I Became the Childhood Friend of a D*ug Dealer

Hello again.

I’m Cheon Yoo-Seong, who just enrolled in the Academy.

Why is the girl I thought I wouldn’t run into here?

Seo-Ah is looking at the Academy ranking board.

The test scores have been released.

Since it was announced online, there’s really no need to look at the bulletin board in the hallway.

“Hmm, you’re ranked 28th.”

She says while looking this way.

I hoped she wouldn’t notice, but since we’re here, let’s have a chat.

“Yeah. What about you?”

“It’s classified.”

Even so, if she finds my name, it’ll all be over.

I scanned through the list, but there’s no Yoo Seo-Ah in the top 100.

Yup, she’s not there.

Out of the top 100.

Since anything below 100 isn’t made public, only the Academy and the individuals know their scores.

“Uh, good luck.”

“I’m fine.”

For someone who’s supposedly okay, she looks like she could burst into tears at any moment.

Unlike usual, she’s not even wearing her eye patch.

“What about the eye patch? Didn’t you say you were sealing something?”

It’s not like her eyes are a different color or anything.

“Ah, um.”

She touches her eyes, looking flustered.

It seems she just realized she’s not wearing the eye patch.

“…Ah, these things happen in life.”

What does it matter if her score isn’t great?

It’s natural to feel disappointment if the results aren’t up to expectations.

It must really have shocked her if she forgot to wear her eye patch.

“……”

With a somewhat bitter expression, she brings her hand to her eyes.

Is she thinking of excuses?

“Well, this is just decoration. I can do without it. That kind of thing.”

She readily admitted it was just for show.

It feels like there’s less confidence in her compared to the last time I saw her.

“Isn’t the bandage just for decoration too?”

I decided to ask directly.

If it’s rude, I guess it’s rude, but I’m curious to hear her answer.

“…Heh.”

She laughs.

It seems I touched on a sensitive topic.

Was it an inappropriate thing to say?

It’s definitely rude to poke at something sensitive.

“I hope that’s the case.”

She mutters quietly.

Is the bandage really doing something useful?

“Anyway, don’t worry too much. You can do well next time.”

“…No, it’s late. It can’t be.”

“Excuse me?”

“It means I’m not in first place.”

Not only is her name not in first place, but it’s also missing from second place.

The top rank is Cheon Yoo-Hwa, my younger sister… and second place is Han Si-Hoo.

I heard it was a close competition.

“I used to be first. Always.”

Has Yoo Seo-Ah lived her life ranked only first until now?

It looks like she’s in shock after being ranked for the first time at the Academy.

It’s unfortunate, but it can’t be helped.

“I think I’ll get better with training.”

Effort usually brings results.

That’s what I believe.

“Isn’t it just a lack of training time?”

“That’s probably true.”

“…Is that so?”

She seems convinced.

It looks like she’s considering increasing her training time.

“Training time, huh…”

I’m curious about what kind of training she does.

I want to ask what abilities she uses, but she seems to want to leave first.

“Anyway, you’re lucky. You get to have a conversation with me again. You probably won’t see me much from now on. Bye.”

She said something similar last time.

I wonder why I feel like I’ll run into her again next time.

The Academy seems full of strange people.

*

I checked the ranking board.

I’m not first.

Why?

First place is predetermined.

Han Si-Hoo isn’t first?

The protagonist is always number one.

Whatever he does, he excels at it.

Top-tier.

He should be the best, after all.

“Lack of training time.”

Cheon Yoo-Seong’s words ring true.

You need to train and experience reality to get stronger.

But lately, Han Si-Hoo has wasted so much time because of me.

Time down the drain.

It’s really Yoo Seo-Ah’s fault.

If this continues, the story will be completely twisted.

If the protagonist crumbles, the world has no hope.

But it’s still the entrance ceremony.

The protagonist is still strong.

There must be a way.

[17 hours 4 minutes]

“…What should I do now?”

The afternoon classes are over.

Students are wandering about.

Most are sticking together in groups.

If you picture school life, it’s that kind of vibe.

Although we do see many weird things compared to a regular school.

But what about me?

Am I a student?

It’s not like it’s a rural school with only me in the class.

Even in the countryside, having just one student is really rare.

Moreover, other classes are filled with students.

I head to the dormitory.

Being a student means I get to stay in the dormitory.

So I must be a student.

But it feels strange for a student.

I’m at a prestigious Academy but still haven’t made any friends.

I’m not pleased about having to deal with killing puppies either.

I don’t like the waste of the medicine’s effects either.

Click.

The door opens.

As I step into the dorm room, I see ropes and knives scattered about.

The blood has only been mopped up hastily.

Is this really a student’s dormitory?

“Student…”

Since coming to the Academy, I haven’t felt at ease.

There are just too many strange people.

“Me?”

It’s very different from what I expected.

Just getting into this Academy was a miracle, but it was only thanks to Han Si-Hoo that I got in at all, in name only.

I know I don’t deserve to enjoy school life.

“If only I weren’t an Awakener…”

If only Han Si-Hoo and Yoo Seo-Ah were normal, attending a regular school and living life.

