I Became the Drug-Addicted Childhood Friend

“Si-Hoo!”

I turned my gaze toward the voice that called out.

It was a silver-haired girl.

Her hair was so shiny, even in the dark, that it was astonishing.

Maybe it’s because she’s still young, but she doesn’t think things through.

Instead of joining the attack, she’s just calling out names.

If there had been an ambush, I might have died on the spot.

No matter how sharp my senses are, my physical abilities can’t keep up.

Unless, like Han Si-Hoo, someone’s intentionally keeping me alive…

“But what’s that? A monster?”

A monster?

“Is that a person? Why is their magic black?”

She said this while drawing her sword.

Just because the magic is a little dark, does that make it a monster?

I get it.

In novels, it’s written that monsters’ magic is black.

Even people strengthened with special drugs had black magic.

I used drugs, but I’m not a monster.

“Rena, wait just a bit.”

“Huh, you’re not going to fight? I came to help.”

“We’re in the middle of a conversation.”

“Really?”

Rena.

Her full name was longer, but I can’t recall it.

Rena was close to Han Si-Hoo even before the main story progressed.

She was a heroine, like a little sister.

She’s an active character.

“Oh, I see? Alright, I’ll stay quiet.”

I don’t know what she meant by “that,” but it seems like she decided not to interfere.

Besides Rena, I can see other Academy people heading this way.

It’s probably because of Han Si-Hoo.

The doctor won’t be able to block all the intruders.

Judging by the fact that one already slipped through.

I need to finish this quickly.

Otherwise, there’s no way I can kill Han Si-Hoo.

He’s a monster.

A monster that can’t be killed.

Han Si-Hoo is a monster.

He’s only tolerated because he’s the protagonist.

From another’s perspective, he’s just a monster.

For ordinary citizens, it’s better that someone like him doesn’t exist.

Killing him from the start would be better for humanity.

My desire to kill was igniting.

But to be honest, I had the intent to kill him first, and the reason came later.

Even without a reason, I probably would have wanted to kill Han Si-Hoo.

Ah, then doesn’t that make me the monster?

Wanting to kill someone for no reason.

“My head hurts…”

My head ached.

Even that pain was turning into pleasure, which was absurd.

I need to fight and win quickly.

I adjusted the sword in my left hand and prepared to strike Han Si-Hoo.

“Seo-Ah.”

“What?”

“I’ll get you more drugs.”

It was an unexpected statement.

“Huh?”

“I’ll find a way to bring you more drugs, so let’s not fight. Put that down.”

“Drugs? How?”

I lowered the sword I was holding to the ground.

It seemed like there was room for negotiation.

If not, I would have tried to imitate the protagonist’s skills.

“Somehow. I’ll find a way.”

Could he really?

If so, then half of my reason for fighting would be gone.

I still wanted to kill Han Si-Hoo in front of me, but I could control that much impulse.

“Hmm.”

But how would he get the drugs?

It’s not just the kind that hospitals typically provide.

It seemed impossible.

Even the drugs I was using now could only be obtained through the doctor.

He said he made them himself.

But maybe Han Si-Hoo could take over the doctor’s organization and steal the drugs?

Or manufacture them some other way.

After all, he’s the protagonist.

The protagonist can achieve whatever goal he sets his mind to.

“I can get them. Won’t you give me a chance to make up for my mistake?”

He said with determined eyes.

If it’s the protagonist talking, it does feel convincing.

“Make up for it…”

Why was I even here in the first place?

To get drugs.

I came here to kill the protagonist.

If I can’t kill him anyway, isn’t it better to side with him?

In the end, justice always wins.

Here, the justice is the protagonist.

But victory itself isn’t what I care about.

What matters is whether I can continue taking the drugs.

“We don’t have a reason to fight.

Please, just put down what you’re holding.”

Why does he keep asking me to lower my sword?

He’ll block it anyway if I attack.

“Are you really going to get the drugs?”

“Yeah, if that’s what you want.”

“Hmm…”

The doctor said he’d provide me with food and shelter too.

Even if Han Si-Hoo gets me the drugs, it doesn’t change the fact that I have no money.

The 5 million won in my account isn’t even mine.

I have no steady income.

[80 hours 33 minutes]

What happens when that time runs out?

I’ll just become a beggar.

“Then can you give me a place to live and… food?”

I even find myself ridiculous for asking such questions.

Still, I’m trying to rely on the kind protagonist.

“Yeah, as much as you want.”

“Really?”

“I promise.”

My heart wavered.

As we talked, my urge to kill Han Si-Hoo subsided too.

Why did it subside?

It’s probably because of the protagonist’s abilities.

His absurd passive skill that removes all kinds of debuffs.

Later, as the story progresses, there will be things like holy power and spirit magic.

The effect of the drugs on my judgment is minimal right now.

Maybe this is what I should call a truly clear mind.

[79 hours 53 minutes]

Time’s passing disgustingly fast.

It’s probably because I’m borrowing the drug’s power to keep the sword manifested.

I want to enjoy the drug’s effects for as long as possible.

“You’re really going to get the drugs, right?”

“I swear I will. So, come with me.”

I’m seriously conflicted.

If I can’t kill the protagonist anyway, it’s probably right to side with him.

“You… you won’t abandon me… right?”

“I’ll never abandon you.”

“We’re friends, right?”

“Yeah.”

His words carried certainty.

As I looked at Han Si-Hoo, memories of Yoo Seo-Ah from long ago resurfaced.

Back then, whenever there was a problem, Han Si-Hoo always told me to trust him.

