Rainbow City

Seokhwa just stood there, staring at him. Though he was shrouded in darkness, Seokhwa could feel his pain and weakness, so different from when others were around.“This happened to Dr. Seok because… it’s all my fault.”Seokhwa thought he understood why Kwak Soohwan was blaming himself. It was probably because of the blood swap. Seokhwa quietly smiled to himself. He was sure it wasn’t Kwak Soohwan’s fault but decided to feign ignorance. Approaching the hesitant man first, he said:“If it weren’t for you, Major, I would have died dozens of times by now.”“Dr. Seok is just too dense to realize. I’m the idiot here. It’s all my fault.”Kwak Soohwan shook his head once before parting his trembling lips. Without hesitation, Seokhwa pressed his lips against Kwak Soohwan’s. It was a deep, fervent kiss, with Seokhwa sucking and licking his lower lip. As soon as Seokhwa’s tongue slipped inside, Kwak Soohwan, who had been stiff as a board, pulled him into a tight embrace.“Mmph.”The force was so intense that it felt like his organs were being crushed against his bones, and his mouth fell open. Kwak Soohwan took advantage of this, devouring Seokhwa’s mouth. The kiss grew more desperate, with Kwak Soohwan biting and sucking Seokhwa’s tongue, pulling him even closer by the waist.“Dr. Seok, you’re not going anywhere, right? You’ll stay with me, right?”Kwak Soohwan’s voice trembled with insecurity, as if he feared Seokhwa might disappear if he let go.“Ha, I’m still here, aren’t I?”Kwak Soohwan swallowed the curse he wanted to hurl, not satisfied with such a response. He sought to dilute his heavy pain with Seokhwa’s kiss.“Are we really here?”Seokhwa whispered, still holding him by the waist. Despite being on an island, they were close enough to see the Yeouido shelter.“Because Choi Hoeon wants the same thing as me.”Choi Hoeon wanted to infect and kill everyone but the evolved humans. His goals couldn’t be the same as Kwak Soohwan’s.“Do you know Choi Hoeon’s real purpose? It’s different from yours, Major.”“I don’t know what that psycho’s goal is. I only know he wants Dr. Seok. This might sound trivial, but I’m asking again just to be sure you’re not lying to me out of concern. Did he do anything weird to you sexually?”“…Major, you’re the only one who sees me that way.”Kwak Soohwan stared into Seokhwa’s eyes, holding his forearms. Seokhwa wasn’t good at lying, and his gaze was as unperturbed as ever.“I’m not doubting you, Dr. Seok. It’s just that his obsession is really odd. You understand what I mean, right?”Never mind his own obsession.However, that wasn’t what mattered to Seokhwa right now.“Major, listen to me.”Seokhwa’s expression turned serious as if telling him to stop with the nonsense. The change was subtle, but Kwak Soohwan noticed. It felt like being scolded by an older brother to stop messing around.“Among the mutated Adams, only twice has an Adam mentioned an Eve. It happened once at the zoo and again at the shelter today. Since they could speak, it’s likely they weren’t fully mutated.”Seokhwa pulled away from his embrace and quickly chewed on some leftover nut bars to get his brain working. Kwak Soohwan also forced down a dry calorie bar. Eating to stave off hunger was such a hassle. He brushed the dirt off a water bottle left by Lee Chaeyoon and handed it to Seokhwa.For once, Seokhwa drank nearly half the bottle in one go.“The Adam at the zoo was also a subject who had taken Choi Hoeon’s fake vaccine. So, it’s clear that Choi Hoeon is conducting experiments on people.”“Then if we kill Choi Hoeon, it’s over.”That’s exactly what I want.“It probably won’t end with just that.”Seokhwa picked up a fallen branch from the ground and turned his body towards the wet, muddy riverbank. Kwak Soohwan suddenly grabbed Seokhwa’s arm tightly.With his brows furrowed deeply, he lowered his gaze and then met Seokhwa’s eyes as if he had made a significant decision.“Do you remember when we first met?”“At Sehwa Beach?”“That, and more.”He had never imagined that the doctor, whom he once thought of as a mere simpleton, would become his everything.“I never made mistakes or had anything to apologize for in the military. But with Dr. Seok, I’ve felt sorry from the start.”‘And. That, um, you know. Sorry about what happened. I never thought you’d be unconscious for so long.’Seokhwa remembered too. He had apologized for making him pass out, but even then, he didn’t seem accustomed to it.