I Became the Childhood Friend Who Commits Sui**de

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Sunny weather.

The amplified voice from the speakers echoed through the playground.

“As you all know, today is the day for on-site practice. Please follow the guidance of the supervising instructor.”

At first glance, it seemed like a picnic day.

Students were lined up, chattering in the playground.

Buses were waiting for those students.

Once the headcount was complete, we promptly started boarding the buses.

I spotted Han Si-hyun getting on the B class bus next to me.

“Did you pack everything thoroughly?”

“Yep.”

I nodded at Sophie’s question.

We had prepared very meticulously.

No chance of failing.

Just then, someone from behind messed up my hair and asked.

“What’s with all the stuff you packed?”

“Food.”

“…Are you confused and thinking we’re going on a picnic? We’ll be back by 4 PM.”

No, I’m sorry, but I’m planning to stay for a week.

“Get on quickly from the back!”

“Okay!”

Under the class president’s urging, we boarded the bus.

I tried to sit up front, but I was quickly snagged by Hong Yeonhwa.

“The back of the bus is the best seat. Agree?”

“I get car sick in the back.”

“Who cares about car sickness? We’ll arrive in 30 minutes.”

In the end, I was dragged to the back.

I was forced to sit between Hong Yeonhwa and Sophie.

It’s fine. No problem at all.

Once all the kids were seated, the teacher spoke from the front.

“In this practice, you will be entering the gate directly. Although it’s a training gate, you will face real monsters, not holograms. If things go wrong, you could lose your life.”

The gate.

It refers to a space where monsters emerge.

Of course, monsters exist outside the gate too. Otherwise, Yu Hana’s hometown wouldn’t have been attacked by them.

This gate doesn’t disappear just because all the monsters are defeated.

You must break the core of the magic stone located at the center.

If you don’t destroy the core, the monsters will reappear after some time.

The training gate takes advantage of this aspect.

By intentionally not destroying the magic stone core and controlling the internal space of the gate, it serves as a practice ground to develop a sense of real combat.

The training gate we’re heading to is D rank.

It would be lethal for an ordinary person to enter alone, not an ability user.

However, considering that there are many ability users among the students, along with supervising teachers and assistants, there should be no real danger.

Unless something extraordinary happens, of course.

“Stop making a fuss. Who’s going to die in a mere D rank?”

“You shouldn’t say that. You never know what might happen.”

Ignoring the voices coming from both sides, I focused ahead.

For some reason, Kim Shinwoo has been acting strange since yesterday.

Today, he doesn’t even talk to me.

What could be going on?

“……..”

No, it’s not the time to worry about that.

I should concentrate on today’s plan as much as possible.

If anything goes wrong, there’s no turning back.

“Dog fur.”

“Hey, dog fur!”

“…Huh? Were you calling me?”

“What are you thinking, dazing off like that? Do you really like that guy?”

Hong Yeonhwa looked annoyed.

“No, I don’t.”

“Bullshit. The way you look at Kim Shinwoo is dripping with sweetness. It’s so irritating.”

I realized something while spending time with this girl.

Surprisingly, she’s not that bad of a person, but her way of speaking is quite harsh.

Because of that, most people find her scary or dislike her.

If she only changed her speech, things would be much better.

I should find an opportunity to talk to her when we get back to the academy.

After all, if she’s a friend, she’s still a friend.

“Hey, open your bag.”

“Huh?”

“You brought snacks, right? It’s time to munch on something while on the bus.”

“…You just said we’re going on a picnic earlier.”

“I don’t care. Stop babbling and hurry up!”

Sighing, I opened my bag.

Immediately, Hong Yeonhwa, without asking for permission, rummaged through it but abruptly stopped.

“…What is this? Canned food?”

“Eat some snacks.”

“Beef jerky too? Are we going to a refuge?”

What can I do?

Sushi would spoil in just a few days.

I only packed high-calorie and easy-to-preserve food.

I stared at the snacks going into Hong Yeonhwa’s mouth.

…Those snacks. They are my favorites.

I saved them to make them last longer.

Was my gaze burdening her? Hong Yeonhwa frowned.

Eventually, she exploded with anger.

“Seriously! What! Why! …Just eat it!”

“It was originally mine.”

“How dare you! So arrogant!!”

I got my cheek pinched again.

It seems like she really got a taste for it these days.

Not just her speech, but her behavior seems in need of correction.

I hoped Sophie would step in, but she was just happily grinning as if she found it amusing.

Sending a desperate look, only then did she intervene in a cliché manner.

“Hana seems to be in pain. Yeonhwa?”

“…Hmph. Just two brats being ridiculous.”

