Rainbow City

“My nipple….”

Kwak Soohwan couldn’t help but chuckle at Seokhwa’s straightforwardness and simply smiled. He took off his blood-stained shirt and pulled out some comfortable everyday clothes from the wardrobe. Grabbing the emergency backpack lying on the floor, which seemed manageable enough even for Seokhwa, he handed it over, slinging it over his shoulder.

“Is it heavy?”

“It’s manageable.”

Inside were a few water bottles, emergency medical supplies, and combat rations. It was a win-win situation, as even if Adam attacked from behind, the backpack could serve as a shield.

After putting the backpack down again, Kwak Soohwan retrieved a thick coat from the wardrobe and helped Seokhwa put it on. Spring wasn’t far off, but there was no sign of the cold letting up. He tucked two handguns into Seokhwa’s pockets and then armed himself.

As Kwak Soohwan watched Seokhwa hastily prepare to leave, he began wrapping tape around Seokhwa’s wrists. Thanks to the thick coat, they could fashion makeshift protection up to just below the elbows. Kwak Soohwan donned dark pants and a matching jacket on top.

“Did you learn this at the training center?”

The taped arms looked quite sturdy indeed.

“They don’t teach this kind of thing at the training center.”

Kwak Soohwan pressed Seokhwa’s forehead firmly with his palm, as if in approval.

After slinging the backpack back on, he gently grasped Seokhwa’s taped arms.

“How are your arms feeling?”

“I’m fine.”

With a nod that seemed to imply it was settled, Kwak Soohwan continued, “If we go up to the rooftop, we’ll end up at the Yeouido anti-aircraft battery, and since your controller position has been revoked, it might even be more dangerous.”

This time, Seokhwa seemed to understand, showing a response.

“So, we’ll go down through the emergency exit instead of going up. It’ll be tough breaking through from the 58th floor to the 1st floor.”

“All locked up, remember?”

“Only the floor we’re on and the 48th are closed off, so the rest should be accessible through emergency exits.”

The journey from the 58th floor to the 1st floor could easily take more than a day, and Seokhwa could get seriously injured in the meantime.

“Major, are there parachutes in the shelter?”

Kwak Soohwan narrowed one eye slightly.

“Yeah, there are.”

“I’d rather just jump.”

Kwak Soohwan hadn’t dismissed the idea entirely, but he wondered if Seokhwa could actually do it.

“It’s more dangerous to break through to the 1st floor.”

The parachutes in the shelter were single-person, so it would be impossible for Kwak Soohwan to carry Seokhwa while jumping. The reason they could jump together with Lee Chaeyoon in Jeju was because the parachute could support that weight.

“I’ll just break through to the 1st floor myself.”

“I can do it too.”

There was a hint of not wanting to burden him with luggage.

Seokhwa had made the most rational decision in the current situation. Even if it was Kwak Soohwan, the probability of safely descending while dealing with an unpredictable enemy like Adam was extremely low. Plus, getting down to the 1st floor was no easy feat either.

“How many Adams are locked up in the preparation room?”

“I’m not exactly sure, but there seem to be about five. The auditorium has the most.”

Fortunately, the auditorium door was made of steel and couldn’t be broken down by Adam’s strength. While the preparation room had wooden doors, they were double doors, so Seokhwa had tied two locks with ropes.

“Don’t open the door until I signal, just wait.”

He couldn’t bring himself to say, “I’ll help,” but leaving him alone in the preparation room was actually helping. Seokhwa fetched some tape and wrapped it around Kwak Soohwan’s arms.

“I don’t need this.”

“Just in case.”

“The shape isn’t perfect.”

“Your life is more important.”

“Got it, Seokhwa hyung.”

As Seokhwa wrapped tape around Kwak Soohwan’s arms, his expression remained consistently serious. Even after finishing both arms, he didn’t stop wrapping until he had used up all the tape.

Seokhwa liked it when Kwak Soohwan called him Dr. Seok or Seokhwa hyung. Sometimes he called him Seokhwa-ya, and it didn’t feel bad either.

