Rainbow City

“They put us in this situation, so they should take responsibility. Why should I be the only one losing my hair over this? If they think they can live comfortably while we struggle, it makes me too envious. Frankly, did they teach me how to catch fish? No, they just handed me the fish.”Excuses. Cha Hakhyun pouted, aware of the underlying truth.***The jeep sputtered like a toothless old man but wouldn’t start. It seemed the cold had finally taken its toll. Seokhwa siphoned the remaining fuel into Kwak Soohwan’s jeep and handed him the wheel. They loaded the trunk with buckets to fetch water from the valley. Seokhwa could only hope that no raiders would ransack their cabin while they were gone.The valley water was mostly frozen, requiring them to climb higher up the mountain. But Kwak Soohwan parked the jeep nearby, opting for convenience. He took Seokhwa’s sharpened axe and stomped on the frozen surface, attempting to break through. The ice didn’t even crack, indicating it was frozen about a foot deep.Seokhwa laid out the empty buckets, and Kwak Soohwan swung the axe. After two strikes, a crack appeared on the solid surface. He continued until the hole was large enough to dip a bucket in. Seokhwa handed him a bucket.“Feeling comfortable now, aren’t you?”Kwak Soohwan dipped the bucket into the hole, filling it with water and pulling it up.“Yeah, I do.”“Remember?”The water in the bucket threatened to overflow, and Seokhwa scooped some out with a ladle, though he couldn’t shake his curiosity.“At Dr. Oh’s place, you used me back then too.”“I was covering you then.”“Now that you mention it, I remember how awkward it was when you suddenly thanked me.”“Major, you brought your genitals to my mouth.”Seokhwa grabbed the handle and lifted the bucket into the trunk.“Leave it. I’ll do it.”“It’s fine. Did you really intend to put it in my mouth back then?”“Yeah.”“Do you do that to other people too?”“Are you jealous?”“I am.”Kwak Soohwan, who was preparing to ice fish, was visibly affected by the conversation, though in a good way that would make anyone laugh despite the cold.“The only person I’ve ever wanted to be with is you, Seokhwa. What about you?”There had been rumors about Seokhwa having dated someone introduced by Lee Chaeyoon.“I’m the only one, right?”Seokhwa went to his side and prepared his fishing line. He wrapped a peanut around the end of the line and dropped it into the icy water.“Why aren’t you answering?”Kwak Soohwan shuffled closer in a squat, also dipping his fishing line into the hole he had made.“You already know the answer.”Seokhwa had no friends or family. Naturally, there was only Kwak Soohwan.Kwak Soohwan leaned his shoulder against Seokhwa. Though it wasn’t enough to topple him, Seokhwa firmly supported his weight. Feeling a tug, Seokhwa started winding the line around his hand.“Wow, that was quick.”Even though they were expecting to catch trout, the catch was a surprise. The fish dangling on the line was indeed a trout. Seokhwa slapped it against the ice to stun it. The flapping trout gaped its mouth open.“What’s this, a master angler?”The peanut that had lured the trout was still intact. Seokhwa cast the line back into the water. Kwak Soohwan hadn’t caught anything yet. Not that he was trying to compete, but he wanted to catch a bigger fish than Seokhwa and boast about it. Kwak Soohwan shook his line vigorously.“Stop that, or you’ll scare them away. Just stay still.”Seokhwa remained as still as a rock, holding the line without moving, letting the water under the ice carry it.When the fish weren’t biting, you might have to wait an hour or two, but Kwak Soohwan was already restless, seriously contemplating grabbing the fish by hand. Suddenly, Seokhwa’s line twitched again.Seokhwa stood up with the same excitement as if he were reeling in a marlin. This time, the catch was another trout, but larger. He repeated the process of stunning the fish and then held it in both hands.“Let’s go.”“That’s not enough for both of us.”Though he said that, the trout was large enough to have eaten well through the winter, about the size of an arm.“Plenty for the two of us. And we eat with our mouths, not our noses.”Seokhwa, noticing the trout regaining consciousness, slammed it against the trunk floor again. This time, it might have died.“Wow, you’re amazing. I won’t starve with you around.”“Just for some fish?”Seokhwa climbed into the passenger seat, pretending it was no big deal, but clearly pleased. Kwak Soohwan abandoned the idea of being a master angler himself and jumped into the driver’s seat. Seokhwa, unlike before, didn’t need to snack between meals anymore. Perhaps he had indeed grown stronger. Kwak Soohwan contentedly started the engine.Back in the city, they had access to snacks like nuts, but not here. The best they had were some crude canned goods they had become accustomed to surviving on. Seokhwa’s fishing skills might have been honed out of sheer survival instinct.