Chapter 33

Translator: Elisia

Editor/Proofreader: SemiPickle

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“Are you leaving? Are you leaving right now?”

It’s hopeful news, but an unexpected turn of events.

Luckily, there wasn’t much to pack.

Are we leaving right away?

How?

“We can leave for about five hours. They won’t look for us for a few hours after we go out.”

“I see.”

“So, let’s go.”

“Aren’t you going to say goodbye to the others?”

Han Si-Hoo has built up so much in the Academy.

It’s not easy to give all that up and leave.

There must be many people he feels responsible for besides me.

“I can do that later.”

“…Even though you have a lot of friends?”

“If they’re real friends, they’ll understand.”

That’s not the only issue.

“You can only grow by staying at the Academy. Outside, you can’t meet people, there aren’t good facilities, and you can’t easily get useful items either.”

“I know.”

“Even so, are we still going together?”

It would be nice if things went back to how they used to be.

There was still some charm back then.

At that time, there weren’t these troublesome things.

“Let’s go.”

The door is open.

Freedom is in sight.

All I need to take with me are the drugs.

Since I’m holding them, I feel at ease.

[32 hours 57 minutes]

Han Si-Hoo grabs my arm and pulls.

As if urging me to hurry.

For now, we have plenty of time.

It’s perfect.

My body is fine.

My legs feel a little heavy, but I can still run.

Alright, let’s get out.

Clatter.

Thud.

I tripped over something.

It feels like my head just went cold.

Is it because the floor is actually cold?

It doesn’t hurt.

I can just get up and keep going.

I’m fine.

So let’s get out and follow Han Si-Hoo home.

Clatter.

Something is still caught around my legs.

Clatter, clatter.

I’m completely tangled up.

What is this?

“…A rope?”

A rope is tightly wrapped around my left ankle.

The rope continues, tied to the leg of the desk.

Who did this?

Who came into my house and tied me up?

There was no one in the house except me.

That’s right.

Now that I think about it, there was no one but me.

If it were Han Si-Hoo, he would’ve just untied it.

“Si-Hoo?”

But no one is visible.

The door is closed.

Did he leave ahead of me?

“Si-Hoo.”

Where did he go?

I can’t see him anywhere.

I don’t even know when the door closed.

This situation doesn’t make sense.

[32 hours 55 minutes]

The countdown is ticking at a normal speed.

So, there’s nothing wrong with me.

Right?

“You said we’re going home.”

I liked the plan to escape after legally going out.

Going out, huh.

Now that I think about it, maybe Han Si-Hoo didn’t, but I was probably banned from going out.

Was it a plan that wasn’t going to work from the start?

Is that so?

Finally, my head is starting to clear up.

It’s because I’m running out of drugs.

-Splat.

[34 hours 50 minutes]

“…He’s waiting outside, right?”

He must be, right?

Han Si-Hoo is waiting outside.

I throw away the used syringe.

I grab a kitchen knife.

I cut the rope that was tied around my ankle.

I’m free.

I can’t remember when or why I was tied up.

“Is this outfit okay?”

I ask Si-Hoo, but no answer comes back.

Anyway, it’s free time.

I’m wearing a T-shirt and shorts, but I think it’ll be fine.

The bandages are still wrapped around me.

I open the door to go out.

But it doesn’t open.

“The door’s locked.”

It’s locked from the inside.

If it’s locked, then no one but me could have done it.

Did they hate the idea of me going outside that much?

No, no one can stop someone from leaving like this.

Maybe they can stop someone from coming inside, though.

From the outside.

From the outside?

How did Han Si-Hoo even get inside?

For now, I don’t know the door code.

Even with a master key, what about the latch locked from the inside?

Well, those things can be solved with some drugs.

[34 hours 46 minutes]

Where did I put the drugs?

It wouldn’t hurt to take one more.

If I don’t keep using them, all that’s left is the fall.

I need to get the drugs.

I staggered toward the bathroom.

If I splash some cold water on my face, maybe things will feel different.

I should be able to regain my senses.

My mental strength is lacking.

No matter how much I think about it, this is all a hallucination.

Visual hallucinations, auditory hallucinations, tactile hallucinations.

It’s a complete mess.

I’ve used up eight syringes, and I can’t even remember when I used the drugs.

It makes sense why I tied myself up with the rope.

I don’t know what I might do.

Once you lose control, there’s no answer.

Cold water.

The cold water touches my palm.

It’s like ice.

It feels like I’m coming to my senses.

Get me some more drugs.

This isn’t enough.

I feel good, but I know I can feel even better.

This isn’t enough.

Anyway, it’s already ruined.

Since it’s ruined, I might as well go all the way.

As far as I can go.

-Zzzz.

The device is vibrating.

-Zzzzz.

It seems like I’m getting a call.

But it’s probably just another hallucination.

Where did Han Si-Hoo go?

I just saw him a moment ago.

I don’t even know how many doses I’ve taken today.

If I had something in my hand right now, I’d use it.

That much is certain.

Who would have the drugs?

Han Si-Hoo would have them.

He probably has some extra drugs he didn’t give me.

-Zzzz.

It’s a call from Han Si-Hoo.

Since I keep thinking about him, my hallucinations are materializing like this.

I don’t need to answer.

I wouldn’t be able to anyway.

The call cuts off after waiting.

[Missed calls – 11]

That’s a lot.

Most of them are from Han Si-Hoo.

There’s also one from Rena.

Until the effects of the drugs wear off, it’s hard to tell if this is real.

It’s happened before.

There’s an odd satisfaction in not losing control.

Once you fall apart, it’s over.