Everyone had been calling him Dr. Seok or Dr. Seokwa all along, and even at the training center, no one had called him by his name affectionately. When Kwak Soohwan called him with emotion, Seokhwa felt like his existence became special. His mother used to do the same. She called his name even when he was in her womb, and he came out like a flower because of it.

“Soohwan-ah.”

Seokhwa set down the used tape.

Unlike the composed Seokhwa, only Kwak Soohwan’s eyes widened in surprise. Did I hear correctly? His eyes held a mixture of doubt.

“Kwak Soohwan.”

Seokhwa put his heart into the words, hoping his call meant something special to him too.

“Come back safely. And let’s get out of here together.”

He felt an unusual pang in his chest. Oh, damn. Kwak Soohwan bowed his head deeply and let out a muttered curse.

“You know that was meant to be an exclamation of admiration, right? Call me when you have more leisure next time.”

Kwak Soohwan kissed Seokhwa’s lips lightly and then walked briskly to the door. Holding onto the doorknob, he glanced back at Seokhwa.

“I’ll be back before the alcohol wears off.”

“Alcohol?”

“Yeah, there’s some.”

As Kwak Soohwan opened the door and left, the tips of his ears subtly turned red.

I thought I was immune to Dr. Seok’s honesty, but I was immediately proven wrong. He pinched his earlobe firmly and started running towards the preparation room.

Blinking, the lights on the corridor ceiling went out, and emergency power illuminated the floor. However, it served only to indicate the path to be taken and didn’t provide much help in visibility. Unfortunately, there were no flashlights either, so they had to wait for their eyes to adjust to the darkness.

Kwak Soohwan stood in front of the preparation room door, running his hand over the rope Seokhwa had tied. Even in a hurry, Seokhwa had tied it meticulously, indicating it would be a struggle to untie. He took out a jackknife from his pocket and began cutting the rope. At the creaking sound, the guys slamming against the door shook it. Kwak Soohwan cut the rope halfway and quickly stepped back. He moved to where the emergency light from the floor illuminated and aimed his gun.

Creak, creak, accompanied by the eerie sound of wood splitting, the rope snapped, and the door swung open roughly.

Bullets pierced the heads of the guys rushing towards them, guided by the light on the floor. Some of the irregular movers were shot in the legs, causing them to stumble, and taking advantage of that, the face of one guy emerging from the darkness approached. Kwak Soohwan intentionally bit the guy’s mouth with his arm. In that state, he shot the heads of the remaining guys. He grabbed the arm of the guy by the door, pulled it away, and made a hole in his forehead. With a thud, blood and brain matter spilled onto the floor.

“There are six, Dr. Seok.”

Kwak Soohwan reloaded his gun while filling the bullets. The stench of blood, vomited by the guys in the preparation room, was strong. He stepped on the puddles of blood, found a flashlight, and swept the inside. Backpack-style parachutes were stacked neatly on one side of the shelf.

He quickly grabbed two parachutes, an analog military radio, and grenades, then stepped out onto the road. Using the corridor lights as a guide, he ran towards Seokhwa. Although the door to the auditorium behind them creaked in this commotion, it only produced an uncomfortable noise to hear.

Kwak Soohwan knocked on Lieutenant General Lee Yeontae’s door.

“It’s me.”

As soon as he confirmed the voice, Seokhwa opened the door. Kwak Soohwan smiled slightly and showed him the parachute and radio set. Fortunately, the lieutenant general’s room was well lit. As Kwak Soohwan entered, he began to explain the use of parachutes to Seokhwa again. Although he had heard the instructions before they headed to Jeju by helicopter, Seokhwa reconsidered them once more.

The theory was clear, such as where to deploy the parachute from and using a hook knife to cut the rope if it got tangled. Although parachute malfunctions were extremely rare, they still had to be prepared for the 0.1 percent risk.

As Seokhwa carried the parachute backpack, Kwak Soohwan firmly secured harnesses around his waist and legs. He also put on a parachute on his back.