“Did you fish often here?”“Couldn’t catch any wild animals.”We had to conserve bullets too.“I’ve done fishing a few times since I was in Jeju, so it wasn’t too difficult.”“You said your grandmother was a haenyeo, right?”“Yes, I watched her dive when she was alive. I was very young, but I remember. Humans can’t survive without oxygen for more than three minutes, but my grandmother could stay underwater for over five minutes.”He often sat on a rock waiting for her to surface, sometimes falling forward in anticipation.“That breaks the 333 rule.”Seokhwa raised his eyes slightly. The 333 survival rule typically meant 3 minutes without air, 3 days without water, and 3 weeks without food, although it varied from person to person.“Are you going to keep treating me like an idiot? Do you think I only read adult novels? I know quite a lot.”Of course, Seokhwa knew that.“How long can you hold your breath, Major?”“Specify what you mean by ‘holding’. If you don’t, my thoughts will drift to the inappropriate.”“Breath, I mean breath.”Why repeat it twice? Kwak Soohwan pulled Seokhwa close and quickly kissed his cheeks. Seokhwa, not entirely displeased, squinted one eye from the ticklish sensation.“When I did diving training, I could last about five minutes. But it varies with water temperature. Dr. Seok, you can last 30 seconds, right? Or maybe, if I kiss you and give you air, we can last five minutes together?”“Exhaled air has high carbon dioxide concentration, so we couldn’t last that long.”“If you train your internal energy and reach a higher state, you could last an hour. You could probably catch all the fish in the valley with your aura.”“Be realistic.”“Why not? Dr. Seok’s grandmother probably evolved her lungs from diving so much.”As they chatted, Kwak Soohwan slowed the jeep noticeably. The joke about being an old couple was half in jest, but who would have thought they’d have such leisurely days? He wanted to slow time down, just like he could control the speed of the jeep.“Come to think of it, I forgot the salt.”They had packed most essentials when leaving the city but forgot the seasoning. He only brought simple food, planning to head back to the city after meeting Seokhwa, not thinking they’d cook together.“There’s salt at the cabin.”“Where did you get it?”“I traded ointments and herbs with some Russians.”“Were the people here kind?”“No one is bad in front of a gun.”Kwak Soohwan hadn’t laughed much in the past five months, but now he found himself smiling often.“No wonder you’ve become so bold. We’ve been chased by Adam, run across the shelter, and even jumped with parachutes multiple times.”Were they really chased by Adam? Seokhwa looked up and to the left, recalling.“You weren’t chased. You ran because of me.”“If Adam had any sense, they’d have fled at the sight of Dr. Seok. Who would dare harm you?”“If they had any sense, they’d have fled at the sight of Major Kwak Soohwan first.”Even animals instinctively avoid predators stronger than them. In that sense, Adam was worse than an animal.“I know that. Hurting someone as handsome as me would be a loss for humanity.”Seokhwa almost refuted that but paused to catch his breath. From morning till now, he hadn’t rested, pushing himself to stay with Kwak Soohwan, but his stamina was failing him.Suddenly, Kwak Soohwan gripped the steering wheel tightly and sped up towards the cabin. A group of people was gathered in front of it. Seokhwa looked carefully, wondering what was happening. Thankfully, they didn’t seem to have any weapons or tools. Among them was the woman who had brought them ham a few days ago.“Stay here. I’ll check it out.”He stopped the car but left the engine running as he opened the door.“Let’s go together. Communication is difficult otherwise.”Kwak Soohwan regretted not learning more Russian. Seokhwa had already picked up quite a bit of Russian before meeting him. Though he wasn’t fluent, he could understand well.“What’s the matter?”Seokhwa started speaking next to Kwak Soohwan.The group of three men and two women wasn’t a family but neighbors from the lower village. The cart covered with a blanket behind them was suspicious.“Galina was right! Why didn’t you speak before? We thought you couldn’t talk.”The unkempt man’s beard was graying. He hadn’t washed properly due to the cold, with dead skin clinging to him.“I still don’t speak well. What’s the problem?”“There’s no doctor here, and you’re the only one we could think of. We’re not here to cause trouble. Tell the man behind you not to worry. I even punished the ones who stole food from your house.”The man raised his hands to show they meant no harm and approached the cart. Kwak Soohwan scrutinized the five people, ready to act if necessary.The bearded man removed the blanket, revealing a man tied with rope, drooling and occasionally convulsing. Kwak Soohwan quickly moved Seokhwa behind him, suspecting the worst.