Rainbow City

Kwak Soohwan lifted the vaccine as if it were a hostage. Seokhwa lowered his eyes for a moment and then raised his pupils. Then, he extended his hand towards Kwak Soohwan.Oh no, this isn’t right. As the hand holding the vaccine was raised further, unexpectedly, the hand on the opposite side was grabbed. Seokhwa brought that hand to his chest.“Dr. Seok… What are you doing now?”Kwak Soohwan was standing still, his hand on Seokhwa’s chest, unable to move. Over a thin gown, Seokhwa’s warmth spread to the palm of his hand. Kwak Soohwan looked down and saw Seokhwa’s hand firmly gripping his wrist. There was still a band on his little finger, and unlike the warm body temperature, his hand felt cold.“Do you really want to receive my sperm? You know that’s impossible in just 10 minutes.”Thinking it might be right in front of the lab, he opened his mouth after a while.“…Major Kwak Soohwan, it feels good when you touch it, but when I touch it, I feel nothing.”It was an excessively honest statement. Kwak Soohwan let out a sigh and looked at the ceiling for a moment, then turned his gaze back to Seokhwa.“It wasn’t because of that you were coming to Gwacheon, was it?”“It was complicated.”Seokhwa’s eyes, which made one feel lustful, were so clear that a sense of guilt could be felt. Nevertheless, Seokhwa was the one who ignited the flame first.“What’s the difference?”Kwak Soohwan whispered, lips close. Seokhwa finally took a step back. Then, he firmly pressed his hand against the recognition panel.[Opening.]Kwak Soohwan chuckled, expecting that, and extended the vaccine. However, Seokhwa grabbed his uniform sleeve and pulled him. Even though there was no strength in his grip, Kwak Soohwan was dragged into the research lab.“That’s strange.”“Yeah, Dr. Seok seems strange.”Kwak Soohwan put the vaccine on the table in the research lab lobby.Whether to let him touch his chest or pull him into the lab. In the midst of that, Seokhwa placed his own hand on his chest. He even touched it gently with an absent-minded face, which was surprising.“The sensation is different.”Looking directly at Kwak Soohwan, Seokhwa even pinched the area where his nipple was. Since earlier, blood had been rushing to his lower body. It wasn’t Kwak Soohwan who cared about the prepared meal.As Seokhwa slid his hand onto Kwak Soohwan’s chest, his palm stung as if burned. Surprisingly, Seokhwa pressed his body against him even more. Now, Kwak Soohwan roughly understood why Dr. Seok was acting this way. Experiencing pleasure for the first time, he was exposing himself vulnerable to the unfamiliar and pleasant sensation. As the saying goes, a thief learned late in life might surprise everyone, and Seokhwa was precisely that pair.Kwak Soohwan slid his hand inside the gown, pressing Seokhwa’s chest more closely. The small and sensitive nipple tingled on his fingertips, adding to the already parched mouth.Wrapping his arms around Seokhwa’s waist, Kwak Soohwan gently stroked the little finger wrapped in a band. Seokhwa’s half-grown nails were itching, and he shivered as Kwak Soohwan stroked up from the back of his hand, wrapping his wrist, and pulled his waist once more.Seokhwa also embraced Kwak Soohwan’s body, which was cooler than his own body temperature. Although his power was weak, he tried to envelop the large body as if gripping a stone as he usually did.“It feels cool, Major Kwak Soohwan.”This seems like just being treated as a toy…Kwak Soohwan leaned lightly against Seokhwa’s forehead, adopting an affectionate tone.“Seokhwa.”At that call, Seokhwa raised his head. Kwak Soohwan removed his chin from Seokhwa’s forehead and looked into his eyes.“This can’t happen; our mothers would oppose it.”He thought he would at least grimace at such nonsense, but Seokhwa’s expression was ambiguous, and his eyes were clear.“Is this some kind of role-playing? I read a novel where Major Kwak Soohwan was like that.”Kwak Soohwan smiled subtly with a teasing face. Seokhwa, who had only read medical and scientific books until now, had gained various knowledge.“Is this a reward for bringing the vaccine? Or a response as a gift for being a good boy.”What kind of response? Seokhwa made a face as if he didn’t understand, but soon realized.