How about the last chapter of rainbow city? cause shit made me cry>:3
Kwak Soo-hwan regained consciousness a week after Choi Ho-eon died.
However, the Kwak Soo-hwan who woke up was no longer the Kwak Soo-hwan they knew. His hands trembled even when he was still, and he had difficulty swallowing food that someone handed him. He didn’t even react when someone brought up the topic of Seok-hwa. Everyone thought that Kwak Soo-hwan had become an idiot from the excessive gunshot wound.
Yang Sang-hoon apologized to Kwak Soo-hwan, saying that he had not helped Seok-hwa properly, but no matter what anyone said, he always seemed to have lost his mind.
He still couldn’t swallow porridge, so it dripped down his chin, and his body, unable to move, withered away with atrophied muscles. The Russian old man stayed in Rainbow City and worked hard to rebuild the vaccine and the burned-down research labs, but he clicked his tongue whenever he saw Kwak Soo-hwan. He had lost enough blood that a normal person would have already died. Kwak Su-hwan was brought in with his heart stopped, and after an hour of struggle by the medical team, his heart began to beat, albeit faintly.
When his heart started beating again, Kwak Su-hwan had less than the blood left in his body than a five-year-old child. His father said that his brain must have malfunctioned because the blood was not circulating. That’s why he became an idiot.
Emperor Penguin Lee Hee-chan took control of the city, but he did not abandon Kwak Su-hwan, who had become an idiot. He gave Kwak Su-hwan the rank of lieutenant general, and announced to the other families that Dr. Seok-hwa had died. It was ironic. The doctor who developed the vaccine and freed people from Adam received no reward.
After a month, and then two months, Kwak Su-hwan’s hands stopped shaking. From then on, he slowly began to move his body. He ate alone, walked outside the shelter, and then ran again.
Another day, he went into the training room at dawn to exercise and awaken his degenerated muscles. But no one spoke to him, and he still didn’t respond. He was just like a robot that was focused on building his body and getting healthy again, not even responding to any external stimuli.
It was the fifth month.
Even after breakfast time, Kwak Su-hwan was nowhere to be seen. Yang Sang-hoon, who was taking care of him, went to the training room just in case, but it was quiet inside, and Kwak Su-hwan wasn’t there in the cafeteria. When he went to Kwak Su-hwan’s room, the closet was half open. To make matters worse, the City uniform that had been neatly ironed and hung up was gone. There were only empty marks here and there on the backpack and desk, as if something had been taken away.
Yang Sang-hoon was surprised and ran to the control room. He checked all the surveillance cameras around him, worried that the idiot who had become an idiot might be doing something.
Looking at the silence outside, it seemed like he had already left this place quite a while ago. Yang Sang-hoon had to turn back the time on the recorded camera before he could find Kwak Su-hwan.
Early in the morning, someone was walking briskly out of the shelter. His posture was straight, and his gait was steady, as if he was certain of where he was going. He was headed to the parking lot where the military jeep was. Yang Sang-hoon met Kwak Su-hwan’s eyes, who was looking up at the camera, after a while. He smiled brightly as before and stared blankly down at the paper he had taken out of his pocket. Then, he folded it neatly again and put it inside his uniform, as if it were a precious treasure.
He quickly jumped over the shelter’s barbed wire. Soon, only the back of the man leaving with a backpack on one shoulder remained as an afterimage.
I had been wrong all along. Kwak Su-hwan had not been concentrating on getting his body back to normal. From the moment he opened his eyes until now, all of Kwak Su-hwan’s mind had been on Seok-hwa. That’s why only the shell of a body trying to prepare for departure remained here.
Yang Sang-hoon soon heard that a jeep had disappeared, but he did not order a chase.
Here, they were just waiting for the two to return to their hometown, Rainbow City.
[Rainbow City Complete / Volume 6 (Continued in the side story)]
***
150 days after Master Choi Ho-eon’s death, 151 days after the announcement of the Rainbow City autonomous government.
Today, 60 days after the distribution of the vaccine ‘Eve’ to all citizens.
