Rainbow City

“Initially, when Commander Cha told us the meeting point with Lee Chaeyoon, I thought he was bluffing.”

It was true that the wanted Commander Cha had facilitated the contact between Lee Chaeyoon and Kwak Soohwan.

The last contact with Commander Cha had been about a month ago, and on that day, Kwak Soohwan had decided it would be better to meet Yang Sanghoon after a little more time. Kwak Soohwan hadn’t anticipated that Lee Chaeyoon would insist on coming along.

“Where on earth is Commander Cha hiding with you guys?”

Kwak Soohwan lifted his eyelids to look at Yang Sanghoon.

“Yang Sanghoon.”

“What’s up, dude? You’re giving me the creeps.”

“Why are you so curious about where Commander Cha is?”

“Was that such a serious question to warrant that expression?”

Kwak Soohwan asked again, trying to laugh it off like a joke.

“Are you sure you weren’t followed?”

“What?”

“You didn’t even check, did you? No need to confirm when you already know there are people following. There was no need to check.”

Yang Sanghoon blinked in confusion at the unemotional response, then quickly composed himself. It was a delayed reaction, as if a child who had fallen suddenly realized the pain.

“Damn it! You damn bastard!”

Bang! Yang Sanghoon kicked the table with his foot. Seokhwa’s cup overturned, and the pumpkin-colored liquid dripped onto the floor. Kwak Soohwan tapped Seokhwa’s back of the hand under the table.

“Are you doubting me now?”

Despite being at the same table, Yang Sanghoon and Lee Chaeyoon, in their Rainbow City uniforms, and Seokhwa and Kwak Soohwan, in shirts and trousers, seemed disjointed. They were quite different from when they wore the same uniform and clean white gowns. In the heat of the moment, Lee Chaeyoon firmly gripped the table with both arms.

“Kwak Soohwan, do you realize you’ve gone too far this time? Don’t doubt others, even if you don’t know. We’ve been through a lot preparing to go out to the field. We’ve been coordinating front and back for this mission.”

“Maybe you did, but he didn’t.”

Kwak Soohwan said casually, then tilted the bottle to his lips. The sharp glances between Yang Sanghoon and Kwak Soohwan clashed, and Yang Sanghoon was the first to raise his eyes to the flashlight.

Kwak Soohwan immediately grabbed the bottle and hurled it towards the bulb hanging from the tent’s ceiling.

Crash! The bulb hit by the bottle burst, plunging them into complete darkness.

“Hey! Freak Kwak Soohwan! Looks like that guy really came back to his senses! What the hell are you doing?”

Seokhwa had already grabbed the backpack at his feet at his signal. Kwak Soohwan grabbed Seokhwa’s hand and tore the tent with a jackknife. As he was about to pull himself out, gunshots rang out, and Kwak Soohwan pulled out a pistol from the backpack pocket and fired straight ahead.

“Commander Cha! Now!”

As Kwak Soohwan shouted, the echoes reverberated through the dense forest. At the same time, gunfire began to erupt around the tent. Seokhwa lowered his body as much as possible and followed Kwak Soohwan. As they made their way through the forest path, Kwak Soohwan fired his pistol at the ambushing soldiers.

A flash, three flashes of light blinked from the 11 o’clock direction. It was a signal sent from Kwak Soohwan’s 21st Violet Battalion. Kwak Soohwan followed Seokhwa, running towards the light, protecting their rear. Seokhwa was out of breath in no time, but he didn’t stop running. Again, the light blinked, getting closer and closer. The sound of bullets hitting the tree trunks seemed to echo right beside their ears. When Kwak Soohwan let out a low groan, Seokhwa’s pace slowed slightly.

“Don’t turn back, keep running!”

He shouted desperately as he loaded a fresh magazine.

The troops surrounding the tent were the remaining members of Kwak Soohwan’s battalion. According to plan, they were supposed to join forces with Lee Chaeyoon, Commander Cha, and their own troops, but due to Yang Sanghoon tagging along, Commander Cha hadn’t revealed himself. Instead, he continued to protect Kwak Soohwan as they moved forward.

