I Became the Drug-Addicted Childhood Friend

Translator: Elisia

Editor/Proofreader: SemiPickle

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I think I can do it on my own.

But looking at how things are going lately, it seems like I can’t live without someone else’s help.

“So, um, how do I put this on…”

I let Rena take care of me.

There wasn’t really another option.

“You don’t have to hide your face, I already know who you are.”

It wasn’t like I was able to hide it that well anyway.

“Oh, uh, really?”

“I’ll just call you Rena.”

“You already knew…”

“I didn’t plan on attacking you. I just wasn’t in my right mind because of the drugs.”

That’s right.

I never had any intention of attacking Rena.

At least not now.

And seeing how she’s taking care of me, she really is a good person.

There aren’t any bad girls among the heroines.

“I’m really sorry about last time.”

Rena lowered her head and apologized.

“I don’t have much to say, but… well, you… um… I did something wrong!”

“It’s fine. My wounds are all healed.”

“Huh?”

She must be wondering what I’m talking about with all these wounds on my body.

There are quite a few.

“These were here originally. The ones from the sword have healed.”

The bruises weren’t Rena’s fault.

When I showed her the wounds, her expression became strange.

It wasn’t Rena’s fault.

But it was the fault of another Academy student.

Who was it again?

I think I heard their name before, but…

I ended up forgetting.

“Really, I’m sorry. If you want, you can stab me once!”

“Ah, no…”

I have no intention of doing that.

Just because I was stabbed doesn’t mean I’d stab someone else.

As long as I’m not on drugs, I don’t go around attacking people.

I’m not bloodthirsty.

“But, where’s Si-Hoo?”

I was starting to wonder where Han Si-Hoo was.

Why was Rena here instead of him?

“He went out to buy some supplies.”

“Supplies?”

“…You probably wouldn’t know, since you lived in the slums, but there are still a lot of things we need.”

I was confident I could live well as long as I had drugs and food.

I wouldn’t say I’m picky.

So, I didn’t think of asking Han Si-Hoo for anything.

I’m satisfied with how things are.

“Si-Hoo wouldn’t know what a girl needs either, so I helped him out. He probably left you in my care since we’re both girls.”

That seems to be the case.

Han Si-Hoo did feel uncomfortable looking at my wounds.

In that sense, someone like Rena might be more suitable.

I suppose I’m lucky.

“Yeah.”

I felt like a dress-up doll for a moment.

But before I knew it, it was all done.

[10 hours 2 minutes]

“You’ve been staying with Si-Hoo this whole time?”

“Here?”

“No, even before this. I was just a little curious why Si-Hoo kept it a secret that he had a friend like you.”

That was the right choice.

Yoo Seo-Ah’s existence needed to remain hidden.

“Because I’m a trashy piece of crap.”

Ah, I ended up using harsh words.

As my body feels weaker, my thoughts get fuzzier.

The words that come out without filtering are harsher than I expected.

“…Don’t say that.”

She sounds just like Han Si-Hoo.

They really are friends, huh?

They go well together.

“It’s the truth. Even now, I can barely move on my own.”

“But that’s because of the drugs. It’s okay. I heard you can be treated. You’ll get better.”

I believe that too.

Well, it’s just drugs, so I should be able to recover.

Even if I recover, I’m not sure if I’ll be useful.

“I hate that I’m dragging you both down like this.”

“You’re not.”

“Don’t worry. One day, I’ll disappear. Just bear with me for a little while longer, even if it’s annoying.”

That’s the most considerate thing I can do.

At least, that’s what I think.

I needed drugs, so I had no choice but to find Han Si-Hoo.

Maybe I should’ve somehow managed to get the drugs by myself.

But even the doctor told me to kill Han Si-Hoo.

“No, it’s not annoying. You should value yourself more. No one thinks it’d be better if you disappeared.”

Rena was trying hard.

She was doing her best to make me see my own worth.

“Yeah.”

She’s a good person.

Lively, kind.

Even if she seems a little thoughtless, she’s still nice.

‘A better version of Yoo Seo-Ah?’

I’m a bit off right now, but Yoo Seo-Ah used to have a similar vibe to Rena.

Yoo Seo-Ah has plain brown hair, but Rena’s got shiny silver hair, takes good care of herself, and dresses well.

The difference between an extra and a heroine is huge.

“I’ll repay you someday. Thanks for helping me.”

It’s better to thank her properly.

And I mean it when I say I’ll repay her.

When a crisis hits the Academy, maybe I can help out once.

Maybe.

“No need to repay me. After the break ends, a lot of strange people will probably show up… I heard you’re joining the Special Class. I’m not sure what that is, but be careful.”

It seems like everyone I meet keeps telling me to be careful.

How unreliable is the Academy?

It’s probably because the government forced students in like they were conscripting them.

It’s the country’s fault for being a mess.

“And be careful of the other Academy students too. Some of them have terrible personalities but are strong, so even the Academy can’t do much about them. Especially since you’re Si-Hoo’s friend… some might try to take advantage of you.”

The bruise on my stomach was caused by an Academy student.

I know well enough what it’s like to deal with people with strange personalities.

I don’t want to encounter any more of them.

[9 hours 51 minutes]

There’s still plenty of time left.

“Ah, are you falling asleep?”

I don’t know if all sedatives are like this.

I feel sleepy again.

“…No…”

I’m not going to sleep.

I’ll just sit on the bed.

I need to think.

While sitting there blankly, I’m thinking about what I need to do.

How to secure more drugs, and when to use them.

How to maximize their effects.

[9 hours]

This thing in front of my eyes won’t disappear.

