Rainbow City

Seokhwa gulped unconsciously. Seeing Seokhwa’s adam’s apple move, despite him not being very greedy for food, made Kwak Soohwan feel a baseless spite. Not towards Seokhwa, but towards the two others.“Why are you here?”Lee Chaeyoon’s temple twitched.“Let’s grill the meat first.”She placed the burner roughly on the table and took out the grill she had prepared in the icebox. The broken door let the cold wind steal the warmth of the cabin. Kwak Soohwan used a bucket of water to close the cabin door and threw some firewood into the fireplace before sitting next to Seokhwa.While Kwak Soohwan and his comrades occasionally caught wild animals to fill their stomachs, Seokhwa had hardly ever grilled meat properly. And here he was, surrounded by people he was glad to see, sharing a meal together—it didn’t feel real.Sizzle, the pork belly was the first to go on the grill. Kwak Soohwan placed the pork neck Seokhwa liked on a separate side. While the meat cooked, they poured whiskey into plastic cups. Yang Sanghoon, too lazy to pour each cup one by one, lined them up and poured in one go. Lee Chaeyoon, before drinking on an empty stomach, soothed it with some grilled mullet.“Since it’s clear Kwak Soohwan is an asshole, let’s toast.”Lee Chaeyoon raised her glass.“What’s the point.”He just downed his drink. Yang Sanghoon did the same. Seokhwa merely wet his lower lip with a small amount.“How did you find us?”Seokhwa wondered the same. The only ones who knew about this cabin were likely just him and Kwak Soohwan.“Do you think an Asian from Rainbow City in distant Russia is that common?”“What’s distant?”Yang Sanghoon whispered to Lee Chaeyoon.“Far away.”“Isn’t this place not that far?”“Stop interrupting the story.”Lee Chaeyoon put a piece of pork belly in her mouth, washed down with whiskey.“I guessed it wouldn’t be far from Khasan. It would be too hard for the Doctor to get to Vladivostok alone following the Trans-Siberian Railway. Aren’t there a lot of bears too? So, I asked around near Khasan if anyone knew you people.”She showed a pencil sketch of Seokhwa and Kwak Soohwan. The realistic drawing looked like a piece of art.“Did you draw this yourself?”“Yes. I’m good at drawing.”“Even a dung beetle has its skills.”“Huh, how did that bastard hold his tongue for five months?”When Kwak Soohwan began telling his story, he glared at Lee Chaeyoon as if he wouldn’t stay quiet.“Doctor, this guy’s a real monster. After visiting the underworld and everyone thinking he was done for, he recovered his muscles in five months and left without a word. When he woke up, his muscle mass wasn’t even at your level.”The real problem was Yang Sanghoon, not Lee Chaeyoon. Seokhwa paused, dipping pork neck in salt.“Shut up. Just tell us why you came.”“Wow, isn’t Soohwan a real psycho? How could he do this to us?”Of course, Seokhwa felt a bit guilty about the piece of pork neck he was holding.“Major Lee is right. Speaking of which, Doctor, I fed this guy several times when he couldn’t even hold a spoon. And he repays us like this.”Given the bloodshed, it must have been incredibly painful. Since he hadn’t returned for five months, Seokhwa thought the recovery period was long. But to think he had died and come back, taking five months to rebuild his body just to come here…“Why didn’t you tell me?”“It’s fine now that I’m healthy.”“What about aftereffects?”“Clearly none, right?”Yang Sanghoon felt awkward because Seokhwa’s reaction was stronger than he had expected. He had spoken up thinking Seokhwa knew roughly about it.“Yeah! If you’re healthy, you should have at least said goodbye, bastard.”Yang Sanghoon tried to change the subject. Meanwhile, Lee Chaeyoon was busily eating meat.“I was only focused on finding Dr. Seok. Sorry about that.”“Not that sorry, huh? Well, an apology is enough for us.”Lee Chaeyoon placed a large piece of pork belly in Seokhwa and Kwak Soohwan’s bowls. It was unusual for her to share food. Unlike the three who ate heartily, Seokhwa just played with the salt.“Hurry up and eat. Otherwise, they’ll eat it all. Their stomachs are like black holes.”Kwak Soohwan forced a warm piece of pork neck into Seokhwa’s mouth.“That’s right, Doctor. It’s fine now that you’re healthy. Eat up.”