I Became the Drug-Addicted Childhood Friend Chapter 4

At least I didn’t have to wrap a bandage around my head.

Thanks to the doctor, I woke up to a surprisingly refreshing morning.

I never did figure out why he showed up at my place...

But there’s no need to sweat the small stuff.

Just enjoy the present—if you can.

I inserted the needle into my arm.

At this point, there were so many needle marks on my arm, it was starting to get scary.

I don’t think syringes were designed for this much use on a human body.

Before fear could fully take hold, I administered the dication.

[8 hours 32 minutes]

Of course, once the ds kicked in, all those trivial worries lted away.

I only felt a bit dazed.

“I’m hungry.”

I muttered to myself, staring blankly into the air.

It had been a while since I last ate.

That’s the one downside of the ds.

They made forget hunger, so I often missed als.

I guess it’s a little late, but it’s ti to eat.

I could cook sothing with the food I had in the house.

Han Si-Hoo was probably enjoying a nice academy breakfast by now.

The doctor was likely dining at so fancy restaurant—he had the money for it.

And...

There wasn’t really anyone left for Yoo Seo-Ah to compare herself to.

Listing all the characters from the novel would be endless, but one thing was for sure:

Hardly anyone was living as pitifully as I was when it ca to als.

“Nothing left, huh.”

I had stashed so snacks on the shelf, but they were long gone.

I had even eaten the expired ones.

There’s no refrigerator here.

No rice cooker either.

No way I could cook anything.

Ironically, the protagonist, who’s always out and about, has a fully equipped kitchen in his dorm room.

He even has a fridge.

And here I am.

Always cooped up at ho, yet I don’t have a single cooking appliance.

No ingredients either.

Is it my fault for being poor?

“Oh, found sothing.”

I spotted a can of tuna tucked away on the shelf.

Guess I’ll be eating this today.

I opened the can and scooped so out with a spoon.

Sure, I could go out and buy sothing to eat with the money Han Si-Hoo gave ,

but honestly, I didn’t feel like it.

Going out would make the ds wear off faster.

“I’m not so stray cat, eating just a can of tuna...”

I was still hungry.

If my hunger could be satisfied with just one can, I wouldn’t have felt hungry in the first place.

Should I go out after all?

Withdraw the money from my account, go to a convenience store or a supermarket to buy groceries...

It sounded exhausting.

I’ve never really liked going out.

Maybe Yoo Seo-Ah used to enjoy outdoor activities, but I’d rather just stay in my room these days.

Staying still feels more satisfying.

[8 hours 1 minute]

I could go out since I still had ds, but sothing about going out like this didn’t sit right.

I hadn’t even washed up since getting ho.

If only Han Si-Hoo had given so money for transportation, I might’ve stopped by the store on my way back.

This is all the protagonist’s fault.

Seriously, just because his childhood friend pushed him away, he had to get all pissy.

He could’ve acted like a tsundere heroine or sothing.

Of course, Yoo Seo-Ah’s personality was far from being a tsundere.

I’m sure Han Si-Hoo knew that.

“There’s not much dicine left, either.”

I only had enough for three or four more doses.

Not that I was worried.

The doctor said he’d co by soon, so I could get more ds then.

I decided to get ready to go out and buy sothing to eat.

I couldn’t starve to death, after all.

It felt like I was going to die, not from starvation, but from sothing else.

I was curled up on the side of the road.

The problem started when I decided to take a look at the academy students.

I hadn’t expected to see them so close to the slums.

There weren’t many people around either.

A male and a female student, both wearing academy uniforms, were walking toward from the other side.

They were probably heading sowhere to complete an academy assignnt.

Judging by their weapons, they were likely off to hunt monsters.

Co to think of it, I had heard that a dungeon had appeared nearby. Maybe that’s what they were after?

I slowed my pace to watch them, but the bulky male student suddenly changed direction, walking toward .

Startled, I tried to slip away, but it was too late.

“Hey.”

“Huh? ?”

He was talking to .

“Yeah, you. You really thought we wouldn’t notice you sneaking looks at us?”

His tone was intimidating.

“Huh?”

“Don’t play dumb.”

Thud.

“Ugh!”

A dull thud was followed by a sharp pain in my abdon.

Did he just punch ?

The tuna I ate for breakfast felt like it was about to co back up.

Even though I had taken ds, the pain was excruciating.

My legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the ground.

“Ugh...”

I gasped for breath.

I almost died.

What kind of person punches soone without warning?

Is this really a country with laws?

“Wait, was that an actual person?”

He had the audacity to say that after hitting .

“Ethan! What the hell are you doing?”

The girl in the academy uniform rushed over as well.

“They told us to watch out for spies! Didn’t you say there’d be so around?”

“That doesn’t an you go around hitting random people! You should’ve checked first!”

“Yeah, but I didn’t hit them that hard. They’ll be fine.”

I heard the girl scolding him, while the guy’s voice wavered.

“A civilian...!”

“Who told us to watch out for human-looking spies?”