Current partner country, Russia, Hasan (Xacah)
The white breath was smothered by the mouth of the person carrying the firewood.
The amount of firewood that was carried in two or three pieces at a time was not enough to get through the winter because he couldn’t carry much at once. Still, since he had been diligently collecting dry firewood since fall, he thought that if he saved it, he would be able to get through this winter safely. Seok-hwa, who returned to the cabin, placed two pieces of firewood in the fireplace. He poked the ashes with a poker, and the still living embers began to bloom.
Seokhwa opened the cupboard and took out a can. He turned the gear of the can opener to open the can, and the sweet and fragrant smell of corn rose. He put it on a plate and ate the hard, dried-up instant rice. Then he stared blankly at the open window of the mountain lodge.
It couldn’t be true, but Seokhwa thought that a cold wind was blowing into his eyes. His eyes were stinging. He closed his eyelids tightly and opened them, and the moisture that had clouded his retinas disappeared.
Seokhwa continued eating calmly and indifferently. The chipped fruit on the table caught his eye as usual.
‘Alive.’
Every time that happened, Gwak Su-hwan said.
Seokhwa finished his meal after a long time and walked to the old sofa. The table in front of the sofa was filled with medicinal herbs from the mountains. He shook off the dirt and cut the herbs with scissors, and then looked out the window again.
There was at least half a year’s worth of food in the mountain lodge. There was a valley nearby, so it wasn’t hard to get water. Instead, the butane gas that had been stacked high inside the kitchen was slowly running out. It was supposed to be half a year’s worth of food, but since he didn’t eat much, it seemed like he could last another two months.
After coming to Russia alone, Seokhwa learned how to live alone.
The most difficult thing was cutting his hair by himself. Even now, his roughly cut bangs were annoying, but it was too early to clean them up. Seokhwa got up from his seat and turned the cube that Kwak Su-hwan had left in the mountain lodge with his hand. Did he anticipate something like this? No, maybe he had prepared for every place we lived just in case. He was always prepared.
His eyes, which had been blankly staring out the window, briefly became lively. A musk deer was wandering around the mountain lodge. When I opened the door and went out, it would quickly run away, so I could only watch from here.
As darkness approached the mountain lodge, he blew out the flickering candle. If the wolves followed the light, he would have to stay locked in the house all day. Seokhwa put his pistol next to the bed and crouched down.
Seokhwa, who had moved by helicopter that day, had to get into the jeep with Yang Sanghoon right away. The jeep’s radio constantly sent out orders to kill Dr. Seokhwa. This was because the owls and the Owl Family had learned through the radio message left by the colonel that Seokhwa was the host of the mutant Adam virus.
The city was burning everywhere, but Yang Sanghoon just drove the jeep up without saying a word. Half a day passed and the radio rang again.
‘Dr. Seokhwa, the only host of the mutant Adam virus, is to be killed immediately upon discovery. Master Choi Hoyeon has died, and the vaccine will be developed and distributed as scheduled.’
Fortunately, it rained, so the fire in the city center did not grow any bigger, and unfortunately, the radio continued to urge them to kill Seokhwa. It was a night when they had reached the point where they were in close contact with Russia. Seokhwa took two pistols and food from the jeep and left the city alone. Yang Sanghoon, who helped him escape, could also be in danger, so he ended up accompanying him here.
The Duman River is narrow, but he couldn’t swim across it, so Seokhwa crawled across the rickety bridge on his own. Even if the center of the bridge collapsed and the railroad sank toward the river, Seokhwa’s weight alone wouldn’t budge. Instead, he went with Kwak Suhwan, but he returned alone.
He didn’t say anything to Yang Sanghoon until the day they parted ways. Still, Seokhwa could feel it.
He probably thought that Kwak Suhwan was dead. On the contrary, Seokhwa stopped thinking about death. He didn’t want to think deeply about it. If Kwak Suhwan was alive, he wouldn’t have stayed still after hearing the radio message telling him to kill him.