“Okay.”Seokhwa nodded. As they said, as long as he was healthy now, that was all that mattered. The past five months had been painful enough without dwelling on it. The fear of being alone might remain as trauma, but the present with them was far more important.While the three finished off two bottles of whiskey, Seokhwa could only manage a sip. When they opened the last bottle, Yang Sanghoon, saying there were more, filled his cup. The cabin had never been so lively.It seemed Rainbow Six had chosen their Major based on vocal volume; the three’s voices were booming. When refuting someone else’s opinion, their voices grew even louder. Yet it wasn’t unpleasant. The energy around the worn-out table was indeed vibrant.Seokhwa conversed with them and sometimes just listened quietly. Having been awake since the morning, he felt a bit drowsy.“Hey, it still took us about a week to find you, you know? We were thinking of just following the Trans-Siberian Railway, but then the people living below said they knew you and the Doctor.”“You don’t even speak Russian. You don’t speak Korean that well either.”“You always have something to say. Gestures are universal. If you want to know where someone lives, you give them food. Once we did, they spilled the beans right away.”Kwak Soohwan clicked his tongue. These were people Seokhwa had helped, and yet they sold them out so easily for a bit of food. What if they had been soldiers coming to capture them?Kwak Soohwan glanced at Seokhwa. He wondered if he should offer some comfort in case Seokhwa felt hurt, but Seokhwa seemed unbothered. In fact, he was blinking less frequently than usual, and his movements were slow, almost in slow motion.“You’re sleepy, aren’t you? Let’s kick them out and get some sleep.”“I’m fine. I don’t want to sleep yet.”Seokhwa, to gain some energy, put two pieces of well-cooked pork neck into his mouth.“Right, Doctor, you seem healthier now even though you’re thinner. Before, you looked like a ghost, but now you look more vibrant, don’t you?”“Yeah. Dr. Seok, you look like you have better color now.”“Maybe my stamina has improved living here.”They were also amazed that Seokhwa had survived alone for five months.“But Doctor, have you been living here alone all this time? There seem to be a lot of wolves around.”“When you have to survive, you manage somehow.”Though he appeared detached from life, his will to live was stronger than anyone else’s. Of course, that was only because Kwak Soohwan was there. Without him, Seokhwa would not have found a reason to live or the courage to come to Russia alone.“Enough with the small talk. When are you going to tell us why you came?”“There is a reason.”Lee Chaeyoon started grilling beef after finishing the pork. The beef, which cooked faster, drew everyone’s chopsticks. Seokhwa reached last, but Kwak Soohwan gave him his portion instead.“You eat too, Major.”“There’s more cooking.”The juicy, tender beef seemed to wake up Seokhwa’s drowsy mind. It was the first time he had tasted such tender and delicious beef. Kwak Soohwan, pleased to see Seokhwa eating more than usual, kept providing more meat. However, Seokhwa still ate much slower than the others, managing less than half of what they did.“Let’s go down to the city.”Lee Chaeyoon chewed on a piece with tendon.“And bring the Doctor with us.”Though he had suspected they might come with a similar purpose, he hadn’t expected them to state it so bluntly, leaving him momentarily speechless.“…That’s a bit difficult.”“Why?”“Is it because of the new Adam virus variant, Doctor?”At Yang Sanghoon’s direct question, Seokhwa just smiled gently. He had been like a mannequin in the shelter, but now he seemed more human. The subtle change in his expression, previously only noticeable to Kwak Soohwan, was now visible to them as well.“No way you two acted on your own. Did Lee Heechan tell you to find us?”“Hey, Soohwan! Don’t speak of someone’s mother like that. But yes, she told us to find and bring you back. And she gave us this.”Lee Chaeyoon lifted the military backpack from the floor and emptied its contents. The noisy items that fell out were dozens of Adam virus test kits.“There are more in the car.”Yang Sanghoon pointed his thumb at the jeep.“She said if the Doctor’s test results are negative, we must bring him back.”“And if they’re not?”Kwak Soohwan put down his drink and looked at the two, one by one.“Do you think we’d harm the Doctor? We won’t. She just said to give up if the results are positive.”Yang Sanghoon showed his frustration. Though they would never harm the Doctor, even hinting at such would mean a fight to the death, regardless of comradeship.