“Dr. Seok, the reward will be given soon.” He remembered the words he had said while giving the stone. However, due to the rush to Gwacheon, there was no chance for such a thing to happen.“Shall I pay you?”“I told you I have a lot of money.”“So?”Kwak Soohwan glanced at the wall clock in the lab and then looked down at Seokhwa again.“We have 5 minutes left.”Kwak Soohwan pushed Seokhwa, who was wrapped around him, toward the wall.“Shall we spend this time kissing?”Even if it was Seokhwa, I expected him to refuse a kiss. I thought he would ask for sperm rather than a kiss, considering that we were not on such terms. However, Seokhwa slightly opened his mouth. It seemed he remembered being told to open his mouth when they first kissed.Back then, he was biting down as if zipping up…Kwak Soohwan wondered how to handle Dr. Seok, who was weak to such pleasure. Of course, his patience also had its limits. Kwak Soohwan deeply pressed Seokhwa’s lips from top to bottom.The inside of Seokhwa’s mouth, touched by the tongue with hot breath, became moist. Even the pressed Seokhwa barely exhaled and held back again. The squishy sound echoed in the ears.Seokhwa leaned his whole body on Kwak Soohwan without realizing that his hand was digging into his shirt. The lower lip was slightly nibbled, and the fast tongue was chewed well. The pleasure, not pain, tingled from fingertips to toes. As felt before, Kwak Soohwan seemed to enjoy nibbling. He chewed on Seokhwa’s lips, even gripping the shirt.“Haah, the bruise is gone.”The marks bitten and chewed all over the neck and upper body had disappeared within a week.Kwak Soohwan unbuttoned Seokhwa’s shirt and sucked on the smooth collarbone, biting hard. Seokhwa’s toes stood erect. Unconsciously, Seokhwa pressed his body even more against him. As he came up again, Kwak Soohwan locked lips with him. The place where saliva had passed gave a cool and tingling sensation.“Like a patch…”Treating it like a patch instead of a stone, Kwak Soohwan laughed as if surprised, pressing his body hard.“I’ll make it cooler. Open your mouth wider.”When Seokhwa turned his face away to breathe, Kwak Soohwan followed him diligently, stealing his breath.Kwak Soohwan, feeling unsatisfied with just a kiss, kept sliding his hands all over Seokhwa’s body. The shirt was completely undone, revealing Seokhwa’s chest.His body, which even made appetite disappear, was no longer tolerable. Damn it, Kwak Soohwan crossed his arms under Seokhwa’s buttocks, lifting him up forcefully. The small nipples were right in front of his nose. After biting fiercely, Seokhwa’s hair tangled with his hand.“Ugh!”Thinking it might have been too rough, Kwak Soohwan released his mouth, revealing one side of the chest reddened intensely.“Did it hurt?”“A little… but it feels cool.”As he gently pressed with his tongue, Seokhwa’s tense body gradually relaxed. It was time to grab his buttocks.[Hey! Aren’t you coming? It’s been more than 20 minutes.]A walkie-talkie rang from Kwak Soohwan’s uniform.Tch, he looked at the other side of Seokhwa’s chest that he had brushed with his tongue, then lowered him to the ground. Thanks to Yang Sang-hoon, he quickly regained his senses. Should I consider this fortunate? Kwak Soohwan, suppressing his excitement, made Seokhwa lift his arms onto his shoulders. Using hands strained from holding back, he meticulously buttoned up the shirt. He smiled at Seokhwa, whose face turned red with a vacant expression.“The role-play ends here. I’ll go now.”Brushing Seokhwa’s hair leaning against the wall, he turned around. Seokhwa unconsciously tried to grab his sleeve, but he had no strength left.As Kwak Soohwan walked towards the door, he suddenly turned around to look at Seokhwa.“If I force myself again…”Seokhwa, still dazed by the aftermath of the kiss, didn’t understand what he was saying.“Just hit me with that damn stone.”Although it felt like his body was floating all this time, now he finally felt the weight of the pocket.Kwak Soohwan had never forced himself on Seokhwa… if anything, it seemed like I was the one who forced myself onto him.