He was always like that. He put me above himself, and he was a person who saved me even if it meant risking his life. He was so lonely and alone, but it was a life he saved. So I couldn’t just throw it away as I pleased, so I had to live.
***
Seokhwa spent the night half asleep and half awake. As soon as the sun rose, he grabbed his pistol and changed into thick clothes. He also loaded the herbs he had cut over the past few days and the ointment he had made himself into the jeep.
I habitually looked at my face in the jeep mirror, but the nosebleed had stopped a long time ago. Also, my body temperature was closer to that of a normal person, unlike before. My body, which had occasionally bled, stabilized after more than a week since arriving at the mountain lodge. I wish I had died instead. Seokhwa shook his head and started to drive the jeep down.
The jeep was available from Hasan’s building where he lived. I heard that the leader of the nearby marauders, called Razvonik, had starved to death while tied to a car. He said that it was because no one came to save him even after seeing him tied to a car, but the marauders stopped harassing people after that. Seokhwa gave medicine and ointment to the people living in the area below, and was able to obtain some oil and clothing.
Everyone thought Seokhwa was a mute pharmacist. It was because he was not sure about his physical condition yet, so he kept his interactions with people to a minimum. Seokhwa bowed and drove back to the mountain lodge. There were certainly people who showed favor to Seokhwa, but he could not easily approach them because of the pistol he had. Just a few months ago, a Russian man, regardless of gender, who swung his lower body, rushed at Seokhwa and almost got shot. Since then, no one had approached the mountain lodge. Even if they tried to invade at night, there were many wolves, so no one dared approach the mountain lodge. To Seokhwa, wolves were a fearful presence, but on the contrary, they were also allies who protected him.
Seokhwa returned home and checked to see if the broken bottles were properly inserted in the entrance and windows. Then he lay down on the bed.
Da.
Another day was passing by. The only difference was that it was the 151st day without Kwak Su-hwan.
Tomorrow would be the 152nd day without him.
***
There was no way it could be, but it was noisy outside. The darkness had long since receded, so light was flickering through the curtains.
Seok-hwa got up and cautiously opened the curtains. Perhaps the people below had come to the valley to get water. Seok-hwa walked to the sink with relief. He washed his face clean with the soap he had bartered. He brushed his teeth with a toothbrush with a worn-out core, and packed up the radio before breakfast.
Seok-hwa walked to the place closest to the city and where the signal was good. The pistol was always at his side. He pulled out the antenna of the radio and searched for a signal.
Rainbow City was slowly entering a period of stability, so sometimes if he got the right spot, he could hear the city's broadcast.
[Chi-jik, jik, jik, the vote was conducted fairly. In Rainbow City… … . Chijik, a citizen of the city, and each region, Chijik, please come and register as a citizen. Chijik.]
The propaganda that brainwashed people on TV had long since disappeared. Seokhwa took out the cell phone in one pocket. It was dead, so now he couldn’t even see Kwak Soo-hwan’s picture.
If I hadn’t unlocked the password, if I hadn’t gone to the party… … . Seokhwa thought that every time he looked at this cell phone. The password that the Second Master had set was the same until the end. There was no affection for his mother or regret for his child. The password he had set was Agate. The agate mineral that he loved so much. If you convert the word into binary and take only the last number, it was 11101. The fact that he had to fill in all six digits of the password was also a trap.
The only thing Second was obsessed with was minerals, so he thought that maybe his genes had left him and he was obsessed with rocks, but now he didn’t even collect rocks.
Now that I think about it, I think Kwak Su-hwan's obsession might have been breeding. Since Kwak Su-hwan had perfect genes, he might have been born with the mission to evolve through breeding. Looking back, he only laughed it off when I asked for semen, and never actually gave it to me.
A perfect mutation created by City.
That's why he might have realized his obsession and controlled himself with a kind of rebellious spirit.
[… … Chik, I do. The base station… … and fair education, Chijik, I do. Emperor penguin, I support. Our vaccine is perfect.]
