I Became the Childhood Friend of a D*ug Dealer

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There’s one thing I know for sure.

It’s that I have an exceptionally high tolerance to drugs.

That’s something I can definitely say I’ve got sorted out.

I’ve decided against stepping outside.

Si-hoo might try to erase my memory with drugs again.

How did we end up like this, anyway?

Memory erasing medicine.

Medicine.

Drugs.

Drugs.

When did Si-hoo start using such drugs?

I have no idea.

My drug resistance even rejected the memory erasing stuff.

I’m curious how many times Si-hoo has used that medicine.

Was one time enough for tolerance to build up against the memory erasing stuff?

Or maybe he’s erased my memory multiple times without my knowledge…

How many times has he wiped my memory?

What did I do wrong?

That’s the problem; I can’t even remember.

What I’m remembering now isn’t everything.

Anyway, Si-hoo tried to erase my memories.

Did my memories fly away halfway?

How would I know?

Si-hoo must have some kind of plan.

But if he’s planning to erase my memories again next time, I’d suggest he doubles the dosage.

My memories are a tangled mess, but I know this much:

I need medicine.

Not the memory erasing kind, but something else.

Something that doesn’t mess with my mood.

And I would do anything for that medicine.

Si-hoo gives me the medicine.

So I’ll stick around as he wants me to.

What he wants is for me to live like a zombie.

But still, that’s just weird.

Why is Si-hoo doing such strange things?

“I’m sure someone was with me…”

Si-hoo was with someone else.

Let’s try to recall.

Faint images come back to me.

“Ah, white hair…”

I feel like I could remember more, but it just won’t come to me.

Even with my tolerance, it didn’t completely block the effects.

Yes, the white hair.

It feels strangely familiar.

“White…”

Pasty memories of the past flash through my mind.

It’s someone I know.

I’m sure I know them.

“Um… laboratory…?”

The word “laboratory” pops into my head.

Have I ever been to a laboratory?

Why?

What kind of laboratory?

No, wait.

Meeting that white-haired person happened before that.

Something shocking must have happened.

Unpleasant feelings resurface.

“White… hair… um…”

It was a woman.

She looked about the same age as me.

So she must be friends with Si-hoo?

No way, that can’t be.

“…Ah, ah, ah. A doctor? No…”

It’s related to treatment.

Yeah, I didn’t receive medicine, but it definitely involved treatment.

“She definitely said she’d treat me… Right, that girl. If I went in her place…”

Ugh.

I feel nauseous.

Vile memories come rushing back.

It’s getting hard to breathe.

It feels like my chest is tightening.

My heart starts racing like crazy.

“…Ugh…”

This is hell.

Now I understand why my memories were wiped.

Just recalling this is giving me a headache.

Sweat rolls down my forehead.

I can’t breathe well.

“Si, Si-hoo.”

Si-hoo isn’t here.

Where is he?

With who?

Isn’t he with that white-haired girl?

“Ha, Se, surely… Hah.”

My vision grows dark.

When I open my eyes again, I see light.

It’s the light of the laboratory.

No way.

I could’ve sworn I was at home.

I was sitting at home, you know.

I know better than anyone that this is just a hallucination.

So it’ll disappear soon.

It’s just this bad memory creeping up on me.

Just a blink and everything will vanish.

I close my eyes and open them.

I’m strapped to a table.

A metallic, iron smell fills the air.

The acrid scent of chemicals permeates everywhere.

No, this can’t be right.

No way.

I was definitely at home.

Don’t joke around.

Back here again?

This can’t be a laboratory.

It just can’t.

Beeep—

I hear a ringing in my ears.

“Ah, no. No way.”

It’s impossible.

This cannot be a laboratory.

Think about it.

Really think.

When I was in a laboratory, Si-hoo must have come to rescue me.

No, but I have no memory of that.

Did that memory get erased?

“Shut up. No. Not true. No. No. No.”

Run away.

But my body is stuck; I can’t move.

Even if I try to move in this trapped state.

No, I couldn’t have been trapped.

I was definitely in the house earlier.

That’s a fact everyone knows.

So calm down.

A piercing, pointed object approaches.

“Wahhh, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry.”

It looks like it’s going to poke my eye.

A syringe?

This is a hallucination.

Just a hallucination.

But my body is acting on its own, gripped by fear.

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… Ugh…”

What did I do wrong?

But I have to apologize.

If I apologize, maybe this will end a bit quicker?

Please, please.

This is scary; please do something fast.

Trembling uncontrollably, I snap back to reality.

“…Home…”

It’s home.

But I can’t let my guard down.

This is all that white-haired girl’s fault.

She’s trying to torment me.

Disguised as Si-hoo, using drugs and going away.

A fake Han Si-hoo.

Si-hoo wouldn’t do that.

Looking around feels off.

I thought it resembled the house, but this isn’t home.

This isn’t home.