“A few days ago, a wolf suddenly entered our village. We managed to kill it with a pickaxe, but my brother was bitten while subduing it. He was fine the first day, but two days ago he started vomiting and now he’s having seizures. It doesn’t look like he’s infected with Adam, but…”Seokhwa quickly translated for Kwak Soohwan, explaining that the man’s lack of aggression likely ruled out an Adam infection and that he might have rabies due to the wolf bite.“Rabies?”“The symptoms suggest it.”With Kwak Soohwan’s cover, Seokhwa examined the man, whose ankle wound was already festering. Even if disinfected immediately, rabies could not be prevented without a vaccine.Seokhwa briskly retrieved a bucket from the trunk. People infected with rabies often exhibited a fear of water. As soon as the patient, Sergei, saw the splashing water, he was so terrified that he wet himself and one side of his face was already paralyzed.Seokhwa hesitated, knowing that in Rainbow City, they could administer the HDCV vaccine, but no rabies vaccine was available here. Given the facial paralysis, complications had already set in, and even with a vaccine, survival was uncertain.“Doctor, is there any treatment for my brother?”Such infections couldn’t be cured with folk remedies.“…I’m sorry. There’s nothing I can do right now.”“Galina’s mother said you treated her.”“That was only to prevent infection. If it had been rabies, I couldn’t have helped her either.”Galina’s disappointment was evident.From the varied reactions, Kwak Soohwan could roughly gauge the situation. He knew as much about rabies as he did about Adam. He had seen soldiers suffer from rabies after dog bites and die due to lack of timely vaccination. In Sergei’s condition, he might only have a few days left.Despite being told there was no cure, the people couldn’t leave Seokhwa. They had come hoping for a solution and couldn’t easily accept that there was none. Seokhwa was their only doctor and pharmacist.“Do we just watch him die then?”Even if they fetched a vaccine from the city, Sergei would die before they returned.“…I’m sorry.”“It’s not your fault, Doctor. We came just in case.”Galina shook her head and covered Sergei with the blanket again. She told the others to give up, and they started to push the cart back towards the village. Seokhwa couldn’t take his eyes off them for a long time.Kwak Soohwan, putting down the bucket, clicked his tongue. Water had spilled in the trunk because of the sudden stop, soaking it thoroughly. Amidst the chaos, a mullet had jumped out, splashing water everywhere. He grabbed its tail, knocked it unconscious, and placed it and another mullet in the half-filled bucket.“There are so many dangers, even without Adam.”Seokhwa helped carry the bucket to the cabin once the group had disappeared from sight.“True, especially near the mountains. Bears will come in spring.”Russia, a major habitat for brown bears, wasn’t safe even in winter. Brown bears in a state of light sleep would attack if approached or threatened. While animals and Adam weren’t a threat to Kwak Soohwan, he understood fear because what seemed insignificant to him could be a real threat to Seokhwa.“Want a piggyback ride for old times’ sake?”Kwak Soohwan, suggesting to lighten the mood, gestured for a piggyback ride.“No, thanks.”Seokhwa declined and carried the bucket inside. He put the mullets on a plastic-covered table, pushing away the previous incident. Despite feeling safe from Adam, there were dangers everywhere people lived. But the living had to keep going.“Add more wood to the fireplace.”“Yes, sir.”He wasn’t sure what new game Seokhwa was playing but didn’t comment. Taking a deep breath as if making a big decision, Seokhwa began scaling the fish. The sound was unpleasant, but it was necessary to remove the fishy smell. Scraping the scales sent chills up his spine. After decapitating the fish, he removed the entrails.“I could’ve done that, but you’re so impatient.”Kwak Soohwan, bringing in firewood, brushed his hands off.“It’ll be done soon.”“It’s not about being slow; I’ve never seen you make that face.”Kwak Soohwan took the knife and started scaling the remaining mullet slowly.“Look at me.”With pursed lips and half-closed eyes, he looked like he was holding back his distaste, even tilting his head away from the fish.“Just like that.”“I didn’t make that face.”“You had a deadly look of disgust.”He exaggeratedly slowed his scraping. Seokhwa finally acknowledged his grimace.“I don’t like that sound.”