That would seem peaceful.

The Academy that sends even children into the battlefield is surely not a good educational institution.

It would have been better if there had been no monsters or Awakeners from the beginning.

It would have been more peaceful than this.

There wouldn’t have been any incidents where Yoo Seo-Ah mistakenly took the wrong medicine.

Puff.

“…Heh.”

I find myself smiling.

Because the effects of the medicine make me feel happy.

[21 hours 5 minutes]

Medicine?

Time has increased.

What’s going on? Why did I take it?

I feel happy.

Perhaps it’s because I took it in a stabilized condition.

“Aha.”

I still have plenty of time left!

Why did I take more medicine?

I can endure a slight discomfort.

So there’s no need to take any medicine.

I have eight doses of four-hour pills saved up.

That’s an amount that’s impossible to store with normal self-control.

But I just used one, just because I felt a bit uneasy.

“…Hehe.”

Whoosh.

I can’t hold back.

At this rate, saving doesn’t have much significance.

The tingly sensation feels good.

“Ha, ha.”

Whoosh.

That’s the third one.

The more I use, the better it feels.

It’s as if the old sensation is returning.

There’s a unique pleasure in it.

[26 hours 55 minutes]

The amount of time increase has decreased.

This happens when I use it continuously.

So the efficiency drops.

But that’s not a problem.

Clink.

I hear the sound of a syringe dropping.

One left.

I don’t even know when I’ve used up the others.

[33 hours 1 minute]

Nothing left?

Well, it’s okay for now.

It’s a delightful happiness.

I don’t think about anything.

Someone else will take care of the aftermath.

For now, I’m just safe within this pleasure.

Future me?

I don’t care about that.

The present, right now, has always been the most important.

Procrastinating gets me nowhere.

No way.

I was planning something.

I was trying to do something.

“…Huh?”

The door is wide open.

This feels familiar.

The door, which I’m sure was closed, is now open.

A doctor?

The only person who would just walk in would be a doctor.

“Doctor?”

“…Ah.”

That voice sounds very flustered.

“Who?”

I can’t see well because of the backlight.

It doesn’t really matter.

It could just be a dream.

“What are you doing?”

That voice—it sounds familiar.

Is it Han Si-Hoo?

“He…”

I’ve been caught.

But it doesn’t matter.

I feel good for the first time in a while.

Now I understand why I hang on by a thread.

It’s all for moments like this.

That moment when I feel like I’m soaring through the sky.

And that’s when I don’t want to fall.

When I’m too out of it to even move.

“Don’t come in.”

Han Si-Hoo, I know what you can do.

You’re excellent at negating the effects of the medicine.

So not now.

Let’s meet later.

“Get out.”

I said this with a smile.

It’s my room.

As I inserted the last syringe, I was just contemplating when to use it.

I was planning to wait until my high wore off.

This seems like the right moment.

I hid it behind my back so Han Si-Hoo wouldn’t take it.

Get out.

Just disappear for a while.

“Hey, let’s go out.”

Together?

I don’t understand what he means.

I said go out alone.

“Let’s leave the Academy and go home. We’re going back.”

I never expected Han Si-Hoo would say such a thing.

Not Seo-Ah, but Han Si-Hoo.

He’s saying he wants to leave the Academy?

Must be the medicine messing with his mind.

Perhaps it’s some kind of hallucination or auditory delusion.

“Home?”

“If you leave freely, you might get a bounty on your head, but if we go to another city, it’s fine.”

“Oh, um, huh?”

He’s suggesting we escape.

Can the protagonist really do that?

There’s still so much left to do.

The main characters haven’t even had their moments yet.

There are important characters I’ve only met once or twice.

The story is just getting started. Is it okay to do this?

“So let’s go together.”

Han Si-Hoo looks pained.

He looks desperate.

Even a protagonist can only hold on so long when faced with an endless situation.

I feel sorry for him.

“Hey, what about the medicine?”

I’m here because I don’t have any.

I didn’t want to be trapped in the Academy either.

“I found a supply route.”

What Han Si-Hoo is holding is the medicine provided by the Academy.

But the Academy wouldn’t have given him more medicine by now.

“I can get medicine even if it’s not from the Academy. So let’s go.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah.”

As expected from Si-Hoo.

Incredible.

As the protagonist, he accomplishes the impossible.

When compared to me, it’s clear we’re different.

He can obtain medicine without Dr. Lee Yoo-Ram’s help.

“So we’re going home?”

“It might be hard to go back to the old place, but we can find a new one. We don’t have to stay at the Academy. Staying here is just dangerous.”

I agree that the Academy is dangerous.

There are indeed too many strange people.

It’s clear this isn’t the school life I wanted.

An escape.

I feel like I can see a light.

The wind feels refreshing.

I feel invigorated.

Is it the medicine?

I haven’t used the medicine I’m still holding.

“So let’s go.”

“When?”

“…Now.”

Han Si-Hoo is serious.

It’s a hopeful hope.

The first sign of hope I’ve seen in a long time.

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