“The old man told me. There’s no problem with my blood itself, but if someone who received my blood gets vaccinated, the virus activity explodes. So that old man came to confirm if that was true. So, it’s my fault.”Kwak Soohwan was indirectly admitting that he had swapped the blood at the northern branch. It must have taken a lot of determination for him to say this. He might have been afraid that Seokhwa would blame him. Seokhwa hugged his large frame and patted his back.“I knew all along.”“What?”“It’s not your fault, Major Kwak. It wasn’t the first time I received a transfusion back then.”Thinking there was no problem, he had confidently swapped the blood.“I also considered the hypothesis the old man mentioned. But if that were the case, I should have mutated within minutes. So, I think I’ll be okay.”Seokhwa wasn’t entirely sure himself, but he gave him a reassuring answer.“I’m fine, but I have nosebleeds.”“Before I met you, Major, I often fainted. But I’m healthier now. I even run now, which is a huge improvement compared to when I was at the learning center.”He said he was fine since he no longer had nosebleeds and picked up the branch again to continue walking. Seokhwa squatted down in front of the mud, chewing on some nuts.Seokhwa, with his mouth full, drew an infinity symbol [∞] on the ground.“Is that a testicle?”Kwak Soohwan, who had squatted down beside him, looked at Seokhwa, smiling slightly. Spending over a year together, he had gotten used to his humor. Still, he wondered if he had made a mistake, but seeing him smile like that eased his mind.“Major, we discovered the vaccine from the avian influenza virus. If this symbol represents the main element of our vaccine.”Next to it, he drew a diamond shape representing the Adam virus (◇).∞ + ◇ = Reaction stopped“When the vaccine and the Adam virus met, there was certainly an effect of stopping the virus activity. However.”This time, he drew a broken Möbius strip symbol (∝) as an example.∞ + ◇ + ∝ (the virus in Major Kwak’s body) = Fever, explosive drop in red blood cells, excessive bleeding -> MutationSeokhwa diligently organized his thoughts on the mud.“I stopped progressing at the stage between excessive bleeding and mutation.”Seokhwa drew a long line through the middle of the arrow.He felt it was time to reveal a fact he hadn’t mentioned to avoid causing guilt.“When I first received a transfusion of your blood in Russia, I had a fever. I thought it was a side effect of the transfusion, but it might be related to my immunity. That’s why I’m still okay despite harboring the mutated Adam virus.”So that was the fever. Kwak Soohwan felt a surge of anger at his own foolishness once again, but he took the branch from Seokhwa’s hand. He brushed off the dark soil from Seokhwa’s pale palm.“So, we need to go to Jeju Island.”Specifically to Udo, where the Second Master’s laboratory was.***Seokhwa had dozed off on the grass and woke up, gently touching his face to check for blood but found that the moisture was just rainwater.“I was going to wake you up. Why are you already up?”He thought he had been lying on the ground, but his head was resting on Kwak Soohwan’s firm thigh.“You should get some sleep too, Major.”Seokhwa sat up and brushed the grass off his back. Kwak Soohwan was looking towards the direction of the Yeouido shelter, as if waiting for some signal.“I can manage. I’ve gone without sleep for 48 hours before, so this is nothing.”He didn’t seem to be bragging.“How do we get to Jeju Island?”“By flying.”He smiled at Seokhwa, who was fighting off the remnants of sleep.“By now, they’ll think we’ve already left Yeouido, so the soldiers gathered there will have dispersed.”Seokhwa blinked a few times. Choi Hoeon wouldn’t be certain of their final destination either. He’d just expect them to have quickly left the soldier-concentrated Yeouido.“And unlike the Penguins, the Owls and Eagles are likely to pull out if things get tough. So we need to save as much time as possible.”While he had control over the Penguin family, the Owls and Eagles were beyond his reach. It was Lee Heechan who had brought them in, so he could only hope she had a hold on them. If they couldn’t bring down Choi Hoeon, the Emperor Penguin mark might vanish from Rainbow City altogether.