I Became the Drug-Addicted Childhood Friend

Translator: Elisia

Editor/Proofreader: SemiPickle

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This is not a problem that can be solved with just a memory-erasing drug.

To begin with, it’s not such a simple drug either.

Therefore, additional work is necessary.

It’s not an option to not give Seo-Ah the drug.

Though her memory and body may recover to some extent with its reversal—issues like the dragon, addiction, and bodily scars remain unresolved.

There are still many problems to address.

Thus, Han Si-Hoo found a solution.

First, he decided to start with Seo-Ah’s memory.

This could be seen as a blasphemy against Seo-Ah.

Because it involves modifying her entire memory for Han Si-Hoo’s convenience.

“I’m sorry…”

Modifying memory is simple.

The critical moment is when she wakes up.

The time when Seo-Ah first regains consciousness.

That’s the most crucial period when she wonders what happened.

At that time, the situation must be properly explained.

In a way that Seo-Ah can understand.

So, Han Si-Hoo waited.

Waited until Seo-Ah opened her eyes again.

While ruminating repeatedly on what he had done.

Could this really be the right thing to do?

Seo-Ah had told him to do anything.

She had even said that she wanted it herself.

But was this truly the only way?

Really?

As long as Seo-Ah is in front of him, that’s enough.

But how far can such reasoning take him?

“Ah…”

He had prepared a speech.

Thought through how to explain the situation when Seo-Ah woke up.

Since he didn’t know how far back her memory would regress, he prepared various scenarios.

It’s far too deceitful.

But no other proper means appear to exist.

Except for slowly heading down a path of mutual destruction.

Seo-Ah knew this too.

She knew, and she entrusted it to Han Si-Hoo.

That it didn’t matter what happened to her.

To do whatever it took to overcome the situation.

So this choice must be the right one.

No matter the process, if the result is good.

If he can still give Seo-Ah happiness now.

“The drug… The envelope is intact.”

It looks as if it were prescribed at a hospital.

But what’s inside is not something a hospital would provide.

For now, Han Si-Hoo plans to play the role of a doctor.

To treat a sick friend with medicine.

Even if it’s a drug.

The feeling of handing drugs to his childhood friend with his own hands is the worst.

The worst.

Han Si-Hoo felt this deep in his bones.

But it’s an unavoidable matter.

He saw no other choice.

That’s why.

And then there’s another issue.

The dragon.

The visible physical change is the growth of horns.

But even those disappear when magic is absent.

Even if her memory is restored, dealing with the dragon is a separate problem.

The moment she transforms into a dragon, she loses a considerable amount of rationality.

However, the dragon’s unique healing ability is helpful.

Contact with magic restores her body.

It offsets much of the drug’s side effects as well.

But its unique addictiveness remains inevitable.

“The dragon… can be suppressed somehow.”

The method to remove it has not been found yet.

But suppression is possible.

He even acquired a magic-sealing device instead of a collar.

Though it’s magic-charged and trickier to use than a collar, it’s a less obtrusive necklace form.

It’s designed so it doesn’t look strange when worn outside.

“The scars…”

Damn bastards.

Ah, disgusting humans.

Every time he thought about it, curses escaped his lips.

Even if her memory is restored, she will inevitably see the scars.

So, this part has to depend on the drug as well.

If the drug works properly, it’s possible.

—The performance is perfect. We even have some stock left.

Where did he get such a good drug?

Han Si-Hoo saved many people.

Saved, and saved, and saved again…

Occasionally, there would be those who repaid his kindness.

And one day, he rescued a big name in the black market.

From there, some shady connections began to form.

Not exactly the most morally upright people.

When saving lives, he couldn’t afford to distinguish between good and bad people.

Getting drugs from the black market was difficult.

There were many kinds of drugs, but the ones Seo-Ah needed were hard to obtain.

However, there was a way.

He once saved a young girl.

Later, her parents sought him out.

They happened to run a munitions factory.

And they were notorious for corruption in military supplies.

They cherished their daughter so much that, as a reward for saving her, Han Si-Hoo could secure a significant supply of special drugs manufactured at their factory.

For the time being, the drug problem was resolved this way.

Anything is possible with enough connections and resources.

He wondered how such drugs even came to exist.

If one were to ask the original purpose of the memory-erasing drug, the answer is obvious.

It was mostly used for illegal purposes.

Why he came to use such a thing on Seo-Ah remains a troubling question.

***

I open my eyes.

I close them again.

I’m not great in the morning.

But I have to get up.

I open my eyes again.

Close them once more.

About five minutes seem to have passed.

I open my eyes and lift my body.

Another day, starting like usual.

A faint bit of light leaks through the ceiling.

Thankfully, it’s light and not rain.

I’m glad the weather is clear.

“Ugh…”

It feels like I had a long dream.

It’s an ordinary day, but it feels like it’s been ages since I last felt this way.

While waking up, I noticed Si-Hoo, who was already up.

He was in the kitchen, cooking something.

“Si-Hoo?”

“Oh, you’re up.”

“Hm…? Huh? Huh?”

Something feels off.

Si-Hoo feels different somehow.

“What? Why are you so tall?”

He was taller.

Much taller, it seemed.

“Time has passed.”

Si-Hoo answered.

If that’s what he said, then it must be true.

When did so much time pass?

Ah, my head hurts.

I don’t want to think about it.

