Rainbow City Chapter 92 - Exclusive Extra (25)

The door to the Prime Minister’s office clicked open, and as soon as Kwak Soohwan entered, his expression changed as he faced forward.

“Come in quickly, Lieutenant General Kwak! Don’t just stand there,” Park Hyo, the head of the Owl Family, beamed as he welcomed Kwak Soohwan enthusiastically.

“I was just about to go out and greet you. It seems like we really are destined to meet, don’t you think?”

Kwak Soohwan’s brow furrowed at the excessive flattery, though he responded without showing much outward emotion.

“It’s been a while.”

Ignoring Park Hyo, who seemed eager to continue the conversation, Kwak Soohwan made his way into the office. Seated in the prime spot of the U-shaped sofa was Lee Heechan. She placed her teacup down and motioned to the seat across from Park Hyo.

“Take a seat.”

Having left his cape outside, Kwak Soohwan comfortably sat on the sofa. Park Hyo, who had hurried in, also took a seat across from him, where a teacup was already set. When Lee Heechan attempted to pour Kwak Soohwan some tea, he politely declined, thinking that they must be preparing to discuss something confidential, given the absence of any secretaries or security personnel.

“Assemblyman Park said he has something to say to you, so I arranged this meeting. Is that alright?”

“Yes, go ahead.”

Kwak Soohwan glanced at the shiny, oily crown of Park Hyo’s head before setting down the cube he had been holding.

“Oh, is that a cube? My son’s pretty good at solving those too.”

“What’s your business here?”

Park Hyo’s face quickly flushed with anger at Kwak Soohwan’s somewhat disrespectful tone.

“I feel like there’s some misunderstanding between us.”

Still, he refrained from raising his voice or scolding Kwak Soohwan for his insolence. With only thirty minutes left until lunchtime, Kwak Soohwan decided to wrap things up by then.

“Honestly, this Prime Minister and you, Lieutenant General Kwak, have both suspected me without any evidence. The idea that I’ve been trying to gather mutants is a gross misunderstanding, really. And besides, aren’t the three of us quite close?”

“First, Kwak Soohwan, tell us what it is that you want.”

Lee Heechan interrupted, seemingly to cut off Park Hyo’s emotional appeal.

“Step down from your position as assemblyman.”

“…What?”

It was Lee Heechan who responded, while Park Hyo’s mouth hung open in disbelief, as if he doubted his own hearing.

The current Rainbow City Council consisted of 30 assembly members. Due to the population decline, the number of assembly members had been adjusted proportionally. There were 10 citizen representatives, and the rest were from wealthy or military families, including the honorary families. Each member had one vote, except for three honorary families who had an exception.

The Emperor Penguin, Owl, and Barn Owl families could each cast five votes. With just seven additional members among the remaining 27, they could pass any proposal with a 20 to 22 vote majority.

If the Owl Family were removed from the equation, the honorary families would have a total of only 10 votes, making it much harder to pass or reject proposals as easily as they could now.

“Lieutenant General Kwak, I already know you’ve got a mischievous streak, but this joke isn’t funny at all.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever played pranks on you, Assemblyman.”

Park Hyo, who had been trying to laugh off the situation, started trembling, his thick jaw quivering uncontrollably.

“The city military hasn’t changed one bit! Still accusing people without any proof!”

“What do you say about siphoning technology from Segwang Factory to produce smartphones? The head of Segwang comes to the Crime Investigation Division every day; I can’t just sit back and watch. And what about the auction for rebuilding apartments in Gangnam? You moved the bidding date forward so that the Owl Family could bid alone.”

As Kwak Soohwan continued, Park Hyo’s once-red face grew pale.

“Th-that! I admit I made a mistake with Gangnam. But it wasn’t to ignore you, Lieutenant General Kwak. Our family’s company is simply better than those other construction firms, wouldn’t you agree?”

Lee Heechan rubbed her forehead with a cold hand, realizing just how deep Park Hyo had dug himself into this mess.

“Prime Minister… Look at me. It’s not reasonable for me to step down as assemblyman over such a small matter.”

“Assemblyman Park, the crimes that Lieutenant General Kwak has mentioned are more than enough grounds to revoke your position.”

“Th-the evidence! There’s no evidence! You don’t have any proof that I stole technology from Segwang!”

“Moving the auction date forward to favor yourself isn’t an abuse of authority?”

