I Became the Childhood Friend Who Commits Sui**de

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“Earlier, you were reckless, weren’t you?”

At Kyung Ah’s words, Shin Woo silently nodded his head.

It was indeed reckless.

What other expression could be more accurate than that?

It was true that Hana was in a state of anxiety.

That’s precisely why he should have acted with more caution.

Instead, he had blurted out words in a fit of unnecessary pride during an argument.

Kyung Ah clicked her tongue and said, “Fortunately, not many heard what you said…”

However, everyone witnessed Hana collapsing.

This incident, occurring amidst the rumors surrounding his conflict with Han Si-hyun and the instructor, was absolutely not a positive development.

Shin Woo’s expression remained stiff.

Noticing this, Kyung Ah cleared her throat and suggested, “Of course, I know you’re doing this for Hana.”

“…”

“But right now, I think you’re being too impatient. How about keeping some distance and watching things unfold slowly?”

“Distance? But that’s…”

Hana had even thought about suicide.

No, it wasn’t just a thought; she had actually tied a rope.

She might have placed her neck in that noose.

A ticking time bomb that could explode at any moment.

In such a situation, is it really wise to be relaxed?

“If you’re the only one by Hana’s side, that might be one thing, but that’s not the case.”

“That’s…”

There was no way he couldn’t understand whom she was referring to.

Sophie had naturally moved beside Hana at some point.

“Same-gender friend. You brought it up yourself, right?”

“…That’s true. I see.”

Sophie was the ideal friend he had envisioned.

Not only a friend of the same gender but also someone sharing a dormitory.

In fact, Sophie was the first to react when Hana collapsed.

Shin Woo decided to acknowledge that.

Right now, Hana had someone more important than himself.

“Hana is one thing, but you seem quite precarious too.”

“…Me?”

“It’s because of Hana, right? You’re close childhood friends. Then it’s really likely Hana worries about you just as much.”

Could that really be true?

Suddenly, memories of carefree childhood days flashed through his mind.

Those days when he had been blissfully happy without any worries.

Yeah.

Chums aren’t a one-sided relationship.

They were each other’s most cherished friends.

“No matter what happens, we’ll always be friends.”

“Even if we die or become someone else.”

The response Hana had given in the nurse’s office came to mind.

That’s right. We will be friends no matter what.

Forever.

*

After the second period, Hana returned to class.

Someone approached her and asked about her wellbeing.

“Are you feeling better?”

“Oh, yes. Thanks for worrying about me.”

“It’s because it happened before… Anyway, I’m glad.”

The conversation between Juhyun and Hana flowed naturally without awkwardness as they returned to their seats.

Shin Woo watched this exchange with a complicated expression.

Kyung Ah was right.

And Hong Yeonhwa’s words too… Though he didn’t want to admit it, they were true.

He was acting close to obsession with Hana.

Such behavior wouldn’t help; it would likely just become a burden.

The reason Hana was anxious might not only be because of her illness but also due to having no other friends aside from him.

If Hana were to gain a new friend, it should be welcomed.

To be honest, he still didn’t trust Shin Juhyun.

It was a relationship involving the opposite gender.

Given Hana’s outstanding looks, he couldn’t help but think he might harbor ulterior motives.

But still, that wouldn’t justify getting in the way of their relationship.

Shin Woo had no grounds for that.

Just then, someone patted his back.

He shifted his gaze from Hana to check who it was.

An unexpected figure.

Sophie approached with a twinkling smile.

“Shin Woo, can we talk for a minute?”

“Uh? About what?”

“It’s about Hana.”

“…Alright.”

Reluctantly nodding, Shin Woo followed Sophie out of the classroom.

What could she possibly want to talk about?

No matter how he wracked his brain, he couldn’t come up with any guesses.

In the first place, it was surprising that Sophie called him over.

To describe their relationship, it was… a friend of a friend. That was all.

They had shared conversations while accompanying each other back to their hometown by chance.

Especially when Hana struggled and lagged behind, they had chatted about trivial matters.

But that was about it.

Ultimately, having one bridge in their connection made it awkward without Hana around.

Red hair and sea-like eyes.

With a petite frame and admired demeanor, she didn’t appear threatening at all.

Then Sophie said, “Hana is in danger right now.”

“…What?”

*

He sneaked a glance at the empty seat beside him.

Where did they go when recess is almost over?

And Kim Shin Woo still hadn’t returned.

Was it a coincidence?

Or did they go out together?

Who knows?

It wasn’t particularly important anyway. It looked like they had become friendly while they were at their hometown.

By the way, he wished the lesson would just end quickly.

Pretending to study at school was getting tedious.

He just wanted to rest in the nurse’s office and skip the class.

But the nurse insisted he go up, so he had no choice but to comply.

Seriously.

Would it hurt to utilize that wide heart a bit?

Isn’t her name Rachel?

Though a bit nosy, she didn’t seem like a bad person.

Come to think of it, Hong Yeonhwa wasn’t as terrible as she seemed either.

He turned his head, made eye contact with her, and instantly ducked down.

Lately, he found himself thinking about a lot of things.

Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to attend the academy like this.

Of course, classes were boring.

He disliked being scolded by the instructor for not being able to fight.

Hearing classmates gossiping about being useless from behind made him feel bad as well.

Still, it was bearable enough to close his eyes and get through it.

To be honest, being dead frightened him far more than anything else.

Especially when he first attempted suicide with a tie…

The pain and emotions from that time are beyond description.

If he could just recover from his illness, he wouldn’t think of such things.

But there seemed to be no solution.

Being hospitalized wouldn’t cure his illness.

The bell rang, signaling the end of class.

When he slowly lifted his head from being hunched down, he inadvertently met eyes with Kim Shin Woo, who was entering the classroom.

His expression was stiff as a board.

…What’s up with that?

It was like looking into a mirror of my own expression right after a seizure.

Is there any problem?

Sophie followed Shin Woo into the room.

It seemed they had been doing something together instead of it being a mere coincidence.

As soon as Sophie sat down, she whispered.

“What were you two up to?”

“Uh? We just ran into each other in the hallway.”

No way.

Anyone could see that was a lie.

Yet, Sophie smiled so naturally that he felt conflicted about his thoughts.

Could I be mistaken?

Well, Sophie wouldn’t really have a reason to lie.

Still, something felt off.

Should I ask Kim Shin Woo?

As he grappled with his indecision, the teacher entered, making him miss the chance to ask.

In the end, time passed without him being able to ask anything.

*

After class and after school.

We gathered in the nurse’s office for our first club meeting.

Then Rachel-sensei chuckled and asked, “…Are you really planning to do it here?”

“If so, can you reserve a separate room for us?”

Hong Yeonhwa’s shameless reply.

The teacher brushed her forehead as if she had a headache and muttered.

“…Alright. Just try to keep it as quiet as possible. I’m counting on you.”

“Sure, I’ll do my best.”

Sophie took something out from her bag.

“Today’s surprise board game! The first one is a deck of cards!”

“…Isn’t a deck of cards a board game?”

He tilted his head.

Do people usually consider a deck of cards a board game?

Sophie sheepishly explained, “Hehe… Well, I actually rushed to buy it at the stationery store this morning… All the other board games have to be bought at the mart.”

Oh, I see.

The mart is quite far to stop by on the way to school.

On the other hand, the stationery store is right in front, so it’s no trouble to pop in for a bit.

I guess that’s why she suggested stopping at the stationery store this morning.

“There are many games you can play with a deck of cards, right? Would you like to join us, teacher?”

“No, I’ll pass. I’m busy right now.”

“Eh… That’s too bad. Then we’ll just play among ourselves.”

Hong Yeonhwa didn’t seem particularly interested and shot back, “What are we going to do with just three people? We need at least four.”

“Hmm… How about Cops and Robbers?”

“Boring.”

“Ugh, is that so…? Then Hana, do you have a game you’d like to play?”

“I think Cops and Robbers would be alright.”

There are plenty of games that come to mind, but usually, as Hong Yeonhwa said, four people make a game more enjoyable.

But since Cops and Robbers relies heavily on psychological warfare, maybe it’s okay even with fewer players?

Or maybe not.

We decided to play Cops and Robbers by majority rule.

Hong Yeonhwa pouted, but as soon as we started, she was more eager than anyone else.

“Hmmm…”

Hong Yeonhwa was staring at my face intently.

It felt a bit embarrassing.

As soon as I averted my gaze, she swiftly drew a card.

“Nice!”

She visibly delighted in it.

Next was Sophie’s turn. With a calm expression, she scanned Hong Yeonhwa’s hand.

Once she drew a card, Hong Yeonhwa immediately sulked.

What’s this?

Her expression was so easy to read.

Now it’s my turn to attack.

On the other hand, interpreting Sophie’s expression was extremely difficult.

Her face was too composed. A perfect poker face.

No, why is she so good at acting?

No matter what card I pick, she doesn’t react at all.

Ultimately, after a long deliberation, I drew a card from the middle.

It was a black joker.

“…”

That was dangerous.

I barely suppressed a gasp and maintained a neutral expression.

Once again, it was Hong Yeonhwa’s turn.

Please.

Please.

Could my heartfelt prayers have worked?

Hong Yeonhwa took the joker.

“Ah! Damn it!!”

Hong Yeonhwa declared the joker so loudly it was practically an announcement.

In the end, the teacher couldn’t take it anymore and scolded Hong Yeonhwa.

“Can you please be quiet? How many times do I have to tell you, huh?”

“I-I’m sorry…”

“Hehe, it’s just too much fun.”

As I watched Sophie giggle, I too couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

*

At the same time.

As soon as class ended, Shin Woo headed to the library.

His expression was freezing cold.

Could it really be true?

He recalled Sophie’s earlier words.

“Hana is in danger right now.”

At that moment, he was suddenly called by a voice amidst his thoughts.

“Welcome.”

It was Han Si-hyun, leaning against the library window and reading a book.

“How is it? Have you learned anything?”

“…Maybe.”

Shin Woo hesitated for a long moment.

He ended up sharing the story he had heard with her.