I Became the Childhood Friend of a D*ug Dealer

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A long, long day has come to an end.

It was good just being with Si-Hoo.

There wasn’t any special income, but it felt like I became closer to Si-Hoo.

I was in a really good mood.

Ding!

That was before the message arrived.

I don’t know who is playing tricks with annoying past nonsense.

It’s all forgotten history.

It’s over.

I haven’t seen the video yet.

I don’t even need to.

What happens to him isn’t my fault, right?

I did my best to keep the promise.

I tried everything to get him out of the laboratory but just failed.

It’s not my responsibility.

I know that I’m not living up to the name of a Saint.

But that’s just because I have white hair; it’s a nickname based on my healing skills.

It’s meaningless.

“…Ah…”

How annoying.

This is why I dislike meeting people.

Annoying me with a text is really too much.

I don’t even know why someone is doing this.

But I guess I have to check.

What could it be?

This time it’s a photo instead of a link.

“Si-Hoo’s photo…?”

Two people in academy uniforms.

Si-Hoo, and next to him, a girl wearing an eye patch.

They are captured in a photo eating together.

“…Huh?”

I hit play on the video.

A girl sitting in a chair appears.

It’s the same person.

Honestly, I didn’t need to check the video.

She looks just like the girl in my memories.

I just want to deny it desperately.

I think that if I deny it hard enough, it’ll just disappear.

“Why is Si-Hoo with her…?”

Has it really been about two months since I met Si-Hoo?

Actually, we aren’t that close.

We are definitely not at the level of digging into past stories.

We were just starting to get close.

Ding!

– Si-Hoo is friends with Seo-Ah.

“Friends?”

I try to send a reply.

– Who are you?

Who could it be?

Someone who would do this kind of thing.

Why are they bringing this up now after all this time?

How do they know about Si-Hoo’s past?

I don’t like it.

I don’t even want to think about old times.

Still, there are times when one has to confront things head-on.

Avoiding it won’t solve anything.

“Yeah, I can just watch the video…”

I really don’t want to see it.

The video was filmed half a year ago.

It’s a miracle that she was alive up to that point.

She should have been dead a long time ago.

Especially since she’s tangled up with Si-Hoo, which makes it even worse.

My head is spinning.

The thing I dislike most is people digging up the past.

I see the girl sitting in the chair, Seo-Ah.

A single chair in an empty room.

It doesn’t look like a place where an experiment is taking place.

“There’s no sound.”

It must be a surveillance camera; it’s an unavoidable part of it.

I should at least be thankful that the video has color.

The video starts, and after a moment, a person who looks like a researcher comes in.

The researcher gestures for Seo-Ah to follow.

Seo-Ah follows.

And then she disappears from the screen.

There’s nothing left except for the chair.

I feel unnecessarily anxious.

“What is this…?”

The camera angle is awkward.

It doesn’t show the whole room, making it frustrating.

Something is happening outside of the frame.

Blood splattered.

From the direction the researcher took Seo-Ah.

And it’s stuck in that state.

The video plays for about three more minutes before something changes.

It seems someone is walking back.

A shadow of a person is visible.

Seo-Ah is caught on screen.

Covering her eyes with one hand, she staggers as she looks for the chair.

“Um…”

She gropes around and finds the chair.

She struggles because the chair is turned the wrong way.

She sits down, her head bowed.

And then nothing happens.

I have no idea what happened to her.

They must have sent me this video deliberately.

Why?

“Hah.”

Has she injured her eyes?

That’s unfortunate.

So what?

What am I supposed to do?

It’s a thing of the past.

Just bury it.

– But are you that desperate? Choosing to take the drug was your choice, wasn’t it?

I remember the conversation I had with Seo-Ah.

– No. A choice? No. It’s true, but… no.

I said it with a smile.

The Seo-Ah in the video was smiling too.

Even though she’s covering her eyes, she’s smiling.

Why?

Why is she smiling?

– So, what are you going to do when you get better?

– I’ll play with my friends.

She smiled again.

I wondered who that friend was; could it be Si-Hoo?

It must be.

I don’t get it.

What could Si-Hoo possibly see in this drug addict to be friends with her?

Damn it.

Damn it.

Damn it.

Damn it.

I chuckle.

I inject the drug into my arm.

I feel more at ease.

I start to calm down.

Honestly, I can’t really criticize her for being a drug addict.

I use it sometimes too.

Oh well.

We do look alike.

That girl Seo-Ah looks a lot like me.

I’m thankful she’s there instead of me.

I might have been in that position.

My mind begins to clear.

I feel like I’m calming down a bit.

“Hmm. That’s a strange hairstyle.”

Is it just a bob that’s grown out a little?

Well, considering it’s a laboratory, it’s understandable she hasn’t been able to groom herself properly…

“Does Si-Hoo like bobs more?”

My hair may be too long.

Maybe I should change my style next time.

The video is still playing.

But I don’t care.

Whether I’ve got blood on my eyes or I’m gagging from spitting out cigarette butts, I don’t care.

She’s probably dead by now anyway.

You’ve had your fun with me already, right?

I’d be more useful to Si-Hoo than you would be.

This video isn’t going to change anything.

I have a rough idea of who sent it.