Lee Heechan shouted, causing Park Hyo to shrink back, pleading desperately.

“Prime Minister, you know I overextended myself in business and failed. Lieutenant General Kwak, even though I may look like this, I’m from an honorary family that helped you defeat the Master! I risked not only my life but my entire family’s lives to help you.”

“Let’s get the facts straight. You helped when the tide was turning in our favor, and you tried to bail when things weren’t looking good.”

“Still! It’s true that I contributed!”

“Enough!”

Lee Heechan slammed her teacup down hard.

“Park Hyo. Resign. Don’t make me strip you of your position myself.”

“Prime Minister, I’m begging you. If I resign, I’ll be cut off from the city’s power.”

“I’m suggesting you resign to avoid that fate. Go to some quiet place and take some time to recover. Kwak Soohwan, is this enough for you? I’ve just torn up five votes with my own hands.”

As soon as Lee Heechan spoke, it became clear that the illegal factory and bid-rigging issues were going to be swept under the rug.

“Let’s do that then.”

Kwak Soohwan nodded and stood up. It was about time to head over to Seokhwa. He met Park Hyo’s angry gaze head-on.

“Even if the City’s economic laws let you off, you still have military law to deal with.”

Leaving a shaken Park Hyo behind, Kwak Soohwan began walking out of the Prime Minister’s office. The sound of Park Hyo shouting to ask what that meant and Lee Heechan clicking her tongue loudly echoed behind him. Kwak Soohwan marched out, using their voices as his victory fanfare as he opened the door.

Last night, after Seokhwa had fallen asleep, Kwak Soohwan had contacted military intelligence to track down soldiers who had left the city in the last two months. From that group, he narrowed it down to officers of the Owl family, and ordered the military police to arrest one particular colonel early in the morning. After a three-hour interrogation, the colonel admitted that he had provided supplies and money from the city to a vigilante group.

Knowing full well that further investigation would expose him, the colonel accepted Kwak Soohwan’s offer: he would avoid a dishonorable discharge in exchange for testifying against the Owl family.

Rather than retreat to a quiet place to rest, Park Hyo was now facing not only a hefty fine under the military’s prohibition on owning soldiers, but also a prison sentence. Kwak Soohwan intended to use this case as an example for the other noble families.

It was thanks to Seokhwa’s sacrifice that peace had been achieved, and Kwak Soohwan wasn’t about to let others ruin it while he remained in Rainbow City.

Descending to the lower levels, Kwak Soohwan quickened his pace toward Seokhwa’s lab. It was two minutes to one.

Usually, Seokhwa didn’t come out until exactly 1:00 p.m., but today he was already outside. Kwak Soohwan rushed to close the distance between them, greeting Seokhwa with warmth.

As Seokhwa’s usual stoic expression softened into a small smile upon seeing him, Kwak Soohwan made a decision.

He needed to wrap things up at the Gangnam shelter and come back here for good.

***

Even after returning from God’s Fortress, hectic days continued. A general from Jeju Island was ousted for taking bribes, the prominent Toad Finance suddenly collapsed due to violating information laws, and the most shocking news of all—Park Hyo of the Owl family resigned from his council seat. He was now under investigation for allegedly trying to recruit mutant soldiers.

Thanks to all this, Lee Heechan’s influence was immense. Citizens praised her daily for the bold decision to sever her right-hand man in the name of justice for the city.

“Gotta admit, Lee Chaeyoon, your mother is quite the strategist.”

Kwak Soohwan chuckled as he placed a skewer of chicken into Seokhwa’s mouth.

“What’s with the sudden praise for my mom?” Lee Chaeyoon took a swig of whiskey, leaning against the stone statue of Dolharubang in the garden. Seokhwa watched her nervously.

“Ah, Doctor. Are you still mad about me breaking her nose? That’s all in the past. Look how well we’re getting along now.”

Lee Chaeyoon gave the Dolharubang a playful tap on the shoulder, causing the massive statue to wobble forward. Seokhwa started to rush toward it in alarm, but it was clear he wouldn’t reach it in time. Thankfully, Yang Sanghoon threw himself into its path, preventing it from falling.

“Thank you, Major Yang.”

“No problem at all.”

Yang Sanghoon straightened the statue and sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.

“Wow, what’s with this place? Even the statues are as fragile as you, Doctor.”

“You’ve clearly never been hit by his iron fist.”