“The remaining vaccines are being indiscriminately distributed under the Emperor Penguin name. Lee Heechan is just as favorably viewed by the citizens as Choi Hoeon.”Kwak Soohwan grabbed Seokhwa’s wrist as he nodded.“Dr. Seok. You trust me, right?”“I do.”“When I promise to come back, I always keep it. I’ve always found my way back, haven’t I?”‘Dr. Seok, you’re not going anywhere, right? You’ll stay with me, right?’It felt like the person who said those words was now the one trying to leave him. Seokhwa wanted to say that they should go together, but that would endanger both of them. He asked calmly on purpose.“Am I going to Udo alone?”“We each have our roles to play. I need to deal with Choi Hoeon, and you need to meet the old man to solve the problem.”Kwak Soohwan was right. There was no need to accept their fate passively, but they each had to fulfill their given roles.“How many possible combinations are there for a 6-digit password?”Kwak Soohwan pulled a cellphone from his pocket.“A million…?”“Then I’ll leave this to you, Dr. Seok.”He handed the phone to Seokhwa.“I took this from the bunker where the Second was. I think Choi Hoeon destroyed the rest.”Seokhwa held the sturdy device with both hands.“I haven’t tried guessing the password because I was afraid it might lock permanently after too many failed attempts.”Seokhwa had no idea what the Second’s password could be.“Maybe there will be a hint in Udo.”After all, it was where the Second’s mansion was located.Kwak Soohwan pulled Seokhwa into a tight hug, trying to lift his spirits.“Look at this. I found something interesting while fiddling with it.”He powered on the phone, and fortunately, the battery was still quite full. Swiping across the locked screen, the camera activated. He then switched the camera lens.“It still takes pictures. Smile for me.”Seeing himself on the screen felt awkward and unfamiliar to Seokhwa. Kwak Soohwan grinned, prompting Seokhwa to mimic his smile slightly. The camera clicked, and a small thumbnail of the photo appeared at the bottom of the screen. Kwak Soohwan tapped it, showing Seokhwa the picture they had taken.“Our Dr. Seok is quite photogenic.”In reality, the picture was too dark to see much, with burning buildings visible in the distant background. Kwak Soohwan turned off the phone and handed it back to Seokhwa.Truthfully, he wanted to keep a photo of them together, even if only on this device. He disliked seeing Dr. Seok looking so down, even if it was only subtly noticeable to others.Splash, splash.The sound of water being unnaturally disturbed made Seokhwa move closer to Kwak Soohwan. He also turned towards the sound, identifying a dark mass approaching through the darkness.“Hoist the sail, hoist it high.”As the black object got closer, they saw a man rowing vigorously on a boat with its engine off.“Let’s go boating~”Humming a tune, the veins on Kwak Soohwan’s neck stood out.“Hurry up, you bastard!”Yelled at, the dark figure rowed harder. He gauged the water’s depth with his oar, then jumped out of the boat to drag it to shore.“…Major Yang Sanghoon?”It was Major Yang, dressed in civilian clothes instead of his uniform.“Ha ha, Dr. Seok, feels like it’s been a while. I’m really sorry about last time.”Yang Sanghoon bowed his head, saying there was no other way back then. As Seokhwa nodded, understanding, he was suddenly lifted up.“Let’s hurry and get into the West Sea before dawn.”Kwak Soohwan lifted Seokhwa into the boat, careful to keep his legs dry.“There’s a helicopter docked at the Gunsan tour terminal. We’ll stop by Haenam for a check-up and then fly again.”“Just breathe and speak, will you?”“There’s no time, you bastard.”Seokhwa sat down and fastened his seatbelt. He couldn’t show his reluctance to let go by grabbing onto Kwak Soohwan’s ankle.As Kwak Soohwan checked that Seokhwa’s belt was secure, he suddenly grabbed Yang Sanghoon’s arm. A white bandage wrapped around his forearm, exposed by his short sleeves.“This? Had to remove the chip. Aunt Heechan brought in a quack doctor, and it was a hassle to disperse the signals. You’re going to live a long life, huh?”“What do you mean?”“Auntie cursed you out a lot.”“I probably deserved it.”Still, if their plan succeeded, Lee Heechan would achieve her long-held ambition.“Just like you said, I’ve spread the ten units across Busan. But the upper command will reverse the order soon. At best, we’ve bought a day.”“Thanks.”