[“Why aren’t you coming? I’m fed up! Hurry back now!”]Kwak Soohwan replied brusquely with the walkie-talkie.“I’m leaving now, you little brat.”The announcement from the Mother’s voice was almost simultaneous. Since he had shaken hands and left, there was no chance to ask when he would come again. However, Seokhwa was sure that Kwak Soohwan’s touch was incredibly pleasant.***“Don’t even look up. Every time I see your face, I lose my energy, and it’s annoying.”Seokhwa looked at the guy who had been hurling insults at him while holding a stone in one hand.He was a classmate from the same S-class at the learning center, and he always picked a fight with Seokhwa. There was no reason to offend him, and Seokhwa had no memory of causing any trouble.“Planning to hit me with that stone? Go ahead and try. I’ll tell my dad about you, and you won’t get away with it. Do you know who my dad is? He’s a colonel in the Rainbow City Army!”Seokhwa, who had never thought about it, looked down at the stone he was holding. This was not something like a weapon.“Don’t hit me.”“Why? Scared because I’ll tell my dad? It’s totally unlucky to take the S-class class with a beggar like you.”Ignoring the guy, Seokhwa started walking down the corridor.“A beggar with no dad! Your mom is a parasite, and you’re a parasite too! Do you know that people know about parasites born on Jeju Island?”He stopped abruptly at those words. Seokhwa looked down at the stone he was holding. It wasn’t like a weapon.“…Not gonna hit.”“Why, scared because I said I’d tell my dad? You’re a beggar parasite! People know that parasites born on Jeju Island are parasites!”Seokhwa ignored the guy and started walking down the hallway again.“The parasites are extinct. So, people developed many autoimmune diseases.”Speak properly, Seokhwa thought to himself. Without saying those words, he started walking again. Since he was recommended for the S-class from the beginning, there were no friendly peers. Despite receiving compliments from adults, including teachers, for his intelligence and good looks, it was only temporary. He didn’t smile or react much, and people eventually stopped paying attention.Seokhwa also knew that he was annoying and troublesome. Fortunately, he was lucky to be born on Jeju Island, but he couldn’t fully enjoy what to eat and wear. He had eaten porridge made from leftover rice in the morning, and lunch was taken care of at the learning center’s cafeteria.Originally, Seokhwa’s stomach was not capable of digesting a large amount of food at once. Instead, he would transfer durable foods like bread or nuts into a side dish container and eat them whenever he pleased. However, after witnessing this, the guy teased him as a beggar.Actually, Seokhwa didn’t care what anyone said. When he went home, he had a loving mother, and he had grown up receiving plenty of love from his deceased grandparents. When the class was over, Seokhwa would often collect stones on the beach. This time alone, undisturbed by anyone, was the happiest for him. Although people complained about the difficulty due to Adam outside, Jeju Island was always pristine. Of course, Seokhwa didn’t think he could live here forever. Since he solved the issue of consciousness in Rainbow City, it was natural that he had to pay the price, as he had learned in the learning center.Every day, for two hours, students had to listen to educational broadcasts conducted by Mother’s voice.They repeated how great Rainbow City was and how happy the people affiliated with Rainbow City were. They also showed people dying without protection and affiliated citizens, emphasizing that they should never be tainted by rebel ideologies through daily indoctrination.Children quickly developed pride in Rainbow City. Brainwashed with the idea that personal sacrifice is nothing to maintain this excellent system and that they could sacrifice themselves as well. However, whether it was because of his mother’s influence, Seokhwa was not easily swayed by ideological indoctrination.Moreover, the repetitive videos became boring, and whenever that time came, he thought about something else. Of course, teachers were watching, so his eyes were on the screen. Since he was often absent-minded, there were no consequences for watching the video blankly.