“Shall we try?”Kwak Soohwan picked up one of the fallen kits and handed it to Seokhwa. Seokhwa took a long time to actually grasp it. Though it was probably just a few seconds, countless thoughts raced through his mind. He was torn between staying here with Kwak Soohwan and returning to the city for a safer life.“Try it, Doctor. We don’t care if you’re positive.”Lee Chaeyoon gave a simple answer, asking if there was any need to hesitate. But even holding the kit, Seokhwa couldn’t easily prick his finger. It was like a patient refusing to seek treatment despite being unwell, fearing the diagnosis of an incurable disease.If it comes out positive…Would he have to develop a treatment for himself? That was absurd. While he could make a microscope on his own, cultivating a cure and continuing research was impossible here. However, he had no symptoms. If the virus were active, he would still be having nosebleeds.Seokhwa opened the kit’s lid. The others focused on his actions.“Major Lee, Major Yang.”“Huh?!”“Yes?”The two, suddenly called, were startled.“…I trust you.”Even if it comes out positive… please, I trust you.Seokhwa spoke in a small voice, sounding as if he was ashamed. However, Kwak Soohwan double-checked the location of the gun tucked into his waistband.Seokhwa wiped his thumb with the alcohol swab included in the kit. Before the stinging alcohol sensation faded, he pricked his thumb with the kit’s needle. As the red blood was absorbed into the kit, not even the sound of breathing could be heard. The lower part of the kit had a half-yellow, half-blue circle. If positive, it would turn entirely yellow; if negative, entirely blue.“Ah…”As one side began to expand its color, Yang Sanghoon let out a deep sigh.“Doctor, it’s fortunate that you’re healthy despite everything.”Kwak Soohwan wondered what on earth he was talking about.“I’ll try another one.”Seokhwa bent down to pick up another kit from the floor. Even after repeating it twice, the result was the same. Yang Sanghoon, with a troubled expression, said it was enough. His eyes were reddening, which confused Seokhwa. Kwak Soohwan and Lee Chaeyoon hadn’t even begun to question anything.“Major Yang Sanghoon, what color do you see here?”“Huh?”Yang Sanghoon closely examined the kit Seokhwa handed him.“…Yellow?”“Huh? This is yellow?”Lee Chaeyoon blinked.“Yang Sanghoon, watch your alcohol intake.”Kwak Soohwan placed the two test kits with results on the table. He was grinning. Yang Sanghoon, however, was puzzled as to why everyone else was reacting this way when he was sure the result was positive. Was it good for Dr. Seok to be positive? No, obviously negative was better. Yang Sanghoon began to doubt himself, wondering if he was drunk after just one bottle of whiskey.“Major Yang Sanghoon, I’m asking just in case, but do you have trouble distinguishing between blue and yellow?”Seokhwa pulled out a new kit and showed it to him.“Uh, well, the two half-circles do look different. Um… They are slightly different in intensity…?”He didn’t seem to know how to explain it. When Seokhwa pricked his finger again to show Yang Sanghoon, he scratched the back of his neck.“This one is yellow, and that one is blue. Or maybe not. Huh? Now it’s all blue?”“Interesting.”Seokhwa was more intrigued by Yang Sanghoon’s condition than his own negative test results. It seemed that Yang Sanghoon had a rare type of color blindness, likely tritanomaly. When blue and yellow were together, Yang Sanghoon perceived one color based on which one he identified first.Sensing something was off, Yang Sanghoon suddenly shouted.“Wait, so it’s negative? It’s a celebration?”“Hey, Yang Sanghoon, can you not distinguish rank insignias either? Is that why you spoke informally to Colonel Kim before?”Lee Chaeyoon chewed on the overcooked meat like a snack.“No way! I’ve never had a problem before! It’s not an illness! I just didn’t know he was a colonel back then.”Since tritanomaly isn’t a disease, Yang Sanghoon was right. But if he couldn’t distinguish between yellow and blue…“Major Yang Sanghoon, did you want me to test positive?”“Doctor! How could you say something so hurtful!”Seokhwa had meant it as a joke, but Yang Sanghoon took it seriously. Seeing him flustered, Kwak Soohwan laughed for the first time in a while.“Dr. Seok, look at that. That guy unconsciously thought it was positive. I was sure it would be negative.”And yet he said he wouldn’t even harm a mouse… Seokhwa swallowed the words he wanted to say and instead took a sip of whiskey.