Rainbow City Chapter 29

“I understand.”

“The one who called you back to Jeju Island is the First Master. Expectations are high.”

Seokhwa resisted the urge to ask why they didn’t call Dr. Oh back before his death. Asking such a question would inevitably lead to mentioning Dr. Oh’s voice, heard by the kidnapper.

“Yes, then I will leave.”

Dr. Kim stood behind Seokhwa, lavishing all sorts of flattery to be visible to the advisors and the army general. He even revealed unnecessary personal matters, such as his parents wanting to move to the Green Zone, closer to the Yeouido Shelter.

Seokhwa walked out, patting the stone in his pocket. Dr. Kim was standing there, praising him.

“Seokhwa, did you miss me?”

As he raised his head, he saw a man tossing peanuts into his mouth. It was Major Kwak Soohwan.

“No.”

Ignoring Kwak Soohwan, who was munching on peanuts, Seokhwa continued walking. However, he soon caught up, increasing his pace.

“How was the meeting?”

In Kwak Soohwan’s hand, there was a completed cube. The person who chugged down a bottle of liquor one day looked neat the next. Seokhwa realized he wasn’t the type to get drunk easily. But why did rumors spread that Kwak Soohwan turned into a beast after drinking? Perhaps I haven’t witnessed his drinking antics yet, he thought lightly, dismissing it.

In the elevator on the way back to the research building, Kwak Soohwan suddenly thrust his face forward. The well-shaped lips that had gone up for a kiss caught Seokhwa’s eye.

“Has the bruise on your forehead completely healed?”

Since there was no mirror inside the elevator, Seokhwa couldn’t confirm if he looked neat as Kwak Soohwan claimed. He touched his forehead with his hand.

“No matter how weak you are, isn’t this too much? Getting a bruise from a single kiss.”

Originally, he had a body prone to bruising, but it seemed odd to attribute a bruise to a simple lip bump. Come to think of it, he kept touching his forehead as a habit after his lips touched it. Perhaps that was the reason for the bruise. Still, Seokhwa didn’t say anything specific.

“Won’t your genitals break if I kiss there?”

Seokhwa, who hadn’t shown any reaction, finally turned to look at Kwak Soohwan.

“Genitals don’t break; it tears.”

“Dr. Oh doesn’t understand humor.”

It wasn’t until they reached the 34th floor that the elevator doors opened. As they walked towards the research building, Kwak Soohwan once again followed behind.

“I believe we were told to act independently inside the shelter.”

Blocking Seokhwa’s path and standing in front of him, Kwak Soohwan put his hands in the pockets of his uniform like a mischievous kid.

“I’ve brought something really amazing. Aren’t you curious?”

“Yes.”

Seokhwa tried to pass him, but once again, he blocked his way. It was a moment when one might lose energy just looking at him.

“Look at this.”

From his pocket, Kwak Soohwan took out a large and hard stone. For a moment, Seokhwa wondered about the purpose of the stone, and that feeling didn’t last long.

“Is it a weapon?”

The stone he was shaking resembled an erect male organ.

“It’s a gift.”

Kwak Soohwan lightly caught Seokhwa’s wrist and placed it on his palm. The grotesque yet oddly intriguing scene of a severed male organ held in his white hand had a certain disturbing allure.

Seokhwa looked down at the rock shaped like male genitalia resting on his hand. Despite expecting himself to throw it away or give a cold stare, his black eyelashes remained motionless for a while.

“Thank you.”

Contrary to Kwak Soohwan’s expectations, Seokhwa put the rock into the pocket of his thin coat. Due to this movement, the pocket took on the shape of the genitalia.

“Do you like it?”

“Yes.”

What charm could a genitalia-shaped rock possibly have?

Rather than waiting for Kwak Soohwan to ask, Seokhwa walked towards the research building.

“Dr. Seok, repay me soon.”

Ignoring his words, he put his hand into his pocket and fondled the rock. The shape was a bit odd, but it had a smooth and delicate texture. Considering the weathering process it went through for hundreds or even thousands of years, it was hard to blame anyone for its appearance. In fact, the intricate and smooth grooves, without any rough spots, made it quite impressive.

[Access granted.]

Seokhwa approached the genetic recombination equipment, confirming that there was still a long way to go until completion.

