?

At some point, the number of people Han Si-Hoo needed to protect had increased.

From just Yoo Seo-Ah, to every innocent civilian.

“You’re the protagonist, so you can handle it, right?”

You’ll be able to protect everyone.

Yoo Seo-Ah believed that Han Si-Hoo could do anything.

“The protagonist?”

“Right? You must want me to get better too, right? You want me to be okay and happy, don’t you?”

Of course.

I desperately wanted Yoo Seo-Ah to recover.

“Snap out of it…”

In the end, Han Si-Hoo couldn’t fully ensure the safety of the civilians.

Because he knew there was no one else to help Yoo Seo-Ah.

Since the battle was winding down, it wouldn’t have caused too much of a problem if Han Si-Hoo had left.

“Snap out of it? I feel great right now. I’m happy.”

The sound of water pouring out of the bathroom didn’t stop.

Water droplets were also dripping from Yoo Seo-Ah’s hair and clothes.

“That kind of thing…”

That’s not real happiness.

That much was certain.

Then, what is true happiness?

Living for the sake of others.

That’s why Han Si-Hoo had lived that way.

Someone once said it was the hero’s destiny.

They said to repay the world with the power he possessed.

They told him to take responsibility for saving people.

I’m sorry to the point where I want to die.

It’s my fault that Yoo Seo-Ah, who always relied on me, ended up like this.

It would be nice if everything could be solved by my death.

But that would only be a cowardly escape.

“Can’t you just die for me?”

She said, smiling.

Han Si-Hoo smiled lightly as well.

“…[Enhancement].”

It was a new skill he had gained.

It was thanks to defeating the boss monster in the recent city battle.

Han Si-Hoo had always thought that this world was similar to a game.

A game with an extremely high level of freedom.

If he attacked in the enhanced state, the power would increase.

It would be the same if he used other skills.

It was a skill for reinforcement.

He defeated monsters.

His level rose.

He assigned stat points.

He got stronger.

He defeated stronger monsters.

Repeat.

Eventually, he’d defeat the boss mobs, and by clearing quests, progress would be made.

It was no different from a game.

“Ugh…?”

Yoo Seo-Ah backed away, avoiding the approaching Han Si-Hoo.

Han Si-Hoo didn’t seem like he was going to obediently die.

Then, there was no choice but to fight.

But I was scared.

Thud.

Yoo Seo-Ah slipped on the water spilled on the floor.

She fell backwards in an undignified manner.

It was because she had tried to avoid Han Si-Hoo.

“If a skill reaches level 5, a special effect appears, and if it surpasses 10, its performance gets remarkably better.”

[Purification] was at level 1.

The strong penalty of the purification was because of that.

It was also the reason it only managed to take away the effects of the drug from Yoo Seo-Ah.

“Ugh.”

Han Si-Hoo had already reached the side of the fallen Yoo Seo-Ah.

Close enough for their breaths to meet.

In that case, there was no choice but to stab.

Isn’t this a perfect opportunity?

Stab.

The arm was stabbed.

Not with a syringe, but with a kitchen knife.

There was no need to block it.

If it meant Yoo Seo-Ah would return to normal, then it didn’t matter.

Stab.

The blade sank into his abdomen.

Is this how much it hurts?

This must be the pain Seo-Ah had felt, so I will endure it.

“[Purification].”

I had already poured all the skill points I had into purification.

The reason Han Si-Hoo didn’t get first place in the academy test was because of that.

He had invested heavily in a strange skill.

But Han Si-Hoo saw hope in this.

He felt that somehow, he could save Yoo Seo-Ah.

Adding the newly acquired enhancement skill, it seemed possible.

A light poured out.

***

Light.

[Paused]

For the first time, I surveyed the situation with an unprecedented clarity of mind.

The wrecked house.

Syringes.

Whether there were scars on my body or not, such things didn’t matter.

It was a feeling I hadn’t experienced in a long time.

I could see clearly.

The trashed house was vividly visible.

The smell of tap water.

I could feel water dripping from my hair.

There was a metallic taste in my mouth.

“Ah…?”

Han Si-Hoo was lying on the floor.

Blood was flowing from his abdomen.

The kitchen knife stained with blood was in my hand.

My hands were trembling uncontrollably.

I couldn’t remember what I had done.

What was today’s lesson again?

Why is Han Si-Hoo lying here?

Move.

Do something.

Report it.

Someone’s been hurt.

Can’t you die for me just this once?

I remembered.

It was a line I couldn’t believe I had said.

What nonsense had I been spouting?

[Paused]

“Ah, ah?”

I believed the protagonist wouldn’t die.

“You’re, okay…”

He was still breathing.

He wasn’t dead.

Get a grip.

Han Si-Hoo’s words echoed in my ears.

Though I had managed to come to my senses, I had no idea what I was supposed to do.

