I Became the Childhood Friend Who Commits Sui**de

---

We were assigned to Area H.

This was also different from the original.

“What? Is this the inside of the gate?”

The scenery was similar to outside.

Tall trees obscured the view.

“Outside was mountains. Now it’s a forest.”

“Same difference.”

The kids split into groups, each heading to their designated exploration area.

Sophie, watching the scene, spoke up.

“Shouldn’t we decide on a group leader first?”

“Do we have to?”

“Still, we should act quickly in an emergency…”

“Then you can do it.”

Hong Yeonhwa’s words startled Sophie.

“Me? I’m not confident… Can’t someone else do it?”

“Then let the dog do it.”

I almost refused too, but then paused.

Maybe it wouldn’t be bad to accept the role of leader for the sake of our plan.

“Alright. I’ll give it a shot.”

“Oh. What’s this? Surprising!”

Hong Yeonhwa expressed her astonishment.

“Then everyone check the emergency escape devices first.”

The emergency escape device.

One of the major features of a training gate.

Literally, it allows for immediate emergency escape from the gate when used.

It was said to utilize magic stones and abilities, but I didn’t know the details, as the original just glossed over it.

Anyway, it can’t be used in regular gates and only in training gates.

You can only move from inside to outside, not the other way around.

Also, each gate has non-compatible devices, and they’re one-time use.

So once used, they can’t be reused.

Since this device was crucial to today’s plan, it must work perfectly.

“What’s the point of checking when it’s one-time use?”

“The teacher mentioned earlier that if the device signal is blue, it means it’s functioning normally.”

“Well, that seems familiar.”

After confirming all four were in normal condition, we began moving to Area H.

Then I stopped in my tracks.

“It’s a monster.”

The first monster I encountered.

Hong Yeonhwa grinned boldly and said.

“Is that a real monster? Cool.”

Its appearance was familiar enough.

It was small and not particularly strong.

After all, there’s no such monster in a D-grade gate.

Besides, the instructors strictly patrol the inside of the gate.

“What’s the plan?”

“Huh?”

“The leader needs to make a strategy. Why are you spacing out?”

“Um… Hong Yeonhwa, attack!”

“What is this, Pokémon? …Not bad!”

Hot flames erupted from Hong Yeonhwa’s hands.

The red flames engulfed the monster and scorched it.

“Wow…”

Sophie inadvertently admired the scene.

My reaction would probably be similar.

In terms of firepower alone, she’d rank at the top among all second-year students beyond Class A.

When the flames faded, the monster was left fully roasted.

“That was lame.”

It seemed she was disappointed by how weak the opponent was.

I couldn’t understand her enjoyment of fighting like that.

Would I be like that if I were strong too?

After that, we faced several more monsters, but the outcome was the same.

Of course, even Kim Shinwoo didn’t step in, and they all ended up burned by Hong Yeonhwa’s flames.

At this rate, the exploration would end smoothly.

Unless something special happened.

But an incident does occur.

I plan to utilize that incident for suicide.

*

“It’s such a hassle to wander around. How much longer do we have?”

“About 40% left.”

“That’s quite a bit.”

The exploration had been going on for over an hour.

And yet, we had only just slightly passed half.

I wondered how the other groups were faring.

“Let’s take a break. Fighting monsters is less fun than I thought.”

“Yeah. Let’s rest here for a bit.”

We settled in and took a break.

Hong Yeonhwa sprawled out on a flat rock while Sophie looked around.

Naturally, it left just Kim Shinwoo and me.

He approached me for the first time and spoke up.

“Um, Hana…”

“Huh?”

“….”

He hesitated.

What could he possibly want to say that made him hesitate like that?

At this point, my curiosity turned into frustration.

“Has Sophie… asked you something?”

“What do you mean? Specifically, what?”

“So…”

Just then, Sophie came over.

“What are you talking about?”

“Uh… Nothing.”

Kim Shinwoo immediately shut down the conversation.

Now it was just Sophie and me.

Unable to hold back my frustration any longer, I asked plainly.

“Sophie.”

“Yeah?”

“Do you know why Shinwoo is acting like that?”

“….”

After a fleeting silence, Sophie wore a mysterious smile.

“You’ll know soon enough if you just wait a little longer.”

“Huh?”

“You’ll find out later anyway.”

What does that mean?

I’ll find out later?

What about?

It didn’t seem like asking more would yield answers.

Should I ask when we return?

Meanwhile, it seemed like it was about time to start.

But I didn’t know exactly when the incident would happen, which was frustrating.

Then the awaited signal rang.

[Emergency!]
[Emergency!]

“What, what is it?”

Voices rang out from the speakers throughout the gate.

