I Became the Drug-Addicted Childhood Friend

Chapter 54

Being trampled on like this, I never thought it would feel so enjoyable.

But this isn’t something an ordinary person would do.

Yeah. Now I get it.

Shihu, you’re not in your right mind either.

You’re hurting.

You need treatment.

"...Did you do this to your sister too?"

Stepping on her, barging into her house like this?

"What?"

"Kidnapping, confinement, threats. All to find Seo Ah, right? What’s going on here?"

Now I understand.

"......"

"If I say Seo Ah is dead, will you give up?"

"...No."

"I see. Now I understand why you're angry."

Seo Ah’s very existence is the problem.

Like a thorn stuck in his heart, the moment Seo Ah existed, things went wrong.

"How pitiful."

Treatment-type Awakened individuals.

They can heal cuts from swords, but they can’t cure a cold.

Even if they reattach a severed arm, there’s no way to treat mental illness.

But I’m different.

It’s no wonder they call me the Saintess.

Whether it's the body or the mind, I can heal it.

"I’ll heal you."

It’s not a power I can just use anywhere.

It’s not a power I use on just anyone.

"Huh?"

Shihu steps back.

But it doesn’t matter.

Even if I’m lying down, even if Shihu steps back a few paces.

"[Healing start-!]"

*Bang!*

A burst of sound, like something exploding.

The space is covered in white.

Completely white.

It’s started.

Shihu doesn’t move.

Nothing moves except for me.

As if time itself has stopped.

The skill has already been activated.

Light shines.

When Shihu attacks, light glows, but when I heal, it shines.

I’m healing the pain.

Let me show you why they call me the Saintess.

Where does it hurt?

The heart.

That’s the real issue.

Pain in the heart isn’t visible.

"Don’t worry."

I rise from my seat.

I have space to move now.

I’ve realized why Shihu is hurting.

I was planning to learn this slowly on our travels, but things turned out like this, so I have no choice.

I’ll just heal him right away.

If I at least know the cause, healing is possible.

"It’ll be okay."

Healing skills are also the most vicious skills.

You can block an attack.

But recovery?

There’s almost no way to stop it.

"I’m here."

I whisper near his ear.

This is healing.

It’s healing that fixes misaligned memories and treats trauma.

It’s a power that gets tiring after just one use.

Shihu is someone I care about.

So, especially.

"[Mental Unblocking]"

With the sound of a *bang*, the background changes.

---

### **In Shihu’s memories.**

Looking into someone’s memories is a difficult thing.

This looks like an alley in a slum.

"Shihu, right?"

This is Shihu as a child.

"Yes."

So cute.

He’s holding something in his hand.

I didn’t expect to meet the young Shihu.

"What’s in your hand?"

"A bird."

"It’s a paper crane."

Did he make this by folding paper?

It looks like he started folding it but didn’t finish.

I used to be interested in paper folding too.

"It’s a gift from a friend."

A friend.

I wonder who his friend is.

"Seo Ah?"

"Yes, do you know Seo Ah?"

"Yeah. But this, it looks unfinished."

It’s strange for a bird.

"Yeah."

"Are you sure it was a gift? It looks like it was just thrown away."

"...I think it was a gift."

Let’s pretend it wasn’t a gift.

The more the intimacy with Seo Ah decreases, the faster Shihu’s recovery happens.

The closer they were, the bigger the problem.

So, let’s start by healing his childhood memories.

To heal, every process is allowed.

That’s why anything can be healed.

Mental illness can be healed.

Any trauma.

That’s why they call me the Saintess.

Let’s move to the next scene.

*Bang.*

The space disperses and comes back together.

It’s another memory.

This time, a playground.

Shihu is alone on the swing.

"Shihu?"

"Yes?"

"Are you playing alone?"

"Yes."

Seo Ah isn’t there.

"Where’s your friend?"

"We fought. We need to make up."

So they fight too.

Well, they’re kids after all.

This time, it’s a forest.

A dark forest.

Shihu is standing alone, staring at the ground.

"What’s going on?"

"......"

No answer.

He just seems frozen.

"Shihu?"

"......"

Is this a memory I can’t intervene in?

Sometimes, there are memories like this.

No matter what you do, you can’t change them.

Time seems frozen here.

It feels like something shocking happened around this time.

I don’t know what it was.

Then, let’s move to the next memory.

"Who are you?"

"Huh?"

A girl’s voice.

This is the first time another person is moving in Shihu’s memory.

Usually, it’s just Shihu and me.

It’s dark, but I can tell it’s Seo Ah.

Was Seo Ah also here at this place?

"Aha."

"Seo Ah?"

"Why are you doing this?"

She approaches, laughing.

She’s just a character in a memory, so it’s not dangerous.

This is still just part of Shihu’s mind.

Memories are like that.

"Your very existence is causing Shihu pain."

"Pain?"

"Yes. That’s why I’m healing him. Please understand."

If we move to the next scene, this ghost will disappear.

This is a phenomenon that happens when I modify memories.

I’ve done memory healing on others before, so I know.

"You know, it was a precious memory."

A memory.

It’s strange for a memory.

"You look hurt, stabbed by a knife."

"Yes."

There’s a lot of blood.

She’s crying.

What happened to Seo Ah at this place?

"Is it a good memory to be in pain from a knife wound?"

I don’t think so.

Can that even be considered a memory?

"I don’t want to be forgotten."

"Memories naturally fade and distort."

That’s why healing is possible.

A healing no one but me can do.

"Why are you doing this?"

She repeats the same line.

Laughing, but with a face full of despair.

"Don’t worry. I’m here."

You’ll disappear, but I’ll stay.

I’ll stay with Shihu.

I’ll be with Shihu.

I’m here.

Not you, but me.

I’ll heal Shihu as many times as needed.

Seo Ah is trash, and I’ll be his one true friend.

This is long-term treatment.

Remove the root of the problem.

Then, Shihu won’t be angry with me.

The memories I’ve modified won’t all reflect perfectly.

But they’ll influence Shihu as I intended.

"I’ll stop for today. It’s harder to touch recent memories."

I’ve learned a lot about Shihu.

He’s much better now.

A lot better.

"Don’t."

Seo Ah speaks.

"Someday, Shihu will be completely freed from you. That’ll be good for him. You don’t really want Shihu to be happy, do you?"

The Seo Ah in the memory doesn’t respond.

"Goodbye."

Well, that’s enough.

"[Healing Stopped]"

*Bang.*

With a bursting sound, I return to reality.

It’s my house.

Color returns.

Time moves forward.

I see Shihu stumbling.

It’s not the end.

It’s just a pause.

I’ll do it again soon.

Healing only works if done consistently.

*Thud.*

Shihu collapses to the floor.

I wanted to catch him, but I didn’t have the strength.

Once I use healing, I feel drained as if I ran a marathon.

But I feel refreshed.

I did something really good today.

I helped Shihu.

I was glad to live up to the name of Saintess.