Chapter 3
After the announcement signaling dinner time, Seokhwa left the lab much later. He looked at Kwak Soohwan, who was standing guard outside. It felt like the cold air from outside still clung to his uniform.“Haven’t you eaten?”“I was waiting for you, Doctor. An ordinary soldier like me has no way to enter the lab.”“Let’s go.”Despite Kwak Soohwan’s provocative tone, Seokhwa showed no reaction.Kwak Soohwan thought that he always spoke sharply around the Doctor without realizing it. He was curious to see if he could elicit a reaction from that expressionless face.“The stone Doctor’s name is Seokhwa, but it’s not because he picks up stones. Isn’t it actually because his surname is ‘stone’?”“You’re the first to call me a stone Doctor, Kwak Soohwan Major.”“Come on, everyone calls you that behind your back.”“I see.”This time, Seokhwa operated the elevator.“They say your grandmother was a diver in Jeju.”Seokhwa spoke up only after they were in the elevator.“A diver?”“A haenyeo.”“Do you think I asked because I didn’t know the meaning?”The elevator doors opened on the cafeteria floor.“So what does your grandmother being a haenyeo have to do with anything?”Kwak Soohwan acted as if expecting Seokhwa to finish his statement before letting him exit first.“Seokhwa means ‘oyster,’ not ‘stone.’ I’m not a stone Doctor either.”Kwak Soohwan frowned as he watched Seokhwa slowly walk towards the cafeteria.“Stone or oyster, damn it.”Although he seemed to walk slowly, the distance between them started to widen. Suspecting that some of Commander Jang’s informants might be around, he quickly caught up to Seokhwa.“Oyster Doctor, let’s walk together.”The cafeteria was quieter than usual since the soldiers had already passed through. Seokhwa knew this and had taken his time leaving.Seokhwa grabbed a tray and began to slowly receive his meal. Kwak Soohwan followed behind. Despite hearing that Seokhwa ate like a mouse, the staff, not knowing his habits, piled his tray high with rice and side dishes. Seokhwa sighed softly as he looked down at his tray. He found an empty seat, with Kwak Soohwan sitting across from him.Seokhwa picked up his spoon and sipped the soup. Kwak Soohwan, while eating his meal, kept an eye on Seokhwa, expecting him to faceplant into his soup at any moment. But minutes passed, and Seokhwa continued eating slowly, almost as if he were chewing cud.“Dr. Seok, about the Adam virus.”Seokhwa hadn’t expected Kwak Soohwan to bring up the virus, so he looked up.“Has it mutated again? The vaccine developed last time isn’t working anymore.”“…That’s what I’ve heard. I’m still trying to get a grasp on the situation.”“Are the infected truly mindless?”“They move on instinct alone.”“Survival instinct?”Seokhwa blinked as he ate his bland fish cake.“Yes. Viruses don’t want to die either, so they mutate. Just like Kwak Soohwan Major and me.”They were in the middle of evolution.“People used to call them zombies.”“Zombie was the name of a West African voodoo god. It also referred to corpses revived by voodoo sorcerers. While it’s convenient to call them zombies, the details differ.”Now that he had some food in him, Seokhwa spoke without hesitation.“Calling them Adam is worse.”“What does it matter what we call them?”“People say they’re mindless, but maybe they’re not. They don’t attack each other, do they?”Kwak Soohwan chewed on a crunchy sausage.“Maybe they recognize each other as kin?”“Infected individuals are virus carriers, so there’s no reason to spread the virus further by attacking each other.”“Then they’re better than humans. Humans kill their own kind without hesitation. Like that old man who was murdered in the lab recently.”Seokhwa had dealt with many soldiers since he started working at the lab. The soldiers stationed at the shelter were elite, and those with dramatically evolved bodies often had slower cognitive functions. This didn’t mean they were significantly lacking; they just spoke in an elementary manner and had low empathy. However, they executed orders well and didn’t question injustices. As such, few soldiers ever questioned Seokhwa.“Kwak Soohwan Major, you’re more sensitive than I thought.”“Yeah, I am. So, Dr. Seok, since I’m in this situation, could you do me a favor?”Kwak Soohwan smiled charmingly.“I’ve quit drinking and smoking. But you, Doctor, can easily get both if you want. Can you get me some alcohol and a few packs of cigarettes in your name? In return, you like stones, right? You couldn’t bring any from Jeju because you left in a hurry? I can get those for you.”He openly made an illicit proposition.There were numerous points where Seokhwa could have objected, but he ignored them all to finish his meal.“I don’t drink or smoke. From what I hear from other researchers, you entered the danger zone to get alcohol. And it was in the Red Zone too.”“Tch, those researchers have loose lips,” Kwak Soohwan thought, signaling for Seokhwa to finish his meal.“I also heard you have a bad drinking habit.”Unlike the calm Seokhwa, Kwak Soohwan’s expression subtly changed.“Did you see it yourself, Doctor?”He asked, sounding exasperated. Seokhwa didn’t answer and just took a sip of lukewarm water.“How about seeing it for yourself tonight? You bring the alcohol.”“Kwak Soohwan Major, do you know the molecular structure of ethanol?”