[Happy city, homes overflowing with love, Adam is our enemy, defeat the rebels, safety and happiness within Rainbow City, woo woo lalala lalala.]Seokhwa furrowed his brows at the song playing on the radio he had turned on. He had been absentmindedly watching the experimental mice, but he snapped out of it when the song played. He was waiting for the results of the vaccine that Eden Garden had developed and genetically modified into the gene machine.“About 12 hours have passed since this guy was injected, right?”Dr. Kim had injected a portion of the vaccine that Eden Garden had distributed into the experimental mice. The mouse that received the injection had been roaming around the case as if nothing had happened. Even if Eden Garden had distributed the vaccine, there probably wouldn’t be anyone who had directly injected themselves. Since they didn’t know what the results would be, they wouldn’t inject themselves hastily.“I heard that the Eden Garden guys who spread this also randomly displayed videos in each region.”Seokhwa finally showed interest in Dr. Kim’s words.“Videos?”“Yes. They said it was a video of directly receiving the vaccine and injecting Adam’s blood. He wore a white mask and was called Serpent… or Lana? Anyway, he holds a high position in Eden Garden. He personally received the vaccine and injected Adam’s blood, but there was no mutation. Well, that could also be fake. Even if you see that, people won’t easily administer the vaccine to themselves.”“Dr. Kim.”“Yes?”“Dr. Kim, you seem to be very fast with information.”Dr. Kim gave a surprised look. Seokhwa’s way of speaking, delivering messages sharply and with substance, was something he hadn’t seen much.“Oh, really?”He brushed his neck as if he were being impressive.“Dr. Kim shot Dr. O Yang-seok with a rumor… that Major Kwak Soohwan did it. Why did you do that?”For some reason, Dr. Kim didn’t like Kwak Soohwan. There was no reason for him to be so dismissive.“I didn’t spread that rumor… Since you say it so bluntly, it’s a bit unsettling for me too.”Seokhwa had suspicions about Dr. Kim that he couldn’t express while facing him.“Dr. Kim, I also know why the boy turned into Adam. It’s because of Adam’s blood. But how did the boy get his hands on it?”Seokhwa wanted to approach the essence of the incident, wanting to go beyond the advice not to show any interest.“Surely… you’re not suspecting me, right? Even if you have thoughts about pushing me into the Presidential Security Service or something, it seems a bit insulting, doesn’t it? I’ve already been investigated without any problems. Aren’t Lieutenant Yang Sang-hoon or Major Kwak Soohwan more suspicious? They brought that boy. Isn’t it true that he was demoted to Gwacheon? Even the soldiers who brought the vaccine this time are said to be those two.”There was no way to refute Dr. Kim’s words because they were true. However, it didn’t seem likely that Yang Sang-hoon or Kwak Soohwan, who had completed the search, would hand over blood to the boy. So, Seokhwa became more suspicious of Dr. Kim. Perhaps there was someone from an entirely different shelter that he didn’t know about.“I did have some suspicions about Dr. Kim. I’m sorry.”Seokhwa apologized cleanly, and Dr. Kim let out a hesitant, awkward laugh.“It’s disappointing. Even though we’ve spent more time together, how can you give your heart more to Major Kwak Soohwan or Lieutenant Yang Sang-hoon? Both of them are from outside Rainbow City. They weren’t originally our citizens. So, don’t trust them too much. If you’re thinking about getting in line, Lieutenant Lee Chae-yoon would be better. His family is wealthy, and he comes from a recognized prestigious family in Rainbow City, isn’t he?”The news that Kwak Soohwan and Yang Sang-hoon came from outside Rainbow City was new to Seokhwa. Kwak Soohwan said he volunteered for the military to get food, but there was no mention of him not being a citizen of this place.“Shall we proceed since the time is getting late?”Dr. Kim lifted the case containing three mice that received the vaccine. The location he pointed to was a Biosafety Level 3 research lab set up inside a regular research lab.