Differences between here and my real home begin to surface.

“This isn’t… home…”

Then what is this place?

Outside the house looks unfamiliar too.

It’s frightening.

I don’t like this.

Kidnapped?

Have I been kidnapped?

That could be it.

The white-haired girl is the problem.

She lied about treating me and did something terrifying.

I need to run.

But outside the house is dangerous too.

I need to hide.

Hiding inside the house.

Under the table.

***

Han Si-hoo returned home, but Seo-Ah was nowhere to be found.

If Seo-Ah went outside, I would know.

There are more than a few surveillance devices set up around the house.

In case of an emergency, there’s also a device that allows Han Si-hoo to teleport straight home.

So Seo-Ah must be inside the house.

“Seo-Ah?”

There’s no answer.

But Han Si-hoo already knows where Seo-Ah is.

She’s hiding under the table.

Breath held, hiding from Han Si-hoo.

What’s the reason for hiding?

“Seo-Ah, what’s wrong?”

No answer.

From under the table, I hear her hurried breath.

Han Si-hoo hesitates and kneels down.

Under the table is Seo-Ah.

Holding a kitchen knife tightly with both hands, keeping an eye on Han Si-hoo’s direction.

“Seo, Seo-Ah?”

“Stay away.”

Those eyes look like they’re looking at someone else, not Han Si-hoo.

She steps back a few paces while still kneeling.

“It’s okay, don’t worry.”

She can’t calm down.

“Stop.”

“Seo-Ah, can you recognize me? It’s me, Si-hoo.”

Her grip on the knife tightens.

“I said, stop.”

“Huh?”

“Stop pretending to be Si-hoo.”

She speaks with certainty.

It’s as if Han Si-hoo is someone else.

“What do you mean…?”

“Are you really going to lie? This isn’t our home, and the real Si-hoo is at the academy.”

This seems to stem from the side effects of memory erasure.

“No, that’s wrong.”

“Let me out of here. Why did you kidnap me?”

Kidnapped.

From the moment my memories were erased, that might be how things seem.

It’s hard to persuade her.

Because Han Si-hoo has covered Seo-Ah’s memory with drugs, it’s impossible to reveal the truth.

“…That’s not what it is.”

“What do you want?”

It’s all for you.

-But I can’t understand at all.

-Just kill her.

-What a waste of time being here.

In Han Si-hoo’s mind, a monster resides.

A monster named Purification Penalty.

This is because he used a purification skill to cleanse the drug’s effects.

“This isn’t our house. You’re not Si-hoo.”

-There’s no value in saving you.

-You’re saying I’m not Si-hoo.

-Why would I bother saving someone I don’t even know?

Han Si-hoo withstands the penalty.

He can endure this much.

Most of his tasks are nearly done.

Just a bit more and he should be able to find a cure for Seo-Ah.

-Let’s beat her into submission.

-Just tie her up.

This is a rational judgment.

The most reasonable and safest judgment.

He should use the memory erasing medicine again.

“It’ll be okay.”

-Just kill her, I say.

That’s out of the question.

So he just uses the medicine.

Just in case, he had the medicine on him.

Just in case something like this happened.

Before making a wrong choice, he quickly prepares the medicine.

Using the medicine is simple.

But he needs to restrain the target first.

He collects any interfering weapons.

Grabbing the patient’s arm.

Holding her down.

Making her grow weak.

Then he can inject the syringe.

Then the drug will be administered.

And the patient will lose their memory.

“…Seo-Ah?”

“Ah…”

Seo-Ah’s voice faintly echoes.

What did I just do?

I forcibly subdued Seo-Ah and used the medicine.

That’s all.

***

There’s one thing I know for sure.

I have an exceptionally high tolerance to drugs.

So high it’s a problem.

That’s something I can absolutely say I’ve got sorted.

Thus, I know Si-hoo erased my memories.

A monster disguised as Si-hoo did that.

Or maybe?

It could be the real Si-hoo.

After all, the memories of that laboratory were enough to warrant erasure.

If Si-hoo isn’t fake, then I must think about why he ended up like this.

Why is Si-hoo doing this to me?

There must be a reason.

It’s clear as day; it’s that white-haired girl’s fault.

I saw Si-hoo with her.

Remember.

Si-hoo was in a collapsed state.

Si-hoo…

Si-hoo?

It’s her fault.

If it weren’t for that white-haired girl, I wouldn’t be shaking in this blanket.

If it weren’t for that girl.

The white-haired girl is the problem.

She ruined Si-hoo.

It seems that just locking me in a laboratory wasn’t enough for her satisfaction.

That’s the only explanation.

Si-hoo wouldn’t do this of his own volition.

What was her name again?

Saint.

I think she was called a saint.

What should I do? I ponder endlessly.

And the conclusion.

She must be killed.

That’s the only way for Si-hoo to return to his original self.

Let’s kill the saint.

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