Seokhwa spotted a waiting jeep with its headlights off and rushed to the passenger seat. Gasping for breath, he continued to breathe heavily. Someone lifted his body and placed him in the passenger seat. Seokhwa could tell who it was just from the warmth. But there was blood staining the waist where he had been held. Kwak Soohwan, who climbed into the jeep, brought a walkie-talkie to his lips. Blood was visible between his fingers, as if a bullet had grazed his forearm.

“We’re withdrawing. Regroup and rendezvous at Number 53 with individual moves.”

The headlights remained off as he gripped the steering wheel tightly. Commander Cha’s jeep was following closely behind them.

“There must have been… sigh, a reason.”

Seokhwa’s voice was even quieter than usual, as if unsure of himself.

“Where are you injured?”

“…I’m fine.”

Major was bleeding. He couldn’t say those words and had to catch his breath again.

Kwak Soohwan was staring straight ahead as if nothing had happened. But it was Yang Sanghoon, of all people. Seokhwa skillfully retrieved hemostatic agent from the backpack and applied it to his forearm. He removed the bandage-wrapped plastic and firmly pressed on his forearm as he took hold of the steering wheel.

Seokhwa pondered whether coming back here was the right choice, staring into the pitch-black forest path that was impossible to foresee.

Why did Yang Sanghoon betray them? Sure, he was Kwak Soohwan’s friend, but they had met in the military and were soldiers of Rainbow City. Did he pledge allegiance to Choi Hoeon, knowing he was the leader of Eden Mountain? Seokhwa kept the proliferating questions to himself.

“Dr. Seok, Yang Sanghoon didn’t betray us.”

Fuck. Kwak Soohwan slammed the steering wheel once.

***

Lee Chaeyoon found a flashlight in the tent and pressed the button. When it shone on Yang Sanghoon, who was standing expressionlessly, his colleague felt strangely unfamiliar.

“What the hell did you do?”

Yang Sanghoon snatched the flashlight from Lee Chaeyoon and swept it over the spot where the bag had been placed. All that remained there were the remnants of spilled alcohol.

“Yang Sanghoon! What did you do? Did you really bring those bastards here!?”

Lee Chaeyoon pointed to the fallen soldiers outside. Without a word, Yang Sanghoon walked out of the tent and pulled out a pistol from inside his uniform. He had already performed a confirmatory execution on the dead soldiers. Following him, Lee Chaeyoon grabbed the gun from Yang Sanghoon and threw it outside.

“Are you crazy?! Huh?! If you’re already shot in the face, why are you acting like this?”

Lee Chaeyoon grabbed Yang Sanghoon by the collar and shook him roughly.

“They’re all under Choi Hoeon’s direct command. What do you think will happen if they come back alive?”

He pulled the knife from his sheath and promptly scraped it against Lee Chaeyoon’s forearm.

“Ouch! Yang Major, Sanghoon! You really—!”

“Lee Chaeyoon, if you want to protect your home, do as I say. It’s because we ended up in a full-blown confrontation with Commander Cha and his men. Got it?”

“You crazy bastard!” Lee Chaeyoon shouted and punched Yang Sanghoon’s face repeatedly.

“He probably misunderstood! Why are you doing this?”

As he shook him wildly by the collar, the buttons of his uniform were torn off.

“Stop hitting me! He’s smart, you know! He’s smart enough to figure out why I did what I did!”

Blood spurted from his nose, and it seemed like it was swelling.

“Major, you’ve gone mad with promotion. Using your friend, Kwak Soohwan, and Doctor Seokhwa to catch Commander Cha. Understand? So why drag me into this?”

Through the disheveled shirt, Yang Sanghoon’s dog tag spilled out. Lee Chaeyoon grabbed it and checked the engraved number inside.

, it was Yang Sanghoon’s current location.

***

Since the nationwide outbreak of Adam infection, Kwak Soohwan and Seokhwa were declared missing. 300 days later, they were wanted criminals for deserting Rainbow City. Furthermore, after the confrontation with Choi Hoeon and the 21 Violet Zone, a warrant was naturally issued for the Violet soldiers known to have deserted their units. Due to Choi Hoeon’s release of Adam and the full-scale battle, the remaining troops were reduced by almost half.