[An intruder has been found inside the gate. Please immediately stop training and evacuate.]

“Intruder?”

Finally, it began.

The intruder was a demon.

They sneak in to take hidden treasures in the gate.

However, when caught by the instructors, the demon destroys the core magic stone.

When the magic stone core is destroyed, the gate closes.

Once closed, the gate won’t reopen.

People inside the gate will be trapped.

At that time, the emergency escape device becomes useless.

The fortunate fact is that the gate doesn’t disappear immediately upon the core’s destruction.

It slowly collapses, taking 10 minutes to fully close.

If evacuated within those 10 minutes, survival is possible.

“Let’s get out of here.”

“Yeah, Hana. We need to hurry.”

“….Okay. Let’s use the escape device.”

Once again, it had changed from the original.

Was it because our assigned area was different?

In the original, just as the protagonist’s group was trying to escape, they encountered a fleeing demon.

Using the escape device takes time, and you shouldn’t be interrupted during that period.

In other words, if there’s an enemy, you can’t use the escape device.

Thus, the battle began.

They barely took down the enemy, but during the fight, Kim Shinwoo’s escape device got broken.

The three heroines, who were in the same group, couldn’t abandon the protagonist and ended up trapped inside the gate.

Three heroines fell into despair.

In contrast, Kim Shinwoo, who hadn’t lost hope.

Once closed, a gate never reopens, but a way to escape still exists.

That is the treasure the demons sought.

It takes a whopping four days, but it allows you to move wherever you want.

In the end, the four successfully escape, and the heroines grow fonder of Kim Shinwoo.

This is the incident from the original. I plan to use this incident.

My plan is simple.

I’ll commit suicide inside the completely isolated gate.

Then I’ll resurrect three days later and use the treasure to return to the academy.

I can meet all the conditions for resurrection.

Once the magic stone core is destroyed, monsters will no longer spawn.

Meaning there won’t be any entities capable of mutilating my corpse.

Naturally, no one will witness my resurrection inside the isolated gate.

I already know where the treasure is.

The intruding demon will escape quietly if it doesn’t encounter the protagonist group.

The reason it destroyed the magic stone core was to create chaos and buy time to escape.

In the first place, demons can’t use the emergency escape device.

Demons are closer to monsters than humans.

“Alright, let’s hurry and escape.”

The kids used the escape devices without any suspicion.

Immediately, the three were engulfed in blue light.

I just pretended to press the device.

Seeing that I wasn’t engulfed in the blue light, Hong Yeonhwa shouted.

“Hey! What the hell! Why aren’t you moving!?”

“I’m holding it down.”

“Goddammit!”

Hong Yeonhwa frantically pressed the device, but once pressed, cancellation wasn’t possible.

The three would be transported outside the gate.

Kim Shinwoo reacted similarly.

“Hana! Wait! I’ll…!”

“It seems the device has a problem. I’ll walk.”

“Walking is bullshit! What the hell! Why isn’t it working!?”

I couldn’t let them realize this was intentional.

I wanted it to appear as if I had gone missing rather than having committed suicide.

That would be a better ending.

“Hana!”

I met Kim Shinwoo’s frantic gaze.

I poked my fingertip between my eyebrows and smiled.

This time it was sincere, not an act.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be back.”

I will definitely return.

The blue light gradually filled the space.

It grew bright enough to cover my entire field of vision.

No one remained in front of me.

“Ha…”

I let out a long sigh.

It was still too early to let my guard down.

It wasn’t over; it was just the beginning.

First, I needed to hide.

Perhaps there may be instructors searching for students.

Normally, they would have all evacuated already.

What are the chances three would return inside the gate?

None.

Since the teachers and instructors were already controlling things outside the gate.

They wouldn’t let anyone in.

I drew my pistol and loaded it.

It’s my only weapon as a powerless individual.

In reality, it was for suicide, not self-defense.

The audible alarm had suddenly ceased.

Now, I could hear no sound at all.

Naturally, the gate must have closed.

In this vast forest, I was alone.

With the gate closed, monsters would no longer spawn.

There was no need to hesitate further.

I could commit suicide right away. Then I would wake up three days later.

But I couldn’t easily aim the gun at my head.

“Hana, you seem relaxed.”

“….”

A voice I shouldn’t be hearing came from behind.

Why?

“If you take it easy like this, it could be dangerous.”

“I pressed the device. But how…?”

I confirmed clearly.

Sophie was wrapped in blue light like the other two.

“You know, I think what’s important right now isn’t that.”

“What do you mean?”

“You can’t commit suicide. At least not now.”

That cold, piercing gaze was not the Sophie I knew.