Rainbow City

460 days since the Adam virus incident in the Garden of Eden, and 130 days after the inauguration announcement of Rainbow City’s Master-elect Choi Hoeon. Former Alliance Nation, Russia has descended (Xacah).

Kwak Soohwan was atop a Jeep bonnet, clutching a CB radio. Though Russia was said to be a chilly place even for peppers, being so close to the Korean Peninsula, the weather today was quite pleasant.

The river in front, which had been frozen over all winter, now flowed as if wondering when it had ever been so. With the population sharply reduced, the water quality of rivers and lakes had improved significantly, but Kwak Soohwan, not having been born at that time, couldn’t know how dirty it used to be.

He rolled up his sleeves, revealing sun-kissed forearms.

He hopped down from the bonnet and readjusted the antenna attached to the vehicle.

[Scratch, damn it!]

A string of rough curses burst from the radio. That’s it, Kwak Soohwan tossed the radio into the driver’s seat window.

“…Is this Major Lee?”

Seokhwa, who had been dozing off in the passenger seat, sat up.

He handed the radio to Seokhwa as he climbed into the driver’s seat.

His bangs, which I trimmed for him just the other day, were a bit uneven, but it had its own charm.

“Did you sleep well?”

Kwak Soohwan leaned in to kiss Seokhwa’s cheek softly. It was warm from the sun. Seokhwa only showed a faint expression of pain, and spoke into the radio.

“Major, can you hear me? It’s Seokhwa.”

“I’m heading to the rendezvous now. I missed you too.”

Parking the car at the entrance of the bridge, Kwak Soohwan carefully stacked the boxes of liquid into his backpack. Seokhwa also descended from the passenger seat with a backpack filled with food and water.

As the intense light pierced his forehead, he raised his head slowly. The scorching sun was heating up the surroundings enough to forget the harsh cold of Russia.

Behind the bridge, lush green leaves had grown, and this place, once called the border between the Korean Peninsula and Russia, had long lost its significance. If the forest grew a bit more, it might engulf even this bridge, and one day the bridge might collapse suddenly.

“Major.”

“It’s been a while since I shed the Major title, but you still call me that.”

“They only stripped you of the controller position.”

Seokhwa moved his lips inside the mask.

“Do you think Choi Hoeon would have let it slide after becoming the Master? It’s fortunate we weren’t publicly wanted.”

In the end, was Choi Hoeon not trying to establish a new country but rather aiming to position himself at the center of power?

Seokhwa wasn’t sure about the mixed feelings of my half-brother. Right now, the priority was to make contact with those who were confident in our side with this vaccine.

About to take a step forward, Kwak Soohwan paused and stopped Seokhwa. He chuckled softly, then pulled his index finger along the mask, dragging it down to his chin.

“It’s hard to breathe if we’re walking.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to hide our faces?”

“Last kiss in Russia.”

As Seokhwa looked up at Kwak Soohwan, a deep shadow fell across his face.

He lightly tapped his lips against his, making a soft sound of kissing again. Unable to resist, he grabbed the back of his neck and kissed him deeply. Seokhwa also parted his lips and closed his eyes naturally. As his tongue moved gently, the hand gripping his backpack strap turned white. The base of his tongue stung, so he pressed his body closer, and a lingering heat surged in an instant.

“Ah… Let’s go now.”

“No, we need to wait ten more minutes for the kids to come.”

Kwak Soohwan smoothly spoke, embracing Seokhwa’s waist hidden by the backpack. This way, they would be swept away. Seokhwa, who had already experienced this several times, pulled his lips away and looked surprisedly towards the opposite direction.

He turned to look where Seokhwa was staring, wearing a puzzled expression.

“What’s wrong, are they here already?”

But at the center of the bridge, there was only a train left abandoned.

“Let’s go.”

Seokhwa wet his lips and responded expressionlessly.

“Wow, Dr. Seok, you even play tricks now.”

Yet Kwak Soohwan’s lips were still soft. As Seokhwa began to walk ahead, he raised his voice from behind.

“Let’s go together, babe.”

As Kwak Soohwan approached, the rails made an uneasy creaking sound. With just the weight of the two of them, the bridge wouldn’t collapse, but they were worried because of the train in the middle. Kwak Soohwan seemed to know that too, so he moved his steps cautiously as he came to his side.

The sound of a few loose screws bouncing off echoed. Inside the train, bones had turned into skeletons, tangled beyond recognition. Furthermore, the cement around was deeply cracked, revealing the flowing river underneath.

