The test was conducted on the first basement floor of the building.
There were several rooms, but only one had its lights on.

Awakener Ability Testing Room (B1-4)

It seemed to be Room 4 on the first basement floor.
Various devices were scattered around, though I had no idea how to use them.

"Ah, sit here," said Lee Yu-ram, the Academy’s health teacher.
I thought she only handled the infirmary, but here she was.

"It’s better if you’re comfortable for accurate results. Si-hoo, could you wait outside?" she said, as if implying I would be uncomfortable with Han Si-hoo around.
I didn’t think that was necessary.

"It’ll take about 40 minutes. We’ll skip anything too dangerous, like trauma checks."

"Alright. Let me know when it’s over."

Han Si-hoo left, likely heading to the lounge upstairs.

Trauma checks? That sounded dangerous, but it piqued my curiosity.

"Alright, this is the measuring device."

The testing device was just a cube—a simple metallic block.
It had a futuristic vibe.

"Just put your hand on it, and that’s it."

"Like this?"

It looked like a cube made of marble.
I was surprised that something so simple could measure anything.

"It’s not difficult, right? It usually only takes a minute."

Lee Yu-ram spoke kindly.
She was always the one giving me the medicine.
Yes, she was a good person.

"Oh, it’s done. The results are out."

Not even ten seconds had passed.

"That’s it?"

The test was over.
It was shockingly fast.

"It’s a basic test," she explained.
It didn’t seem as complicated as I’d expected.
She had said earlier that it would take about 40 minutes, so there must be more to do.

"What’s next?"

"Just a chat," she said, walking toward the door.

4 hours 29 minutes.

Was this an interview-type test?

"I have two options to give you."

Click.

Lee Yu-ram locked the door.
Was she keeping Han Si-hoo from coming in? Or stopping me from escaping?
Something felt off.

"Choices?" I asked, uncertain.

"One: You fake your death and disappear. The cause could be anything—drug overdose, worsening injuries, whatever."

I wondered if I’d heard her wrong.
This was completely unexpected.
No matter how I thought about it, I couldn’t understand her words.

"Right now, before the entrance ceremony, when very few people know you, you could escape the Academy."

"Escape the Academy?"

I hadn’t considered running away.

"The Academy isn’t a place that hands out expensive drugs to just anyone. If you’re going to run, now is the only time."

Pretending to be dead and vanishing?
I couldn’t make sense of it.
Why did I need to disappear?

"Two: You stay here and take the drugs the Academy provides."

Taking the Academy’s medicine seemed like a good option.
Wasn’t that a good thing?
I didn’t see any downside.

I could get the medicine I needed, which would be difficult to acquire on my own.
Being provided with medicine wasn’t a bad thing, even if it felt like I was being treated like a pet.

"Having lived in the slums, you should know: nothing’s free. Maybe your mind is too clouded by the drugs to realize it, but don’t be fooled by appearances. The Academy is rotten to the core."

Lee Yu-ram had seen a lot.
If she said there was something wrong with the Academy, she was probably right.

"No one here is going to heal you."

"Ah..."

Was she telling me not to expect this place to be a convalescent home?

"They’re going to give you military-grade drugs and expect you to fight. You’ll become a test subject for the Academy. And from there, it’s out of my hands."

Of course, nothing is free.
I’d known that all along.
The idea of getting free drugs forever had always seemed too good to be true.

"The drugs they’re going to give you aren’t like what you’ve been using. Even soldiers don’t use them. They’re too strong. They weren’t made for humans."

Strong drugs.
Were they as powerful as the 100-hour drug the doctor gave me?

"As a teacher, I feel obligated to help. And as a doctor, I can’t just stand by and let this happen. So, I’m telling you—get out while you still can."

Lee Yu-ram was sincere.
She genuinely believed I should escape.
For the first time, I seriously considered it.

4 hours 22 minutes.

But there was a problem.
Even if I escaped, where would I get the drugs?

"But what about the medicine?"

"I have a week’s supply left for you. I’ll give it to you. You can go to another region and find a doctor I know. Maybe they’ll have a solution. I’ll explain everything to Si-hoo. He’ll understand."

Lee Yu-ram was speaking faster now.
Maybe there was some chance with this unknown doctor, but I wasn’t sure.
It seemed better to stick with a more certain option.

I understood that the Academy was dangerous, but the outside world wasn’t exactly safe either.
If I ran out of medicine, I’d die, no matter where I was.

"There’s no listening device in here, but if the higher-ups get suspicious of what we’re doing, it’ll be a problem. You need to decide quickly."

Her urgency was clear.
She had arranged this entire situation to give me this choice.
But honestly, it didn’t feel like I had much of a choice.

"...What exactly is this military-grade drug?"

She had said it was dangerous.

"It’s risky. They mix it with mana to suppress side effects, but the moment they do that, it stops being regular medicine. If you take it, you’ll be the one testing it."

4 hours 18 minutes.

The medicine I was currently using didn’t even let me sleep properly.
I had considered taking two doses just to get some rest.
I couldn’t sleep well with the current dosage.

"I think it’s fine," I said.
This was an Awakened testing ground.
As long as I had the drugs, I could pretend to be Awakened.

"Even if I ran away to survive, it’d just cause trouble for you and Si-hoo."

The drug was strong.
It was military-grade.

"I’ve been a burden all along, and I don’t want to keep being one."

A strong drug.
It couldn’t be true that it wouldn’t help.
Why call it medicine if it didn’t cure anything?

"So, even if I have to use the drugs, it’s better for me to be useful in some way."