Kwak Soohwan, flipping skewers, suddenly grabbed Seokhwa’s wrist and lifted it.

“Go on, make a fist.”

“No way.”

Seokhwa firmly refused, unable to bring himself to hit Lee Chaeyoon, no matter what. Lee Chaeyoon dragged a chair away from the statue and sat down, keeping her distance.

In the middle of the garden stood a large brazier, and Kwak Soohwan was grilling skewers over it. Every last Saturday of the month, the four of them gathered for a meat party.

Despite Kwak Soohwan’s usual preference for alone time with Seokhwa, he had made an exception. It was only once a month, and Seokhwa ate more when they were with the Invincible Platoon than when they were alone. Having people with hearty appetites around seemed to encourage him.

But truthfully, they were no longer part of the Invincible Platoon. Each had joined different units, yet outside the military, people still referred to them by that name. Even Seokhwa couldn’t break the habit of calling them “Major” or “the Invincible Platoon.”

The four of them polished off 2 kilograms of beef and 3 slabs of pork belly that Yang Sanghoon had brought. While Seokhwa hadn’t eaten the most, he felt proud as if he’d become a big eater himself. And the feasting didn’t stop at meat—they were now onto skewers. Kwak Soohwan casually peeled a shrimp for Seokhwa.

“Aren’t they hot?”

“It’s lukewarm at best.”

“But there’s steam coming off them.”

As Seokhwa worried, Yang Sanghoon chimed in.

“Doctor, we’ve got thick calluses. We’re fine.”

Yang Sanghoon peeled a steaming shrimp, making a show of it, but it was too hot to eat right away, so he blew on it. Just then, Lee Chaeyoon quickly snatched it with her mouth.

“I can’t peel it myself when it’s that hot.”

Lee Chaeyoon bent over like a shrimp in mock, teasing, while Yang Sanghoon just shook his head and sighed. When Lee Chaeyoon complained that his reaction was boring, she suddenly changed the subject.

“Hey, hey, want to play Mafia?”

“You don’t even understand the rules.”

“Come on! We played it last month.”

Lee Chaeyoon and Yang Sanghoon bickered.

“Don’t forget that we had to explain the rules to you every time,” Kwak Soohwan chimed in, popping a perfectly roasted cherry tomato into Seokhwa’s mouth. Although Seokhwa was already full, he could manage one more cherry tomato.

“If you’re full, why don’t you just go home?” Kwak Soohwan said.

“It’s only 9 p.m.! Don’t you two get bored hanging out together all the time?” Lee Chaeyoon asked.

“Not at all,” Seokhwa quickly retorted, without even taking a breath. His prompt response left Lee Chaeyoon visibly exasperated.

“How much is Soohwan faking in front of you, Doctor?”

“If you’re jealous, get married yourselves,” Kwak Soohwan remarked, making Seokhwa’s eyes widen. Come to think of it, he had never heard that Yang Sanghoon or Lee Chaeyoon were seeing anyone. If either of them got married, would that mean they’d still gather together on the last Saturday of every month? It would be even livelier, and Seokhwa found himself looking forward to it.

“Like that’s gonna happen,” Lee Chaeyoon dashed his expectations in less than a second.

“I’m not about to set up a newlywed home in a train car,” Yang Sanghoon added, looking dejected.

“How about parking the train car in your garden?” Seokhwa offered quickly, trying to think of a viable solution.

“Well… that’s a nice idea, Doctor, but I’m not that rich.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, no! You don’t need to apologize, Doctor.”

“Yeah, why are you apologizing for that broke guy?” Kwak Soohwan quipped.

“I’m not broke! And seriously, Doctor, I’m totally fine.”

“You spent all your money on games, right? You can always resell them since they’re expensive,” Lee Chaeyoon said as she bit into the end of a chicken heart skewer, tearing through it. Several pieces of heart disappeared into her mouth in no time.

“I didn’t spend enough on games to buy a house with a train car,” Yang Sanghoon muttered, still looking downcast, casting a pitiful glance at Seokhwa. For some reason, he’d been giving Seokhwa sympathetic looks all day. Just as Kwak Soohwan was about to jab him with a skewer, unable to stand his sentimental gaze any longer, Seokhwa caught on.

“Major Yang, is there something you want to say to me?”

