I Became the Drug-Addicted Childhood Friend

Translator: Elisia

Editor/Proofreader: SemiPickle

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Ah.

I remembered.

Consciousness returned.

I had just woken up from the bed, in a state where I was barely awake.

But still, I remembered.

I remembered the day I opened my eyes in this world.

Up until then, I had a clear goal.

Though I didn’t get far with it.

I did have a goal.

Yeah, that’s right.

Now that I think about it, I wasn’t really holding on.

It had been a long time since I fell apart, but I had no choice but to stay in that state.

I had a clear goal.

Somehow, I had to get Han Si-Hoo and Yoo Seo-Ah to reconcile.

To become close again.

As if there was no unhappy past.

To prevent any tragic events from happening.

Why does the author kill off the childhood friend so early on?

If I were the protagonist.

If I were the protagonist, this wouldn’t have happened.

How incompetent for a protagonist.

If it were me, I would have protected everything.

The baseless belief that I could have done it.

But all I could see was a story that had been completely tangled up.

To the point where I couldn’t even remember what the original plot was.

It was still the early part of the novel, but it was already a mess.

But still, I did well.

Yoo Seo-Ah had survived until now, after all.

[Temporarily paused]

No, did I really do well?

Is just being alive enough to say I did well?

Rather than something I did, it seems more thanks to Han Si-Hoo.

But Han Si-Hoo must have paid a price for it, too.

I should apologize to him.

The fact that I didn’t need to use drugs anymore was truly good.

Maybe now, I can really start to heal Yoo Seo-Ah.

“It’s been a while.”

Someone was sitting next to the bed.

A familiar voice.

A voice similar to the one I had heard at home.

It was the doctor.

“Ah…?”

Where is this place that a doctor would be?

“I heard you tried to kill Han Si-Hoo. Well, unfortunately, you failed.”

“Huh? What?”

How does he know that?

More importantly, where am I?

Where is this?

Where is this?

“Calm down. This is the Academy’s medical room.”

“……”

Then why is the doctor here?

I couldn’t understand.

Is this all just a dream?

“That promise. The one where you’d be provided with drugs if you killed Han Si-Hoo. I assumed you’d remember.”

No matter how many drugs I used, I wouldn’t have attacked Han Si-Hoo if it hadn’t been for the doctor’s promise.

At that time, it felt like my brain had been cut off, and only malicious thoughts remained.

To kill Han Si-Hoo.

I kept asking myself what the doctor had said.

He had said to kill Han Si-Hoo.

Was that some kind of suggestion or command?

“You tried hard.”

He patted my head.

For some reason, his touch felt oddly pleasant.

For a moment, I felt relaxed and my body loosened up.

All the problems started because of the drugs the doctor gave me.

So, I should be full of hate.

I should feel rebellious or angry.

But I don’t.

I don’t even think of the doctor as an enemy.

He just feels like a good person.

“Next time, you’ll do better. I’ll continue to provide you with the drugs for free.”

“Drugs? For free?”

“On the surface, it’s provided by the Academy. It’s military-grade, but ultimately, it’s prescribed by me.”

I don’t understand.

Why is he talking as if the drugs from the Academy were given by him?

“But the drugs were provided by the Academy…”

“Of course, that’s not entirely wrong.”

The doctor continued to speak leisurely.

“I’m a director of the Academy, after all. The supply of Miss Seo-Ah’s drugs is basically handled through me.”

“Director?”

I think Lee Yu-Ram mentioned something about getting the drugs from the board.

It did seem like the board members were involved.

But I never imagined the doctor was one of them.

“Anyway, feel free to use the drugs as much as you want.”

A briefcase similar to the one Lee Yu-Ram had held before.

Inside, there were several syringes.

“Oh, it’s okay. I don’t need the drugs anymore.”

If it were the old me, I would have gratefully accepted.

But not anymore.

“I’m all better. I don’t need to use drugs anymore.”

[Temporarily paused]

Time stopped.

There’s no reason to use them.

What is the doctor’s expression?

I can’t really see.

That’s strange, the lights are bright.

The doctor seemed to be staring at me for a moment.

“Is that so? I had a feeling you wouldn’t use them. It seems Han Si-Hoo really solved the problem.”

That’s right.