“The holes seem bigger than before, don’t they?”

“They are. They’ve gotten bigger and more numerous.”

, as if a train carrying skeletons behind them was about to depart, it scratched against the rails. Despite the sounds of bending metal and shattering concrete gradually intensifying, Kwak Soohwan grabbed Seokhwa’s arm, and he stood still. Breathing in short, sharp breaths, he adjusted his backpack forward.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes, let’s go.”

Seizing Seokhwa in one swift motion, they began to run, and the bridge started to creak and sag under their weight. It seemed as though the train’s back was about to bend in half under the immense gravity, on the verge of submerging into the river. The bridge, barely holding itself together, became a detonator with the added weight of the two men. Kwak Soohwan’s muscles felt incredibly tense as he ran around the edge, right where the Korean Peninsula began, but ahead, there was nothing but rusty steel beams left.

Underneath the bridge, a flock of ducks floated peacefully. While animals were tranquil like that, humans seemed to be in chaos above, but upon closer inspection, even the ducks might have been diligently moving their legs underwater. Moreover, there was no need to envy birds that weren’t infected by Adam anymore.

It was doubtful whether the rusty steel beams could bear the weight of the two as they passed over. Furthermore, the bridge was narrow, and even if it was Kwak Soohwan, could he maintain his balance?

“I’m getting off.”

Seokhwa urgently said as he began to descend, pulling Kwak Soohwan along.

“You go first.”

“I’ll carry you.”

“Just run. The two of us together will be too heavy. Hurry!”

“Okay!”

Running while dodging the remaining cement on the outer side of the bridge, Kwak Soohwan started. Seokhwa also moved his legs diligently, striving for maximum speed.

Thud, thud, Seokhwa felt chunks of cement falling below, but he didn’t look down, only focusing on what lay ahead. Even when an immense roar erupted from behind, he didn’t turn back. It was the moment when Kwak Soohwan, who had already left the bridge, reached out his hand. Seokhwa’s body slipped smoothly between the steel bars.

Seizing Seokhwa’s outstretched hand, Kwak Soohwan firmly pulled him up.

“Damn it, that was a close call.”

He embraced Seokhwa while lying on the ground. Seokhwa also felt relieved, but hastily got up as his backpack was pressing forward.

“What about the vaccine?”

“It’s intact, but that place is a disaster.”

Turning his chin in the indicated direction, it was clear that the train had plunged into the river, and the bridge was completely severed and in tatters.

“If Dr. Seok hadn’t stopped it, we might have died fused together.”

He let out a sigh, finding something so amusing that it reverberated through his federal chest. Seokhwa lay down next to Kwak Soohwan, breathing slowly. As the engine’s rumbling approached overhead, he spread his arms on the ground, gazing only at the sky.

“Damn, did you break your leg coming over?”

Seokhwa, raising his head, looked at the stopped Jeep. Lee Chaeyoon, with a surprised expression, quickly smiled.

“Doctor! Welcome back to Rainbow City. Aren’t you glad to see me too, Freak?”

“Like hell.”

Kwak Soohwan, who had already stood up, grabbed Seokhwa’s arm.

“Why, you look like you’ve seen ghosts?”

Yang Sanghoon, who was holding the steering wheel, also jumped out of the Jeep. Seokhwa also nodded in greeting to the two people he hadn’t seen in a long time.

“Are you both doing well?”

“Yeah, we’re doing fine. Almost too well, it’s a problem.”

Lee Chaeyoon scratched his temple awkwardly, as if embarrassed.

“We’ll talk later. Let’s move for now.”

Yang Sanghoon urged them to get into the Jeep, tapping the hood.

***

Throughout the drive, Seokhwa calmly absorbed the scenery around him.

The days spent in Russia weren’t bad, but he wanted to come back to this land. Even though his life in shelters on Jeju Island and Yeouido might have been the entirety of his life, Rainbow City was still his homeland.

a long time, but it wasn’t short either.

As Seokhwa traveled down to the old city of Pyongyang, he couldn’t help but be amazed by the well-maintained roads. It used to be a road littered with abandoned cars when they were heading up to China. But now, the road was cleared enough for a Jeep to pass through without any trouble.

“They must have cleared it all out?”

Kwak Soohwan, sitting in the back seat, also clicked his tongue.

“Yeah. This area has become completely abandoned by the city. It’s all designated as a restricted zone.”