While they bickered, I tried to get back up from the ground.

The pain wouldn’t subside.

“Are you okay?”

“...Haha.”

[4 hours 32 minutes]

The impact had drained a significant amount of ti.

[4 hours 27 minutes]

And the ti was still ticking down quickly.

There was no way I was okay.

Did I look okay?

“Hey, I asked if you were—”

“Ethan, shut up for a second.”

Sothing was wrong.

I wasn’t feeling good anymore.

I wasn’t happy.

Still, I had planned for situations like this.

That’s why I carried ergency ds.

If I just reached into my pocket like this—

“Oh... I didn’t bring any pills.”

“What?”

Lying on the ground, I fumbled in my pocket but found nothing.

It hadn’t even been that long since I left the house, and I was already in a life-threatening situation.

This is why I hate going out.

“Hehe, haha.”

I laughed because of how pathetic I must’ve looked.

How did things get so bad?

I still didn’t know why I got punched.

This is why I hate going outside.

“Celia, I think this person’s lost it.”

“This is all your fault! What are we going to do?”

“I an...”

In the end, I couldn’t get up.

But at least I learned their nas:

The girl was Celia, and the guy was Ethan.

They were characters from the novel.

But so what?

That didn’t an anything.

I decided to just stay on the ground.

It felt like I had been thrown from my bed into a freezing lake.

I wanted to get back to my bed, but that wasn’t possible.

I needed the pills.

At least I could still think because I had so ds left in my system.

[3 hours 43 minutes]

But even that ti was quickly running out.

“What should we do? Should we call an ambulance?”

“Just leave them. They look like they’re from the slums anyway.”

“What? You can’t just say—”

The girl’s words were interrupted by a new voice cutting into the conversation.

“That’s enough.”

It was a familiar voice.

“Who are you?”

“I’m this girl’s guardian. As for you academy students committing assault... well. I’ll let it slide this ti. Now be on your way. I’ll handle this.”

The doctor boldly claid to be my guardian.

“Oh... yes, sorry. Ethan, apologize.”

“S-sorry.”

Celia and Ethan quickly apologized and left.

They seed relieved to dump the problem on soone else.

Now, it was just and the doctor left on the street.

“...Why are you here?”

Had he been following ?

In situations like this, it’s usually the protagonist who shows up to save the day, but instead, it was the doctor.

“I was heading to your house, Yoo Seo-Ah. Didn’t I say I’d be stopping by soon? I didn’t expect to find you collapsed on the ground, though.”

“Then... if you have so dicine, could you give one?”

“Here.”

The doctor pulled a pill from his bag and handed it to .

I swallowed it as soon as I got it down my throat.

Slowly, I started to feel better.

It was like I hadn’t been punched at all.

“It’s probably because it’s academy graduation season. Students are desperate to score well on their tests.”

The doctor explained.

“Haha...”

Well, that makes sense.

When Yoo Seo-Ah died, it was around the ti Han Si-Hoo was promoted to high school.

They must be taking their middle school graduation exams now.

“Can you stand?”

“Yes.”

I stood up.

Thanks to the ds, I felt a little better, though my stomach was still unsettled.

“Getting hit by a punch laced with mana... Yes, I’d say you could probably file a report with the academy for so compensation.”

“Compensation?”

“Though I wouldn’t recomnd it. As a resident of the slums, your complaint would likely be ignored.”

“Ah...”

The gap between rich and poor, the invisible class system.

It’s an unfair world.

So people are on the verge of death without their ds, while others can use violence freely.

“Well, for now, let’s head back to your place, Yoo Seo-Ah. I picked up so food from that store on the way, so we can eat together.”

“Wow.”

The doctor had never been this kind before.

It was odd, but if he was offering food, maybe he was a good person after all.

“And you’ll be seeing more academy students like those two soon enough.”

“Huh?”

“I figured you’d want revenge.”

“Revenge?”

“Yes. Don’t you feel any anger? You got punched for no reason.”

I wasn’t angry?

Honestly, I didn’t care that much.

Besides, I was in a good mood now because of the ds.

Well, thinking about getting punched in the stomach... I guess I was a little angry.

The ds wore off quicker because of it.

[3 hours 56 minutes]

Even though the doctor gave sothing to recover, losing so much ti wasn’t ideal.

Thinking about it made a bit mad.

“Even if I wanted revenge... I don’t have any power. I’m not an awakened being, I’m just...”

“If it’s power you want, I can give it to you.”

“What?”

“There are ds that can give you the strength of an awakened. The only downside is the high addiction risk, but with your self-control, I’m sure you’ll manage.”

“ds like that exist?”

A drug that could grant the strength of an awakened.

I’d definitely want to try it.

I was curious what it would feel like to be as powerful as Han Si-Hoo.

“I’ll give you so soon. Maybe you’ll even gain enough strength to rival Han Si-Hoo himself. Everyone will see how incredible you really are.”

“Wow.”

I didn’t fully understand what he ant, but it sounded exciting.