“We’ll go to the corridor with the auditorium from here. We’ll have to jump from that direction since there are no obstacles ahead. Adjust the direction towards the parking lot below. Got it?”

“Sure.”

“Even if it’s scary, you have to jump down well. Hesitation will only make it more dangerous.”

“I know.”

“How about just breaking through to the first floor head-on?”

Kwak Soohwan seemed more tense than Seokhwa. Seokhwa stood with a backpack containing emergency rations in front of him.

“Let’s go. But what about the windows?”

“If you shoot a machine gun at bulletproof glass, it’ll shatter.”

“Do you have a machine gun?”

“Yeah, probably.”

Kwak Soohwan opened Lieutenant General Lee Yeontae’s closet and took out gloves from a drawer. Then he clenched his fist and smashed the wooden wall of the closet. He tore off the broken wooden panels and took off his gloves.

“The generals always stash good stuff like this in their rooms.”

From inside, Kwak Soohwan grabbed a long barrel and pulled it out swiftly. It was a machine gun of the 7.62mm type called Mk3. Machine guns were issued at a rate of about one per squad even before Adam showed up, and this one was considered a somewhat new model even before the world got into this mess. It was in pretty good condition, like an old man’s jet ski that Lieutenant General Lee Yeontae had cherished and maintained quite well. Kwak Soohwan wasn’t particularly fond of guns, but he wanted to take this one with him.

“You remember what I said, right?”

“Don’t worry.”

Seokhwa, trying to look brave, went to the door and waited for Kwak Soohwan again. Kwak Soohwan probably thought Seokhwa was a good kid who listened well, even back when he was at the learning center. Kwak Soohwan, carrying the hefty machine gun on his shoulder, took Seokhwa’s hand. He opened the door and shone his flashlight ahead.

They turned the corner and walked down the corridor littered with corpses. Kwak Soohwan and Seokhwa stood far apart in front of the corridor, away from the glass window.

Kwak Soohwan gestured for Seokhwa to stand farther away and firmly wedged the Mk3 bipod under his armpit. The bullets were densely packed in the long magazine, feeling weighty. With this, they should be able to break the window easily enough. Tap, tap, Kwak Soohwan began firing the machine gun towards the glass window. As the shots were fired in rapid succession, the empty casings fell to the floor. At the sound, the iron door at the back of the auditorium creaked again. Seokhwa looked back with anxious eyes, then turned back to the glass window. Finally, cracks began to appear in the bulletproof glass. Kwak Soohwan didn’t stop shooting towards the window.

!

“Boom!” A tremendous roar erupted from the auditorium. “Crash, crash.” Through the wide-open iron door came the sounds of beasts. Blood-soaked hands, like branches swaying in a storm, protruded outside the iron door.

Was it because the vigorous soldiers had mutated? Countless bodies had relentlessly slammed against the iron door until it slowly creaked open. Adam, who had been trapped inside the auditorium, began to rush out.

“Major!”

Even without turning around, Kwak Soohwan could sense the situation well enough. He kicked down the remaining glass with blackened cracks. With a forceful kick, the entire window shattered and fell into the abyss below.

“Dr. Seok, now’s the time! Jump!”

Kwak Soohwan redirected the machine gun towards the Adams and began firing. In just two seconds, all the remaining bullets were gone, and the situation was dire. Seokhwa didn’t hesitate. Like falling leaves, he leaped straight from the 58th floor. He wanted to look back, wondering when he should jump to land safely, but he knew that hesitating would mean missing the timing to deploy the parachute.

From the moment he jumped from the 58th floor until now, the scenes passed by like a very slow motion. In the distance, several buildings still emitted light, and a helicopter moving in the opposite direction came into view.

During the plunge, an enormous amount of visual information poured in as if the brain was taking hundreds of pictures in a second. If this was called a flashback, it was too trivial. Wasn’t reflecting on one’s life supposed to be a flashback? Well, not yet. Seokhwa pulled the handle with all his might. As his body soared upward against the air resistance, the parachute fully opened.