For once, Seokhwa’s instincts were sharp. Kwak Soohwan, proud, tried to slip a small piece of pineapple into Seokhwa’s mouth.

“I’m full.”

“Pineapple aids digestion with… something or other. Anyway, that’s what I heard.”

“Bromelain,” Seokhwa corrected.

“Our genius Dr. Seok, is there anything you don’t know?”

“I don’t know plenty of things.”

As the two of them exchanged sweet banter, Lee Chaeyoon downed her whiskey in one gulp, and Yang Sanghoon hesitated before finally speaking up.

“Well, uh, it’s not really a big deal. You know I’ve been into games lately, right?”

“Yes.”

Seokhwa, chewing on the pineapple, nodded.

“So, in this new game I got, there’s this ridiculously weak character. The goal is to survive in a ruined world.”

As Yang Sanghoon continued, it became clear that the main objective of the game was to safely make it from Busan to the Tumen River. However, if you encountered wild dogs, your character was too slow to escape, leading to their death. If you didn’t eat every three to four hours, you’d starve. Even if you met other survivors, if they were of evil alignment, they’d steal your food and kill you. And even with good-aligned survivors, they’d abandon you if they thought you were a burden.

“Definitely sounds… challenging,” Seokhwa said, trying to comfort Yang Sanghoon, who was lamenting his game. But Yang Sanghoon’s eyes were welling up. Surprised, Seokhwa glanced at Kwak Soohwan, but he was nonchalantly grilling more pineapple, unfazed by his friend’s tearful state.

“Dr. Seok, I just keep thinking about how hard your life must’ve been… Every time I play this game, I can’t help but think of you…”

Yang Sanghoon sniffled. Seokhwa thought to himself, It wasn’t that extreme for me…

“I don’t go into starvation mode if I don’t eat every few hours.”

“I thought you loved eating nuts because you’re always snacking on them, but I guess that’s not the case.”

“That may be true, but…”

“You’re not faster than a wild dog either,” Yang Sanghoon lamented with even more emotion. But who could be faster than a wild dog, except for mutants?

“Well, Kwak Major always carries me on his back and runs, doesn’t he?” Seokhwa replied with a reassuring smile. At that moment, Yang Sanghoon and Lee Chaeyoon were visibly flustered by Seokhwa’s radiant smile.

“Hey, go home already!” Kwak Soohwan boomed, his voice loud enough to make it seem like the entire neighborhood was shaking.

“Ah! You scared me!” Lee Chaeyoon, who had been frozen in place, jumped in surprise and spilled a good amount of whiskey from her glass.

“Uh, yeah, we should get going,” Yang Sanghoon stammered, still flustered. His tears disappeared quickly, but after talking with Seokhwa, it seemed like his game character was far more pitiable. He decided not to mention that his character was named “Dr. Seokhwa” and swore to make sure it reached the Tumen River.

Since they had eaten so cleanly, there wasn’t much to clean up. As if by silent agreement, the four of them tidied up diligently. While there were some dishes to wash, they’d rinsed everything with water, so it could wait until later. Kwak Soohwan and Seokhwa settled back by the fire pit.

Though Seokhwa expected them to drink a little more, the other two really were getting ready to leave.

“Don’t go far,” Kwak Soohwan said firmly, before Seokhwa could even try to stop them.

“Get off your chair and come say that! Yang Sanghoon, let’s head to round two,” Lee Chaeyoon said as she bounced on her feet and threw her arm over Yang Sanghoon’s shoulder. Yang Sanghoon, also lamenting the lack of drinks, eagerly agreed.

“Why don’t you stay a little longer?” Seokhwa said, sounding a bit disappointed.

“We’ll meet again next month,” Lee Chaeyoon replied.

“Yeah, and next time, Doctor, you’re drinking until you can’t walk straight,” Yang Sanghoon teased.

If that happened, Seokhwa figured he wouldn’t be able to move for a week, but he nodded anyway.

“I’ll give it a try.”

“Half a glass of whiskey, no more,” Kwak Soohwan chimed in. Tonight, too, Seokhwa only had about a third of a glass of whiskey, sipping slowly. Thanks to the large ice cubes, the alcohol was diluted, making it easier to drink. Unlike the others who drank straight, Kwak Soohwan always prepared ice for Seokhwa.

As Seokhwa stood to see them off, Lee Chaeyoon and Yang Sanghoon adamantly refused, quickly hurrying toward the door. From the entrance, they shouted out loud.