“Yes, let’s go.”There, the 7th Generation Adam’s blood was stored, and Dr. Kim and Seokhwa, wearing protective gear for prevention and preparedness against infection, changed into the safety suits. It took about 30 minutes for the preparation time to pass before they could administer the 7th Generation Adam’s blood to the three mice kept in storage.The entire experimental scene was being filmed by Mother. Naturally, Seokhwa and Dr. Kim began to closely monitor the mice’s conditions. Click, chirp, click. Suddenly, one of them opened its mouth wide and began to cry out, showing a striking resemblance to the state just before transforming into Adam. Then, the other two mice also trembled, making crying sounds.“Was this really a lie? If there were people who got the injection, it would be a big problem.”Dr. Kim’s voice, muffled by the protective suit, sounded distant. However, Seokhwa continued to watch the mice. Even though there should have been time left after the transformation, the mice’s immune systems were fighting the virus as if they were resisting it.Not long after, an exclamation burst out from Dr. Kim. The one who first cried out was now perfectly moving around the case. Similarly, the other two gradually returned to normal.Seokhwa couldn’t believe it. Perhaps it really was a perfect vaccine.Seokhwa and Dr. Kim exchanged glances and quickly collected the blood from the three mice. They dropped it onto the Adam virus blood test kit developed by Rainbow City, and the result was.“It’s negative.”Dr. Kim provided the answer.***Bison, married, Tigris, and Euphrates. These four were the known signers of Eden’s Garden outside.Information about Serpent was scarce, spreading only through rumors. Even though the guy had worn a mask, revealing his appearance, the only information available about Eden’s Garden was that they would engage in some sort of demonstration of power in the future. If the guy Lee Chae-yoon had encountered that day was truly Serpent, he would be at least S-Class level, and the ones he commanded would be at least A-Class.Having rebels with that level of power aside from the city’s soldiers was a tremendous threat. Seokhwa somewhat understood why Second Master was continuously investigating Eden’s Garden with caution.However, how did Second Master foresee that Eden’s Garden would become a threatening existence?That was one of the questions lingering in Kwak Soohwan’s mind.“Kraaack! Cock!”Kwak Soohwan smashed the head of an Adam that rushed at him against the wall. Descending the stairs, he aimed his gun at the guys coming up one by one, shouting to the guards supporting from behind.“Don’t enter until it’s cleared!”Because the stairs were narrow, it would only be a hindrance if allies got entangled. They seemed to be guys who had recently transformed, but most of them were wearing the military insignia of Rainbow City.“Lieutenant Cha, throw the gun.”Following behind, Lieutenant Cha quickly threw the gun, and Kwak Soohwan went down the stairs without any obstruction. When he turned the corner and flashed the inside, it happened.Crunch! In the flash of light, Adams, their faces covered in blood, were growling and rushing at him. It was a waste of bullets, so Kwak Soohwan tore off the glove with his hand and ripped off their jaws. Stepping on the fallen guy’s head, he shot wind holes in the foreheads of those running from behind, silencing the noisy Adams.Kraaaack, the strange sound from the last guy’s thigh echoed. As soon as Kwak Soohwan shot the thigh of the last guy making weird noises, the one whose bones were shattered collapsed to the ground. Meanwhile, one of them tried to crawl towards him. Cutting the military tag hanging outside the sagging shirt, he cut off the back of the head to cut off the air.“Clear. Enter.”Kwak Soohwan turned the radio back inside his uniform. Five guards waiting on the stairs quickly joined him. The stench of blood and decaying flesh was even more pungent in confined spaces, but now the smell of blood was stronger than the decaying corpse odor.The guard members were familiar with this smell, but the repulsion was still unavoidable. They relied on the belief that the sense of smell would quickly dull with fatigue.