Did I fall apart?

Me?

Normally, Yoo Seo-Ah would already be dead by now.

I’m the only one who managed to hold on.

-Zzzzz.

“Shut up.”

Thud.

I slammed the knife down on the device.

“Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up.”

As I kept stabbing it, it broke apart.

Just a moment ago, I thought I could get out.

Get out of the Academy.

But what can I do once I’m out?

Something went wrong, but if I have to point fingers, it’s at myself.

If it were someone else’s fault, I could at least seek revenge, but that’s not the case.

Everyone else was trying to be good to me.

Not everyone, I guess.

There were some weird people, too.

But that doesn’t mean they deserve revenge.

“Or do they?”

They stabbed me with a knife.

Broke my arm.

Kicked me and hit me in the stomach.

Aren’t they all bad people?

Maybe I’m confused because of the drugs.

Since I’m always using them, it’s inevitable that my sense of reality is dulled.

But if I don’t have the drugs, I’ll die.

I’d do anything to get some.

Right now, the Academy is giving me the drugs, so it’s fine.

I think Han Si-Hoo will help me out somehow, but even that has its limits.

I need to feel better.

Aren’t others trying to survive by thinking the same way?

Pain is evil, and pleasure is good.

-I will give you better drugs than these for the rest of your life.

Who made such a good offer?

The doctor.

What did I have to give in exchange for that offer?

-Kill Han Si-Hoo.

That’s impossible.

And it’s questionable if that promise was even valid.

-For the rest of your life.

Better drugs.

I keep trying to go back to the past.

[34 hours 29 minutes]

There’s plenty of time.

An abundance.

If I were home, I could just lie on the floor and wait.

I’ll wait.

I’ll wait for the time to take the next dose.

But if there’s no next dose, there’s nothing I can do.

I need to find the drugs.

Before going out, I turned off the lights.

It’s a bit better since I can’t see.

I hate looking at the messy room.

Now that I think about it, there are still drugs in the house.

It’s just the syringes that are used up.

“…I forgot about this.”

I found it while rummaging through the drawer.

Swallowable pills.

Did Han Si-Hoo get them from Lee Yu-Ram and give them to me?

I’m not sure, but I take them anyway.

[34 hours 57 minutes]

I swallowed all the pills I had, but that usual feeling doesn’t come.

The intense euphoria I once felt doesn’t return easily.

At this rate, it’s going to be downhill for 34 hours.

I feel good right now.

It’s not bad, but the impending descent terrifies me.

As long as I have the drugs, I’ll be fine.

Taking the pills did help a little, at least.

Right?

My vision keeps cutting out.

Like a monitor flickering as the power goes on and off.

It blinks out in a flash.

It buzzes.

Then in the next moment, it’s back on.

I’ve used too many drugs.

That just means I’ll recover faster, which is good.

So, I just need to use even more.

Zzzzzt.

It feels like electricity is sparking inside my body.

The monitor must be broken.

My vision is warping.

Overheating.

I should cool my head by dunking it in some coolant.

Splash.

The sink overflows with water.

Cooling.

If I cool my head, I’ll be able to think more clearly.

It feels cold.

It’s hard to open my eyes.

“Phuah.”

I lifted my head.

Holding my breath is scary.

Still, it feels like the temperature in my head has dropped.

But my vision is still strange.

What do I do if the screen doesn’t come back on?

No matter how bad a game is, you still need to see the screen.

Usually, when this happens, hitting the computer tower or the monitor brings it back.

Machines only work when you hit them.

The dust clinging to the circuits shakes off, and it starts functioning again.

Flicker.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star.

The objects in my sight aren’t moving.

Even the flowing water seems frozen in place.

I’m moving, but I’m not moving.

Everything’s flickering.

Thud, thud.

The door shakes with a pounding noise.

What now?

I picked up the kitchen knife.

When I think about it, is it really necessary to use the drugs’ effects just to make something like a kitchen knife?

Why not just use a weapon?

I blinked, and the door was open.

It seems like the latch didn’t matter.

It’s not just open—it’s torn off.

Someone is standing in front of the ripped door.

“Oh, hey. Si-Hoo.”

It was Han Si-Hoo who opened the door.

He’s panting heavily.

He looks like he ran from far away.

The look of confusion on his face is no different from earlier.

So, it’s another hallucination after all?

I can barely hear what Han Si-Hoo is saying.

“Ahaha.”

The problem is I swallowed too many pills.

There’s only one solution.

I need to take more drugs.

“Ha, heh, did you bring any drugs?”

Give me something.

You came here to help, right?

I remembered.

Around the fourth shot of the syringe, I pressed the emergency button on my device.

I must have done it because Han Si-Hoo would bring me more drugs.

“You don’t have any?”

I see.

But the doctor said he would give me lots of drugs for the rest of my life.

He said he would give them to me if I just killed you.

But I’ve held on really well until now.

I’ve held back without using too many drugs.

I’ve tried to be your friend and not kill you.

I did kill, but that was a monster.

It wasn’t really my will.

Anyway, I could kill you, but I haven’t.

[34 hours 5 minutes]

Damn it.

My mouth is moving on its own.

It’s saying all the things I wish I hadn’t spoken out loud.

Si-Hoo?

Would it be okay if I killed you just once?

You want to help me too, right?

They promised they’d keep giving me drugs.

Right?

That’s a good thing, isn’t it?

I’m here at the Academy because of the drugs.

With them, I can leave the Academy.

We’re friends, right?

Since you’re the main character, won’t you manage somehow, even if you die?

Please help me.

Just once, please die for me.

I’m sorry.