“Doctor, it’s a misunderstanding. I sincerely hoped it wouldn’t be positive.”Seeing how aggrieved he was over his unconscious actions, Seokhwa felt sorry for joking.“I know. I’m always grateful to you, Major Yang Sanghoon, Major Lee Chaeyoon.”Seokhwa bowed his head to them.“No, Doctor, we’re the ones who should be grateful to you for developing the vaccine! But, Doctor, you mentioned a new Adam virus. Could it be that the test kits can’t detect it?”Seokhwa poured Lee Chaeyoon a drink as if rewarding him for a good question.“The test kits currently used in Rainbow City are ones I redeveloped. The core structure of the virus causing Adam infection has this shape.”Seokhwa drew a ‘◇’ shape in the air with his hand.“Huh?”“It looks like a diamond?”“It’s a simplified representation of the virus for identification purposes… It’s not that important. Even if the Adam virus mutates, the core structure that causes the infection doesn’t change. If it did, it wouldn’t be called the Adam virus anymore. The older kits had lower accuracy. They couldn’t distinguish between the Adam virus and adenovirus, leading to false positives and confusion.”“I see.”“Got it.”Lee Chaeyoon and Yang Sanghoon responded like students who didn’t quite understand but wanted to appear as if they did.“You need to understand to appreciate it.”Kwak Soohwan raised a plastic cup and laughed, causing the liquid inside to swirl.“Do you get it, you idiot?”“Adenovirus, isn’t that just a cold?”Technically, it’s different from a common cold, but since the symptoms are often similar, it’s easy to mistake one for the other. Moreover, although a vaccine has been developed, there is still no cure.“Doctor, is what dumb Soohwan said correct?”“Ah… yes.”Technically, it wasn’t correct, but he wasn’t a good enough teacher to explain in detail. Even back at the training center, colleagues who used to come to him with questions eventually stopped because he was terrible at explaining things.“These guys always assume I’m on the same level as them.”Kwak Soohwan boasted, recalling something he’d skimmed in a book titled *How Far Can We Conquer Pathogens?* from the Gwacheon Shelter.“Hey, it’s snowing!”Lee Chaeyoon, who was looking for any excuse to change the subject from viruses, pointed out the window.“It snows all the time.”“Shall we light a bonfire outside and drink more?”“Sounds good to me.”Having finished the meat and drinks, Yang Sanghoon gestured for them to go outside quickly. He went to the fireplace, grabbed a poker, and stoked the burning logs. Before stepping outside, Seokhwa put on a thick coat and carried the plastic cups outside, while Kwak Soohwan tidied up the table. Meanwhile, Lee Chaeyoon poured lighter fluid onto the stacked logs.In no time, a substantial bonfire was blazing. It burned so fiercely that a phoenix could have been born from it. The heat was immense, enough to resist the falling snow.“Are you trying to burn down the cabin?”“It’s snowing, so it shouldn’t go out.”Kwak Soohwan brought out two dining chairs and a box, placing them near the bonfire. He picked up one of the chairs, holding it over the fire to warm it as if preparing a meal.“Are you still hungry? Are you going to roast wood now?”“Didn’t you know? It’s a delicacy.”When Seokhwa sat on the warmed chair, the others couldn’t help but laugh. The warmth from the seat and backrest made Seokhwa forget about the cold.“Doctor, that guy is just showing off. He’s always been an annoyingly smug jerk.”“He treats me well.”At least, to me. Seokhwa sipped from his cup.“Wow, we really are uninvited guests.”“Not at all.”Seokhwa had often longed to see them again, grateful for their presence.“Then let’s all go down to the city together. We can’t live here forever.”Though the suggestion was simple, the reality was always complicated. The Owls and Eagles had ordered Seokhwa to be killed when they took over the city. Even if he had survived the virus, there was no guarantee they’d believe it. Moreover, expecting any recognition for developing the vaccine was unrealistic.Snowflakes, like moths to a flame, swirled into the bonfire, melting before they could touch the flames.“Is the city stable now?”Kwak Soohwan opened a new bottle of liquor, poured himself a drink, and tossed the bottle to Yang Sanghoon.“Not at all; it’s still a hellscape.”“Why?”Seokhwa was just as curious about Yang Sanghoon’s words. Lee Chaeyoon exhaled white breath into the cold air.