In a small café inside the Academy.
The Protagonist, Han Si-Hoo, was sitting right in front of me.
If I had to describe him, he had black hair and, fittingly for a Protagonist, he was quite handsome.
There was a reason so many Heroines followed him around.
[1 hour 45 minutes]
Time was running short.
“Well, you sure came with a smiling face,” Han Si-Hoo said with a rather prickly tone.
He seemed a bit angry.
It didn’t look like he had a good relationship with his Childhood Friend.
“Haha…”
That’s because our relationship was really not good.
Yoo Seo-A had forcibly pushed the Protagonist away, and that was the problem.
After saying some pretty harsh words, she had shoved Han Si-Hoo away.
It seemed Yoo Seo-A didn’t want to burden the Protagonist.
I understood that feeling.
I also didn’t like asking others for help.
But isn’t this really not the time for that?
No use in feeling prideful now.
To buy medicine, I need money.
“…, Yoo Seo-A. You told me to get lost, right?”
“Uhmm…”
“You said not to ever come looking for you. So why?”
“I’m sorry. I was wrong.”
How exactly did Yoo Seo-A push the Protagonist away?
She must have been swearing a lot.
Had she told him to go live well inside the Academy?
Even though it was a forced way to push him away, it was mixed with her own despair and inferiority complex.
After a major fight, Han Si-Hoo had not bothered to seek Yoo Seo-A, who had rejected him.
He couldn’t even reach out for reconciliation first.
As a result, Yoo Seo-A ended up dying.
Maybe if Han Si-Hoo had cared more about his Childhood Friend’s unusual behavior, things might have been different.
He might have lived well, taking his medicine in moderation, just like me.
“Uh, I’m really sorry for what I said back then. I couldn’t control my emotions… Will you forgive me?”
Apologizing for something I didn’t even do felt strange.
Just like that, I felt like I was crushing Yoo Seo-A’s desire to hide her bad condition from the Protagonist.
But I didn’t know that.
What mattered now was the medicine, not past choices.
“Uh? Please. I was wrong.”
“Haah… I got it. Stop now.”
“Wow, you’re forgiving me? Thank you.”
I was finally able to regain my expression.
As expected of a Protagonist.
I figured he’d let me off the hook for this.
Despite having grown up in a place that resembled a junkyard, he was a bit more mature than his age… but still, he’s just a middle schooler, right?
Okay, he’s about to become a high schooler.
In any case, at this age, it’s easier to recover relationships than I thought.
“So… what happened to your arm?”
“Uh?”
His arm was wrapped in bandages.
It definitely caught everyone’s attention.
“I got cut.”
I said with a silly laugh.
“How?”
“I just happened to scrape it on a corner. Nothing serious, so don’t worry.”
The bandage was just to cover the wound.
After beating up the mirror until it was bloody, it was no surprise the wound was large.
Thanks to the painkiller, it didn’t hurt.
If I had paraded around with my skin exposed, it would have attracted even more attention, right?
But I definitely didn’t suffer any severe injuries like a broken bone.
Really, nothing serious.
“So, you came all the way to the Academy just to apologize? Or was there something else?”
“Ahaha… well, it’s…”
It was harder to say than I thought.
Asking to borrow money is tough, even with a close friend.
And besides, it was only a few minutes ago that our relationship was pretty rocky.
It hadn’t been long since we made up.
And wait, was it really a reconciliation?
I believed he’d understand as he was a nice guy.
Usually, you wouldn’t ask someone you just apologized to for money right after.
Saying that so soon after an apology might lead to the infamy of having apologized just to borrow money.
But it’s kind of true?
I’m apologizing because I’m asking to borrow money.
What’s the use of honor in this situation?
It’s better to lose a bit of honor than to die.
“So, about the medicine I take…”
“Yes?”
“I’m short on cash to buy it. I came to borrow some.”
“What?”
“I’ll pay you back later.”
I bowed my head and pleaded.
If it were just a few thousand won, I wouldn’t need to go this far, but the amount I was about to borrow was a bit large.
One pill costs 70,000 won.
The medication for the syringe costs 3 million won for a month.
The price of the medicine had initially been around 100,000 won but seemed to be getting higher and higher.
They say it’s because many people are looking for it.
Regardless, Yoo Seo-A had already spent all the money she had saved.
She even sold whatever little she had left because she was running short.
“That’s why I was wondering why you suddenly came to apologize…”
“I’m sorry.”
“How much do you need for the medicine?”
“About five hundred thousand…?”
“Huh?”
Han Si-Hoo was startled by the amount.
Was it too large?
“Oh, no, four hundred? No, just three hundred thousand won would be fine.”
I needed to downsize my request.
I still had some pills left, so I only needed to buy the solution.
“…Is the medicine that expensive?”
“Yeah. It’s gotten more expensive because so many people want it.”
“That can’t be true. Didn’t you say it was just for a cold initially?”
[1 hour 25 minutes]
As I continued talking with the Protagonist, the time was slipping away even more rapidly.
I had to borrow money here.
Isn’t there some affection for a Childhood Friend?
He should lend it to me, right?
“I’ll figure out a way to pay you back… Can you?”
But can I actually pay him back?
I could earn money, but it seems tough in this condition.
The truth is, after taking the medicine, I feel pretty lethargic.
I feel sleepy and don’t want to move at all.