Seok-hwa turned off the radio and got up from his seat. He was thinking of going back to the mountain lodge to make ointment and organize the medicine. Seok-hwa, who was walking with a limp, was alive but dead.
For the first few months, I dreamed of Kwak Su-hwan. When I woke up from the dream of meeting him again and touching his body, I wanted to stop living, and after that, he didn't appear in my dreams.
Alive.
The words stuck to me like a curse, and they held me like a curse.
Seokhwa stopped walking again on his way down to the mountain lodge because of the noisy voices of the people. He planned to go to the mountain lodge after they had all left. Anyway, there was nothing left to steal except food. As expected, when he came down to the mountain lodge a long time later, the inside of the house was a mess. Someone had stolen the food, and the medicine was lying on the floor. There was nothing to take apart. Such simple feelings were no longer there.
Seokhwa cleaned and swept the floor, and looked out the window again. A cold wind blew into his eyes. A musk deer was standing in the hazy field of vision. For some reason, Seokhwa wanted to go outside and see the musk deer. It was a creature that would run away at the sight of him, but it was still standing even after he opened the door.
Seokhwa put a blanket over his shoulders and sat on the wooden terrace next to the front door. As expected, the musk deer ran into the mountain. The deer was still, but he heard the sound of dry leaves being stepped on.
Seokhwa turned his gaze to the other side of the deer. Then the deer jumped deeper into the mountain. Where Seokhwa’s gaze landed, a man in uniform was walking. He had a backpack on one shoulder, and the dry branches on the ground seemed to be no obstacle to him, so he walked without any trouble.
From the moment their eyes met, he walked toward Seokhwa without taking his eyes off him for a second. A blanket fell behind Seokhwa’s back as he got up from his chair. He looked at him without even thinking about picking it up. Was he seeing hallucinations now? Or was he here to give him permission to die without living anymore?
Kwak Su-hwan stood in front of Seokhwa.
Seokhwa didn’t dare to reach out. If he did, he felt like he would turn into a mirage and wake up from his dream.
“I’m here, hyung.”
He took a deep breath.
Was that what his voice sounded like? In my memory, his voice was always refreshing, but now it was completely calm. His face was covered with longing in his clouded eyes, so I couldn’t see him properly. I blinked the tears that were blocking my vision, but they still piled up.
“I was really sick. Do you believe me?”
He smiled a little awkwardly.
“I’m sorry I’m late.”
“… … .”
“I’m sorry I left you alone.”
“… … .”
Kwak Soo-hwan, who spoke indifferently, laughed, but then his face hardened into a blank expression. He, who had taken a deep breath like me, distorted his face like a child, as if he couldn’t hold back his tears any longer.
“Dr. Seok, Seok-hwa, Seok-hwa hyung.”
He called Seok-hwa by all his names. As if all the calls in the world to Seok-hwa were his own.
Only then did Seok-hwa hug him as he cried. I caressed his cheek, which was filled with the cold air of Russia, with my cheek, and wrapped his body as hard as my memory. Kwak Su-hwan also couldn’t stand it and locked Seok-hwa’s body in my arms.
They were wrong. Pain is not the beginning of evolution.
Even if he was free from all viruses, he wasn’t a true new human being. The virus would mutate again, and he, who was called a perfect mutant, almost lost his life. There is no perfect evolution in the world.
The beginning of evolution came from survival.
People who wanted to survive had various reasons. Family, friends, or lovers, they clung to life for them, and the people of the city also survived by defeating death in order to live with them. I was able to meet him because I was alive, and he was able to return to himself because he lived.
Kwak Su-hwan was the reason for Seok-hwa’s survival, and Seok-hwa was the reason for Kwak Su-hwan’s survival.
That’s why they were able to evolve once again.
“… … Su-hwan.”
Like a newborn baby making its first sound, Seokhwa called his name for the first time in 152 days.
“Welcome back.”
marry me
yum yum
chu(人´3｀)⌒♡
I LOOOOVE RAINBOW CITY
!(&:&/!?;&,@-@,! C@->~€^|+]!~!++*~€~!
pls feed me im bored as hell