I Became the Childhood Friend of a D*ug Dealer

Fortunately, I didn’t need to wrap bandages around my head.

Thanks to the doctor, I welcomed a refreshing morning.

In the end, I still didn’t find out why I came home…

But who cares about such minor details?

I just need to enjoy the present.

That is, if I can.

I jab a syringe into my arm.

At this point, my arm is so marked up with needle scars that it’s starting to freak me out.

It doesn’t seem like syringes were designed to be stuck into a person’s body this often.

Before my fear climbed higher, I injected the medicine.

8 hours 32 minutes

Of course, after getting my shot, all the random worries have already vanished.

I just feel a bit dazed.

“I’m hungry.”

I mumbled while staring blankly into space.

It seems like ages since I last ate.

That’s the only downside of the medicine.

It helps me forget my hunger, making me miss meal times.

Well, I guess it’s a bit late for a meal now.

I can cook something with the food I have at home.

Han Si-Hoo is probably enjoying a delicious breakfast at the Academy right about now.

I bet the doctor has enough money to eat somewhere nice, like a fancy restaurant.

And…

There’s no one left for Yoo Seo-Ah to compare herself to.

Listing all the characters from the novels would take forever.

One thing is for sure, not many people eat as miserably as I do.

“There’s nothing here.”

I had a few snacks piled up in the corner of the shelf, but they’ve long been devoured.

I even ate the expired ones.

There’s no refrigerator around here.

There’s not even a rice cooker.

There’s no way I can cook anything.

Ironically, the protagonist’s room is equipped with a kitchen, even though I’m usually out and about.

It has a refrigerator and everything.

So what’s with me?

I’m always cooped up at home, yet I have no cooking equipment at all.

No ingredients.

Is being poor a crime?

“Oh, I found it.”

I spotted a can of tuna in the corner of the shelf.

I guess I’ll have to eat this today.

I opened the can and scooped it out with a spoon.

I could go out and buy some food since I have the money Han Si-Hoo gave me, but honestly, I’m just too lazy to go out.

The effects of the medicine wear off quickly.

“I’m not a kitten or anything; I can’t survive on just one can of tuna…”

I’m still hungry.

If a single can of tuna could satisfy me, I wouldn’t even be feeling hungry in the first place.

Do I really need to go outside?

Withdraw the money in my account, walk into a convenience store or supermarket, and buy groceries.

That sounds like a hassle.

Honestly, I don’t really like going out.

Originally, Yoo Seo-Ah would have enjoyed outdoor activities, but, well, staying cooped up in my room is my current everyday life.

I actually find just sitting still more satisfying.

8 hours 1 minute

I could go out if I had my medicine, but still, it feels uncomfortable to go out like this.

I haven’t even showered since I got back home.

If Han Si-Hoo had just given me some money for transportation, I might have stopped by the store on my way back.

It’s all the protagonist’s fault.

The protagonist gets sulky just because his childhood friend pushed him a bit.

It could be a tsundere heroine or something, you know?

Though, Yoo Seo-Ah’s personality is far from tsundere.

Han Si-Hoo probably knew that too.

“I’m running low on meds, too.”

I only have a few doses left.

But I’m not worried.

The doctor said he’d come by soon, so I’ll be able to get my medicine then.

First, I should get ready to head out and resolve to buy some food.

I can’t starve to death!

*

I feel like I’m going to die, not from starvation but just from existing.

I’m squatted down in the street, feeling completely defeated.

It was a huge mistake to spy on the Academy students while walking by.

I never expected to see them near the Slums.

There’s no one around.

A guy and a girl, both wearing the Academy uniform, are walking toward me.

They seem to be heading somewhere to tackle their Academy assignments.

Since I saw them armed, it looks like they’re going out to hunt monsters.

Speaking of which, I heard a dungeon popped up nearby. Could that be the reason?

As I slowed my pace to keep watching them, a bulky male student turned his gaze toward me.

I panicked and tried to move, but it was too late.

“Hey.”

“Uh, me?”

He addressed me.

“Yeah, you were staring at us; you think we wouldn’t notice?”

His tone was sharp and intimidating.

“What?”

“So what’s with all the watchers from that white-haired jerk?”

“Watchers?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know.”

Thwack

“Ugh?”

I felt a dull pain rise up from my abdomen.

What the heck? Did I just get punched?

I felt like my tuna can breakfast would come back up again.

Even with the medicine dulling the pain, it still hurt like hell.

I lost my strength in my legs and collapsed to the floor.

“Huuh, ehh.”

I managed to take a breath somehow.

Oh man, that was a close call.

Is it normal to just throw punches like that out of nowhere?

I can’t believe this is a country governed by law.

“What? Was it really a person?”

The guy who punched me said that as if he was surprised.

“Ethan! What are you doing?”

The girl in the Academy uniform walked over to me.

“Wait, weren’t we warned about the watchers? They said they’d be around?”

“I didn’t mean to just knock out any random person walking down the street, you know? At least check a little.”

“But he’s just a civilian, so it should be fine, right?”

I could hear the girl chiding him, while Ethan’s voice came off sounding less confident.

“A civilian…?!”

“Who was the one warning about humanoid watchers?”

While they argued amongst themselves, I struggled to get up from the ground.

The pain didn’t let up.