“Turn on the light.”At his words, one of the guard members placed a military-grade night-hiking flashlight in the center. With an Adam’s corpse beside him, the eerie face with a hole in the back of the head was clearly reflected in the light. Kwak Soohwan kicked the corpse and slowly inspected the underground bunker.As expected, it was the place where the 7th vaccine and the 7th Eve were created.“Get everything you need and take it to the 21st Violet Guard Battalion.”Roger. Guards with their military gear looked around carefully. They were told to recover whatever they needed, but Eden’s Garden had already taken almost everything when abandoning this bunker. All that was left were desks, miscellaneous tools, and Adams left as bait for them – all comprised of Rainbow City’s soldiers.Whether they were kidnapped for human experiments or an attempt to persuade them, Seokhwa didn’t know. However, it seemed like they had been transformed for at least about three days.Rainbow City citizens had a chip called the “necklace” embedded in their bodies, but it was rarely used. In Seokhwa’s case, the GPS control tower had been opened because he was a senior researcher, and if regular soldiers had disappeared, they must have died fighting Adams. These guys were real bullet sponges. Kwak Soohwan rolled the dog tags in his hand.On the central wall of the bunker, a tree with abundant leaves and numerous branches was drawn.The Tree of Life. It was the mark representing Eden’s Garden.“It seems like they cleared up before distributing the vaccine.”Lieutenant Cha approached and cautiously conveyed his thoughts.To conduct vaccine research, a sufficient space was needed, and the route to obtain necessary items had to be uncomplicated. Therefore, it was unlikely to be in a mountainous region. Moreover, it wouldn’t be far from the designated Rainbow City area. The investigation results from the locations Kwak Soohwan instructed to check revealed traces of Eden’s Garden in an underground bunker in Uijeongbu. The upper part, which was set on fire by Lee Chae-yoon, seemed to be a place they had passed through before coming down to Uijeongbu.“Collect the military tags from the dead guys’ necks and hand them over to the bereaved families. Tell them they fought for Rainbow City and died honorably.”Kwak Soohwan handed over the dog tags he was holding to Lieutenant Cha.“I will take responsibility for delivering them.”“I’ll go first. Clean up quickly and go up to Yeouido.”“Yes, please proceed.”Lieutenant Cha and the other guards maintained a salute until Kwak Soohwan disappeared. As he climbed the stairs, he took off his gloves, tossed them to the ground, and lit a cigarette. Seeing those strangely-shaped guys made everything aesthetic seem ruined. Seokhwa’s blank face suddenly came to mind, and unknowingly, I blew out a long puff of cigarette smoke.I wonder what Dr. Seok Park, with his poor gas mileage, is doing right now. The last report he received was this morning. He had gathered the Violet Guard Battalion under his command this afternoon. The photos received this morning through Lieutenant Cha showed him drinking alcohol with a very serious expression on his face.Commander Yoon in Yeouido Shelter was causing a commotion, almost as much as Serpent. Since Yoon could overturn Seokhwa’s rebel ideology if he set his mind to it, Kwak Soohwan had no choice but to keep an eye on him for a while. That’s what he thought, but he found himself looking forward to some interesting photos every day, along with some unnecessary expectations.[This is the Gwacheon Shelter. Please respond.]The radio in Kwak Soohwan’s jeep buzzed. He casually walked while lighting his cigarette and listened to the radio.[Major Kwak Soohwan, this is the Gwacheon Shelter.]“Speak. What’s going on?”[Major Kwak Soohwan, a visitor has come to see you at the Gwacheon Shelter.]Gwacheon Shelter? Kwak Soohwan brought his lips close to the radio.“Who is it?”With static noise mixing in, a clear voice was heard in the opposite direction.[…It’s me. Major Kwak Soohwan.]It was Seokhwa.