Seokhwa didn’t look up. Tears threatened to fall, but he adjusted the handles towards the parking lot as he had been told. Finally, when he collapsed onto the ground, he looked up. But his view was obstructed by the parachute fabric wrapped around him.

Seokhwa reached out and pulled the thick fabric away, then cut the straps connecting him to the parachute with a knife. Kwak Soohwan was nowhere to be seen in the sky, nor anywhere on the ground.

There was no sound of gunfire, just the eerie sound of the wind wrapping around the building. Seokhwa covered his face with both hands. His contorted face felt rough against his palms. His muscles were twisted to the point of agony.

“Thud!” Seokhwa jerked his hands away from his face at the sound of what seemed like a large watermelon bursting. A soldier in military uniform lay dead from the fall. He quickly lifted his head again. He saw Kwak Soohwan deploying the parachute. Some of the Adams who followed him were falling to the ground, exploding upon impact.

Seokhwa wanted to reach out his arms to catch Kwak Soohwan. However, he remained frozen stiff, while Kwak Soohwan calmly steered the parachute down towards them. The moment of his descent felt incredibly slow. Even though Seokhwa watched with both eyes, he couldn’t believe Kwak Soohwan was unharmed and kept his gaze fixed on his trajectory.

As Kwak Soohwan’s feet touched the ground and he saw Seokhwa sitting there, he chuckled.

“Dr. Seok, you could enlist in the army now.”

But clearly, he too was afraid. Afraid he hadn’t properly deployed the parachute’s wings, afraid he might get caught in the wind and things could go wrong.

“Thud, crash!” The shockwaves of impact on the glass could be heard. There was no time to relax or enjoy the relief of survival. Kwak Soohwan grabbed Seokhwa firmly and lifted him up. Then, he ripped off the tape around his poorly-shaped bicep. The infected on the first floor, drawn by the sound of falling Adams, began to notice them and rush towards them in a mob.

Kwak Soohwan hoisted Seokhwa up and began to sprint towards where the jeep might be. Seokhwa, watching the Adams rushing towards them like demons, felt that there was no longer a safe place anywhere in the city. If there was hell, it was probably something like this. There was only one word to describe it. Truly horrifying.

Seokhwa clutched onto his shirt, burying his face into his back. As soon as Kwak Soohwan spotted the jeep outside the sheltered iron fence, he shouted.

“Don’t answer back, just listen! We’re going to jump over the iron fence straight ahead! I’ll leap up and hold onto the top, and you somehow get over, got it?!”

With increased speed, he leaped up and grabbed onto the top.

Seokhwa stepped on his shoulders and climbed onto the iron fence. Seeing Kwak Soohwan safely crawling down the opposite side of the fence, he also exerted strength in his arms to pull himself up. After swiftly jumping down, he ran with Seokhwa to the jeep and opened the door.

Seokhwa was seated in the passenger seat first, and as he climbed into the driver’s seat and turned the key, darn it, the engine didn’t start. It emitted a feeble sound like an exhausted old man. Someone had definitely left behind a faulty car. Outside the collapsed iron fence, uniformed Adams were pushing against it, clamoring.

“Come to the driver’s seat. You know how to step on the clutch, right? You press the one on the far left here. Got it?”

“What about Major?”

“He’ll push from behind until the engine starts. Once it’s running, catch up immediately, so don’t ever press the brake.”

“I’ll try.”

Seokhwa moved from the passenger seat to the driver’s seat. Kwak Soohwan glanced back at the iron fence, then moved his body a little faster. After leaving the passenger seat door open, he went to the back of the jeep and raised his voice.

“You remember how to shift into third gear?”

“I remember.”

“Put it in third gear and press the clutch! Now!”

Seokhwa shifted the gear into third and pressed the clutch firmly. Since it was a military jeep with a manual transmission, the engine could be started by the movement of the wheels. Kwak Soohwan placed his legs forward and backward, exerting force to push the jeep. As the wheels began to turn laboriously, the engine roared to life as if exploding.