“Don’t mention it. Still a controller, after all.”Yang Sanghoon used his controller status to send troops to the Tumen and Yalu River lines. He excluded the Seoul and Gwacheon areas since they were directly under Choi Hoeon’s command.If the soldiers reaching the end of the Korean Peninsula discovered the absence of Allied forces, it would be considered a significant achievement. As the saying goes, “Seeing is believing.”“If Dr. Seok gets a nosebleed, don’t wipe it off for him. Make sure your wound doesn’t come into contact with his blood,” Kwak Soohwan whispered quietly to Yang Sanghoon, ensuring Seokhwa couldn’t hear.“Got it,” Yang Sanghoon replied readily, despite not knowing the exact reason. Kwak Soohwan then walked through the water towards where Seokhwa was sitting.“Three days. I’ll rejoin you in three days at the latest.”“I’ll be waiting on Udo,” Seokhwa replied, pressing his lips together to prevent himself from uttering any weak words.“Turn on the motor and get going.”“Weren’t you the one who told me to come quietly?” Yang Sanghoon retorted.“Yes, but I didn’t mean you should row silently. I meant don’t broadcast our location to others.”“You should’ve said that! I rowed about 7 kilometers from here.”Yang Sanghoon vented his frustration with a huff.“Alright, just go. Yang Sanghoon, you know I trust you.”“Fuck you. I’ve always trusted you, though you probably don’t trust me.”Kwak Soohwan gave a crooked smile and pushed Yang Sanghoon hard on the back. Yang Sanghoon grabbed the side of the boat and leapt aboard. The motor roared to life, and the turbulent water swirled around Kwak Soohwan’s legs.It was dreadful to let Seokhwa out of his grasp so soon after their reunion, but he had to endure it for now. As the boat cut through the darkness, Kwak Soohwan shouted,“Babe! You know I fucking love you, right?”Seokhwa seemed to turn back, but it was too dark to be sure.If someone had told him ten years ago that this day would come, he would have laughed it off. He wasn’t one to say such sappy things. But now, having said it, he felt he could say it a thousand times a day without embarrassment.Love blossomed even in the direst of times.Turning towards the shelter, Kwak Soohwan waded into the water, stripping off his shirt. He let the shirt drift away and took a deep breath as the water reached his chest.Kwak Soohwan began to swim across the Han River.***[All propaganda materials distributed under the Emperor Penguin mark over the past four days are false. No vaccine has been developed. The Emperor Penguin, Owl, and Falcon families have become rebels threatening the city. Rainbow City prioritizes the safety of its citizens above all else. Trust in Rainbow City.]The same broadcast repeated endlessly through radios and loudspeakers.Led by the Emperor Penguin family, the other two families also staked everything on this. They staged guerrilla operations, showcasing extreme measures like injecting themselves with the vaccine and then being bitten by Adam before killing the Adam.‘This vaccine is real.’‘A researcher from Rainbow City developed it, and the city tried to kill the researcher to prevent the vaccine’s distribution. The three families had no choice but to protect the researcher, and the Emperor Penguin truly cares for the citizens!’Unverified rumors spread rapidly.‘How can we get the vaccine? There aren’t nearly enough doses!’Some accused the families of distributing the vaccine only to the privileged.‘To mass-produce the vaccine, we must remove Choi Hoeon from the Master’s seat. The Master is blocking mass production.’Others shouted the truth. During these chaotic four days, people, not knowing what to believe, were swept up by rumors and misinformation. However, most hoped the vaccine was real and believed this might be the chance to finally be free from Adam.Standing on the rooftop of the Yeouido shelter, Choi Hoeon surveyed the buildings with the fires now extinguished. Dawn had long since broken, but the clouds obscured the light, making everything appear hazy. Over a day had passed since the military razed the mansions and factories operated by the three families.Although the Emperor Penguin’s factory, which distributed food supplies to the city’s center, had halted operations, the citizens had enough emergency rations to last a month. While the immediate situation was challenging, the city could restart the factories in time.