Yang Sanghoon replied somewhat bitterly.

“This guy probably didn’t even know what ‘restricted zone’ meant when he was blabbering earlier.”

“Who’s the idiot here then?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“If it’s a restricted zone, it’s a restricted zone, what else does it mean?”

Seeing Yang Sanghoon’s annoyed face, Lee Chaeyoon raised his middle finger lightly instead of answering.

Seeing that they hadn’t changed much, Seokhwa chuckled. Only Kwak Soohwan noticed his slight smirk.

Having lived for over 300 days with a base in Vladivostok, Kwak Soohwan had half-heartedly considered not returning.

“They say Choi Hoeon’s approval rating has already surpassed 90 percent. Do you believe that?”

Lee Chaeyoon turned around, holding onto the headrest.

“Even if 20 percent of that is exaggerated, people’s reactions aren’t bad, to be honest. It seems like they prefer a younger master.”

“What about the military?”

“Among the old-fashioned guys, everyone is rallying behind Choi Hoeon.”

With a click, Lee Chaeyoon mimicked cutting his throat.

Yang Sanghoon, who had been driving on the dirt road for a while, parked the Jeep in a densely overgrown area. Nearby, a camouflage-colored military tent for twelve people was set up, and Yang Sanghoon, who had gotten out of the Jeep, looked around. Confirming that there were no particular issues, he signaled for them to come out.

Seokhwa, having been sitting for a long time, quickly got down to the ground and stretched his stiff waist. Kwak Soohwan even carried Seokhwa’s backpack and securely held the bag containing the vaccine.

“Doctor, are you okay?”

Lee Chaeyoon approached cautiously and asked. Seokhwa didn’t fully grasp her meaning but replied, “Yes.”

“If you’re tired, you can rest.”

It seemed like she was saying there was no need to put on airs since they knew Doctor’s stamina well. Seokhwa added a small laugh, pretending to be fine.

“Why are you like this? You’re not the old Dr. Seok. It’s just because you guys haven’t seen it. Dr. Seok is the one who ran while breaking the bridge.”

“But it’s broken because it’s old.”

“You still don’t get jokes.”

Yang Sanghoon’s voice finally relaxed, as if the tension had dissipated.

The sun was setting, and as the light dwindled in the dense thicket, Yang Sanghoon took out whiskey and plastic cups tightly packed in a plastic bag from the trunk. The rest of the team went into the military tent to unpack.

As Kwak Soohwan lifted the tent flap covering the entrance, a cool breeze swept in. Inside, there were makeshift beds, canned food, and bottled water neatly piled up on one side.

Yang Sanghoon quickly entered and lowered the tent. He illuminated the center of the tent with a bulb hung from the ceiling and unfolded a makeshift table. After placing the plastic cups according to the number of people, he cheerfully opened the bottle of liquor.

“Just looking at it makes me feel like I’ll get food poisoning.”

Kwak Soohwan muttered a curse as he looked into the cup.

“Kid, if you disinfect with alcohol, you won’t get food poisoning, you know?”

“Who said I’ll get it? It’s our Dr. Seok I’m worried about.”

“Doctor, can’t you drink alcohol?”

“I’ve increased my tolerance for alcohol while living in Russia. I’m fine.”

Seokhwa first grasped the plastic cup with both hands and offered it to Yang Sanghoon. Yang Sanghoon also poured whiskey into the cup with both hands, seemingly caught off guard.

“Hey hey! Stop it! Even if you’ve increased your tolerance, it’s not one glass but just a sip level.”

“That old freak has been in hiding for over a year and now suddenly acts like a foster mom.”

“That guy was always like that.”

Lee Chaeyoon, who had pulled out the stacked plastic chairs, tossed them to their respective places. She was chewing dried squid legs, the origin of which no one knew.

After pouring a glass for each person, a brief silence spread. Now, only the bulb emitting a faint light was illuminating the tent as the sun had completely disappeared.

“Let’s have a drink first.”

Kwak Soohwan quickly raised his glass of liquor. It seemed like he had brought quite an expensive liquor, as the swallow was very convincing. Seokhwa, who wasn’t accustomed to the unspoken rule of downing the first shot, just pursed his lips.

“Freak-hwan, where should we start our conversation?”

Lee Chaeyoon pressed her forehead as if in pain.