As the car started rolling forward, Seokhwa almost reflexively pressed the brake, but he trusted Kwak Soohwan’s words. “Quick, get in!” Seokhwa muttered to himself as he stepped on the accelerator. Click! Grabbing onto the open passenger seat door, he rode the recoil to climb inside. Sitting in his seat, Kwak Soohwan breathed a sigh of relief for some reason.

“Why are you in such a hurry? You thought I was leaving you behind.”

Yet, despite everything, he couldn’t help but chuckle several times. Seokhwa kept his eyes fixed ahead, moving away from the Adams while gripping the steering wheel.

“Where are we going?”

“Let’s go a bit further, then switch seats with me.”

Seokhwa glanced up at the rearview mirror to check behind. Whether the iron fence had collapsed or not, the Adams were running towards them, but there was no one matching the car’s speed.

“We’re leaving Rainbow City,” Kwak Soohwan said.

During the early spread of the Adam virus, countries attempted to establish survival routes in coordination with neighboring countries. The first state of emergency, known as Doomsday, was declared in Europe. There were debates in the still-functioning councils about destroying entire cities and even using nuclear weapons. However, no level of destruction could completely halt the spread of the virus. Countries prepared for Doomsday selected key personnel to move them to bunkers around the world according to protocols. Many people were infected and killed during this process. Corpses left unattended caused further outbreaks, and except for a few countries, most nations lost the functionality of their governments.

Countries that successfully prevented the spread of infection through quick decisions and actions were mostly forced to shrink. For example, unable to protect all 20 cities, they abandoned 10 and defended the remaining areas. However, rumors spread to regions connected to them. Survivors, hoping for safety if they reached those areas, abandoned their lives for exile, and the Adams followed suit.

The military made efforts to prevent the exodus of survivors. Shooting at uninfected people had mental and physical limits, and without erecting barriers, it was impossible to block all routes perfectly. Eventually, even countries considered safe saw the Adam virus spread again. All this happened just three years after the initial outbreak. To prevent chaos, they formed a new entity called the Union. They had to avoid encroaching on each other’s territories, and interaction was only allowed in designated places until the Adam virus was completely eradicated.

Before the emergence of the 7th Adam mutation, Seokhwa and other researchers had contacted the China branch. Rainbow City was now isolated, but in reality, there wasn’t much exchange even before that.

Doubts arose about what the Union actually meant and whether it functioned properly. Despite the Adam virus mutating uncontrollably, surviving researchers from the Union couldn’t produce significant results.

Perhaps the countries freed from the Adam virus were rebuilding their nations among themselves. With a significantly reduced population, reconstruction would take a considerable amount of time. Exiting Rainbow City, which was controlled and oppressive, might unfold into a utopia.

“Let’s get off and walk. We’re almost there,” Kwak Soohwan said, eyeing the congested road blocked with abandoned cars. Seokhwa slung the backpack he had placed on the back seat over his shoulder. Fortunately, there was enough food.

He disconnected the car’s battery and took back the backpack from Seokhwa. Seeing Seokhwa exhausted, he wondered if his judgment was correct. Should he have brought Seokhwa to the Udoh now? They had already been blocked twice like this, and they had to change cars several times.

“It’s okay,” Seokhwa said, feeling Kwak Soohwan’s gaze, and held his hand. As they walked, areas outside Rainbow City were either completely ruined or inhabited by survivors here and there. However, they didn’t form tribes or gather together. Living by a survival-of-the-fittest mentality, their presence was discreet. There were some groups engaging in looting, but few dared to attack those armed with firearms like them.

“It’ll get better once we get a little further away from here,” he said, carrying the slow-paced Seokhwa on his back and briskly walking down the road.

There was a secret base, set up like a fortress, in the upper area not belonging to the city. Being a Controller with more freedom of movement than other soldiers, he had used his position to meticulously carry out his plans. The platoon and the lieutenant general in the 21st Violet Zone were also part of the process. So, it was somewhat inevitable that Second was left out.