“Neither do I.”Quickly scaling and gutting the fish, Kwak Soohwan wrapped the remains in plastic and threw them outside, where wild animals would take care of them.His hands reeked of fish. Giving up on cooking inside, he took the burner outside. He poured some low-quality oil into a pan and placed the split mullets inside. Seokhwa brought a basin and placed it on the ground. They washed their hands together, passing the slippery soap back and forth. When the water turned murky, they checked their hands and still smelled a faint fishy odor. They emptied the basin and went to fetch more water.A growling sound caught their attention. A few wolves that usually roamed around the cabin at night were drawn earlier by the smell of cooking fish. They were circling from a distance, forming an arc, and pawing at the ground. Their bristling fur indicated they were ready to leap in at any moment.“Let’s go inside to finish cooking,” Seokhwa suggested, while Kwak Soohwan wiped his dripping arms on his thighs. Squatting down, he grabbed the handle of the pot and quickly flipped the fish.“Come on, hurry inside.”Although he preferred to finish cooking outside, Kwak Soohwan couldn’t ignore Seokhwa’s request. He lifted the burner with the pot on it and walked through the open door. At that moment, a wolf, which seemed to be the leader, lunged at Kwak Soohwan’s neck with its jaws wide open. Just as the wolf’s snout was about to reach him, Kwak Soohwan slammed the door shut. The wolf’s snout hit the wooden door with a thud, making it yelp and retreat, rubbing its nose with its paw.Seokhwa, watching from the window, winced as if his own nose hurt.“Why do you tease them?” Seokhwa asked.“Because it’s fun,” Kwak Soohwan responded, letting a playful smile spread across his face. Luckily, the fish was cooked just right, with no more fishy smell lingering. Kwak Soohwan began to set the table, filling it with various retort food items. With a final thud, he placed a bottle from a box on the table.“Wine.”He grinned widely. After bringing out a candle holder and lighting the candle, the table looked as good as any restaurant’s. He led Seokhwa to the dining chair, and with a grand gesture, placed one hand on his belly while holding the wine bottle with the other.“Welcome, sir. This wine is a vintage from France, produced in 2002. At that time, South Korea was in the midst of a football craze. Did you know, sir? I used to play quite a bit of football myself.”“Sit down and eat.”“Very well, I shall open the wine.”Lacking a proper opener, he scanned the area and picked up a pair of scissors. He stabbed one blade of the scissors into the cork and twisted it out. With a satisfying pop, the wine’s aroma filled the air around the table. Without any glass wine goblets, he poured the wine into plastic cups instead.Seokhwa’s cup was only a third full, while Kwak Soohwan filled his own cup to the brim, the surface tension causing the wine to bulge slightly above the rim. He bent down and sipped it delicately.“I apologize for my ignorance, sir. Please bear with me.”Seokhwa propped his chin on his hand and watched Kwak Soohwan’s antics with amusement. Kwak Soohwan served a piece of fish and a burger patty soaked in sauce onto each plate. With steaming seaweed soup and instant rice added, their meal was ready. Kwak Soohwan finally sat down opposite Seokhwa, raising his plastic cup.“Cheers to Dr. Seok’s eyes.”Seokhwa didn’t shy away from clinking cups with him. Kwak Soohwan always kept a playful distance, and this kind of event had happened before even in the city. Back then, however, it was in a nearly ruined restaurant with nothing to eat, and they were still wary of each other.Seokhwa sipped the wine lightly and took a bite of the fish. It would be a lie to say it wasn’t at all fishy, but it was well-seasoned with salt, making it quite palatable.Kwak Soohwan had already emptied his cup and was pouring himself another.“Major.”“Yeah?”“That day…”Seokhwa took another sip of wine, slightly larger this time. He felt he might need the courage the alcohol provided to delve deeper into the conversation.“At Dalmasan…”Kwak Soohwan also raised his cup.“I… killed Dr. Choi Hoeon, didn’t I?”“That bastard deserved to die.”Kwak Soohwan was quick to speak, not wanting Seokhwa to be burdened by guilt over the killing.“I don’t think about it all the time, but sometimes I wonder. Why did he turn out that way?”“Do you really need to understand a madman?”“Maybe if we knew the reason, we could have stopped it.”“Some things in this world can’t be resolved even if you know the reason. And it wasn’t Dr. Seok who killed him. I was the one who ended his life.”Kwak Soohwan’s memory ended there, leaving a blank until he regained consciousness. Hearing that he had died and come back to life was something he let go in one ear and out the other. The fact that he had died and returned was a truth that Seokhwa didn’t need to know.“Does it hurt?”“Where? I’m healthy.”“The place you got shot… It looks painful.”The man who used to easily take off his shirt if needed now rarely showed his back except when washing. Kwak Soohwan cut a piece of the hamburger patty and put it into Seokhwa’s mouth.