“Soohwan! Take this!” Lee Chaeyoon flipped Kwak Soohwan the middle finger.

“Goodbye, Doctor!” Yang Sanghoon bowed at a full 90 degrees toward Seokhwa.

“They’re so childish,” Kwak Soohwan muttered, clicking his tongue as Seokhwa waved goodbye. The door closed with a satisfying thud, as strong as their loud farewells. With the noisy pair gone, the sound of the crackling firewood became all the more distinct.

“Finally, it’s just the two of us,” Kwak Soohwan said with a grin, tipping his whiskey glass. The Invincible Platoon had each finished off their bottles of whiskey, and Kwak Soohwan’s bottle was now empty, too. Yet, come to think of it, Seokhwa had never seen him truly drunk.

“Does the whiskey taste good?”

“It’s got a nice flavor.”

Seokhwa lightly rested his head on Kwak Soohwan’s arm. Kwak Soohwan shifted his glass to his left hand and wrapped his right arm around Seokhwa’s shoulder. Seokhwa sipped on the whiskey, which had now mostly turned into ice water.

“I can’t really taste anything,” Seokhwa admitted.

“That’s the flavor of being an adult,” Kwak Soohwan teased.

Seokhwa looked up at him with curious eyes. “But you’re younger than me.”

“If we count how much I’ve drunk, I’m definitely your senior. Same goes for how much I’ve eaten.”

With no room for argument, Seokhwa nodded in agreement. The soft crackle of the firewood, a sound he often heard at mountain lodges, filled the quiet air.

Though they lived in a place full of people, sitting by the fire made it feel as if they were back in a cabin deep in the forest. The moon, in the clear night sky, was likely shining down on all the places they had passed through.

Feeling nature’s beauty, being able to honor the relics of those who came before, all of it was possible because they were living as human beings. The purpose he had always sought was now in their hands.

Seokhwa knew how hard Kwak Soohwan worked to maintain this life for them, even if he didn’t always share everything with him. While staying at the shelter, Seokhwa had overheard bits and pieces of the struggles.

Still, he didn’t bring it up. His reason for wanting to create a cure was similar—he wanted to prevent any more tragedies. He intended to build a complete sanctuary for both of them.

“Last night, I had a dream,” Seokhwa began softly.

“I had a dream where the two of us were living together in a small, pretty cabin.”

The warm flames flickered in Seokhwa’s dark, vivid eyes.

“Like at Ha Mountains?”

Seokhwa nodded.

“Well, Ha Mountains wasn’t exactly pretty, though.”

In the dream, Kwak Soohwan had made a Christmas tree out of the wood he had cut, and the two of them sat close together, watching the snow fall gently outside. The pure white snow that blanketed the world showed no traces of blood, only two sets of deer tracks side by side, as if they had passed by together.

“One day, we’ll have to leave the city too.”

“…Did the old man say something to you?”

“What did the old man say to Major Lee?”

Kwak Soohwan realized he had slipped up. It seemed the old man had only spoken to him and not to Seokhwa.

“Well, something similar to what you just said.”

“He must have been worried about us.”

Kwak Soohwan recalled Seokhwa’s concerns that his aging process would be significantly slower than others. He looked down at Seokhwa in his arms. Seokhwa’s face was serene, showing neither a troubled expression nor any signs of worry about the future.

“Will you be okay… if we leave this place?”

Deep down, Kwak Soohwan worried about whether Seokhwa would be alright leaving Rainbow City.

“And having somewhere to return to makes it even better.”

In the past, Kwak Soohwan had decided that their home was where they both belonged, but he had never actually asked Seokhwa what he thought.

“There comes a time when everyone needs to leave their home,” Seokhwa said, speaking with quiet conviction as he reached out toward the warm glow on Kwak Soohwan’s face. In his dream, he had touched him just like this.

He didn’t believe in prophetic dreams, but the dream he had last night felt like a glimpse of their future—a future where they would spend Christmas together, welcome a new year, and live as human beings no matter where they were.

“No matter how long you live away from your hometown, it always remains in the same place,” Seokhwa said, adding that even after a long time had passed, they could always return home.

“Maybe… there will come a time when we miss Major Lee or Major Yang so much, but can’t see them… but we’ll follow the same path they walked, just much more slowly.”

At the end of their long journey, they could meet again at their destination.

