Rainbow City

Seokhwa glanced at the man wearing a deeply pulled-down hat several times, but the man kept his head lowered. He had met him after following Kwak Soohwan into the underground area, and he had remained in the same position since then.

Putting aside his curiosity, Seokhwa first checked Yang Sanghoon’s condition. The back of his neck, which seemed to have been bitten by Adam, had been neatly stitched. Seokhwa pulled out a disinfectant pad from the first aid kit and gently rubbed it over the stitched wound. Yang Sanghoon let out a groan, which, strangely enough, was reassuring. Since doing it slowly would only make it hurt more, Seokhwa moved quickly.

After finishing the disinfection, Seokhwa checked Yang Sanghoon’s temperature with a thermometer and then turned to Kwak Soohwan.

“Major, can you support Major Yang Sanghoon’s head for me?”

Kwak Soohwan, who had been leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, quickly approached. He placed his hand under Yang Sanghoon’s head and gently lifted it. Seokhwa poured some liquid fever reducer onto a spoon, and Kwak Soohwan pressed Yang Sanghoon’s cheek with his free hand.

Seokhwa carefully poured the fever reducer into Yang Sanghoon’s slightly opened mouth. Though still unconscious, Yang Sanghoon reflexively swallowed as the liquid entered. Seokhwa then filled a syringe with antibiotics and administered an intramuscular injection.

“Is that the person who helped Major Yang Sanghoon?”

Seokhwa finally asked a question after finishing the emergency treatment.

“Yeah, more or less… Doctor.”

For some reason, Lee Chaeyoon was speaking less than usual, and the atmosphere around Kwak Soohwan was also strange. The place Kwak Soohwan had brought them to was an underground area connecting several buildings. It was deeper and longer than expected.

Seokhwa quickly realized that the people living in the tunnels were non-citizens from Oscuro Fortress. Most of the spaces were damp and cramped, but this particular area was the largest, shaped like an oval.

One wall was stacked with pasta noodles and large cylindrical cans of sauce. There were several handmade beds, and although there was no electricity, candles were used to provide light.

“We’ll wait here until tomorrow and move to the fortress at first light.”

To meet the conditions set by God’s Fortress, this was the only option. Seokhwa agreed with Kwak Soohwan’s plan but worried if they had properly received permission from the man.

The man in the hat stood up from the old desk chair and walked toward the food supplies. Nearby was a countertop that appeared to have been used in a restaurant. The stove, which had a pot on it, was an induction type, but of course, there was no electricity.

The man opened a space under the oven-like area, revealing a compartment where firewood could be placed for cooking. It seemed the stove had been modified to work with wood as fuel.

The man lit a fire with small pieces of wood. The underground tunnels had been meticulously prepared, even featuring a separate vent for the smoke.

“Is everyone okay with tomato pasta?”

Seokhwa flinched. Startled, as usual, his reaction was subtle. The man’s pronunciation was so perfect that one might have thought he was currently living in Rainbow City. Though he asked if they were fine with pasta, he didn’t seem to be expecting an answer. He simply poured some collected rainwater into a pot and focused on cooking the pasta.

Seokhwa glanced at the expressionless Kwak Soohwan. In response, he gave a slight smirk. It was a fake smile.

“Why did Major Yang Sanghoon get hurt?”

“I still don’t know.”

He seemed to have been brought up first.

“Explain.”

Kwak Soohwan spoke curtly to Lee Chaeyoon. Lee Chaeyoon let out a long sigh before turning to Seokhwa, claiming that he was simply following orders from Kwak Soohwan.

“I was waiting at the Colosseum, and then this guy came running with a whole bunch of Adams attached to him. So, we followed him as he dropped the Adams underground.”

Lee Chaeyoon began to recount how they ended up chasing the man.

The man, realizing he was being followed, returned to the Colosseum to lose the Invincible Platoon. He jumped over the underground barricades, and both Lee Chaeyoon and Yang Sanghoon followed him in pursuit. The underground area was packed with Adams, whose presence filled the air with a foul stench and deafening screams.

“Hey! If you’ve got nothing to hide, stop running!”

Lee Chaeyoon’s shout only made the Adams below go even crazier.

“Who the hell are you, and why were you tailing us?”

Yang Sanghoon also yelled, and the man, who had been keeping a certain distance, briefly stopped.

“Go. I have no intention of going back.”

At that moment, Lee Chaeyoon and Yang Sanghoon couldn’t hide their surprise at the man’s fluent City language.

“What do you mean, ‘I have no intention of going back’? What kind of nonsense is that!”

Yang Sanghoon shouted as he stepped onto a pillar and moved forward. But then—crash—the pillar, which had deteriorated in durability, shattered under Yang Sanghoon’s weight. He stumbled as the pillar broke, but he managed to leap and cling to the next barrier wall. Below, the Adams screeched and swarmed toward Yang Sanghoon.