It means someone was close to Si-Hoo.

Well, that’s something I can use too.

– I’ll contact you later.

That was the text Si-Hoo left.

– If you find out anything or something happens, let me know.

From just the text, it seems very businesslike.

But things will change now.

Thinking back, I don’t seem to have forgotten Seo-Ah.

If that’s so, I’ll help find her.

That’s it.

We can go find her together.

I can simply say I’ll help find her.

Should I just send the video to Si-Hoo?

We’ll look for Seo-Ah together.

For all intents and purposes, we might not find her, but we’ll be together while trying.

If we confirm she’s dead… well, we can comfort each other and become closer.

It’s a perfect plan.

I don’t attend the Academy, so I don’t know the details.

I don’t even know how things ended up this way.

I want to hear about the past.

No, I have to.

How?

There must be parts where they avoid mentioning the past.

Should I just ask casually, attributing it to the Saint’s abilities to sense it?

Yeah, I was too hasty.

If Si-Hoo asks how I knew he was connected to Seo-Ah, it would be hard to explain.

Even if I ask how he knows Seo-Ah.

Hmm.

If I think about it, the answer might come out.

Maybe they won’t send me another video?

Actually, I never planned to use it like this.

I was trying to save her.

I told her to hold out for a month.

I’d treat her severe drug addiction, whatever it was.

But I didn’t know where she was.

I’d searched all the labs I knew.

When she didn’t show up, I thought she must be dead.

“…Could she still be alive?”

If that’s the case, she really is resilient.

Well, experiments have their limits too.

They might have just kept her alive enough not to die.

“Hmm…”

What if Seo-Ah meets Si-Hoo while still alive?

It could be troublesome.

It’d be direct evidence that I’m involved.

“I doubt it.”

The video was from half a year ago.

Even if she isn’t dead, she can’t be in her right mind.

My head is a mess.

“…Hahaha. This is really annoying.”

I can’t figure it out at all.

Why is she friends with a drug addict when Si-Hoo is supposed to be her friend?

I just don’t understand.

Uh.

Should I change my hairstyle for now?

To a bob.

Sure.

I should make it as similar to Seo-Ah as possible—no, if I go too obvious, she might notice.

Let’s cut it just halfway.

And while I’m at it, I’ll casually bring up Seo-Ah.

Si-Hoo seems to have a lot of girls around him.

But he doesn’t seem to have a special interest in any of them.

Was it because of Seo-Ah?

What’s the sender’s intention behind this?

What are they trying to achieve by telling me that Si-Hoo is friends with Seo-Ah?

Do they think I’m going to feel guilty about it?

Of course, it’s pathetic.

But there’s nothing I can do about it.

“Should I ask them on the phone?”

Then.

Ring ring.

I dial the number that sent the message.

I think about it and wonder why I haven’t done this sooner.

I should have done it earlier.

Oh.

They picked up.

“Hello?”

[Yes.]

A girl’s voice?

“Who are you that sends these things to me?”

[Ah, are you the Saint? ]

“What do you want?”

[Uh, please save Seo-Ah.]

“What?”

[She should still be stuck in the laboratory.]

“Who are you? What do you expect me to believe…”

But can I believe them?

They seem to know everything and sent the video and pictures.

This could be a good opportunity to use this information.

[Seo-Ah is just waiting for you, Saint.]

The voice sounds strangely flat.

Who are they?

Well, it could just be voice modulation or something.

“…Where do I need to go?”

[I’ve sent you the address.]

“Wait, so… is she alive?”

[Yes. So, please save her.]

“Alright. I’ll try, but… where did you get the video and the photos? Do you have more?”

[Oh, I can give you more if you want.]

“You… are you an insider in the facility?”

[That’s kind of accurate.]

I don’t know who they are.

They might be trying to set me up.

Being a Saint is definitely something to be coveted.

But isn’t it okay if I’m with Si-Hoo?

I think so.

Even if I get caught, Si-Hoo will surely come to save me somehow.

“Alright. I understand. I just have to go save her.”

How silly.

I can’t help but laugh.

[Yes.]

Click.

The call ends.

Did they laugh?

I have no idea what they’re up to but this is entertaining.

Anyway, it’s good.

Now I have a solid reason to become involved with Si-Hoo.

Is it a trap?

Probably.

Are they trying to scheme against me?

Ding!

The address arrives via text.

I have to go all the way out of the city.

It’s quite a distance.

Well, that’s fine.

I feel happy thinking I can travel a long way with Si-Hoo.

Will there be another chance like this?

Even if Seo-Ah’s aliveness is true, well, that part will get sorted out somehow.

Ah, I feel a bit relieved.

It’s been about two weeks since I last took the drug.

It felt good to use it after a long time.

“Hmm… What should I say to Si-Hoo?”

Let’s think about it.

I need a good excuse.

“Should I say it’s data I discovered while raiding a government facility? That sounds good. Yeah.”

Let’s go with that.

“There’s someone who looks like your friend… and… Uh, yeah. That sounds good.”

I want to stick around with Si-Hoo as long as possible.

It feels a bit too hasty to go straight to the address given.

Hmm.

While pondering, a plausible plan came together.

“Alright. Sounds good.”

Perfect.