I Became the Drug-Addicted Childhood Friend

“No.”

I shook off his hand just as the word “purification” began to escape his lips.

“Shihu, you’ll die.”

Your body’s already weak. If you force something like that, it’ll be disastrous.

“You can’t die.”

I know you’re already pushing yourself too hard. You’re too kind. Even after everything, you’re still trying to save me. But what’s the point if you die in the process?

“...And yet, you’re the one always ready to die so easily.”

Shihu’s voice was quiet, but I could sense the anger in it.

“I-I don’t want to die either. But things keep getting worse. At this point, it’s just better that I die, but you… you’re different.”

Boom.

The ground shook as monsters stomped closer, their growls echoing in the air. They were the ones that emerged from the gate I just opened.

Even the awakened who had been attacking me turned their attention to the monsters. For the first time in a long while, we had a moment without interference.

“What do you mean, ‘different’?”

“Huh?”

“I don’t want to live either.”

“What?”

I never expected to hear that from Shihu. Aren’t you supposed to be the one who never gives up? The protagonist of this story?

“You have to be here.”

“W-What? Me?”

You need me?

“It’s better if I die and you survive.”

“W-What are you talking about? Someone like me living is worse than—”

“Do you hate me?”

Hate you? If I hated you, would I have done all this?

“No. I don’t hate you. If anything, I like you.”

“Yeah. I like you more.”

My mind went blank. What is Shihu even trying to say?

“Ah… but I can’t go back to how I was. The Seo Ah you like isn’t here anymore.”

“No. No matter your state, I like you.”

“Huh? Get a grip, Shihu. I don’t know what you mean by ‘like,’ but I’m not worth this. If you’re doing this out of obligation, you don’t need to.”

Shihu is kind. I was the one who misunderstood because of how messed up I’ve become. Maybe if it weren’t for the drugs, I wouldn’t have ended up like this.

“No, it’s not obligation… I just like you. I’ve wanted to say it for a long time. You have to live. That’s just how it is.”

“G-Get a hold of yourself. Stop talking nonsense.”

No. This isn’t right. It can’t be.

The binding spell weakened. I pushed Shihu away, putting distance between us. Normally, he’d catch up in an instant. But this time, it was different.

“Don’t do this. You’ll die.”

“I don’t care.”

Suddenly, memories of all the things I’d done to him flashed through my mind. I’d stabbed him, hurt him countless times. It wouldn’t be strange if he thought I hated him. Maybe he even thought I wanted him dead.

No. That’s not true. None of it was intentional. All of it was because of my selfishness.

I know Shihu is willing to risk his life to save me. But no matter what we do here, it’s hopeless. His body is a wreck, and I’m turning into… something dragon-like.

“Even if I live because of you… what’s the point if you’re not here? I’ll just be a monster. Do you know what people think of me? They say all I need is a can of tuna to keep me fed. You’re the only one who still sees me as human.”

Shihu hesitated. He must have realized that simply purifying me wouldn’t solve anything. So there’s only one option left: to let me go.

“...But if you disappear, then I…”

Shihu’s hands trembled.

“No! You’ll be fine without me. You’re strong, talented, kind, hardworking. You were never meant to be stuck in a place like this with someone like me.”

“It was all because of you.”

“Me?”

“Everything I worked for, everything I became… it was all for you. I tried to be good because I wanted you to see me that way. I became diligent because of you. I could only do it because of you.”

I was the reason for Shihu’s growth? Was that true?

“...Yeah. You worked hard. You really did.”

“I…”

Shihu staggered. The fact that he was even standing seemed like a miracle.

Let’s think rationally. Shihu isn’t just the character I once read about in a novel. He’s changed. He’s not that person anymore.

He doesn’t want me to die. He doesn’t want me to disappear. The protagonist of this story truly wants that.

But it’s too late now.

[Process Complete.]

“I really like you, Shihu.”

***

Seo Ah smiled.
She said she liked me.

I can’t let her say something like that and then disappear.
I know now that purification was the wrong choice. Leaving Seo Ah alone would be cruel in its own way.
It was a lapse in judgment, driven by my deteriorating condition.

But Shihu still had one method left.
A skill he had learned while capturing Lee Yurim’s younger sister.

[Forced Transfer]

In essence, it’s teleportation. It moves the target to a pre-designated location.

After kidnapping Lee Yuna, Lee Yurim’s sister, I used this skill a few more times.
The destination for the transfer was…

A kind of prison.
Since using it after kidnapping Yuna, it had become almost exclusively a combat skill.
It’s a place where even a dragon could be confined.