A strong drug.

"Right?"

Give it to me.

Yes.
I had already crossed the line long ago.
I was smiling now, though it wasn’t a smile I had meant to make.
It was just a natural response, a grin that slipped out unconsciously.
Maybe it was the anticipation of using the drug.

"Ah, right."

There was pity and a hint of disdain in Lee Yu-ram’s voice.
There was nothing she could do now.
The military-grade drugs were issued by one of the Academy’s directors.
If both the Academy and I wanted this, she couldn’t refuse.

If only we had met earlier, when the addiction was still manageable.
Maybe she could have saved Han Si-hoo’s friend.
Now, it was safe to say I was as good as dead.

"Si-hoo will be sad."

At the mention of Han Si-hoo, my expression stiffened.
Though I was still forcing a smile, something about it made me uneasy.
Lee Yu-ram looked a little guilty.

"If Si-hoo finds out you’re using these experimental drugs, he’ll be furious. It’ll be a problem for you too. The military-grade drugs will be given quietly and only when necessary. Keep that in mind."

"Okay."

There was no way I’d tell Han Si-hoo what drugs I was using.
If I had been loose-lipped, they might have injected me with the military drugs already without telling me.

If Han Si-hoo openly opposed the Academy, things would get messy.
Losing one of their valuable students would be a serious issue.
It was safer to leave me alone.
But the Academy wouldn’t allow that.

"If the other students at the Academy find out, it’ll be troublesome too. That’s why we created the special class."

If I weren’t Han Si-hoo’s friend, I’d probably be locked up in a special detention cell.

"Can I take it now?"

"You want to use it?"

I nodded.

"There’s still some time left before the deadline we agreed on. I think you can take one dose."

Lee Yu-ram lifted a flat suitcase from under the desk.
Inside were several automatic injectors.

"I’ll ask you one last time—do you really want to stay at the Academy?"

This was the final question.
If I said yes, Lee Yu-ram would return to being just a teacher at the Academy.
Her duty as a teacher, and the Hippocratic oath she swore as a doctor, would no longer hold meaning.
Only her professionalism as an Academy instructor would remain.
She was offering me this choice out of her connection with Han Si-hoo.

"...I think Si-hoo would want that."

I chose to stay, rather than escape.

Lee Yu-ram, feeling that she had done her best, gave up trying to convince me.
She carefully pulled out the injector.

It was a dangerous drug.

If it made me lose my mind or killed me, so what?
I had chosen the escape route, not by faking my death, but by really dying.
The cause could be anything—overdose, worsening injuries—either way, it didn’t matter.

13 hours 21 minutes.

The test was done.

"Aha."

The cube had exploded.
Seeing the shattered remains of the measuring device felt great.
Or maybe it was just the effect of the drug.

"...Even for a basic testing device..."

Lee Yu-ram seemed shocked as well.
She stared blankly at the shattered remains.

I could be a protagonist now, right?
It was a shame there weren’t more spectators.
A real protagonist always had an audience.

"How did you build such a tolerance..."

I took that as a compliment.
Now I could live like a hero, receiving praise from everyone.
I could be like Han Si-hoo.
I could.

"Do you feel dizzy, nauseous, or any pain anywhere?"

I wanted to be like Han Si-hoo, the kind of protagonist who never showed weakness.
I’d always wanted that.

"Are you okay?"

I wished I could be like Han Si-hoo, or one of the other Awakened.
I wanted to live as smoothly as those whose lives seemed like a game.
I wanted to be a protagonist.

"Are you alright?"

I had always wanted a chance, just once.
Maybe this was my chance.
It had to be.

"Ah, yes, teacher. I was just lost in thought for a moment."

I had to show I was fine.
And I really was fine, but I couldn’t risk her thinking otherwise and withholding the drug.
I had to prove I was healthy thanks to the medicine.

"Are you sure you’re okay?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

Of course.
She looked worried.

"The medicine’s working. I don’t feel any pain at all."

She still didn’t seem reassured.

"If you’re worried about Si-hoo finding out... He won’t know what medicine I’m using anyway, so it’s fine."

He never knew the details.

"I see."

I had thought the Academy only had bad medicine, but now I knew that wasn’t the case.

"If you cause any trouble because of the drugs, you’ll be... dealt with quickly. The Academy is good at handling that sort of thing, so be careful."

"Understood."

I knew the Academy was dangerous.
If I went berserk because of the medicine, they’d take me out.
I understood.
But I wasn’t worried.
The medicine the doctor had given me was stronger.
That had been the real danger—when I’d attacked Han Si-hoo.

"Heh..."

13 hours 18 minutes.

There was still plenty of time left.
I was satisfied.
I’d lost two hours smashing the cube, but I still had a lot of time.

I could even sleep soundly now.
This medicine seemed stronger than what I had at home.

"Ah, is the test over now?"

"Yes, it’s all done. You can go. Si-hoo’s probably waiting."

"Thank you."

I thanked her and left the room.
Han Si-hoo would be waiting for me.
I should hurry.

There was nothing to worry about.
There were plenty of syringes prepared.

Staying at the Academy was the obvious choice.
I was glad Lee Yu-ram was reasonable.

I climbed the stairs.
Han Si-hoo wasn’t on the first floor.
Was he outside?
I could see out the window.

Ah, there he was.
He was talking to someone.

Talking.
To someone?

"Rena."

Her full name was longer, but I couldn’t remember it again.
Her neat silver hair stood out.
Why was she here?

The spot where I had been stabbed began to ache slightly.