Han Si-Hoo solved the problem.

I don’t know how the doctor knows that.

“Yes.”

All I did was stab him with a knife.

I still feel very sorry.

I didn’t want to do something like that.

“Then, you don’t have any thoughts of killing Si-Hoo anymore, Miss Seo-Ah?”

“Killing Si-Hoo? How could I ever think of that?”

Not even as a joke.

Killing him?

I wouldn’t do something like that.

No matter how much I disliked or hated someone, I wouldn’t jump to killing them.

“He’s my friend.”

Especially because he’s a friend.

Would anyone but a crazy person commit murder?

“Then, you should repay Si-Hoo for what he’s done.”

“Yes.”

It’s only right to repay him.

At least express my gratitude.

“What would be the best way? It would be good to help Si-Hoo, but what you can do is quite limited, Miss Seo-Ah.”

“Hmm…”

“If you were still using the drug, you could fight like an Awakener, but that’s not possible now. Since you don’t need the drug anymore.”

“But still…”

I wasn’t an Awakener to begin with.

It’s disappointing that I can’t fight, but it can’t be helped.

There has to be something I can do to help.

“But since Si-Hoo seems to like you, it would be good to meet him at least once… Talking to him would be beneficial.”

“I will.”

Everything the doctor says is right.

That’s a fact.

Even without using drugs, I know that much.

And he doesn’t force me to take the drugs either.

It’s because I was really sick that the drugs were prescribed.

There’s no reason to give me medicine when I don’t need treatment anymore.

“Before that.”

The doctor grabbed my hand.

“Ouch.”

The wound hurts.

It hurts.

He barely touched it, but it hurts this much.

Since I stopped using the drugs, my entire body feels like it’s going to break apart from the pain.

I’m just enduring it.

When I was using the drugs, my mind was cloudy because of them.

Without them, my mind is clouded by the pain.

There’s nothing I can do about it.

“Would you like to treat the wounds first?”

The doctor let go of my hand.

It seems like he’s asking if I don’t need the drugs to do that.

[Temporarily paused]

But I have no intention of using the drugs anymore.

This is an opportunity that Han Si-Hoo barely managed to create.

I can’t let it slip away.

No matter what happens, I won’t use the drugs.

“I’m fine.”

I’m normal.

My body aches and stings a little.

But there’s no need to use the drugs.

“If that’s what you wish.”

It seems the doctor has decided to respect my choice.

If the patient doesn’t want treatment, there’s nothing more he can do.

“Si-Hoo is in the medical room downstairs.”

“Yes. I’ll go see him. Thank you.”

The doctor is really kind.

He even tells me where to go.

***

Han Si-Hoo opened his eyes.

“The medical room?”

The Academy’s medical room.

Where Lee Yu-Ram was.

The wounds on his body had already healed.

It felt nostalgic.

It had been a long time since he had last been lying down after collapsing.

[Status Window]

Level: 31

Health: 1381, Mana: 990…

Skills: Swordsmanship X, Purification X, Magic VI…

Purification had caught up to the level of swordsmanship.

Han Si-Hoo wasn’t sure if investing his saved skill points into this was the right decision.

But he still believed saving his friend was the right thing to do.

Status: Purification Penalty (1720 hours)

When he looked down, he saw an unexpected number.

“…1720 hours?”

After doing some mental math, it came out to about 70 days.

The last penalty had been unpleasant, but this time the scale was completely different.

But still, he could endure it.

Just two months of patience, and it would be over.

“Si-Hoo?”

Someone was there.

“Are you awake? Are you okay?”

The person who came through the curtain of the hospital room was Yeon-Hwa.

Han Si-Hoo thought back, feeling like something was off.

Before he collapsed, the only person with him had been Seo-Ah.

“Yeon-Hwa?”

“I was the one who found you collapsed. I’ve been waiting for you to wake up.”

“What about Seo-Ah?”

What mattered most was what had happened to Seo-Ah.

Yeon-Hwa must have followed him after he disappeared during the battle.

“Huh?”

“We were together at the end.”

His last memory was still blurry.

At a moment when he should never have collapsed, he had lost consciousness.

Just being stabbed wouldn’t have made him lose consciousness.

It seemed to be a backlash from using his skills.