Though they would experience time differently from others, they didn’t have to leave just yet. There was still plenty of time before others began to question why they hadn’t changed.

“Then let’s go to Blue Lagoon first.”

“Blue Lagoon?”

“I hear the sea there is the most beautiful in the world.”

It was a lagoon in the Caribbean, where the sun blazed brightly. He hoped it would be so beautiful that Seokhwa could forget about Rainbow City. If they visited all the world’s most beautiful places one by one, time wouldn’t seem so abundant.

“You’d look so cute all tanned,” Kwak Soohwan teased.

“I want to see that. I’d look healthier, right?”

Seokhwa imagined his body warmed by the sun, his skin darkening, and thought it would suit him. Just the thought of swimming with him among tropical fish brought a smile to his face.

“We’ll swim together, grill some meat, and live a lazy life.”

“We could sell herbs or something if we ever need money.”

“Hey.”

Kwak Soohwan called to Seokhwa seriously.

“Yes?”

“We’ll never run out of money.”

Kwak Soohwan was a major investor in the Bustard family, who controlled Rainbow City’s tourism industry. Since he had invested from the beginning, his dividends were now substantial. He was also investing in various new ventures launched by other families.

“Even if we have a lot now, if we don’t work, we might still run out someday.”

Kwak Soohwan didn’t bother explaining investments or finances to Seokhwa. He was the type to show results rather than talk about them.

“I don’t care about anyone else, but I’ll always make sure you’re taken care of.”

“I’ll do my best too.”

“Just existing is a blessing, so you don’t need to do anything. If you work any harder, you might ascend to immortality, and then I’ll have to tear the celestial realm apart to find you.”

Though Seokhwa wasn’t exactly sure what “ascending to immortality” meant, he guessed it had something to do with rising to the heavens and becoming an immortal.

“Does that come from martial arts novels?”

“Correct.”

Seokhwa smirked at the confident response. As they chatted quietly, the crackling of the burning firewood gradually faded. The fire would soon go out since they hadn’t added more logs, but neither of them moved from their spot.

Sitting together like this, Seokhwa felt a mix of regret over the passing time and excitement for the time yet to come. Since his birth, until meeting Kwak Soohwan, he had never lived a life where he looked forward to tomorrow. He had been nothing more than a cog in the City’s machinery, simply fulfilling his duties. In his near-dead existence, Kwak Soohwan had appeared and breathed life into him.

If it weren’t for him, if he had never met him, Seokhwa would have faded away a long time ago. Kwak Soohwan was his life and his salvation.

“Let’s head inside now,” Seokhwa said when all that was left of the fire was the fading heat of the embers. While Seokhwa kept his gaze fixed on the fire, reluctant to see it die out, Kwak Soohwan had not taken his eyes off Seokhwa the entire time. Suddenly, he scooped him up. He watched Seokhwa’s eyes widen in surprise, catching his gaze entirely. Having lifted him without warning, Seokhwa seemed a little startled.

Overwhelmed by affection, words he had tried to hold back spilled out on their own.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

Seokhwa rested his hand on Kwak Soohwan’s shoulder and looked down at him.

“You know it’s not just that I love you, right? I love you like crazy.”

Even though the fire had gone out, Seokhwa’s cheeks flushed red as he smiled.

“You haven’t been saying it much lately, so I thought you might’ve loved me less.”

His softly whispered words carried a hint of laughter. Kwak Soohwan, feeling caught off guard, confessed.

“I was holding back so you wouldn’t get tired of it. I say it ten times after you fall asleep.”

“No wonder… you even said it in my dream last night.”

Indeed, in the dream he had the night before, Kwak Soohwan had randomly said, “I love you like crazy.”

“That guy’s fake. I’m the real one.”

“How can you be jealous of a dream?”

“I told you, everything is an enemy to me. Dreams are no exception.”

With a smile still on his lips, Seokhwa hugged Kwak Soohwan tightly.

“Soohwan… you know how much I love you, right?”

“I do.”

Holding each other, they both burst into laughter.

Even if they were to leave Rainbow City for a long time someday, as long as they had each other, everything would feel complete. Though the 151 days without him still remained like a nightmare, they now had far more time ahead of them than the days when they didn’t know each other.

So there was nothing to fear. Only the anticipation of new days to come.

In Rainbow City, or after leaving it—there would be a rosy tomorrow stretching on like eternity.