“Adam is almost wiped out, and the vaccine has been widely distributed. But it’s not perfect. There are still cases of infection in areas far from the city center where the vaccine hasn’t reached.”“Even with a vaccine, there’s no cure.”Seokhwa muttered bitterly.“Prioritizing the vaccine over a cure makes sense. Imagine trying to cure someone who’s been infected for days or months—they’re probably no longer human.”Rationally, Kwak Soohwan’s theory was correct. Once necrosis set in, even a cure couldn’t save them. The Adam virus always targeted the brain in the end.“My parents are dealing with a host of issues, including new religious groups, criminals, and those hyena-like noble families.”“Why the noble families?”“Why do you think? With Adam gone, they’re trying to position themselves as the new power. They’re monopolizing factories under the guise of capitalism and free markets. I don’t care about that, but what annoys me the most is their proposal to ban the birth of mutants.”Seokhwa didn’t drink but swirled the bitter alcohol in his mouth. It was clear why without needing to ask. Mutants’ offspring were generally far superior to ordinary humans. Families without mutants were either opposing them or looking to eliminate another perceived threat now that Adam was gone.“And they want us to go back to the city?”Kwak Soohwan inwardly cursed Lee Heechan, who wasn’t there.“We barely made it out. People at our level are run ragged without rest. What’s the point of having a high rank?”Yang Sanghoon, savoring a rare moment of relaxation, even stuck out his tongue to catch snowflakes. It was the taste of freedom.“They’re probably planning to exploit me again and make Dr. Seok toil in the lab. In that case, I’m not going.”“Yeah, my mom said you’d say exactly that.”Lee Chaeyoon suddenly stood up, walked over to the Jeep, and opened the passenger door. She retrieved something from the glove compartment and passed it to Kwak Soohwan. It was a recorder with a built-in speaker. Thinking nothing of it, he pressed the play button. Despite the noisy crackling of the burning logs, Seokhwa, sitting right next to him, could clearly hear Lee Heechan’s voice.[Assuming Kwak Soohwan and Dr. Seok are alive, I’m recording this. This isn’t a verbal promise but a definite commitment. The Owl and Eagle family representatives have signed a written agreement approving my opinion. We’re also recording this on video. If you still don’t believe it, there’s nothing I can do, but I will say what I need to. First, if Kwak Soohwan and Dr. Seok return to Rainbow City, they’ll be rewarded. The reward is for saving the city, and of course, I know you’ve stashed away some money, Soohwan. But the more money, the better, right? Second, we’ll guarantee the safety of Dr. Seok and yourself, provided Dr. Seok is not a host for the Adam virus. This has also been agreed upon by the Owl and Eagle representatives. Third, the shelter is safer than the areas under redevelopment. I want you two to live in the shelter while doing your respective jobs. We’re reorganizing the pharmaceutical company and the medical department, and we’ll need Dr. Seok’s expertise for that. And we need you, Kwak Soohwan, on the field. Fourth… Hey, you bastard. You’ve used me enough, haven’t you? Honestly, if we hadn’t dealt with Choi Ho-un, we’d all be dead by now. Things turned out well, so we’re laughing about it now, but the fact that you used us hasn’t changed. We were forced into becoming rebels because of you, and you… Hah, don’t get me wrong. I just got a little worked up. I’m not angry. Should I start recording again? No, I’ll just get straight to the point. If you’re alive and Dr. Seok is healthy, but you don’t come back, I won’t tolerate it. Buzz, buzz, buzz…]

Seokhwa focused on the signal sound, wondering what it was, while Kwak Soohwan stopped the playback.Click, Seokhwa’s head snapped up. Lee Chaeyoon and Yang Sanghoon were aiming submachine guns at them, though they were still smiling.“If you refuse, mom said to take Dr. Seok and run.”“Whoa, Kwak Soohwan, put the gun away. We’ve got submachine guns.”“I never intended to draw it, you bastard.”He already knew they had taken submachine guns out of the Jeep.“What about you?”Kwak Soohwan always prioritized Seokhwa’s opinion.“…Let’s go.”The two soldiers lowered their guns in relief.“Let’s escape.”