I Became the Drug-Addicted Childhood Friend

Translator: Elisia

Editor/Proofreader: SemiPickle

━━━━━━♡♥♡━━━━━━

There was something I needed to do before leaving the training grounds.

I put on a blindfold and carefully wrapped the bandages.

This way, I felt at ease.

I didn’t want to run into the kids who used to hit me back at the Academy.

Even if I did, it would be better if they couldn’t recognize me.

This was one of the widest buildings in the Academy.

It was where all the training facilities were gathered.

Although the chances of running into them seemed slim, you never know what might happen in life.

“Can I come to the training grounds anytime?”

“Normally, yes. But since you need the drug, it’s better to report to me before coming.”

That’s what they said.

“I’m temporarily in charge of the Special Class, so I’m not sure if the teacher will change, but for now, let me know.”

“Okay.”

“Also, don’t get too involved with the other students. You understand?”

I nodded.

I didn’t want to get involved anyway.

Talking to people was exhausting in itself.

[11 hours 13 minutes]

No time should be wasted.

“Anyway, morning class is over. Just come back here after lunch.”

“To the training grounds?”

“Yeah.”

The class was over.

Or rather, the test was.

“If anything happens while you’re out, you know what to do, right? Contact me right away.”

Not that anything could happen.

After saying goodbye to Lee Yu-Ram, I left the training grounds.

It felt good to walk around alone after so long.

Or maybe it was just because the drug was still affecting me.

[11 hours 5 minutes]

I wasn’t particularly hungry.

A single can of tuna would satisfy me.

Where should I go to eat?

The restaurant I went to with Han Si-Hoo last time seemed like a good choice.

There were restaurants inside the building too, but I wanted to eat outside.

The air was definitely better outside.

Even though it was class time, I saw a few students walking around.

They looked like upperclassmen.

One person stood out.

A boy with white hair.

“…Who is that?”

I quickly changed my direction and hid behind a nearby pillar.

Who was that?

I was sure I recognized him from my memory.

White hair.

-That white-haired bastard…

When was that from?

Who said that?

I definitely remembered someone saying it.

I had never seen white hair before.

-Why did that white-haired bastard send so many watchers?

I remembered.

That.

My stomach churned.

He was the reason I was beaten for no reason.

How hard did they hit me for the bruises to be that bad?

It had been a long time, but it had hurt a lot.

They said something about humanoid watchers as they hit me.

Luckily, a doctor had saved me.

But it wasn’t the white-haired guy who hit me.

So, there was no reason to hide.

I knew that in my head.

Still, I couldn’t help but be cautious.

But just standing behind the pillar like this was weird too.

I should do something.

I took out my device.

[Han Si-Hoo: Let’s have lunch together.]

Am I having lunch with him?

Yeah, it’s better to go with someone than to eat alone.

Maybe I had been acting too much like a loner.

I didn’t have any friends.

The wish to make friends at the Academy was probably not going to come true.

Not after being isolated in the Special Class.

[Okay.]

It’s better to eat together.

[I’ll be at the restaurant district.]

I should go since I had to eat something.

There shouldn’t be any problems.

“You.”

There was a problem.

The white-haired guy spoke to me.

If I said “Yes?” my act would be ruined.

“…What?”

I quickly corrected my tone.

“Are you a new student?”

The white-haired boy stood up from his seat.

Judging by the fact that he asked if I was a new student, he was at least in his second year or higher.

“Yes, I am.”

“I thought you recognized me.”

“What are you talking about?”

He’s a strange guy.

Maybe just avoiding him would have been the right choice.

I didn’t expect him to talk to me.

Warnings about weird people at the Academy echoed in my mind.

“Over there. Do you see that pigeon?”

He came closer and pointed to the top of a streetlight.

A pigeon was sitting there.

“It said it saw you hiding.”

Was that what a watcher was?

This is why Awakeners are so troublesome.

You never know what absurd things they might do.

Using a pigeon to watch? I never would have thought of that.

-…They warned about watchers, didn’t they?…

-But I hit them hard enough, so it should be fine.

-Who was it that warned about humanoid watchers?

The conversation from back then surfaced again.

I wasn’t feeling great.

“…I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

“It’s strange for a new student to be walking around at this time.”

It was only because I finished early due to being in the Special Class.

“With the blindfold, bandages, and that speech pattern…”

He seemed to pause, lost in thought for a moment.

“You’re kind of a pitiful kid, aren’t you?”

Pat.

He placed his hand on my head.

His expression was full of pity.

I wanted to brush his hand off, but I couldn’t move.

Could this be…

-[You cannot attack a target that hasn’t been designated by a higher rank.]

So, that’s what it meant.

“Hang in there.”

Pat, pat.

He patted my head as if praising me.

He must think that staying still means I’m okay.

“Girls don’t usually like being patted on the head. You’re not mad, right?”

That wasn’t the issue.

I couldn’t attack.

