NOVEL FROG Chapter 7
“Tell me right now what the hell you did.”
If you say it like that, it makes it sound like something happened to me.
It feels weird.
“I didn’t do anything.”
“Mind control?”
Han Si-Hoo continued with his wild assumptions.
Goodness, mind control?
Of course, it’s understandable to suspect when a childhood friend suddenly starts acting strange.
But I didn’t just suddenly act strange, did I?
I’ve been weird for a while now, and he just didn’t notice.
“I just prescribed some appropriate medicine.”
“…Is it drugs?”
“For patients in serious condition, sometimes we need to administer narcotic medications, right? Seo-A.”
“Yes.”
I am indeed a serious patient.
If I hadn’t used the medicine, I would have quietly died alone.
[99 hours 45 minutes]
The effects of the medicine still had a long way to go.
I feel great.
It’s like all my senses are on fire.
Everything I see is like an entertaining movie, and even the smoky air tastes delicious.
“You bastard.”
Han Si-Hoo bites his lip.
Maybe it’s because I’m here that he can’t attack recklessly.
He’s always been face-to-face with me, and now he’s caught off guard since I’m being held hostage.
Of course, I’m not really a hostage.
“If your friend was that precious to you, you should have protected her better, shouldn’t you? This is how you learn your lesson.”
Yeah, keep her safe next time.
“……”
Han Si-Hoo has a belief that he can protect everyone.
A protagonist-like belief.
But he ditched his childhood friend.
Why did that happen?
If he could protect everyone, why did he throw away Yoo Seo-A?
Was it because it was bothersome?
Or did he just get tired of it?
She’s the only friend who remembers him from when they were kids, so why couldn’t he protect her?
“Oh, did you say we’re not friends anymore? Well, that’s that.”
He cut ties for five million won.
So I guess that makes us not friends.
Han Si-Hoo is upholding his beliefs.
He really is a protagonist.
“Let Seo-A go right now. Or else—”
“Haha, anytime.”
The doctor’s hand that was on my shoulder dropped.
What’s the point of letting go if the situation doesn’t change?
He just stands there, still.
It’s ridiculous.
Does Han Si-Hoo really think I’m on his side?
That I’m just a hostage the doctor brought?
That can’t be true.
“It would be good for you to have an honest conversation, but unfortunately, Seo-A seems to be having a hard time speaking because of the medicine.”
The doctor said.
“Shut up.”
Han Si-Hoo must think I’ve been done in by the doctor somehow.
Does he think I can’t talk because of the doctor too?
“Hehe.”
A strange chuckle escapes me.
For some reason, my speech feels tangled, like I’m drunk.
But I think I could still force myself to talk if I really wanted to.
“Seo-A, come over here.”
Han Si-Hoo called me.
“Huh?”
“Yes, Seo-A. You can go to Si-Hoo.”
“Okay.”
Responding like that, I walked toward Si-Hoo.
With every step closer, my murderous intent rises.
“Seo-A, remember what I said?”
“Yes~”
That’s right.
Everything is the protagonist’s fault.
If I kill the protagonist, I can keep getting this medicine.
I must kill Han Si-Hoo.
I must kill him.
How?
By becoming an Awakener.
By using the medicine.
If I was worried about addiction, it’s already too late.
If possible, I want to live my whole life intoxicated by this medicine.
What’s wrong with carrying the title of a drug addict?
I don’t have to care about how others see me.
It’s so much fun.
I want to kill Han Si-Hoo.
I feel an unknown sense of omnipotence.
Of course, logically, I shouldn’t be able to be omnipotent, but I’ve gained a confidence that I can do things I never even imagined before.
“Han Si-Hoo.”
I paused my steps and called the protagonist’s name.
“…Seo-A?”
“Are you enjoying being the lone protagonist? Haha.”
I tried to suppress a laugh, but I just couldn’t.
It’s fun.
I’m having so much fun I wonder if I’ve ever had this much energy since coming to this world.
My senses are so heightened that I feel like I can even read the thoughts of the other person.
Not quite their thoughts, but I can see the emotions they’re feeling.
Han Si-Hoo is clearly anxious.
“Seo-A, you’re acting weird because of the medicine. Let’s go, you’ll be fine after treatment.”
But I’m already being treated, right?
And I’m totally fine.
Not just okay, but feeling great.
“…I’m in my right mind.”
My mind is clearer than ever.
Everything I see and hear, all my senses are coming through vividly.
And I want to kill Han Si-Hoo right in front of me.
He’s been annoying me for a while now.
I feel like I could fight him anytime.
I could kill him.
There’s no way I’m a fool enough to charge at the protagonist, right?
Call me a fool if you want.
It feels good to feel my heart race in preparation for a fight.
I don’t care if he’s an Awakener or the protagonist.
With this medicine, I can do anything.
Can I kill him?
Even if I’m under the influence of the medicine, I’m in my right mind.
I won’t act foolishly like the Yoo Seo-A from the novel.
I can fight properly.
“Seo-A, get a grip.”
Han Si-Hoo stood there with his sword steady.
I wish I had something like that.
A strong, cool weapon.
What I admired was the protagonist cutting down enemies with a cool weapon.
Not a beaten-up Yoo Seo-A.
It would be great to smash everything that gets in the way of the protagonist.
I’ve never been interested in sad stories about a childhood friend.
I want to be the protagonist.