Plus, the effect tends to wear off quickly when I step outside.
My routine is to sit quietly in a corner and smile.
But since I said I’d pay him back, I’d manage somehow.
I just hoped Han Si-Hoo would believe that.
“I don’t understand. There hasn’t been a problem with medicine costs until now, right?”
“It really shot up in price.”
“Not really.”
He didn’t look like he believed me.
If the price of that 100,000 won medicine jumped to hundreds of thousands in just a few months, it would indeed be hard to believe.
I wouldn’t believe it either.
But looking at the medicine’s efficacy, I think it could be that expensive.
No matter how bad I feel, taking the medicine makes me feel okay.
Even if my mind gets a bit hazy, I can still be sane.
“The thing is, I’m actually using a different medicine than I used before…”
Especially the one that needs a syringe.
That’s quite expensive.
“……”
Han Si-Hoo was looking at me as if he were disappointed.
A gaze that strangely carried contempt.
“I’ll seriously pay you back…”
What if he decides not to lend me money, and I end up betraying the affection of a Childhood Friend?
I’d have to turn to loan sharks, which would be immensely troublesome.
This world isn’t exactly known for its kindness.
For now, the only person I could rely on was the Protagonist, Han Si-Hoo.
“You need five hundred thousand won, right?”
After some hesitation, Han Si-Hoo spoke up.
“Huh? Yeah.”
Was he going to lend it to me?
As expected of a Protagonist.
“Sent it to your account.”
He fiddled with his phone and said that.
I didn’t have a phone, so I couldn’t check, but he must have sent it properly.
He probably already knew Yoo Seo-A’s account number.
“Yeah, thanks for lending it…”
“I’m not lending it.”
“Huh?”
“I’m just giving it to you, so you don’t need to pay me back.”
“Really?”
Was the bond of a Childhood Friend this deep?
As expected of a Protagonist.
I was about to burst into laughter.
“But don’t come looking for me again. Let’s not get tangled up from now on.”
“Huh?”
“Tread lightly and leave.”
“Uh…”
In that moment, half of Yoo Seo-A’s scant connections vanished.
Just how ridiculous did I look for him to tell me to get lost?
If it were me, I’d think it’s a bit off to have someone who looks like they borrowed money and wouldn’t pay back crawling in front of me.
Did I convert all my affection for a Childhood Friend into money?
That’s not something to laugh about.
This was definitely not the outcome I expected.
“Are you surprised that when you told me to get lost it sounds different now?”
“……”
When Yoo Seo-A casted out the Protagonist, the atmosphere must have been similar.
But this is what I deserve.
Despite everything, seeing him giving me money shows that he has a good heart.
“Honestly… I was disappointed in your attitude. I don’t know why you need money so badly, but… whatever it is, let’s not meet again. I’ll walk you to the entrance. Take care.”
Han Si-Hoo said that and stood up.
He really doesn’t believe it’s for the medicine.
“Ahaha…”
Even in this serious situation, I couldn’t help but laugh foolishly.
Han Si-Hoo looked at me with even more pity.
[45 minutes]
The mental pressure was a bit strong, and time was rapidly slipping away.
I probably need to borrow transportation costs.
The atmosphere made it hard to ask for more money.
‘Could you lend me just a little cash? I need it for when I go home.’
‘I can’t access my account directly, so… give me some money.’
‘Could you call a taxi for me?’
I mentally lined up a few options.
No matter how I put it, I looked pathetic.
There was nothing I could do about it.
“Uh, Si-Hoo.”
I called out the name of the Protagonist, who was walking ahead.
“What?”
“Can you lend me just a little for transportation?”
“…Transportation? How did you get here?”
“I walked.”
“Haha, are you serious? You’re really headed to the ground, huh?”
“……”
I get it.
In my place, I wouldn’t have lent it either.
This feels like a scheme to wring out more money.
“Take care. Let’s never see each other again. I mean it.”
“Ah…”
After Han Si-Hoo saw me off, I was left standing alone outside the entrance.
I returned the access card hanging around my neck to the security guard.
Seeing him smile meant things seemed to have worked out, or so I had heard.
After zoning out for a moment, I suddenly came to my senses.
“How am I supposed to go home?”
Am I supposed to walk?
[31 minutes]
That doesn’t seem likely.
Even with public transport, 30 minutes is cutting it close.
What if I take all the medicine I have now…?
But it’s still early to think about walking.
I thought I could at least get a cab fare.
Han Si-Hoo seemed angrier than I had expected.
Sadly, there wasn’t enough time to cool his temper.
“If I had known it would end up like this, I should’ve just brought the syringe too.”
Expectations had gone far off track.
I used up more time than I anticipated.
No money for transportation.
And it’s tough to ask others for money.
I probably won’t have any acquaintances at the Academy.
I don’t see the security guard I spoke to briefly earlier.
I guess I’ll have to just leave.
I started my way home, counting the pills I had.
Fortunately, it was a road I had come before, so going back was easy.
What if the effect runs out?
I’ll just use a painkiller.
I brought it just in case something like this might happen.
It’s quite valuable, so I didn’t want to use it easily, but tough luck.
Anyway, the important thing is one fact.
I secured enough medicine for next month.
That one fact allowed me to forget other bad things.
I’ll have another month of happiness.
I couldn’t hold back my laughter creeping out from the anticipation.
It would be so great if I could remain sane going forward.