Those who knew Choi Hoeon was the Serpent included the disappeared Second Master and the Violet soldiers, but he was someone who had escaped even when he was a Doctor. Now that he had become a Master, it would be even more difficult to uncover the full story of the incident.

The 53rd area designated for contact with the Violet soldiers was an abandoned church building in Yeoncheon County. Except for Commander Cha, who was excluded among the soldiers present at the scene, they were still in a state of non-merging. They were on their way back because there might be pursuing forces.

“Commander Cha.”

Seokhwa took out a vial of vaccine and filled an empty syringe with the solution.

“This is an effective vaccine. I’ve tested it on myself first. Still, please avoid physical contact with Adam as we don’t know what variables there might be.”

Seokhwa calmly explained to Commander Cha, who had rolled up his sleeve.

“You might have a fever for about a day.”

“Yes, I’m ready.”

After wiping with a disinfectant swab, Seokhwa administered the vaccine to Commander Cha’s arm.

“How are things with Eden Hill?”

After checking the wound, Kwak Soohwan tightly bandaged it again.

“Wasn’t Eden Hill the rebel force against Rainbow City? It might be speculation, but it seems like Choi Hoeon is planning to rebuild Eden Hill and use it as a state religion for the city. Eden Hill rallies are being held all over the city, and recently, the military seems to be leaving them alone.”

“There may also be friendly citizens who received help from Eden Hill during the Adam incident.”

“Yes, it seems so. But is it true that Major Yang Sanghoon has really turned?”

“No.”

Kwak Soohwan answered with a sigh.

“I was sure he had betrayed us when he gave the signal for the ambush.”

Until he pointed at the bulb with his eyes, he couldn’t fully trust Yang Sanghoon with honest words.

If Yang Sanghoon knew, he would probably rage and express his anger, but when it comes to life-threatening matters, it was almost impossible to trust anyone completely.

“Still, there seems to be something suspicious about Major Yang Sanghoon’s behavior, so be careful. We’ve been living outside the city for a while, so our news is a bit delayed, but the Mother System has been completely overhauled, and the education center has changed its methods. They chose an education style that supports Choi Hoeon personally, rather than supporting the Master.”

Kwak Soohwan opened his mouth while looking down at the map of the city zone he had organized.

“It means they’re solidifying the single dictatorship system. Eden Hill’s doctrine was about the Tree of Life saving us or something like that, right?”

“I’m not sure, but it seemed similar.”

“The Savior does not claim to be the Savior. The true Tree of Life, which denies itself, does not deceive us by pretending to be a Savior.”

Both Kwak Soohwan and Commander Cha looked at Seokhwa simultaneously. Although they recited the doctrine, their tone was dry and far removed from the beliefs of Eden Hill devotees.

“When I was kidnapped by Choi Hoeon in Busan, it was what the believers said. Do you remember the broadcast when the major Adam incident broke out on the radio?”

Kwak Soohwan vaguely remembered the context. Seokhwa wrote down what he remembered on the board in front of him.

“The wisdom of the snake is probably Serpent, which is Choi Hoeon. And the mother who was executed is probably a martyr in Eden Hill by now. According to the doctrines and what people said back then, Adam virus immunity is indeed the Tree of Life. Choi Hoeon mentioned me. If there were other immunities besides me, he would have used a new Tree of Life.”

“It’s true that there are believers who claim to have been blessed by the Tree of Life. Those who claim to have received the blessing are now elders.”

Seokhwa, who had never actually bestowed a blessing, let them believe it was a blessing.

“If a climate is formed in the city that acknowledges Eden Hill… The city will completely fall into Choi Hoeon’s grasp.”

“Most likely.”

The Seokhwa that Commander Cha remembered was a quiet doctor who seldom spoke and often seemed absent-minded, but although the absent-mindedness remained, his gaze was clearer than before.

“Commander Cha.”

Kwak Soohwan perched on the edge of the desk. He pulled one ankle up to his thigh.

“Yes, sir, please speak.”

“Now that you’ve been vaccinated, is there any reason for you to stay with me? You could go back to the city with the kids and live comfortably, or go up to Russia.”

“Despite what anyone says, I am a citizen of Rainbow City, and I have no intention of leaving. If there’s something wrong, I’ll fix it without running away. Those bastards will follow Choi Hoeon too. Don’t you understand that I’ve lost colleagues who were with me because of that bastard?”