“Damn it! Yang Sanghoon! Get rid of the cape! The cape!”

There were Adams with half-decayed faces and others whose finger bones were entirely exposed. They clung to Yang Sanghoon’s legs and cape, gnashing their teeth. Just as Yang Sanghoon was about to kick their heads and climb back up, the barrier wall gave way under his weight again.

The man, who had been watching the scene, seized the opportunity to make a run for it. Lee Chaeyoon tried to cover Yang Sanghoon by shooting the Adams in the head, but there were too many in the maze-like underground.

Yang Sanghoon, now on the ground, wrapped his torn-off cape around one arm. He smashed an incoming Adam with his fist, but their numbers were overwhelming, and he was gradually pushed back toward the wall. Just as Lee Chaeyoon was about to jump down, realizing the situation was getting dire—

“If you come down here, I’ll set fire to all the snacks you brought! I’ll get up there myself, so stay put!”

Yang Sanghoon, now cornered by another barrier wall, yelled as he swung his fist. At that moment, one of the five Adams that the man had brought along grabbed the wall and shoved its face toward him. Freshly mutated, the creature’s attack was ferocious, and it bit into Yang Sanghoon’s neck, tearing out a chunk of flesh. Yang Sanghoon grabbed the creature by its hair and threw it aside, but the damage was done—his neck was left in tatters.

Yang Sanghoon stepped onto the pile of Adam corpses he had just smashed and jumped upward. Lee Chaeyoon, waiting above, reached out and pulled him up, and the two of them quickly escaped from the underground to the first floor.

“Holy crap, I really thought you were dead, you bear of a man! What were you thinking, climbing onto a flimsy pillar without considering your weight?”

Lee Chaeyoon, who had been fuming with anger, immediately grabbed his radio and contacted Kwak Soohwan. Since he hadn’t noticed the wound on Yang Sanghoon’s neck, he assumed he was fine. But as they made their way to the jeep, Yang Sanghoon suddenly began to stagger, and blood started gushing out from the neck wound he had been pressing.

“Kwak Soohwan, you said you’d be here soon, but we couldn’t wait. The blood… there was just so much blood.”

Just then, the man who had fled—Hojun—returned in a vehicle. His plan had been to lure the two of them, who were on the verge of mutating into Adams, into the Colosseum and trap them underground. However, despite how long it had been since Yang Sanghoon should have transformed, he still showed no signs of infection, nor did he attack Lee Chaeyoon. Desperate to stop the bleeding, Lee Chaeyoon kept applying pressure to Yang Sanghoon’s neck.

“That’s when we realized the vaccine from Rainbow City was real.”

Hojun placed a large frying pan on the round table. It was filled with tomato pasta, emitting a tangy and sweet aroma. He also set down worn-out, chipped plates and forks for everyone. Since there were no chairs, it seemed like they were used to eating while standing.

“In any case, if it weren’t for this guy, Major Yang Sanghoon would’ve been in real danger.”

Thanks to Hojun using a stapler to reattach the torn flesh, the bleeding had slowed dramatically. However, while the situation had stabilized somewhat, there was no sign of recovery.

Hojun, who had tightly wrapped Yang Sanghoon’s neck with bandages, mentioned that he knew a doctor who could properly suture the wound, leaving Lee Chaeyoon with no choice but to follow. In hindsight, Hojun had only fled and hadn’t directly harmed them.

“We were in such a rush that I didn’t even think to grab my radio.”

“So this guy thought the vaccine from the City was fake and that we were hunting him down after escaping the City?”

Hojun pulled his hat down lower, acknowledging that Kwak Soohwan had hit the nail on the head.

“What an ego, thinking he’s that important.”

He let out a cynical laugh. It was ridiculous to think that Yang Sanghoon nearly died because of such a baseless assumption.

“Why did you think the vaccine was fake?”

Earlier, Lee Chaeyoon had casually mentioned that Hojun was from Rainbow City but wasn’t a citizen. He had also talked about some place called Hwaseon Auditorium, though Seokhwa wasn’t too familiar with that.

“Because Rainbow City is always built on lies. I also heard that Choi Hoeon has become the Master.”

“That guy’s been dead for a while now.”

Kwak Soohwan stabbed the pasta with a fork and carelessly placed it on a plate. Then, he pushed it toward Hojun, telling him to try it first. Without a word, Hojun chewed and swallowed the pasta. Only after that did Kwak Soohwan pile pasta high on a plate for Seokhwa.

“Even if Choi Hoeon is dead, the core remains. Choi Hoeon was just a pawn. The real core lies with the doctors who created Eden.”

Seokhwa, who received the plate of pasta from Kwak Soohwan, trembled at his fingertips.

“Eden no longer exists anywhere in the city. Not long after Dr. Choi Hoeon died, everything was cleared out. The current Rainbow City doesn’t operate based on lies.”