“I’ve never looked through a microscope in my life. How would I know? No matter how good my eyesight is, I can’t see molecules. Dr. Seok, just finish your meal.”Seokhwa felt like the food was stuck in his esophagus from eating more than usual, but he held back.“The molecular structure of ethanol looks like a dog.”That’s why people turn into dogs when they drink, Seokhwa said expressionlessly. Kwak Soohwan laughed incredulously and suddenly brought his face close to Seokhwa’s.“Woof!”As Kwak Soohwan imitated a dog’s bark, Seokhwa’s face fell into his soup. Startled, Kwak Soohwan grabbed the back of Seokhwa’s head and pulled him up. He expected Seokhwa’s eyes to roll back, but instead, Seokhwa was struggling to open his eyes.“I just felt a bit dizzy…”Broth dripped from his forehead down his nose. Without the strength to wipe it away, he breathed slowly and heavily. Only then did Kwak Soohwan release his grip.“Wait… Can you hold me for a bit longer?”“What?”In case I fall again.Sure enough, Seokhwa’s head started to droop, and Kwak Soohwan tightened his grip. It looked like he was shaking Seokhwa’s head. A soldier in the distance confirmed it was indeed Kwak Soohwan, recognizing him with wide eyes. Kwak Soohwan clicked his tongue, wondering how the story would get twisted. He now had another incident to explain to Commander Jang.***[……The preservation of humanity, the new prosperity of humanity, that is our mission. Welcome to Rainbow City, Green Zone.]The broadcast aired at noon without fail.The peninsula’s official name was Rainbow City, divided into seven zones. The Green Zone was the safest. As expected, the Red Zone, or R Zone, was the most dangerous.Seokhwa couldn’t understand why Kwak Soohwan would risk his life to get alcohol in the Red Zone, where there were no shelters. A drunkard who didn’t value his life—that was all Seokhwa thought of him.<Oh Yangseok, age 72, was found dead in the Adam Virus Vaccine Research Center on the 34th floor. He was presumed to have been standing with his back to the central pillar just before his death. A 9mm Beretta M92F bullet penetrated his heart, killing him instantly.>Seokhwa looked at the floor. This was the spot where Chief Researcher Oh Yangseok’s body was found. The direction the bullet came from was right in front of that glass door.The lab entrance was made of bulletproof glass, accessible only to researchers and designated soldiers. For some reason, all the CCTV footage from the 34th floor on the day of the incident was missing.Since only researchers were on the access list that day, the Doctors in the lab became suspects. However, only high-ranking soldiers could possess a Beretta M92F. Moreover, the time of death was around 5 a.m. Why Oh Yangseok was in the lab at that hour was unknown even to Seokhwa.He was a good man and a dedicated Doctor committed to saving humanity. Seokhwa briefly paid his respects, then realized he shouldn’t be standing on the spot where the body was found and took a step back.“The antibodies aren’t forming.”Dr. Kim’s voice came from the distance. Dr. Kim, practically a disciple of Oh Yangseok, had turned his chair towards Seokhwa.“Is that so.”Standing in the center, Seokhwa walked over to his desk.The Adam Virus was an extremely aggressive antigen. It had mutated seven times, rendering the sixth vaccine useless. They were trying to develop a vaccine using the seventh Adam Virus culture, but antibodies were not forming.“Vaccines don’t just appear out of thin air, but the higher-ups keep pressuring us.”It wasn’t the first time the superiors had demanded the vaccine be ready quickly.“Dr. Seok?”“…Yes?”“I just wanted to check if you were listening.”“I am. By the way, all the people who showed an immune response during the first phase were from Jeju Island, right?”“Not all people from Jeju showed an immune response, but those who did were all either from Jeju or had visited Jeju.”“And from the second mutation onward, that didn’t help.”“Right.”This information came from records left by researchers before their time.“But Dr. Seok.”“Yes.”Seokhwa replied as he sat at his computer desk. Creating antibodies was a race against time. Even after hundreds or thousands of experiments, antibodies often didn’t form. Nevertheless, researchers had to diligently work until their hypotheses succeeded.“That… Major Kwak Soohwan.”Seokhwa looked up from the seventh Adam Virus vaccine research paper left by Oh Yangseok.“Major Kwak Soohwan?”“Yes.”Dr. Kim hesitated, seemingly finding it difficult to speak. Since Seokhwa had no intention of pressing further, he returned his attention to the research paper.Although they had worked together until Seokhwa left Seoul for his mother’s funeral, Dr. Kim always felt distant from Seokhwa, both then and now. However, Seokhwa seemed to have improved in stamina, as he no longer fell asleep at his keyboard, though it was only the second day.“Well, Major Kwak Soohwan is currently assigned to protect you, Dr. Seok… Just be careful.”Dr. Kim approached and whispered more discreetly.“The person who shot Dr. Yang might be Major Kwak Soohwan.”***“Can you relax that brute strength?”The doctor tapped Kwak Soohwan’s exposed arm.“What strength? I’m totally relaxed right now.”The doctor glanced at the monitor to check the chart and tilted his head.“What’s this? You’re getting another dose when it hasn’t even been three months since the last one?”