“It’s all healed, but it still hurts.”“It hurts me to see it.”Since reuniting with him, Seokhwa wore the saddest eyes he had ever seen. There was no way around it now. Kwak Soohwan liked seeing Seokhwa’s lively eyes. He hadn’t come back to life to see him so upset, so Kwak Soohwan decided to play one of his cards.“Hold on.”He got up, hooked his hand around the strap of the backpack he had left in the corner, and unzipped it widely as he returned to the table. He took out a heavy stone and placed it on the table with a confident thud. He thought Seokhwa’s eyes would sparkle, but he was just surprised.“You like this kind of thing. Why aren’t you reacting?”Seokhwa recalled the time before heading to the northern branch of Eden. He had packed not only his belongings but also Kwak Soohwan’s notebook and cube in that bag. He thought he had lost them in Second’s bunker, so how did he get them back? He thought they had been left behind when he was captured by Choi Hoeon and the jeep was abandoned.“Where did you find this?”“I went back to get it because I wanted to give it to you when we met again.”Kwak Soohwan had stopped by Second’s bunker on his way to the sea after leaving the shelter. When he found the backpack in the jeep and saw the notebook and cube, he hugged it as if it were Seokhwa himself. Until they reunited, this backpack had stood in for Seokhwa.Kwak Soohwan placed the stone in Seokhwa’s hand.The familiar smooth texture evoked a sense of nostalgia in Seokhwa.He had been so obsessed and fond of it, but while alone in the cabin, he hadn’t even thought about it. He wondered if his obsessive trait had completely disappeared. But holding it now, the desire to possess it surged again. He indeed couldn’t change his old habits.“Thank you.”Even if it didn’t show much, it was clear he liked it. Kwak Soohwan felt quite proud and drank more wine.“But I couldn’t find that one.”“Which one?”“The stone that looks like Dr. Seok’s plump butt. I’ll bring you a similar one if I find it.”“This one is enough for me now.”Seokhwa placed the stone beside the plastic cup.Kwak Soohwan suddenly remembered the time he was reassigned to Gwacheon. He had carried that stone around diligently after seeing the photo Commander Cha had given him. Maybe because the stone was right next to him, Seokhwa’s pale face provoked even more desire. Coupled with his red lips parted for a meal, Kwak Soohwan felt today was the day. Well, he wanted every day to be the day, but for that, Seokhwa’s stamina needed to improve.“Tonight, my dear—”Vroom, the sound of a rough engine and bright headlights poured through the window. They had planned to spend time peacefully, but why were there so many unwelcome guests? If it was the Russians again, he’d grab them by the neck and feed them to the wolves.Kwak Soohwan rose from his seat in annoyance. The howling wolves that had been circling the cabin fell silent, and the jeep stopped right in front of the cabin door. The headlights, as bright as the eyes of the car, remained intense.“Major.”When Seokhwa stood up, Kwak Soohwan shook his head once. He pressed Seokhwa back into his seat and loaded his gun. He saw a dark silhouette moving quickly outside the window with the curtains open. Although the backlight obscured the figure, it was clear the intruder was wearing a cape.Bang! The intruder kicked the door. On the second kick, the doorknob shattered, and the cabin door slowly opened.“Wow, fuck. Isn’t this too much?”From the moment the door opened, Kwak Soohwan lowered his gun and folded his arms.“A grand feast, candlesticks, even the wine you stole from the warehouse! You’re living it up!”He shielded Seokhwa with his body. However, hearing the familiar voice, Seokhwa rose to greet the visitor.“Long time no see, Major Lee. How have you been?”“Doctor!”Lee Chaeyoon rushed over in delight, but Kwak Soohwan blocked her path. She let out a deep, ground-shaking sigh.“How did you find us?”“You, you bastard, really are the worst. Deceiving all of us like that.”Lee Chaeyoon sidestepped Kwak Soohwan, grabbed the wine, and drank straight from the bottle as if it were water. Another person, Yang Sanghoon, who had turned off the engine and walked up in military boots, appeared. His uniform was the same, but their insignias had changed from silver to black.“Damn it, Lee Chaeyoon! What about the broken doorknob? More importantly, Doctor! Do you know how glad I am to see you? How could you leave me behind like that? Do you know how worried I was? And you, Kwak Soohwan, you bastard.”Yang Sanghoon mixed his delight, guilt, and anger. He took the wine from Lee Chaeyoon and drank it down. The remaining wine was completely gone.“Seriously, you’re such a bastard.”Yang Sanghoon was amazed to see the stone Kwak Soohwan had brought.