And, strangely enough, he would come up with a solution.

The same emotions Yoo Seo-Ah felt were now bubbling up in me.

“I’ll trust you.”

-Thud.

I dropped the sword I was holding.

The ominous black sword vanished the moment it touched the ground.

“Well done.”

“Haha.”

It feels nice to be praised.

This is a new feeling.

Positive interactions with others seem to bring me pleasure.

“Now, how about you get rid of that magic too? It’ll be fine.”

“Okay.”

I removed all the magic I had been cloaking myself with.

I could shake it off like dust.

[79 hours 52 minutes]

Thanks to that, the speed at which the drug’s effects were wearing off drastically slowed.

Looks like I can enjoy this for about 80 more hours.

I didn’t want to waste the drug’s effects either.

“Did I do well?”

Just as I tried to flash a bright smile,

-Squish.

Something pierced my body.

It was a blade.

“Huh?”

-Stab. Crack.

It kept slicing through me.

Why was I stabbed?

I was told everything was okay.

I lost strength and collapsed.

Thud.

My head hit the dirt.

“As expected of Si-Hoo oppa. You really made them drop their guard just with words!”

Rena, who was behind me, spoke.

I hadn’t noticed when she approached, but now I realize it was that type of ability.

It was hard to sense from the start.

“Rena!—”

“What? Wasn’t this what you wanted?”

I could hear Han Si-Hoo saying something, but I couldn’t make it out.

I tried to open my eyes, but my vision blurred.

I was betrayed.

After making me feel so safe, how could they do this?

Well, from the start, saying they’d bring the drugs was nonsense.

I got deceived by the protagonist’s powers.

That bastard.

I should have killed him.

It was a trap from the start.

How could I fall for such an obvious one?

“Ha… Haha.”

Laughter bubbled up again.

I was still enjoying myself.

Even the feeling of dying was being transformed into immense pleasure.

My instincts for survival were fighting against the drug-induced emotions.

“Ugh, cough, hack.”

Blood poured from my mouth.

If I enjoyed a fine wine, would it taste like this?

I tasted the earthy scent of blood.

I never imagined something like this would happen.

The drugs were always right.

Han Si-Hoo betrayed me after making me feel safe.

Didn’t he say he wouldn’t abandon me?

He said we were friends.

Didn’t he say it would be okay?

Though, I had already severed ties with him.

There’s no way he would still consider someone like me a friend.

I’m a drug addict with a broken mind—of course, he wouldn’t want to keep me around.

I totally understand.

My daily routine consists of doing drugs and sitting around in a daze, so even I find myself useless.

It’s impossible for me to live like a proper person.

Han Si-Hoo must have thought the same.

In that case, I should just die.

[56 hours 25 minutes]

The drug’s effects are diminishing rapidly.

Well, of course—they’re flowing out along with the blood pouring from my body.

Luckily, I still don’t feel any pain.

The drugs are great.

“Ugh… cough, hack.”

I can’t even laugh anymore.

It’s becoming harder to breathe.

Why did it turn out like this?

The mental state that returns when the drugs wear off is starting to come back.

Oh, dear drugs,

Please give me a knife.

A black dagger appeared in my hand.

Who should I stab?

The protagonist, Han Si-Hoo?

Or Rena, who stabbed me from behind?

Who do I need to stab?

Who do I need to attack?

Obviously, it’s me.

In the original story, Yoo Seo-Ah would have died around this time.

The problem started because I tried to deviate from that grand flow.

Even while on the verge of death, I clung to the desire to survive.

It’s not Han Si-Hoo’s fault; my very existence, being alive, is the problem.

It’s just a novel world, so why am I so hung up on this?

Once I close my eyes and open them again, I’ll probably return to my original world.

That’s what’ll happen, right?

“Ah.”

I tried to stab my neck with the knife, but someone grabbed my hand.

I tried to kill myself since they hadn’t finished me off, but what’s the problem now?

If they were going to kill me, they should have done it properly.

Are they trying to save me now?

[22 hours 8 minutes]

Time keeps ticking away in chunks, every second that passes.

I made a sharp spike from my broken right hand.

There’s no need to keep it in the shape of a knife anymore.

I somehow managed to bring the spike up to my neck, but again, my arm was grabbed.

“Ugh…”

Even in this situation, it’s strange that I still feel joy.

What kind of pain will I feel once the drug’s effects wear off?

It’s not like they brought me any extra drugs.

Not that it would’ve been enough even if they had.

I could feel the blood flowing out of the wound in my abdomen.

I knew in my head that this was a serious situation, but my emotions didn’t match.

A pleasure unlike anything I’ve ever felt before was flooding my body.

I want to die.

Someone’s hands kept holding me down, preventing me from moving.

It seemed like they were trying desperately to keep me alive.

“Sorry… cough… I’m sorry.”

I spat out blood and apologized to the person holding me down.

I must have done something wrong, which is why this is happening.

Things had been off ever since I was surviving on drugs.

I must’ve done something terribly wrong to end up in this situation.

Even if I didn’t, I would beg for forgiveness.

I just wanted them to let me die.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

I muttered as blood continued to spill from my mouth.

Someone was still holding me down.

I could hear voices around me.

I couldn’t make out any of the words.

“Please kill me. I’m sorry.”

Why are they so intent on keeping me alive in such a pathetic state?

Do they want to toy with me like I’m a plaything?

Do they enjoy watching me suffer like this?

[Time expired.]

I have no more time left.

This is the end for real.