“Just testing the waters.”

“Yes, it seemed like that.”

Kwak Soohwan chuckled. But Seokhwa knew it wasn’t just empty words.

Commander Cha and the members of his unit were willing to send anyone who wanted to leave their lives behind, and indeed, there were a few soldiers who had actually deserted. What remained now was literally a small elite unit.

Thud, the church door opened, and ordinary-looking soldiers began to enter. Kwak Soohwan signaled for the soldiers who greeted their return with a salute to approach.

“One by one, roll up your sleeves and line up.”

Though they looked puzzled, they didn’t reply and simply extended their arms. Kwak Soohwan, too, assisted Seokhwa in administering the vaccine to the soldiers. Seokhwa also added an explanation of the Adam virus vaccine to each person. Among the twelve people coincidentally vaccinated were Commander Cha and the lieutenant.

“Any of you gonna be Judas? If so, speak up now.”

The vaccinated soldiers just looked at each other, bewildered.

“Sir, what’s Judas?”

“He’s talking about food, kid.”

Kwak Soohwan felt both relieved and conflicted as he looked directly at his subordinates’ faces. They belonged to the controller unit, originally ghost-like figures, but now they were even being hunted.

“Sir.”

A soldier as bulky as a Russian bear cautiously raised his hand.

“Speak.”

“Can we openly engage with Adam now?”

Kwak Soohwan put the remaining vaccine boxes in his backpack before responding.

“Kid, even if you’re wearing body armor, are you just gonna charge in when they start shooting?”

“No, sir.”

He lifted his butt off the desk and tapped the toe of his shoe twice.

“From now on, our goal is to eradicate Adam, mass-produce vaccines, and find the Second Master. We also need to bring down Choi Hoeon, but with our numbers, that’s almost impossible.”

As the commander spoke, his subordinates could only wear grim expressions. Though individually powerful in combat, they knew they were outnumbered.

“So, let’s use this.”

Kwak Soohwan gestured to his Adam’s apple. “From now on, both I and all of you are Eden believers. Not only that, but we are the real core of Eden.”

“Sir, I don’t believe in that religion.”

“Who said you have to believe for real? It’s just for show. Those bastards recognized the Tree of Life on our side, so who’s really been saved?”

The expressions of the soldiers, except for the lieutenant, showed that they had no idea what he was talking about.

“The Savior spoken of by Eden is Dr. Seok here. Since the elders of Eden now recognize Dr. Seok as the Tree of Life, that makes us the real Eden.”

All eyes turned to Seokhwa. He took out peanuts from his backpack and simply nodded his head. He quickly prepared to leave the church, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the attention.

“We’ll rest here today and start moving in earnest tomorrow.”

Kwak Soohwan followed Seokhwa out. The old rural church had been abandoned for a long time, with weeds growing thick in the yard. Seokhwa was sitting under the stairs outside the church, chewing on peanuts and sorting through the stones around with a thoughtful expression.

“Found any stones you like?”

“Not yet.”

Having moved around so much, Seokhwa’s interest in collecting stones had diminished considerably. Until Kwak Soohwan appeared, stones had been his main obsession, but now he also paid a lot of attention to Kwak Soohwan.

“Did we… come back okay?”

Kwak Soohwan squatted down in front of Seokhwa.

“What do you mean?”

“Rainbow City seems to be more stable now.”

“That bastard Choi Hoeon being a Doctor might have something to do with that. He knows how to play his cards well. What do people want now? Safety. They traded safety for freedom. What do you think would happen if Adam were eradicated and the vaccine perfected?”

Seokhwa looked up from scratching the dirt with a stick and met Kwak Soohwan’s gaze.

He didn’t easily notice what had changed because we’ve been together all along. But it wasn’t until he saw Yang Sanghoon and Lee Chaeyoon today that I realized.

Kwak Soohwan was a man who wore the City’s uniform better than anyone else, and if it weren’t for him, he might have been doing even better. There probably wouldn’t have been any conflicts with Choi Hoeon either. Even if he hinted at such things, it was certain that Kwak Soohwan would have said his rebellious nature would have made him deviate at any moment anyway.