The protagonist collapsing wasn’t something I had expected.

Why did this situation happen?

How did it come to this point?

No matter how much I needed the drug, I shouldn’t have fallen this far.

[Paused.]

“-Si-Hoo?”

I heard someone else’s voice.

When I looked toward the torn-down door, I saw a girl holding a sword in each hand.

Long, braided black hair.

It was Yeon-Hwa.

There was a time when I received a gift she wanted to give to Han Si-Hoo.

“And who are you?”

I finally understood what it meant for someone’s presence to radiate killing intent.

My body tingled.

“What did you do?”

I didn’t know either.

“Si-Hoo probably called you his friend. Did you attack him?”

Attack?

Why would I attack him?

But yes, I did attack him.

However, it wasn’t intentional.

No.

It was an intentional action.

I still held the kitchen knife in my hand.

“…Syringes?”

She looked confused.

Several empty syringes were rolling around.

How much had been used?

It was an amount I couldn’t believe I had used.

“Si-Hoo, bleeding, because of me.”

There was no time to sit here.

I needed to save Han Si-Hoo first.

“Ha.”

Yeon-Hwa also seemed to have realized what should take priority.

She moved Han Si-Hoo far away from me and checked his wound.

As she examined Han Si-Hoo’s condition, she pointed her sword at me.

She was being cautious of me.

I was clearly the enemy.

Having attacked Han Si-Hoo, there was nothing I could say in my defense.

I didn’t even think badly of Si-Hoo.

I actually liked him.

Because we’re friends.

I liked him, so why did I stab him?

[Paused]

It was because of time.

I still didn’t understand how time had stopped.

It was thanks to Han Si-Hoo using purification on me.

So, would everything return to normal once Han Si-Hoo was okay?

“Are you alright, Si-Hoo?”

Yeon-Hwa checked Han Si-Hoo’s condition.

I wanted to ask the same thing.

But asking if he was okay after stabbing him felt strange.

I really didn’t intend to stab him.

But even if I said that, it would come across as nothing but a poor excuse.

It’s my fault.

“Help is coming soon. Just hang in there a little longer.”

She was clearly wary of me.

She checked if unconscious Han Si-Hoo was breathing.

Then, she looked back at me.

“Because of you.”

I could feel her anger.

There was a murderous intent, as if she wanted to kill me right now.

“I’ve heard you’re from the slums, but I didn’t think you’d fall this far.”

She had information about me too.

Probably something Si-Hoo told her.

“Looks like you’re a drug addict. I’ve seen people like you before. Disgusting.”

I had nothing to say.

“Why did you come here? Did you think being an old friend would excuse you for something like this?”

No.

I have at least a minimum sense of morality.

I do have a conscience.

But without the drug, the pain is unbearable.

Even now, my arm aches.

My hand hurts, probably from bruising.

I hate how my whole body creaks.

When I’m under the influence of the drug, I don’t feel any of that.

I didn’t do all this just for a bit of pain relief.

I just couldn’t help it.

“You’re clearly out of your mind. You should get proper treatment. And pay for your crimes.”

Treatment.

I thought the same thing.

I stood there, half-soaked, holding a knife.

This is what happened because I tried to treat myself with drugs.

“Was it really out of some grudge that you did this?”

Yeon-Hwa wrapped Si-Hoo’s wound with clothing to stop the bleeding.

Even while doing that, she didn’t let her guard down around me.

[Paused]

How long has it been since the effects of the drug stopped threatening me?

Thanks to Han Si-Hoo.

There’s no grudge at all.

We’re friends, after all.

Could things have returned to the way they were?

If only I hadn’t stabbed him, this situation wouldn’t have happened.

That must be it.

Could we have gone back to when Seo-Ah and Si-Hoo were just friends?

Because of what I did.

I stabbed him.

But it’s strange for Han Si-Hoo to collapse just from being stabbed.

There’s definitely something more.

He already looked exhausted when he arrived at the dorm.

He must have been fighting somewhere and came here because of me.

That much seems clear from the circumstances.

So, did my attack cause him to collapse?

“…I hear something. It sounds like the medical team is here. We’ll transport you too.”

I did something inhuman.

For so long, I’ve been holding Han Si-Hoo back.

And in the end, I couldn’t help at all.

Damn it.

I really didn’t want to attack Han Si-Hoo.

When a person is pushed to the edge, do they end up doing anything?

[Paused]

Did I really try to kill Han Si-Hoo?

No matter how much I hate someone, I wouldn’t try to kill them for real.

There’s no way I did that.

Even if you asked what I had done, it wasn’t me.

No, it was me.

I didn’t do it.

But I tried to kill him.

Now, I can’t even rely on the effects of the drug to escape the situation.

I couldn’t tell whether my body was soaked in water or blood.

“It’s going to hurt.”

Bang.

And with that, I lost consciousness.