A dragon would be too large to transfer, but Seo Ah’s size made it possible.

Seo Ah’s eyes gleamed.
The horns made of mana seemed to grow even larger.
She was clearly being consumed by the dragon, nearly entirely devoured by it.

I could feel the flow of mana.
She might be about to use Mana Devourer again.

There were no options left.

"[Forced Transfer]."

And Seo Ah vanished.

Gulp.

Blood surged up my throat.

Fortunately, I managed to use the vast amount of mana in the surroundings.
The consumption of my life force was minimal.
But even so, I’d reached my limit.

Still, I’m glad Seo Ah said she liked me.@@novelbin@@

I could hear tinnitus.
Shihu sat dazed on a pile of concrete.
Lying down might be a more accurate description.

The battle ended only after the gate was sealed.
The dragon was killed.

At least, that’s the official version.

“Shihu.”

“Yeah.”

His head throbbed with pain.

“Let’s go. We need to get you to the academy and get treatment—”

“Lena.”

Her silver hair was dulled by dirt and dust. She must have fought hard.

“What?”

“I’m not going.”

There’s no reason to attend the academy anymore.
Perhaps there hadn’t been a reason for a long time.
I’d already gained everything I could from it.

“I’m sorry about Seo Ah… I really am. There were so many things I wanted to say to her too…”

“Yeah.”

It’s regrettable.
But it’s not over yet.
Not yet.

I imprisoned Seo Ah.
In a faraway prison.
I never thought I’d use the transfer skill on her.

“Still, you need to get treated.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

He closed his eyes.
He planned to rest for just a moment.

“…It’s sad that we won’t see Seo Ah anymore, but still…”

“No.”

I’ll see her again.
And one day, things will return to how they were.

Purification is certainly dangerous.
Using it without a last-resort skill like Final Bastion, even in perfect condition, carries huge risks.
Above all, the penalties for me are too severe.

“...No?”

Everyone thinks Seo Ah is dead.
No matter how you look at it, that’s the situation.

“Probably.”

If that’s the case, this is an opportunity.

“…You’re not in good shape. Let’s go together. Quickly.”

“…”

“Come on, okay?”

Lena helped Shihu up. His vision was blurry.

“What about the others?”

“I don’t know. It’s chaos here.”

Thanks to the rampaging awakened, everything was a mess.

“Yeah, I see…”

Lena looked at Shihu with concern.
What kind of comfort could possibly help someone who’s lost their last hope?

“Shihu, if it ever gets too much, you can rely on me. It’s better than suffering alone.”

“Thanks.”

Lena is a good friend.
But she isn’t Seo Ah.

Shihu walked with Lena, heading toward where their friends were.

The sun was rising.
The early morning air was cold.
A ruin of steel, concrete, and asphalt stretched before them.

Shihu stopped walking.

A twisted future.
But there was still hope.

“What’s wrong?”

Sensing something strange, Lena turned back to look at him.

“Here.”

Shihu held out a sword.
It was as if he was offering it to her.

“Huh? Why? Are you giving it to me?”

“It’s something I got from the academy.”

“But why give it to me?”

“I’m not going to use it anymore.”

What was borrowed from the academy should be returned to it.
I realized recently that the sword might even have a tracking device embedded in it.
The same could go for the uniform.
But even without those suspicions, I planned to discard them.

“…Huh?”

“I’m not going back to the academy anymore. Which means I probably won’t see you for a while.”

He was quitting.
It was a decision he should have made a long time ago.

“W-What? Is this because of Seo Ah?”

“Yeah. It was great meeting good friends like you, but honestly, I only stayed there for Seo Ah.”

“So now… you’re not planning to see me anymore?”

“For the time being, yeah.”

He was ready to discard the connections he made at the academy.

“…I don’t know where you’re going, but let me come with you.”

“You have family.”

For Shihu, family was just one person.
But Lena was different.
She had siblings and parents who were still alive and well.

“But…”

He couldn’t take Lena with him.

“Take care. See you later. It’s better if I just disappear from here.”

Shihu didn’t look like someone who had lost all hope.
A fierce determination still burned in his eyes.
He still had a goal.
Still.

Lena silently stared at Shihu.
The dawn was breaking.
The sun was rising.
Light was streaming in.

“…If you say so.”

Shihu hadn’t lost his light yet.
And so, Lena decided to place her hope in him.

She didn’t know what he was planning to do.
She couldn’t fully grasp the situation.
All she could do was hope that whatever Shihu was striving for would work out.