As they reached a point where the road started to clear, Kwak Soohwan chose a relatively decent car and replaced the battery. Seokhwa, sitting in the passenger seat, closed his eyes with the backpack in his arms. The nauseating smell bothered his nose, but rest was a priority now. Kwak Soohwan turned the ignition and slowly accelerated, gently taming the car. He tried adjusting the radio frequency, but only static came through.

The main reason for wanting to leave Rainbow City was to safely shelter Seokhwa and make contact with the China branch to develop a cure. Moreover, outside the city was more conducive to forming a faction without the surveillance of Mother or the military.

According to the treaties of the Union countries, the route to China was strictly blocked. Now, with most of the military power gathered in the city center due to the Eden Hill incident, it was possible to evade control.

“Major.”

Seokhwa, slowly opening his eyes, called out to him.

“Yeah?”

“Do you think it’ll be okay to go to the China branch?”

Will they accept us? It seemed like he was asking that.

“We need to inform the Union about the situation in Rainbow City, don’t we?”

If the Union exists intact, that is.

Seokhwa could also discern the hidden intention behind his words. Unless I choose exile, I can’t stay in Rainbow City, and Kwak Soohwan has become a Major who must unquestionably follow orders from above.

“To be honest, I just want to forget about the cure and everything else, and leave to live with just the two of us.”

“We can’t just live alone.”

“Why not?”

In a firm tone, Seokhwa retorted.

“Because, Major, there were people who trusted not only Major Yang but also… Major Kwak. And you saw that.”

Seokhwa took a sip of the remaining water as if his throat was parched.

“We must do what we can. Avoiding it is not an option.”

The occurrence of innocent people getting infected and dying from the virus had to stop. Since everyone had been playing into the hands of the higher-ups, the leadership of Rainbow City had to be condemned and step down in some way. Becoming a means to maintain power should not have turned into the Adam virus.

Kwak Soohwan could only laugh.

Seokhwa, who used to seem powerless and apathetic before, had tried to uncover the incident with Dr. Ouyang. Despite being brainwashed at the learning center, he had harbored suspicions about the higher-ups. Whether then or now, Seokhwa’s rebellious spirit was steadfast in the city.

Seokhwa seemed to have said all he needed to say as he quickly fell asleep. His head tilted slightly, conveying a sense of exhaustion. So Kwak Soohwan’s suggestion of taking a break while it was just the two of them easily resonated. Well, it wasn’t really a situation conducive to that, but…

After driving for several hours towards their destination, Kwak Soohwan suddenly stopped the car. He gazed intently at the scene unfolding before him. This place, once known by the old name Sinuiju, was also a place where entry was completely prohibited by the Union.

Kwak Soohwan’s eyes, calmly settled, turned cold. The bridge connecting the peninsula and the Chinese mainland, known as the Jojungu Bridge, was severed.

It was rumored that the bridge, which had been destroyed after the Adam incident, had been rebuilt when we and China became part of the Union again. It was a content often repeated even in Mother’s history education broadcasts.

Leaning on the steering wheel, Kwak Soohwan sighed deeply. Seokhwa, who was sleeping, woke up, tossing and turning at the sound of his suppressed but gloomy laughter.

Seokhwa blinked his bleary eyes and looked at where his gaze was directed together with him. As the view gradually cleared, they could see the severed bridge. Like the Han River Bridge, only dry vines entangled for what seemed like a very long time.

“You mentioned contacting the China branch, right?”

“…Yes.”

“Have you ever seen them in person?”

“…No.”

The buildings visible across the river were left abandoned, destroyed by explosions. Perhaps beyond them might be safe…

“Were the researchers Dr. Seok contacted really from the China branch?”

Kwak Soohwan glanced back at Seokhwa. Seokhwa’s eyelids trembled as if experiencing a slight spasm. Seeing this sight, even that couldn’t be confirmed now.

It was only certain that Rainbow City was either not part of the Union or that the Union had collapsed.

An old and crude signboard was swaying back and forth at the entrance of the bridge.