With only three days left until the meeting, should he ask Kwak Soohwan for a favor?

He had taken on the task of investigating Dr. Oh Yangseok’s death, and if he agreed to follow him for the encounter with the rebel Eden Dongsan, it might be the best way to achieve results. Whether Serpent was arrested or not was a matter unrelated to him. He would not likely consider the encounter with him a risk-free endeavor, and there might be a double trap involved. So, mobilizing Kwak Soohwan seemed to be the best course of action.

Not because he gave him a rock.

Seokhwa muttered to himself. So far, those who said something about his liking rocks were just speaking without basis, and there had never been anyone who actually gave him a rock as a gift. Even his mother occasionally criticized him for picking up those heavy rocks, saying that a weak boy like him should not bother. In the shelter, there was naturally no one who admired him for collecting rocks, so receiving a rock as a gift was a first in his life.

Seokhwa turned around the pillar in the lobby and reopened the door to the research lab.

“Oh? You came out to greet me?”

Kwak Soohwan, who was expecting a response, was nowhere to be seen, and only a bewildered Dr. Kim was there.

“Come in.”

Seokhwa scanned both sides of the corridor, but his figure was not visible. “Oh, has our Dr. Seokhwa now come out to greet us and become friendlier?” Dr. Kim smiled happily.

“Have you seen Major Kwak Soohwan by any chance?”

“Major Kwak? I saw him near the elevator, but he seemed to be in a hurry to go somewhere.”

“I see.”

“Damn, the elevator is going to explode.”

At the sudden curse, Seokhwa tilted his head slightly.

“He seemed to be trying to take the elevator, but it was so crowded that he just went towards the stairs. People who took the elevator heard him swearing like that. Anyway, tsk tsk.”

“Even if it’s crowded, elevators don’t explode.”

Smiling to himself, Dr. Kim, who had been silently grumbling about not being able to have a conversation with Dr. Seok, laughed bitterly.

“Tell that to Major Kwak.”

“I will.”

Seokhwa headed to his office, and when he took out the rock from his pocket and placed it on the desk, Dr. Kim couldn’t hide her shock.

***

Seokhwa couldn’t see Kwak Soohwan for over a day, wondering if his suggestion to go separate ways in the shelter was the cause.

He even tried ringing his room bell, but there was no response. He thought Suhwan might return by dawn, but even now, it was just an empty trip. Since he was out anyway, Seokhwa decided to go to the rooftop of the building to catch some fresh air. Although there used to be an anti-aircraft gun on top to shoot down enemy helicopters or guided missiles, it was rarely used now. Seokhwa had always enjoyed standing there and feeling the wind.

“A baby sleeping next to the railroad tracks, the baby sleeps so well.”

Startled, Seokhwa rolled his widened pupils and listened to the eerie sound.

“Chick, po.”

The nursery rhyme was so eerie that it could cool down the fever in an instant.

“Chikchik pokpok, chikchik pokpok.” (칙칙폭폭 기차놀이 is a children’s rhyme)

As he was about to go down the road, he accidentally bumped his shoulder against the closed iron gate. At that moment, the singing abruptly stopped.

“Who’s there?”

Someone in a uniform revealed himself from the corner of the rooftop. Only after seeing the face illuminated by the moonlight did Seokhwa realize that it was someone he knew.

“…Major Yang Sanghoon?”

“Oh? Dr. Seokhwa? What brings you to the rooftop?”

“It’s warm up here.”

“Huh? It’s minus 7 degrees Celsius today?”

Even though he was wearing a uniform, he blew out a breath and soon chuckled.

“It’s a bit embarrassing. I got caught singing alone.”

Though eerie to listen to at night, his singing skills weren’t bad.

“Dr. Seokhwa, you like rocks, right? I like trains. When I retire, I’m planning to live on a train.”

“Trains?”

“My younger sister’s wish is to ride a train. Since there are probably plenty of abandoned trains, you can go into any of them, repair them, and live there. I thought about gaining more strength here and then tying iron chains to a train and pulling it.”

The image of Yang Sanghoon pulling a train like an ox pulling a cart came to mind.

“Take care.”

“Haha, just kidding. I’m going down now; want to come with me?”

“I’ll stay a bit longer.”

“It’s cold, so don’t stay for too long.”

Yang Sanghoon passed by Seokhwa again, humming a song.