“So, they’re still brainwashing people, huh?”

Hojun responded bitterly.

“I left the city about 15 years ago.”

What followed was information everyone already knew: there was no unified nation, and the system of Rainbow City was not normal.

“I am the 135th experiment of Dr. Wonho and, as you know, a mutant born through genetic editing. Hwasun Auditorium was originally a branch of Eden that took care of mutants, but at some point, it became Dr. Wonho’s lab. From then on, I took on the role of overseeing Hwasun Auditorium.”

For some reason, Seokhwa had been feeling a sense of unease in this oval-shaped space. It was because everything, except the bed, had an oval form. Hojun seemed to have an obsession with oval shapes and objects. Seokhwa looked down at the long oval plate holding the pasta but didn’t pick up the fork.

Dr. Wonho had attempted genetic editing both inside and outside the city. All children born with disabilities were disposed of, and only a few mutants survived.

“I couldn’t stand watching children die from experiments anymore, so I left the city. I was ready to die.”

“A guy who was prepared to die sure ran far.”

At Kwak Soohwan’s sarcastic remark, Seokhwa lightly rebuked him, saying, “Major.”

“That guy keeps accusing me of being brainwashed, but he’s the one who’s narrow-minded. Still, it’s a relief he believed the vaccine was real after Yang Sanghoon got bitten.”

Lee Chaeyoon spoke while stuffing pasta into his mouth, then patted his chest.

“If you left 15 years ago, you probably don’t know that Dr. Wonho was executed.”

Hojun’s hand, resting on the table, tensed up. It seemed like he was both nervous and angry.

“Dr. Wonho… is dead?”

His face remained hidden under his hat, but his voice trembled uncontrollably. Seokhwa guessed that Dr. Wonho must have been a figure of terror for Hojun. Even Choi Hoeon, who became the city’s master, couldn’t escape Wonho’s shadow in the end.

“The goal of Dr. Wonho to create a new human species through mutants has also become a thing of the past.”

Seokhwa conveyed the facts to Hojun, who had been away from Rainbow City for so long.

“Is it true that Eden… has disappeared?”

“Yeah. It hasn’t disappeared, kid.”

Kwak Soohwan twirled pasta around a fork and handed it to Seokhwa, telling him to eat up.

“Rainbow City may not be completely safe, but it’s very different from when you experienced it. The master system has been abolished, and the prime minister is leading the city through a relatively democratic process.”

As Seokhwa praised the city, Lee Chaeyoon laughed cheerfully. However, Hojun still couldn’t fully believe the stories about Wonho’s death and Eden’s disappearance. There was a lingering sense of doubt.

“Why did you tell me not to take off my hat?”

Hojun cautiously asked Kwak Soohwan. Before picking up Seokhwa, Kwak Soohwan had threatened to blow a hole in his forehead if he removed his hat. Since the reason wasn’t explained, Hojun couldn’t trust him.

Seokhwa, about to take a bite of pasta, paused. He had been forcing himself to eat to prevent his energy from dropping further. He stared at Kwak Soohwan with a curious gaze, as if silently asking, “Why did you do that?”

“Because you look too hideous. It’ll hurt my eyes.”

“That guy always acts like this when someone is good-looking. Insecure much?”

When Lee Chaeyoon pointed his fork at Kwak Soohwan, Yang Sanghoon, lying on the bed, groaned.

“Major Yang Sanghoon, are you alright?”

Seokhwa quickly approached to check, but Yang Sanghoon just muttered, “It hurts like hell, Adam, you bastard,” before snoring lightly. Seokhwa, having administered antibiotics earlier, felt reassured.

“Is that guy good-looking?”

Kwak Soohwan gestured toward Hojun with his chin.

“Huh? Isn’t he handsome?”

Lee Chaeyoon tilted his head far back to try and peek at Hojun’s face under the hat. Seokhwa, standing next to him, tried to do the same, but Kwak Soohwan pulled Seokhwa by the arm. Caught by surprise, Seokhwa spoke with a slight hint of irritation in his voice.

“Why do you keep lying to me?”

The two rarely argued, but when they did, it was over something like today. Kwak Soohwan wasn’t the type to explain trivial matters to Seokhwa, especially when it involved something he did for Seokhwa’s sake. Though Seokhwa understood that Kwak Soohwan was doing it to prevent unnecessary worry, he didn’t always want to be protected by him.

“Sending the Invincible Platoon separately to the Colosseum today, too.”

With no excuse left, Kwak Soohwan brushed back his hair.

“It’s because he looks too much like someone.”

“Like who?”

Lee Chaeyoon, saying “What does he look like?” suddenly snatched off Hojun’s hat. Hojun, looking a bit flustered, glanced at Seokhwa, who was staring back at him.