“Um, are you alright?”

“…Haha.”

4 hours 32 minutes

The shock from earlier made time fly by dramatically.

4 hours 27 minutes

And it kept disappearing rapidly.

There’s no way I’m fine.

Does this even look fine to you?

“Hey! I asked if you’re okay…”

“Ethan, shut up for a second.”

Something feels off.

I don’t feel good anymore.

I don’t feel any happiness.

But still, I had prepared for times like this.

I packed a backup medicine.

I dug my hand into my pocket like this—

“Oh, I didn’t bring any pills…”

“Huh?”

I desperately rummaged through my pockets while lying on the ground, but nothing came out.

I had just stepped outside and already faced death.

This is why I don’t like going out.

“Hehe, haha.”

It’s so ridiculous that I couldn’t help but laugh.

How did I end up in such a miserable situation?

I truly have no idea why I was punched.

This is why I hate going out.

“Celia, this guy seems to be out of it?”

“This is all your fault, you know? What are you going to do about it?”

“No…”

Ultimately, I failed to get up.

But I at least discovered their names.

The girl’s name is Celia, and the guy’s name is Ethan.

I’ve seen their names in the novels before.

But what does that even mean?

It has zero significance.

So I’ll just stay down here.

I feel like I was thrown from my cozy bed into freezing water.

I want to get back to my bed so badly, but it’s impossible.

I need those pills.

I can still think since the medicine is working, for now.

3 hours 43 minutes

But even that is quickly fading away.

“What should I do? Should I call an ambulance?”

“Just leave. They look like they came from the Slums anyway.”

“What? Is that really something you say—”

The girl’s words were cut off by someone who butted into their conversation.

“Let’s not drag this out too long.”

I heard a familiar voice.

“Who?”

“I’m the guardian of this child. The Academy students here are guilty of assault… Well, let’s just say I’ll overlook this for now, so you can go along your way. I’ll handle it.”

The doctor proudly introduced himself as my guardian.

“Ah… Yes, sorry about that. What about you, Ethan? You should apologize too.”

“Ugh, I’m sorry.”

Celia and Ethan quickly apologized and hurried away.

They seemed relieved to ditch the troublesome situation.

The only ones left were me on the ground and the doctor.

“…Why are you here?”

Were they following me?

In normal crisis situations, it’s usually the protagonist who comes to save the day, yet it’s the doctor who showed up.

“I was on my way to Seo-Ah’s place. I did say I’d drop by soon, didn’t I? I didn’t expect to find you sprawled out on the ground like this.”

“So… if you have medicine, could you please give me some?”

“Here you go.”

The doctor took a pill from his bag and handed it to me.

I swallowed it with all my might as soon as I got it.

I felt my condition gradually improve.

As if nothing ever happened, my body started to feel normal again.

“Looks like it’s the graduation season at the Academy. Students are scrambling to get good grades right now.”

The doctor said.

“Ahaha…”

Well, by the time Yoo Seo-Ah dies, the protagonist must have moved up to high school.

They must be taking their middle school graduation exams right now.

“Do you think you can get up?”

“Yeah.”

I lifted my body.

Maybe it’s the medicine, but I felt a bit better.

I still felt nauseous, though.

“You took a punch imbued with magical power from a regular person… Well, if you report it to the Academy, you might receive some compensation.”

“Compensation?”

“Though, the chance that a mere Slums resident would be taken seriously is quite slim, so I wouldn’t recommend it.”

“Uh-huh…”

The disparity between the rich and the poor, an unseen class divide.

What an unreasonable world.

Some people are on the brink of dying without their medicine, while others can freely unleash violence.

“Anyway, let’s return to Seo-Ah’s place and have a chat. I brought some food from the market on the way, so we can eat together.”

“Wow.”

I feel like the doctor has never been this nice before.

But if he’s offering food, he must be a good person after all.

“And those Academy students… you’ll soon have a chance to meet them.”

“Huh?”

“I figured you’d want revenge.”

“Revenge?”

“Yes, doesn’t it make you mad? Being assaulted for no reason…” Seo-Ah, you’re surprisingly nice.”

Am I not upset?

To be honest, I really didn’t care.

Plus, with the medicine in me, I’m feeling good right now.

Oh, thinking about getting punched in the gut makes me a bit irritated, though.

The effects of the medicine wore off a bit, huh?

3 hours 56 minutes

After taking the medicine the doctor gave me, I felt somewhat recovered, but I hated that time had been slashed in half.

Thinking about it that way made a slight anger bubble up.

“Even if I wanted revenge, I don’t have the power. I’m just…”

“You can gain power if you want.”

“Huh?”

“There are medicines that can grant you powers similar to an Awakener’s. The only drawback is they can be quite addictive, but if you’re as disciplined as Seo-Ah, you shouldn’t have any issues using it.”

“I can get something like that?”

Medicine that can grant me an Awakener’s power, albeit addictive.

If such a thing exists, I’d want to try it at least once.

I can’t help but wonder what it would feel like to be an Awakener like Han Si-Hoo.

“I’ll provide it for you soon. You might even gain tremendous power that could rival Han Si-Hoo. They’ll all see just how great you are, Seo-Ah.”

“Wow.”

I don’t quite understand what it is, but it sounds exciting.

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