Even while in Vladivostok, they occasionally heard news from Rainbow City, thanks to promotional materials that happened to come their way. In the places where Kwak Soohwan and Seokhwa stayed, there were Korean descendants who had immigrated long ago. Most of them were born after the Adam Incident, so it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that they hardly spoke Korean. Upon closer examination, they were like the 4th or 5th generation of immigrants. The first promotional material they brought, which seemed to be news from Rainbow City, was a poster for Choi Hoeon’s master election.

“Let’s start with how Choi Hoeon became the master.”

Lee Chaeyoon interrupted her chewing of squid legs.

“Well, it’s clear that initially Choi Hoeon campaigned for the master election hand in hand with the first. But about a month before the master election, the first died. They said it was due to a chronic illness, but who believes that? We’re convinced that Choi Hoeon killed him, but people don’t know. After the Adam Incident, Choi Hoeon distributed a ton of groceries to people, remember? Later, we found out about the Eden Orchard through his help and raided it, looting everything.”

“Choi Hoeon… conducted a conspiracy?”

Seokhwa, who had been listening quietly, made a puzzled expression.

“Yeah.”

Everyone here knew that Choi Hoeon was a key figure in Eden Orchard.

“Don’t you believe it, Doctor? I still don’t. But Choi Hoeon’s mother was executed instead. You know, that guy said he wasn’t her son but her adopted son? He went on the radio saying he felt a tremendous sense of betrayal because his adoptive mother didn’t know she was part of the leadership of Eden Orchard. So, that lady turned everything upside down and got executed, damn it… That gentleman didn’t say a word until the end. After that, it went according to Choi Hoeon’s scenario. Once the first master died, he started promoting himself as the inheritor of his will.”

“Did the Second Master disappear before the election?”

Kwak Soohwan pulled out water from his backpack and handed it to Seokhwa.

“How did you know that?”

Yang Sanghoon’s eyes widened.

“Can’t you tell? He looks thirsty.”

Sure enough, Seokhwa was drinking the water Kwak Soohwan handed him.

“No, I mean, the Second Master disappeared, dude.”

“Even in Russia, we heard some news.”

In the end, that’s how a single master was born. Lee Chaeyoon bit into the squid and tore it with her hands.

“But, Freak, is that real? The Allied Union collapsed?”

“Yeah. It’s been a long time since it collapsed. From the start, the Allied Union was only effective for a few years, so Rainbow City remained isolated. Probably Choi Hoeon and the previous masters all knew.”

Yang Sanghoon burst into laughter and poured another drink. If it weren’t for Kwak Soohwan and Seokhwa, he wouldn’t easily believe that the truth he knew was a complete lie.

“What’s the situation in the city now?”

“My mom said it’s better than before. Most citizens support and follow Choi Hoeon, and that’s not an exaggeration. It’s become safer and more peaceful compared to before. Just look at how they quickly deployed soldiers to clean up even the abandoned areas. Since that guy became the master, Adam’s reckless behavior has almost disappeared.”

“It’s getting better in terms of living conditions, but they’re taking away more freedom.”

“That’s true, but…” Lee Chaeyoon nodded in agreement with Yang Sanghoon’s remark.

“Doctor, did you really create the vaccine?”

“Yes.”

Seokhwa gestured with his eyes towards the backpack Kwak Soohwan had placed on the ground.

“Doctor, really? A real vaccine?”

“It feels like you’ve been fooled all along, but yeah, it’s real.”

“How on earth…?”

He was asking how they managed to complete a vaccine that Rainbow City couldn’t achieve even after going to another country.

“As soon as we arrived in Russia, we met three masters and obtained a mysterious elixir, then enhanced our incredible intellect and strength to develop the vaccine and return. You should see Dr. Seok in action. He’s a master of martial arts.”

“What’s he saying?”

Lee Chaeyoon rolled her finger around her temple as if she was trying to figure something out.

“So, you made the vaccine using Russian technology?”

“No, it’s Dr. Seok’s technology.”

Kwak Soohwan grabbed the whiskey bottle and drank straight from it.

“Dr. Seok, like I said?”

He exhaled sharply, then looked at Seokhwa after placing the bottle down.

“When we go back, we’re insurgents now.”

Seokhwa nodded once.

“Are we really going to fight Choi Hoeon?”

Yang Sanghoon’s response was as uncertain as ever.

“I don’t know.”

After giving an ambiguous answer, Kwak Soohwan supplied them with expensive alcohol. The sound of the tent’s vinyl flapping in the wind and the rustling of the bushes could be heard.

“You know that Commander Cha is also wanted, right?”

“I know.”