I Became the Drug-Addicted Childhood Friend

Translator: Elisia

Editor/Proofreader: SemiPickle

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Utmost deception.

I summon Seo-Ah from the past and manipulate her as I please.

What if someone other than Han Si-Hoo did this?

She couldn’t even take pills before.

That’s how it was in the past.

It was strange to inject a syringe as if it were normal.

Seo-Ah used to be afraid of syringe needles.

I suggested taking the medicine later and went for a walk.

It’s deceit.

The walking path feels awkward to Han Si-Hoo as well.

Though everything is falling apart, this place is entirely different from the old house.

And if you compare, this area is closer to the countryside.

“Everything feels unfamiliar. Something’s off.”

That was Seo-Ah’s impression.

The walk ended.

Truthfully, everything is unfamiliar to Han Si-Hoo as well.

“Why do you have bandages… What’s this?”

After a short walk, we returned home.

I had wrapped bandages around Seo-Ah’s body to keep her from noticing the scars.

And once again, I continue the deception.

“It’s nothing.”

When I say that, Seo-Ah accepts it.

Because of the drugs.

When a duck is born, it assumes the first thing it sees is its mother.

Seo-Ah is similar.

She believes and accepts everything Han Si-Hoo says.

“Can I take this off?”

“No, not yet. I’ve called someone to treat you… Keep it on until then.”

“Okay. But am I hurt somewhere?”

She is hurt.

It’s hard to say exactly where or how.

“You’ll be fine soon.”

“I don’t remember getting hurt.”

That memory has been erased by Han Si-Hoo.

For convenience.

“You’re definitely worrying about something, aren’t you?”

Saying no would be a lie.

Han Si-Hoo closed his mouth.

“Tell me. I’ll take care of it for you.”

It’s been a long time since I’ve heard something like that.

Honestly, by age, Han Si-Hoo might be older.

Though the exact age is unknown, it feels odd for Yoo Seo-Ah to call herself his older sister.

“Ah, why are you like this? Huh? You just need to talk. I always tell you when I have concerns.”

We need to communicate with each other.

Seo-Ah knew this very well.

For friends to remain friends.

For a family to act like family, they need to talk.

Not one-sided deceit.

Maybe that was the problem from the beginning.

Everything went wrong when I started hiding the truth from Seo-Ah.

Thinking I could handle everything alone.

Believing I had to keep Seo-Ah out of danger.

It was well-intentioned.

But twisted goodwill is no different from malice.

“Si-Hoo! Why? Huh? Is it because of me? Did I do something weird? You said earlier there was nothing strange.”

Seo-Ah urged me to speak quickly.

But I can’t tell her the truth.

I’m not even sure what the truth is anymore.

Knowing the truth wouldn’t help anyway.

It’s not a problem that can be solved by understanding it.

“I’ll tell you later.”

That’s the best response I could come up with.

I’ll explain once everything is over.

Once it’s all resolved, I’ll tell her then.

“…You’re dealing with something tough, aren’t you?”

As if she’s figured out at least that much, Seo-Ah nodded.

“Yeah…”

Han Si-Hoo replied absentmindedly.

It’s tough.

So tough that I question if my judgment is falling apart.

I just want to be with Seo-Ah.

Others were the ones who ruined her.

For reasons I couldn’t understand.

But now it’s my turn.

As if telling me to destroy her with my own hands.

“You can do it. With time, it will surely resolve itself. I’m here with you.”

She encourages me.

With a smile.

“Yeah.”

“I like that about you. Working hard. Not giving up.”

It’s been a long time since Seo-Ah praised me.

I feel like I should be happy, but I’m not.

Something feels cold in my chest.

“Thanks to you, I always rely on you.”

It’s not uncommon for Seo-Ah to say such things.

She often thanked me when we were young.

But it’s been a while since I last heard it.

“So, if you have concerns, share them. It’s good to rely on each other.”

That’s possible only in an equal relationship.

But now, it’s just a one-sided advantage for Han Si-Hoo.

Only Seo-Ah doesn’t realize it.

Han Si-Hoo couldn’t bring himself to say anything.

If I say there’s no problem, Seo-Ah will believe it.

From her perspective, it’s an endless series of absurd events.

But she accepts everything because Han Si-Hoo said so.

When you think about it, it’s terrifying.

Han Si-Hoo controls Yoo Seo-Ah’s worldview to the point of altering common sense.

Every word must be chosen carefully.

There’s nothing I can confide to Seo-Ah here.

“…It’s fine.”

“Okay. If you say so, then it must be.”

Seo-Ah seemed reassured and didn’t ask further.

Clearly, Han Si-Hoo has twisted Seo-Ah’s way of thinking.

But it’s necessary.

To prevent Seo-Ah from being shocked.

Suddenly, the thought crosses my mind—Isn’t this just brainwashing?

Manipulating my childhood friend however I want.

Erasing all bad memories, leaving only a happy Seo-Ah.

Because if Seo-Ah is happy, Han Si-Hoo will be happy too.

What if Seo-Ah finds out someday?

It’s already precarious enough.

So I have to finish this quickly.

I must cure Seo-Ah.

“…Someone will come to treat you soon.”

For now, I need to use the Saintess.

***

The Saintess can cure almost anything.

Although she wasn’t thrilled about being dragged here by force, she agreed to help Yoo Seo-Ah.