What’s the problem?

“Is that so. What are you cooking?”

The counter seemed higher than usual.

Did I grow a little too?

Maybe because time passed.

When did all this time pass?

“Sandwiches.”

What Si-Hoo was making was a simple sandwich.

It looked delicious.

Better than the ones you get at convenience stores.

“…Aren’t the ingredients expensive?”

I worried about the cost of the ingredients first.

Where did he get them?

“Don’t worry about money.”

“Really?”

He must have earned some money from somewhere.

“Yeah.”

“Then, I’ll eat well.”

We sat at the table to eat.

Having breakfast together.

To be honest, breakfast used to be quite lacking.

Just enough for the two of us to share was sufficient.

But today was different.

It was a tasty breakfast.

Abundant and satisfying.

“What are you going to do today?”

I asked Si-Hoo.

I couldn’t quite recall what we did for fun yesterday.

Maybe we went on a long trip.

“What do you want to do?”

“I don’t know.”

Not knowing is why I asked him first.

It feels a bit different from usual, you know?

Suggesting we go out to play felt strange, as if I were speaking to someone unfamiliar.

It’s as if he’s grown too much.

It feels weird to think of playing childish games with someone who’s grown up.

It wasn’t like this yesterday.

What a strange day.

“Ah, what’s with this necklace?”

It was a simple necklace with a plain string I’d never seen before.

“A gift. You have to keep wearing it.”

“Okay!”

I decided I’d keep wearing it.

“A gift?”

“Nice.”

“Ah, huh? Si-Hoo.”

“Yeah?”

“Look, there’s a scar on your arm.”

I noticed it while eating.

“…Don’t worry about it. It’s nothing strange.”

“Okay.”

If Si-Hoo says so, then that’s how it is.

It’s not strange.

After all, who would think scars are strange?

Nobody would.

It’s natural and normal.

“Shall we go for a walk?”

“Let’s do that.”

We step outside.

Outside.

Dressing warmly.

Leaving the house.

Was this what our house always looked like?

Something feels different.

“…Is this really our house?”

Something feels off.

The atmosphere is the same as usual, but still.

“Yeah.”

He says it’s our house.

Then it must be.

“Still, something feels different around here. It’s our house, but it feels strange.”

I thought I knew the streets around our house well.

But something feels off.

Oddly enough, it feels both like home and not.

It doesn’t feel like our neighborhood.

“From now on, this is our neighborhood.”

“Okay.”

If Si-Hoo says so, then that’s how it is.

It’s not a big deal.

I hum a song without lyrics as I step out the door.

“Ah, before that.”

Si-Hoo speaks as if he just remembered something.

He goes back inside the house.

“Why?”

“You need to take your medicine.”

“Medicine?”

What medicine is he talking about?

I’m not sick.

Not at all.

Is it medicine for Si-Hoo?

“It’s cold medicine. Prevention is important.”

He hands it to me.

“I’m not sick though? Is this from the relief shelter?”

“Relief shelter… Yeah.”

Si-Hoo’s demeanor feels more subdued than usual.

Something is off.

“What’s wrong? Are you worried about something?”

I ask with a smile.

Si-Hoo seems strange today.

“I’m sorry. There’s nothing to worry about.”

“Why are you sorry?”

There’s no reason to be.

“You’re acting strange today. Everything feels off.”

“Nothing’s off.”

Right.

If he says so, then that’s how it is.

Everything is normal.

“Yeah. Nothing’s off at all.”

I smiled brightly.

Si-Hoo looked surprised for a moment.

A face that seemed burdened by guilt.

But nothing was off.

“Ah, right. I remembered what we did yesterday. We went treasure hunting. Where did you put the treasure we found?”

The treasure was just bits of glass we picked up in the playground sand.

Tattered scraps of cloth or bottle caps.

It’s fun to collect those things.

If you think of it as treasure, then it’s treasure.

If you call it a gem, then it becomes a gem.

“Treasure hunting… Oh, that…”

“I think we put it in a drawer.”

“Ah, wait, don’t open it.”

“Huh? Okay.”

Si-Hoo must have stored the treasure properly, so there’s no need to check.

“Then let’s go treasure hunting again today.”

It’s just continuing the game we played yesterday.

But it’s so strange.

“By the way, it was summer yesterday.”

Today, it’s winter.

Seasons change so quickly, huh.

I didn’t know.

“…Well, I guess it doesn’t matter. Let’s just go out and play already.”

A perfectly ordinary day.

Except for the fact that Si-Hoo doesn’t seem very happy.

Otherwise, it’s completely normal.

“You need to take your medicine.”

“I don’t have a cold. And the relief shelter said not to take medicine randomly.”

“This is preventive. Here.”

A pill.

A glass of water.

“Th-That…”

I can’t.

I can’t take that.

The medicine…

I’m not good with pills…

“You know I can’t swallow pills very well.”

That’s the thing.

It’s hard to swallow.

That’s why I only take powdered medicine.

“Ah.”

Si-Hoo pauses for a moment, as if lost in thought.

Did he forget?

It feels a bit disappointing.

But it’s fine.

I got a necklace as a gift today, so.

There’s nothing to feel disappointed about.

“Anyway, let’s just go to the relief shelter later to get new medicine. It’s not urgent, right?”

Nothing is urgent.

It’s just a peaceful, ordinary day.