“Okay!”Kwak Soohwan pulled Seokhwa onto his lap. The two soldiers raised their guns again, but they knew they wouldn’t shoot or harm them. They just hoped Dr. Seok would agree to go to the city.“Doctor.”Yang Sanghoon called out to Seokhwa, who was sitting on Kwak Soohwan’s lap. They were nervous, thinking Kwak Soohwan might jump up and run, but he only held Seokhwa on his lap.“It was a joke.”Seokhwa felt awkward, thinking they might understand this level of joking. He wiped his alcohol-wet hands on his pants.“Damn! My heart almost stopped. Doctor, jokes should be made with a full expression. When you speak, everything sounds serious.”Lee Chaeyoon grumbled.“You guys are weird. I understood everything.”Kwak Soohwan stroked Seokhwa’s thigh as he sat on his lap. Seokhwa wriggled out of his embrace as Kwak Soohwan tried to nuzzle his neck.“So we can leave tomorrow?”Lee Chaeyoon wanted a definite answer.“I’m fine with it. What about you, Major?”“When Seokhwa says go, we go.”Yang Sanghoon tossed his submachine gun to the ground.“Seriously, I’m relieved. I was wondering how to break Kwak Soohwan’s stubbornness. Thank goodness for you, Doctor.”“What are you talking about? I always wanted to go to the city. It’s just that Dr. Seok wanted to live here with me.”Seokhwa downed the remaining bit of his drink. He wanted to stay with them longer, but it seemed like he needed to sleep now.“I’ll go to bed if we’re leaving tomorrow.”“I’ll follow right after.”Seokhwa nodded and walked to the cabin. Despite drinking for a long time, he had only finished half a plastic cup. It was a significant improvement. Maybe his liver was healthier now. He rubbed the area where his liver was, then added more logs to the fireplace.With no extra blankets, he laid out towels on the floor. If they were leaving tomorrow, they’d need a good night’s sleep. He neatly arranged the worn towels into two bedding spots. Moving around after drinking made his whole body heat up.Seokhwa picked up a new kit from the floor and tested himself again. It was still negative. His hand trembled slightly. The virus was truly eradicated from his body.He planned to conduct a more extensive blood test when they returned to the city. If his immune system had been bolstered by Kwak Soohwan’s blood, it might be possible to create vaccines for other still-conquered viruses. But that was just a hypothesis. Despite his high fever, he had survived because of his naturally high body temperature.It was ironic that he survived because of his mutant physiology, despite his low physical strength.Seokhwa’s eyes felt warm, so he quickly washed up and lay down. Placing his hands on his chest, his head spun slightly. The bed seemed to sway, and he opened his eyes briefly, wondering if Kwak Soohwan had returned. But it was a wooden bed, and it wasn’t moving. He could still hear their voices outside. It was strange. Until now, people’s voices were just noise, but now they felt like a soothing lullaby.Seokhwa curled up, using their voices as a lullaby. The half cup of alcohol was already causing a hangover.***Kwak Soohwan glanced at the cabin, blocked by a bucket, then looked at his colleagues. He pressed the play button on the recorder again.Morse code, composed of short and long tones with pauses, played. Earlier, he had stopped the recording after Lee Heechan’s message not because of the guns aimed at him, but because of the coded message she sent. The static-laden recording went silent, and Lee Heechan’s voice resumed.[Kwak Soohwan, listen to this information and destroy it immediately. We are going to mandate the administration of the Adam virus vaccine to the entire population. There’s no guarantee that Adam won’t appear somewhere else, and it could come through the connected continents. Right now, we have the city’s borders sealed off, but once people know we’re safe, former Allied nation citizens will flock to the city. Even though we currently have the plausible title of cooperation nation, we need to stabilize our city first, don’t we? More importantly, there are people trying to profit from the vaccine. I’m tracking those who are attempting to sell the vaccine abroad. I feel like I need ten bodies to keep up with everything. On top of that, a new cult has started causing internal strife, making everything even more unbearable. When you enter the city, don’t come looking for me. Go straight to the Gwacheon shelter with Dr. Seok. We’ll discuss the rest there.]The recording ended there. Kwak Soohwan threw the recorder into the campfire.