“She’s not at the level of drug addiction…”

That was her conclusion after examining Seo-Ah.

Seo-Ah was peacefully sleeping.

“You can at least remove the scars, right?”

“Wow…”

She checked something with her skill.

The more she examined Seo-Ah, the darker her expression became.

The Saintess shares responsibility too.

After all, she was the one who handed Seo-Ah over to the laboratory.

“Why?”

“You gave her the reset drug, didn’t you?”

“Yeah.”

“I hate to say this, but… Is this really something you should do to a close friend?”

The Saintess also harbored doubts.

From an ethical standpoint, it didn’t seem like the right thing to do.

“You’re one to talk, trying to manipulate my memories.”

The Saintess, who once tried to distort his memories of Seo-Ah.

“Sorry, but what you’ve done isn’t much different…”

A human who tried to manipulate memories.

Han Si-Hoo succeeded at memory manipulation better than anyone else.

Far more severely than the Saintess ever did.

“Just get on with the treatment.”

“Okay.”

She erased the scars.

“[Partial Healing].”

Erasing, and erasing again.

“I wondered why you were so desperate to remove the scars…”

Even the Saintess felt pity every time she looked at Seo-Ah.

It was worse than what the laboratory had done to her.

Perhaps because the Saintess was a valuable asset, they hadn’t marked her body with graffiti-like scars.

But Seo-Ah was treated differently.

“Well, I managed to erase all the visible scars.”

The scars were completely removed.

“But this is just the surface. There’s so much mixed in her system that I can’t fully heal her.”

It doesn’t feel like treating a human being.

It’s reminiscent of the time I tried treating a monster.

“Can you restore her eyes to normal?”

“If I force it, it’s possible, but… This isn’t even in the realm of treatment anymore. It’s the symptom of transforming into a dragon, isn’t it? You said antler-like horns are appearing too. You’re suppressing it with mana control, right?”

“For now.”

“One thing… Can I try something?”

The Saintess had an idea.

Both to help Yoo Seo-Ah and to satisfy her curiosity.

“What do you want to do?”

“Think of it as inner penetration, like what I did to you…”

“No.”

Of course not.

Han Si-Hoo vividly remembered the Saintess’s attempt to ruin his memories.

He immediately refused.

“I understand if you don’t trust me, but you can come along too. You’d get the most direct view of Seo-Ah’s condition.”

There’s no method more certain than this.

“…Fine, do it.”

“Alright then. [Begin Treatment!]”

*Bwoong.*

With the sound of space distorting, the surroundings changed.

“In this space, you usually see a reflection of the patient’s memories or inner world. The moving figures are typically representations of the patient’s self or subconscious.”

Sometimes, as in Han Si-Hoo’s case, figures from memories move independently.

I saw the Seo-Ah within her own memories.

For family or close friends, they can sometimes appear actively in someone else’s memories.

“It’s dark.”

As expected.

The inner world was simply dark.

This type of patient often has such a world.

Besides, she’s asleep, so it’s only natural.

It might be best to explore Seo-Ah’s memories first.

“Wait, someone’s there.”

Han Si-Hoo scanned the area ahead cautiously.

It’s Seo-Ah’s world, but not Seo-Ah herself.

“Who’s… Oh, that’s…”

Soon, the figure became clear.

Han Si-Hoo.

But it was the Han Si-Hoo constructed in Seo-Ah’s consciousness.

“Is that… me?”

Since Seo-Ah existed in Han Si-Hoo’s world, it wasn’t strange for Han Si-Hoo to exist in hers.

The false Han Si-Hoo opened his mouth.

“Ah, hello, Han Si-Hoo. Have you seen the ending?”

He spoke incomprehensibly.

The false Han Si-Hoo smiled.

“What?”

“Not yet? By now, you should be nearing the final stage. You must’ve killed the doctor, destroyed the giant corporations, and halted the government’s functions… And you’ve stopped the attempts to strip away the Awakeners’ powers, right?”

“What are you talking about?”

This was Han Si-Hoo as he appeared in Seo-Ah’s world.

Was this how Seo-Ah imagined Han Si-Hoo?

“…It’s strange. Another entity appearing before the patient herself is highly unusual.”

The Saintess murmured.

The false Han Si-Hoo glanced at the Saintess and smirked as if amused.

“What’s this? The Saintess? Is that what you looked like?”

“You… You know me?”

The Saintess was taken aback.

All the entities appearing in Seo-Ah’s world are confined to her own knowledge.

She shouldn’t know the Saintess.

Perhaps the doctor had told her.

“Anyway, Han Si-Hoo, it doesn’t seem like you’ve succeeded in anything I mentioned. You’re utterly inefficient. If you want to correct your mistakes even now, kill Yoo Seo-Ah.”

Could he be a manifestation of the drugs?

It’s clear the false Han Si-Hoo is an incomprehensible existence.

“You need to head straight for the goal. Don’t live like a parasite barely clinging to life, like Seo-Ah.”

Was this truly how Seo-Ah perceived Han Si-Hoo?

It’s strange.

Utterly twisted.

“No, it’s not.”

“What do you mean, no? You can’t afford to have that attitude. Seo-Ah wants you to be the hero who saves the world.”

“……”

“She’s always felt that way since you were kids. Her hopes for you never wavered. She even considered suicide for your sake… So what are you doing? Get it together. You have to create a happy ending.”