I Became the Childhood Friend Who Commits Suicide

Chapter 58

The sunlight was nowhere to be seen.

Blocked by dark clouds, the world lost its light, and the ground was soaked.

He hadn’t always disliked rain.

In fact, he might have even liked it in the past.

But on that day.

The day the boy lost his childhood friend.

As if mirroring his sorrow, the sky poured rain without end.

Since Yoo Hana’s funeral, Si woo grew to hate the rain.

Today, just like back then, the sun didn’t shine.

The raindrops trickling down reminded him of his own tears.

Whenever it rained, Si woo couldn’t help but think of Hana.

Half a year had already passed since Yoo Hana’s death.

Yet, the boy remained in mourning, shedding tears like the rain outside his window.

***

Si woo walked to school, unable to hide the weariness on his face.

For the past six months, his expression had rarely changed.

Even when he tried to smile, it looked forced, almost painful.

Half a year since Yoo Hana’s death.

The events Si woo and his friends had experienced during that time were far from ordinary.

Yet, they continued attending school without punishment or penalty.

The only condition was that they never speak of what they had seen.

He didn’t know why the academy let them continue so freely.

He attended school each day out of habit, like inertia.

The classroom was the same as always.

Some students were chatting, others reading quietly, or catching up on lost sleep.

The usual scene.

Sometimes, while observing it, Si woo would think to himself:

How horrifying it is that no one is left to mourn Hana’s death.

But that was merely Si woo’s stubborn sentiment.

No matter how painful, people eventually adapt and heal with time. Even if they never truly overcome it, the living must keep moving forward.

That’s the world they live in.

A world where losing loved ones is nothing unique.

Perhaps that’s why he worked so hard to become a hero, to protect humanity by slaying monsters.

He knew all this.

He understood it rationally but couldn’t erase the resentment within him.

He could only wonder what this everyday scene might have been like if she were still here.

It was a meaningless wish.

So much had changed since that day.

Si woo looked across the room at a girl with a similar muted demeanor.

Her face was partially hidden under a white bandage, but her beauty was undeniable.

The girl, expressionless, focused solely on her book. Her name was Han Si-hyun.

She, too, had changed greatly since Yoo Hana’s death.

For one, she had returned to Class A from Class B.

With three vacancies, they needed to adjust the class numbers.

Hana would have probably laughed at the irony of the plot correction she had feared so much being resolved in such a way.

Her sister, Han Sehee, regained consciousness two months ago.

However, the aftereffects of her injuries left her in recovery, and she had resigned from her position as president.

She might never return as a hero, meaning humanity would lose a valuable asset.

Si woo and Si-hyun—who, by fate, were supposed to grow close—were now little more than strangers.

Regardless of her intentions, Si-hyun had played a significant role in Hana’s death.

Si-hyun seemed to feel considerable guilt about it, but Si woo couldn’t bring himself to reach out to her.

And so, six months passed in an uneasy stalemate.

After class ended, during break, students gathered in small groups, chatting and savoring their precious ten minutes of freedom.

Amid it all, Si woo sat alone, his chin resting on his hand, gazing into space.

A girl in his class, who had been stealing glances at him, finally summoned the courage to approach.

“Uh, Si woo? Hello?”

“…Hi.”

“Um… would you maybe like to hang out with us after class today?”

He gave her a straightforward reply without hesitation.

“Sorry, I don’t think I can.”

“Oh… I see.”

The girl walked away, her steps heavy with disappointment.

Si woo watched her go for a moment before losing interest.

More and more, he found himself alone. Nowadays, he hardly spoke to anyone.

Even the girls he had once been close to grew distant. Only Valentina occasionally reached out to him, but even her, he responded halfheartedly.

He had locked his heart tightly shut.

Eventually, even the girls who harbored feelings for him gradually gave up, one by one.

***

During lunch, unable to bear the lively atmosphere, Si woo escaped outside.

Without any destination, he wandered the corridors.

At some point, he found himself standing in the hallway for the first years.

Was it a simple coincidence? Or had his subconscious led him here?

He stood still, staring at the science lab for a long time.

The inside was dark, as no lights were on.

He raised his hand to the door, but it was locked, as expected.

That man, who had always exuded an unsettling presence, had disappeared without warning.

The science teacher, who had approached Hana so naturally, as if scheming something, was gone.

All he knew about the man was that he bled red, like a human.

But that, too, could have been fabricated, as it was with Hana.

If he said he wasn’t curious about the teacher’s sudden disappearance, it would be a lie.

But there was no way to investigate.

After much thought, he even visited his former homeroom teacher to ask.

But the teacher shook her head, saying she knew nothing about it.

Apparently, he had always been solitary, rarely interacting with other teachers.

Leaving the locked science lab behind, Si woo continued walking.

He left the school building and strolled through the streets, memories of Hana resurfacing.

In particular, he recalled a street bathed in the glow of the sunset.

He remembered her smiling as she bought rope from a hardware store, reassuring him not to worry.

A wave of deep regret crashed over him.

If only he had been more attentive back then.

If only he had noticed her pain and been there to comfort her.

Things might have turned out differently.

It would certainly have been better than this.

Self-loathing overwhelmed him.

He had no right to blame anyone else. In the end, it was all his fault.

He realized it far too late.

No matter how much he regretted it now, the dead would never return.

A lively bell rang throughout the street, signaling the end of lunch.

“…Time to go back.”

Si woo turned and headed back to his class.

***

After all classes had ended, Si woo couldn’t recall what he’d learned.

It wasn’t that he had abandoned his studies. If anything, he pushed himself harder since that day, striving to become stronger.

But he no longer felt satisfaction or pride in his achievements.

Even the memory of those positive feelings seemed distant.

It wasn’t only him.

Earlier, it was mentioned that three students had left Class A.

Sophie and Yoo Hana had left through death.

And the third.

Hong Yeonhwa had withdrawn from the academy, repelled by how it had marked an innocent girl as a sinner and tried to kill her.

Si woo could somewhat understand her sentiment.

The sight of the academy’s underground facility that day had left a shadow in his mind.

The academy, meant to train heroes to protect humanity, had a dark side.

The academy hadn’t accepted Yeonhwa’s withdrawal without a fight.

Awakened students were typically required to enroll. But that wasn’t the only reason.

If that were the only issue, they wouldn’t have reacted so excessively.

Now, Yeonhwa was an internationally wanted criminal, designated by the Association as a Class-1 threat.

Her threat level was on par with the apostles among the demons.

She was to be killed on sight.

They feared any information about that day might leak.

What was the Messiah’s power that made the academy so desperate?

Especially since Hana hadn’t even awakened to any abilities.

That was it.

The reason Si woo remained at the academy.

The sole reason he continued to live, dragging his life along.

To uncover every secret surrounding Hana’s death.

And to make them pay.

For revenge.

***

Footsteps echoed down the long corridor.

A figure, clad in a black cloak and wearing a goat mask with striking horns, came to a stop before a door.

He raised his hand and knocked a few times.

“I’m coming in.”

After a polite warning, the figure opened the door and entered.

The unlit room was dark, but he could sense another presence.

He flipped the switch beside the door, illuminating the room.

The room was simple, furnished with only a bed, bookshelf, and wardrobe.

At the center of the room stood a girl, watching him.

A girl with soft, cream-colored hair.

“Are you ready?”

The girl answered his question.

“Yes.”

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