She said that but let go of my cheek.

Now that I think about it, perhaps Hong Yeonhwa is surprisingly weak against Sophie?

Even in club activities, she always seems to obediently yield.

What is Kim Shinwoo doing?

He was listening to the chatter of the girl sitting next to him.

Thinking about the overwhelmingly present pink hair, I realized.

She’s a heroine.

As I said before, this novel is a harem.

In the original work, Kim Shinwoo is surrounded by numerous girls.

That’s still the case now.

Accidentally noticing my suicide attempt, he excessively showed concern for me.

But even considering that, he still has a lot of girls around him.

Kim Shinwoo doesn’t forcefully push away the heroines who approach him.

To put it accurately, he’s the type to make many friends regardless of gender.

After all, even his abilities relate to that.

“…Ah, ah!”

“Hey. Didn’t I tell you to stop looking at him?”

“I didn’t say that!”

“Oh really? I’ve said it now, so it’s fine.”

I got my cheek pinched again.

It seems Hong Yeonhwa dislikes Kim Shinwoo quite a bit.

Could it be because of their last fight?

How ironic.

In the original story, she likes the protagonist.

Of course, that starts from halfway through the story.

While chatting at the back of the bus, we soon arrived at our destination.

It was truly a quiet rural landscape.

There was only our class A bus.

Each class gets assigned to a different training gate.

So, Han Si-hyun won’t be involved in this event.

That’s the reason why the original work is bound to break down.

We got off the bus and lined up.

The teacher spoke.

“This practice is for exploring the assigned target area. Don’t worry too much as there will be assistants placed inside the gate for safety. You will act in groups, not as individuals.”

Upon hearing “groups,” the students reacted in various ways.

Those who lacked confidence in their abilities felt relieved, while someone like Hong Yeonhwa felt disappointed.

“Boring.”

“Groups will consist of four members. Please line up as your names are called. First group.”

One by one, the groups were called.

With a total of 36 people, there would be 9 groups.

Perfectly matched.

Suddenly, I remembered what I heard at the disciplinary committee.

They mentioned that without Han Si-hyun, there would be disruptions to the established curriculum, so Sophie was swapped in.

So, is this also part of that curriculum?

“And Group 8. Kim Shinwoo, Sophie, Yu Hana, Hong Yeonhwa.”

“……..”

I had no idea our group would be formed like this.

Could this also be a butterfly effect from Han Si-hyun’s absence and Sophie’s entry?

I caught whispers from the side.

“What kind of combination is that?”

“Why. At least the balance seems fine.”

“Snicker. The top duo and the bottom duo, huh?”

I wasn’t particularly angry or frustrated.

It’s just a fact, so what does it matter?

Kim Shinwoo is first place. Hong Yeonhwa is second.

Yu Hana is 36th. Sophie is 35th.

In the academy, ability is everything.

No matter how excellent the grades in non-combat courses are, combat is still at the core.

The only “useless” student is me, and that barely brings peace of mind.

Moreover, my physical abilities are low and my personality is quite weak.

It means I couldn’t possibly achieve good grades.

“Eek!”

“What are you doing!?”

“Oh. Were you there? I didn’t see you. My mistake.”

It was obviously an intentional shoulder bump.

But under Hong Yeonhwa’s fierce glare, the two kids who were gossiping couldn’t voice any complaints and shut their mouths.

“So just say it loudly, damn it. Because you whispered like a damn mosquito, I didn’t know you were right there. Huh?”

“…Are you insulting us?”

“What nonsense are you saying? I was cursing at the mosquito.”

“……..”

A cold atmosphere froze.

“What’s happening over there?”

“Nothing at all.”

Fortunately, with the teacher’s intervention, the situation was resolved for now.

I stared fixedly at Hong Yeonhwa.

Noticing my gaze, she defiantly asked back.

“What?”

“…Nothing. Just.”

“Idiot.”

There was a bit of commotion, but we gathered as Group 8.

Kim Shinwoo’s expression was clearly different from usual.

For some reason, he was sneaking glances at Sophie more than me.

Something must be going on between them.

But I have no idea what it could be.

On the other hand, Sophie was just as usual.

“Let’s do our best!”

“You guys just stay quietly in the back.”

“Hehe. Yeonhwa is reliable as always!”

“…Seriously. What are you saying?”

Listening to their conversation, I met Kim Shinwoo’s eyes.

Our gazes didn’t avert from each other.

I smiled.

Just like always.

While acting as Yu Hana.

“Shinwoo, doesn’t this feel like a picnic?”

“……..”

Kim Shinwoo didn’t answer.