The Purification Penalty must have amplified it.

Since he had used it at Level 10 with augmented skills, this time, Purification must have worked properly.

“…That strange girl? Teacher Lee Yu-Ram took her away separately.”

“I see.”

Yeon-Hwa decided to ask the question that had been on her mind.

“But why was that kind of girl at the Academy?”

When an unknown girl had appeared at Han Si-Hoo’s house before, her mind had frozen.

But now she knew.

Han Si-Hoo must have had some extraordinary circumstances.

It was clear he was trying to take care of an old friend who had become a drug addict or something along those lines.

But in the end, that friend had stabbed him.

She was from the slums, after all.

That place was filthy.

It wouldn’t be surprising if a girl who lived in such a place had done something filthy.

Even though Si-Hoo was once associated with that kind of child, fortunately, it’s over now.

He wouldn’t protect a girl who not only showed no gratitude but also tried to kill him.

“It’s my fault.”

Han Si-Hoo replied.

It was Han Si-Hoo’s fault that Seo-Ah ended up coming to the Academy.

The mistakes Han Si-Hoo made, he had to resolve himself.

In the end, no one else can fix the problem for you.

That’s why he found a way, somehow.

He poured all his skill points into Purification.

Only the penalty of over 1700 hours remained.

What worries him is that he still doesn’t know which part of it is the penalty.

It’s different from last time.

He doesn’t hear that voice anymore.

There’s no feeling of his thoughts being disturbed.

If Seo-Ah’s condition is fine, it’s perfect.

He needs to find out if the Purification worked properly.

Will everything return to normal?

Finally?

He has no regrets about spending his level-up points.

He can always raise his level again, and who knows when he might need the Purification skill again.

“Sorry for the trouble I caused you.”

Yeon-Hwa’s face reddened.

“I was just repaying a debt from last time. Don’t worry about it.”

There had been a time when Han Si-Hoo saved her.

Simply giving him a gift didn’t seem like enough.

Now, she felt more at ease.

Good, very good.

Yeon-Hwa mumbled to herself inwardly.

She was happy that she had become even closer to Han Si-Hoo.

“…Then I’m going to see Seo-Ah.”

She stood up.

“What?”

Han Si-Hoo still had something to finish.

“It’s dangerous.”

“What are you talking about?”

“She’s the one who tried to kill you. I don’t see why you’d go see her.”

“Oh, that? It’s probably fine now.”

Based on what?

She’s just a drug addict.

Still, Yeon-Hwa remembered how pitiful she looked, trembling at the end.

The image of her gasping for breath remained in her mind.

Syringes, knives, hammers, ropes.

The signs of drug use.

Bandages.

Even from a brief glance, Yeon-Hwa could see how miserable she looked.

In any case, they knocked her out and sent her to a medical facility.

“Seventeen hundred, huh.”

Purification Penalty (1720 hours)

“Huh? Numbers? What are you talking about?”

Yeon-Hwa asked back, confused by the sudden mention of numbers.

“It’s dangerous.”

Han Si-Hoo clutched his head.

His thoughts were becoming polluted.

“…Are you okay, Si-Hoo?”

Silence.

Yoo Seo-Ah is trash.

A worthless fool dragging me down.

A landmine hindering my growth.

If I meet her, I feel like I’ll strangle her to death on the spot.

But I won’t.

Never.

The fact that I’m even having these thoughts disgusts me.

I won’t kill her.

Then, let her suffer enough. Make her pay the price.

Shut up.

Han Si-Hoo suppressed the malice rising within him.

The penalty had begun.

“No.”

He wasn’t okay.

But if Yoo Seo-Ah’s condition had improved, that meant it was a success.

If he checked on her himself, he didn’t know what he might do with his own hands.

So what should he do?

He needed someone trustworthy to check on Seo-Ah’s condition for him.

Han Si-Hoo thought for a moment about the people he had befriended.

There was no one he was closer to than Yoo Seo-Ah.

But there were a few people he could trust.

As he was pondering who to send, someone opened the door to the medical room.

A familiar figure of a girl.

Stumbling inside, it was Yoo Seo-Ah.

She saw Han Si-Hoo and smiled.

“Si-Hoo.”

Purification Penalty (1719 hours)

The very person in need of purification was standing right there.