“I did it to avoid triggering any trauma,” Kwak Soohwan explained.

Seokhwa blinked, clearly not understanding what Kwak Soohwan meant.

What exactly did he look like?

Seokhwa examined Hojun’s face from different angles, but it only seemed unfamiliar to him. Did he resemble some kind of strange animal? That didn’t seem right either… His mind was full of question marks.

“Who exactly does he look like?” Seokhwa finally asked.

Kwak Soohwan reluctantly gave a brief answer.

“Choi Hoeon, that bastard.”

Seokhwa blinked again.

“Are you insane?! He doesn’t look anything like Choi Hoeon! Unlike him, this guy isn’t my type!”

“I look like that bastard Choi Hoeon?!”

Outrage erupted from all directions, particularly from Hojun, who reacted strongly. As one of Dr. Wonho’s experimental subjects, Hojun likely knew or had heard a lot about Choi Hoeon. Even when Choi Hoeon was mentioned as becoming the master, Hojun had shown hostility.

Despite the uproar, Kwak Soohwan calmly told them to stop looking, covering Seokhwa’s eyes with his large hand.

Seokhwa’s lips curled into a small smile, even as Kwak Soohwan’s hand covered his face, nose and all.

***

To everyone’s surprise, the tunnel Hojun had dug led all the way to the underground of the cathedral. Hojun had come to Rome 15 years ago, meaning he had dug this tunnel over that period. He had also survived by raiding the food storage beneath the cathedral.

“So you were a thief,” Kwak Soohwan remarked.

Seokhwa gently grabbed Kwak Soohwan’s arm, as if telling him to stop.

“Then you’re an accomplice. You ate the pasta I stole,” Hojun teased, twirling pasta on his fork in a deliberate challenge to Kwak Soohwan.

“Stealing from a thief makes it taste even better, right?”

“Why do you have to put everything so harshly?”

“Well, technically, it’s because of this guy that we’re even here.”

Kwak Soohwan brought the fork full of pasta to Seokhwa’s mouth. After briefly glancing at Hojun, Seokhwa opened his mouth and took a bite.

“Since I was taking care of the Oscuros, Guillaume had no choice but to trust me.”

Guillaume, who lived in the Fortress of God with his wife, had relatives outside the fortress—Oscuros. He had been secretly providing food to support them, but that was becoming increasingly difficult. Then Hojun, a mutant capable of handling Adam without any trouble, appeared. Hojun needed a new home, and Guillaume needed someone to protect the Oscuros. Their interests aligned, and they naturally joined forces.

While Hojun dug a tunnel under the Fortress of God, Guillaume assisted him. After that, they discreetly stole food from the cathedral’s supplies without drawing attention.

Guillaume completely trusted Hojun’s claim that a fake vaccine—or one with serious side effects—would be sent to Rainbow City. This trust stemmed from the fact that Hojun was from Rainbow City himself.

Guillaume had started putting saline solution into vials to create fake vaccines, but time was too short. In the end, he could only swap out half of the 5,000 vials.

“How long do we have to clean up the mess left by those dead bastards?”

“Major, by that logic, we’re also part of the mess.”

They were, after all, products of the genetic engineering created by the city’s scientists. Lee Chaeyoon, laughing like a child, exclaimed, “Hahaha, we’re the mess! The mess!”

“No, no. He, he, and he are the mess,” Kwak Soohwan said, pointing to Yang Sanghoon, Lee Chaeyoon, and Hojun in turn before finally gesturing toward Seokhwa. “And this one is gold.”

Seokhwa, quietly twirling his fork, suggested, “Let’s just all be gold together.” Surprisingly, the pasta, with nothing but tomatoes and noodles, tasted pretty decent.

“By the way, do you know where Guillaume went?”

“I have some ideas. But even if he did return to the Fortress of God, they’ll hold him accountable for his crimes, so it’s unlikely he’ll come back.”

Seokhwa responded quietly, “I see,” as if he understood. For Kwak Soohwan, it didn’t matter whether Guillaume flew to the sky or sank into the ground.

“…What’s everyone eating without me?”

A familiar voice came from behind. Seokhwa quickly turned his head. Yang Sanghoon, now sitting up, looked more pale and gaunt than Seokhwa had ever seen him.

“You should be embarrassed, you bastard. An S-class getting bitten by Adam? You might as well give up your rank.”

Though Kwak Soohwan’s words were harsh, Seokhwa could sense that he was secretly relieved. Lee Chaeyoon, holding a plate of pasta topped with the leftover tomato sauce, approached Yang Sanghoon.

“You lost so much blood, you should eat something red.”

“Got any tteokbokki?”

“Your mouth’s still working, so I guess you’re fine.”

Yang Sanghoon chuckled weakly at Lee Chaeyoon’s scolding. Seokhwa also approached Yang Sanghoon to check his wound.