“And, what else?”

“Why?”

“You seem more like a hyung.”

“I am your hyung.”

“Listen. When I was young, a Vietnamese lady used to take care of me and my brother. She used to tell us this one fairy tale that really stuck with me.”

Seokhwa blinked a couple of times. Kwak Soohwan took the stick Seokhwa was holding and started drawing a sharp point.

“There was a kingdom on a small island. The king there warned the people not to go near the sea because it was dangerous. Anyone who crossed the line would be punished. But someone developed a boat and said they were going to find a wider and freer land. So, the king smashed the boat and executed all the people who could make boats. Then he lied to his subjects. He said they tried to sail away but encountered huge waves and ended up as corpses like this. After that, the people on the island never dared to go outside the sea.”

When he was young, he just thought of it as a tale about a stingy king, but it was essentially a fairy tale version of Rainbow City.

Under the plausible title of the Alliance, they isolated people to prevent them from moving freely. And within that, they used Adam for their own power succession and favoritism.

It’s unclear whether Choi Hoeon knows that although a poison can be a medicine if used properly, it can also kill people if it exceeds the allowed limits. Whether he’s confident that he can fully control Adam. They were the ones who saw the truth in Russia.

“Dr. Seok, since I told you a fairy tale.”

Kwak Soohwan used his index finger to tug at Seokhwa’s shirt collar.

“Can I suck on your nipple?”

Looking closely, a sharp point protruded from the discreetly hidden inside.

“The clothes are loose.”

Seokhwa pulled his hand away. Instead, he himself swept his shirt from the bottom up. The bulge of his belly seemed a bit plumper than before, probably because Kwak Soohwan had sucked and nibbled on it yesterday. Kwak Soohwan licked his lips and pulled down the shirt that Seokhwa had pulled up. Instead of discarding the stick, Kwak Soohwan grabbed Seokhwa’s wrist. Stepping forward, they headed toward where several jeeps were parked, away from the church.

He leaned Seokhwa against the wall and glanced around. Sinisterly, he narrowed his eyes.

“Try again.”

“What for?”

“Pull your shirt up to show your chest.”

Kwak Soohwan knew exactly what he was doing. Seokhwa didn’t mind either, so he grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it up to his neck.

The damp breeze, carrying the scent of mountain grass, revealed the moist upper body, which was tinged lasciviously by the light emanating from inside. Unable to resist any longer, Kwak Soohwan sucked on the chest in one gulp. Seokhwa’s body jerked up in response, which was an added bonus.

“Ah.”

Seokhwa tightly wrapped his arms around Kwak Soohwan’s head, overwhelmed by the pain of the rapid suction.

He chewed on the tender flesh meticulously, as if to break the sharp point that had risen, making it seem like a moan would burst forth any moment. Seokhwa intentionally kept his lips tightly sealed and exerted force only on the arms that wrapped around him.

After sucking on the other breast as well, red marks quickly emerged. With a hot breath, Kwak Soohwan lifted his head. The blush on Seokhwa’s cheek near the edge of his broad forehead appeared darker under the light.

As Kwak Soohwan parted his wet lips, Seokhwa wrapped his cheek and lowered his face. Seokhwa liked this moment when he could see him from an angle he usually couldn’t. Looking down on him, eyelashes that caught the light and a well-defined nose bridge were striking.

Sliding his tongue against the soft mucosa, Kwak Soohwan unconsciously rubbed the exposed chest against his shirt.

“You keep doing that, it feels like I’m going to burst.”

Whispering, he gently rested his lower body against Seokhwa’s again. The shirt that had been pulled up fell back down, leaving only wet marks on his chest.

Although they had intended to engage in light petting, they had never managed to stick to that decision. Seokhwa felt the wet area with his hand, as if it felt cool, and gently stroked it.

While Kwak Soohwan was the one igniting the fire, Seokhwa was the one nurturing the spark. Before it became too difficult with his growing arousal, Kwak Soohwan led Seokhwa to the back seat of the jeep. As he unfastened his pants and pulled down his underwear in one smooth motion, Seokhwa’s smooth legs and partially erect penis were fully exposed.

“You got hard just from me sucking on your chest.”

“…No, not really.”