So…
Oh medicine,
Please grant me a sword as well.
Then, the sword appeared.
Fwish!
A black sword appeared in my hand.
A foreboding, dark energy swirled around it.
“What the?!”
Han Si-Hoo is bewildered.
I guess he finds it amazing how the sword suddenly appeared in my hand.
Would he believe me if I said the medicine made the sword?
“Black magical power…?”
Han Si-Hoo muttered something.
“Haha, it seems Seo-A wants to fight Si-Hoo. I’ll handle the pesky ones, so feel free to have your chat.”
The doctor said that and then vanished somewhere.
He probably went to the academy people who were following Han Si-Hoo.
I swung the sword that the medicine granted me.
The blade blended seamlessly into the dark evening landscape.
Swish.
I slashed towards the spot where Han Si-Hoo had just been standing.
What I cut down was an innocent sapling.
Maybe it was planted by someone from the academy?
Considering how easily I sliced through it, the cutting power is immense.
“Yoo Seo-A, put that down.”
“Hehe.”
Slash.
This time the sword split through the dirt mound.
I’m a completely ordinary person who has never learned swordsmanship.
Let alone my fundamentally lacking physical abilities.
But there’s no need to worry.
The medicine will solve all my problems.
“With the medicine.”
“Huh?”
“It’s okay.”
The black energy envelops my body.
This is what they call magical power.
The color of magical power each individual handles can vary greatly.
Since I took the black medicine, black magical power dances around me.
A fundamental strength that every Awakener can handle.
The biggest difference between an ordinary person and an Awakener.
Even the sword I hold is made entirely of magical power.
What will happen when magical power envelops my body?
According to the stories, it enhances the body’s capabilities.
Crack!
The sword I swung grazed the base of a tree.
My posture may be clumsy, but I’m getting faster.
I noticed Han Si-Hoo’s expression darken.
“Ahaha.”
The doctor’s words about fighting being more enjoyable turned out to be true.
Is it because it’s a military organization’s medicine? The effects are incredible.
It feels as though I’m synchronizing with the Awakener medicine.
My body instinctively craved to fight.
Clang.
Han Si-Hoo’s sword blocked mine effortlessly.
Even with magical enhancement, I still lost in strength.
I guess being the protagonist really does come with its perks.
Or perhaps it could be that Yoo Seo-A has never fought before.
“Sorry, just bear with me for a moment.”
Han Si-Hoo delivered a downward strike with his sword on my arm.
Crack.
“Huh?”
I heard a sound as though something was breaking from my arm.
Did it really break?
I dropped the sword I had been holding.
The sword flew through the air and embedded itself into the earth.
Thud.
After that, I got knocked back into the ground.
The dust of the ground stirred a little.
“Ahh…”
Falling down feels rather nice.
Even the pain transformed into a different pleasure that entered my brain.
It wouldn’t be surprising if I had fainted when my arm broke, but I smiled like nothing happened.
“Sorry.”
“Haha.”
“I should’ve realized when you started acting weird.”
“Hahaha.”
Even if I had realized back then, it would have been too late.
Now I don’t care about it anymore.
I just want to use more of the medicine.
[83 hours 12 minutes]
It seems a lot of time has passed, maybe because I was using the power of the medicine.
Perhaps Han Si-Hoo playing the hero and breaking my right arm contributed too.
I’m conflicted.
If I fight, the effects of the medicine will decrease.
If I kill Han Si-Hoo, I’ll get free medicine for life.
“Hah, not yet.”
My resolve to kill Han Si-Hoo reignited.
It doesn’t matter that the medicine’s effects may wear off a bit.
The joy of fighting is incredibly substantial.
It feels like fireworks are going off in my brain.
Fwish!
Magical power emitted from my not-yet-injured left hand.
A smaller, sharper form of a sword materialized than before.
Sniff!
The protagonist spun away and dodged the blade.
Even though I was close, he managed to avoid the attack without any issue.
“Are you going to break my other arm too?”
I looked at my right arm that was barely moving and spoke.
If I lost the use of both arms, I’d have to wrap a bandage around my mouth.
“……”
“Or will you not break it?”
Well, that would be good for me.
“Drop the sword. There’s no need for us to fight at all.”
The protagonist took a step back and said.
On the surface, it seemed there was no need to fight.
To be honest, I’m so dazed from the medicine that I don’t quite know what’s going on.
Although my killing intent is blazing.
“Hahaha.”
I approached Han Si-Hoo with the sword in my left hand.
I know.
Given Han Si-Hoo’s skill, he could slice down anything at this distance.
But he’s not doing it.
It’s not that he can’t kill me.
Han Si-Hoo has experience killing people.
It’s just because he’s my childhood friend that he hesitates to raise his hand.
“I’m sorry… I’ll rescue you soon.”
He’s saying some strange things.
If he wants to save me, he should die in my hands.
As long as I have the medicine, everything will be fine.
“Are you going to give me the medicine?”
“Huh?”
“No way.”
Then there’s no reason not to fight.
Like a true protagonist, he must fight me with a sword.
Han Si-Hoo looks at me with an expression that says he doesn’t understand.
I wonder why he’s looking at me like that with such a guilty conscience.
Everyone who hasn’t felt this sensation is pitiful.
Anyone who experiences the medicine at least once could understand me.
“-Si-Hoo!”
A girl’s voice called out.
The onlookers have already arrived.
How bothersome.