Even if it fades for a moment, it reappears whenever I focus on it.

[8 hours 20 minutes]

My consciousness flickers.

Like a dying lightbulb.

It’s not that strange.

[7 hours 40 minutes]

The lightbulb in my old home was like that.

I still like that shabby house.

Even if it looks like no one should live there.

[7 hours]

Is my battery running out?

You could say I’m like an old robot.

I should be replaced with a new model, but I’m like an old fan that’s been used for decades.

The fan doesn’t even spin, but the neck creaks as it turns.

[6 hours 20 minutes]

Even if you add lubricant, if the machine itself is faulty, it’s pointless.

It needs to be replaced.

Or donated to a museum as an artifact.

Though, it’s probably just scrap metal instead of an artifact.

[5 hours 40 minutes]

I think every 40 minutes.

I think for about a minute, then rest for 39 minutes.

It doesn’t seem too bad.

Maybe I should just take a deep rest.

It’s better to sleep deeply than to keep waking up.

[1 hour 11 minutes]

“…Drugs.”

It’s the middle of the night.

I need the drug again.

I feel bad waking up Han Si-Hoo, so I’ll wait.

He’s sleeping on the floor in the living room.

Maybe I should at least cover him with a blanket.

I dragged the blanket from the bed and went to the living room.

Then I covered him with it.

-Thump.

That’s not a sound you’d expect from just covering someone with a blanket.

My wrist was grabbed.

Firmly.

“Si-Hoo?”

I shouldn’t have touched him.

It’s my fault for waking him up.

“Sorry for waking you.”

It doesn’t seem like he’s fully awake.

It looks like he grabbed my wrist unconsciously.

I didn’t know he had bad sleep habits.

I have a guess.

It’s an ability that reacts when someone dangerous is nearby, even in sleep.

Like being able to draw a sword while sleeping.

“Si-Hoo?”

But why is he doing this to me?

There was never a time when Yoo Seo-Ah woke Han Si-Hoo and something like this happened.

Ah, maybe it’s because of the drugs.

The black magic.

It seems to make other Awakeners feel pretty threatened.

[51 minutes]

The time decreased.

All this just from having my wrist grabbed.

I really need the drug now.

My wrist doesn’t hurt.

There’s a bit of a mark, but it’s fine.

The effects of the drugs are still in my system for now.

To him, I must look like something close to a monster.

I understand.

That’s possible.

Thud.

I managed to pull my arm away.

The hand that was holding my wrist dropped back.

This is scary.

If I wake him up, he might choke me next time.

[45 minutes]

A lot of time has passed.

Is he constantly using some kind of purification skill?

Maybe that’s why he instinctively grabbed me.

It was fine when I covered him with a blanket before.

What’s different now?

Military-grade drugs? Sedatives?

I’ve been on quite a mix.

I was fine when the doctor gave me the drugs before.

Where did I put them?

[43 minutes]

The drugs.

The ones the doctor gave me.

He said he brought them.

Unless Han Si-Hoo put them somewhere, they should be around here.

“Is this it?”

I rummaged through the bag Han Si-Hoo had brought.

It was rude, but I had no choice.

I was too scared to wake him.

He’s probably just as tired, so I’ll handle this myself.

I have a syringe I bought for moments like this.

All I need to do is find the drug.

Even though it’s dark, I can’t turn on the living room light.

The light from the bedroom is enough.

[40 minutes]

This is why I hate leaving things up to others.

I’m scared I’ll run out of time.

I liked it better when I had control over my own space.

“Found it.”

It wasn’t in the bag but on a high shelf.

I stood on a chair and reached for it.

The blue liquid sloshed inside.

It seems like there’s less of it than the last time I saw it.

I’ll take it to the room to use.

The living room is too dark.

[37 minutes]

I took off the bandage on my arm.

With trembling hands, I picked up the syringe.

I need to fill it with the drug.

“Ah, my wrist.”

It doesn’t hurt, but there seems to be an issue.

I’m not sure how tightly Han Si-Hoo grabbed me.

Since my right hand is the problem, I’ll use my left.

I ruined one syringe.

It’s fine, I have plenty of spares.

Still, doing it with one hand is tough.

[33 minutes]

I’m getting nervous because of the time.

The syringe needle is bent, so I can’t use this one either.

“Seo-Ah?”

“Huh?”

Han Si-Hoo was awake.

He was leaning on the doorway, looking at me.

“What are you doing?”

“Ah, I was just about to take the drug.”

I haven’t done anything wrong.

He said I could take it when I needed it.

“How much have you used…”

Two syringes were scattered on the floor.

A small amount of the drug had spilled from one.

“I haven’t taken it yet. So, can you help me? The syringe isn’t working properly.”

“You could’ve just asked, and I would’ve given it to you.”

Why is he looking at me with disappointment?

I haven’t done anything wrong.

I’m sorry for rummaging through the bag and the shelf, but it was because of the drug.

[29 minutes]

“Ah, can you just give me the drug from the Academy then? Even now?”

It’s not too late.

It’s still not too late.

Han Si-Hoo quietly packed up the vial.

“The drug?”

“You’ve already used a lot. And we still don’t even know what this one does yet, so why didn’t you tell me…”

I didn’t tell him because I was scared of waking him.

I know it would’ve been better to ask.

But I haven’t taken it yet.

“Ah, I haven’t taken it yet. My arm was hurt. I mean, I haven’t used it, so… are you not going to give it to me?”

[26 minutes]

There’s no time.

There seems to be a misunderstanding.

He must’ve been confused after waking up.

“Sorry, not right now.”

He’s lying, isn’t he?