My arm felt as if it were weighed down by heavy metal whenever I tried to lift it.

Is it better than rampaging and destroying everything?

Still, this was a problem.

How long does this last?

I remember hearing something about it.

-[You cannot attack a target that hasn’t been designated by a higher rank.]

Before that message played, there was another one, like an explanation.

-It lasts only as long as the drug’s effect remains.

Only as long as the drug’s effect lasts.

So, once the effect wears off, it’ll be over.

[10 hours 53 minutes]

But the effect had to continue for now?

This isn’t good.

I need to find a solution.

Otherwise, I won’t even be able to resist if something happens.

“…What are you doing?”

I really didn’t understand what he was doing.

Acting like this to someone you’ve just met is rude, no matter who they are.

“What’s your name? I’m Seol Ha-Jin.”

He seemed to be warming up to me.

“You don’t need to know.”

“The problem with the Academy is that it brings in even the sick ones.”

He seemed to have mistaken me for someone sick and became more lenient.

Well, he wasn’t wrong.

But I wasn’t mentally ill.

“You’re here for lunch, right? I’ll buy it for you.”

“Don’t bother.”

“There’s no need to refuse. It’s on me, as your senior.”

This guy is stranger than I thought.

Even though I declined, he didn’t take no for an answer.

“I’m already meeting someone for lunch. It’s unnecessary.”

“For someone meeting someone, you’re awfully alone. You’re a new student, right? You probably don’t know anyone. I don’t know why you’re out so early, but did you leave early? Already?”

Seol Ha-Jin smoothly continued the conversation.

“Oh, it’s okay, it’s okay. If you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to. I knew someone like you. He had a hard time at the Academy too…”

This is going to be difficult.

For me, it was about avoiding people by putting on a mask.

“The Academy doesn’t accommodate the weak.”

His expression turned serious.

At this point, it seemed like he didn’t care how I reacted.

He was just saying whatever he wanted.

He definitely saw me as weak.

“Here.”

He grabbed my hand and started leading me toward the restaurant area.

“Ah, um…”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll buy everything. You can eat something good. What do you want?”

“……”

I didn’t even know what to say.

Keeping up this act is tiring if it drags on too long.

It was only meant to be used to ward people off.

But Seol Ha-Jin was actually getting friendlier.

Should I just make friends with him at this point?

No, that’s not right either.

“You don’t need to refuse, or better yet, don’t refuse. Here, sit.”

I sat down.

There was a table and chairs set up in the open space of the restaurant area.

I was the only one sitting.

No one else was around yet.

I wasn’t sure if this was normal for a first meeting.

I couldn’t retaliate, so what was I supposed to do?

Besides, his grip on my hand was so strong that I couldn’t pull away.

“It’s really not necessary. I already have someone to eat with…”

I sighed as I spoke.

“You don’t have to avoid me like that.”

Something was definitely off.

Seol Ha-Jin sat next to me and held up a menu.

“Here, choose.”

[10 hours 17 minutes]

The time had dropped significantly.

Talking to people was draining.

But Seol Ha-Jin was completely at ease.

“I’ll just-”

I tried to get up from my seat but failed.

He grabbed my shoulder.

“Pick. Anything.”

Bad memories started to resurface.

He wasn’t the one who hit me, but because of him, I was misunderstood.

“Don’t want to.”

“You have such a pretty way of speaking.”

“Ugh.”

My mask was starting to crack.

[10 hours 5 minutes]

The whole point was to keep people from approaching me.

But as soon as someone did, I failed.

“Don’t be so stiff.”

“Hic.”

He naturally draped his arm over my shoulder.

He’s a thug.

There’s no other way to describe him.

Lee Yu-Ram’s advice about not getting too involved with others came to mind.

This is probably what she was worried about.

“I’m just trying to help my poor underclassman-”

Thud.

A dull sound.

Seol Ha-Jin was hit and sent flying.

“What are you doing to my friend, Seol Ha-Jin?”

It was Han Si-Hoo.

Did they know each other?

Judging by how his fist flew first, they didn’t seem to be close.

“Han Si-Hoo? What are you…”

Seol Ha-Jin got up from the ground, his face twisted in pain.

Han Si-Hoo seemed angrier than usual.

He wasn’t normally the type to throw punches right away.

“I’m their lunch partner.”

“…Oh, really.”

Seol Ha-Jin looked at Han Si-Hoo, seeming intrigued.

“I see.”

It sounded like he was talking to himself.

“Are you from the slums too?”

He wasn’t looking at Han Si-Hoo, but at me, as he spoke.

A grin formed on his face, as if he found it amusing.

How did he figure that out?

Maybe Awakeners had some skill I didn’t know about.

Or did he just deduce it from the way Han Si-Hoo was defending me?

“Yeah, so stop messing around and get lost.”

Before I kill you.

I could hear Han Si-Hoo grinding his teeth. He seemed really angry.