“I know, but I need it.”The effects of the suppressant usually lasted about six months. Kwak Soohwan’s high libido meant the effects wore off faster for him.“Your morning erections are getting stronger?”“They’re strong all day.”“I heard a rumor that you tried to force yourself on Dr. Seok.”The doctor looked at him, half-expecting a denial. His reputation for spreading gossip was well-known.“Just hurry up. I need to get back to Dr. Seok.”“They said you even grabbed his hair and shoved him into soup.”“The first part is true, the second isn’t.”The doctor, rubbing the alcohol pad on Kwak Soohwan’s arm, finally managed to administer the suppressant injection. It wasn’t a chemical castration; it just dampened sexual urges without affecting erections. It was a mandatory shot for all military academy graduates.“This shot always makes me feel awful.”It was probably just his imagination, but he felt like he could sense the drug spreading through his body. Kwak Soohwan, having unbuttoned his uniform to expose one arm, rotated his shoulder and put his shirt back on.“You should be grateful.”“For what?”“For this suppressant. There used to be side effects like permanent erectile dysfunction if taken regularly. Dr. Seok eliminated those side effects. And you tried to force yourself on such a kind Doctor.”Kwak Soohwan’s eyes widened in mild surprise, then he chuckled.“Thanks to Dr. Seok, I can still perform well even after the injection. I should thank him.”“With that face of yours, you could’ve lived off your looks in a normal world.”“Maybe, but I’ve never lived in a normal world. I’m off.”Kwak Soohwan, for once, properly donned his cape and left the infirmary. The sound of his military boots echoed through the hallway. So, it was Dr. Seok who eliminated the side effects. It felt like heat was radiating from the injection site. Kwak Soohwan glanced at his arm hidden under his uniform.But Dr. Seok seems so weak. Can he even handle a proper night with someone?It was amazing to think he ever had a partner. He wondered if Dr. Seok’s previous relationships ended due to inadequate intimacy. It was ironic that while he improved others’ sexual health, his own was likely lacking.When Kwak Soohwan reached the 34th-floor lab, he glanced inside. Researchers’ desks were on the left side of the central pillar, while vaccine and virus management was on the right. From the outside, it looked like a lobby with a central pillar.With arms crossed and back against the wall, Kwak Soohwan waited for Seokhwa to come out. He checked his cracked wristwatch; it was nearly dinner time. Though he ate like a bird, Seokhwa never skipped meals.[Opening.]Dr. Kim flinched upon seeing Kwak Soohwan as he and Seokhwa exited the lab. He gave a nervous smile and quickly walked away.“Dr. Seok, are you going to eat now?”Kwak Soohwan mimicked holding a spoon.“No. I need to step out for a bit.”“Where to?”It had only been a few days since Seokhwa was brought to Seoul, and this was the first time he expressed a desire to go out. He was even wearing a gun holster inside his coat, carrying a Glock 18C, a handgun issued to Doctors. He also had a backpack.“Why the gun? Are you leaving the Green Zone?”“Yes, I need to.”“Fieldwork is our job. Just give us orders.”“I need to see it for myself. Let’s go together.”Seokhwa began walking first.If the Doctor insists, I have to comply. Kwak Soohwan followed him. As they took the elevator to the parking lot, Seokhwa exchanged casual greetings with several familiar faces.“This way.”Major Kwak Soohwan grabbed Seokhwa’s arm and led him to his Jeep.“The libido suppressant—Dr. Seok removed the side effects, right?”The forceful grip made Seokhwa wince slightly.“I just researched how to remove the side effects because I was asked to.”Seokhwa sighed deeply as he climbed into the passenger seat, fastening his seatbelt. Kwak Soohwan took the driver’s seat.“Where should I take you?”“To the Red Zone where you went to fetch alcohol, Major Kwak Soohwan.”“…What?”“That’s where Dr. Yang’s family home is.”Seokhwa nonchalantly pulled a blanket from the backpack on his lap, wrapped himself in it, and closed his eyes.“Wake me when we arrive.”What does he mean, telling me to wake him up after suggesting we invade the Red Zone? Kwak Soohwan tapped the steering wheel before even starting the engine.“Hey, Dr. Stone.”Seokhwa remained silent with his eyes closed.“Do you know why it’s called the Red Zone? It’s the most dangerous area. I can take care of myself, but dragging a weakling like you along will be incredibly difficult.”Seokhwa opened his eyes and looked at Kwak Soohwan.“Get out.”Kwak Soohwan responded with a blank expression.“….”“Get out. Just tell me what you need, and I’ll go alone.”“You wouldn’t understand even if you saw it.”Kwak Soohwan twisted his lips.“What, you think I’m too dumb?”“Major Kwak Soohwan, I don’t have the energy to argue with you.”“So get out.”Seokhwa pulled out a bottle of water from his backpack and slowly drank it.Haenyo/Haenyeo, lit. sea women, are divers situated in Jeju Island, who collect and harvest seawater plants and materials, such as oysters and seaweed. If you want to know more about it, you can watch one 2D1N episode, where the cast goes to the seaside to help them and the episode itself is very sweet and funny.