Rainbow City

Seokhwa let out a small laugh.

“Strongest again, and also the most handsome.”

“Nah, I’m telling you, I’m second.”

As he had said earlier, the number one was right here. Kwak Soohwan suddenly scooped Seokhwa up, causing Seokhwa’s view to rise dramatically. The interior of the cathedral looked quite different from up there compared to when he viewed it from below.

From the height Kwak Soohwan showed him, so much more came into view. He could see details like the expressions on the statues much more clearly, and there were patterns carved in places he couldn’t have seen before. However, Seokhwa set aside his admiration and looked at Kwak Soohwan instead.

For some reason, his hair, which was usually styled, was left untouched, falling over his forehead. Seokhwa brushed his bangs aside with a gentle sweep of his hand. As his fingers slid through Kwak Soohwan’s hair, Kwak Soohwan briefly closed his eyes and then opened them again.

“Shall we have chicken soup for lunch?”

They had just eaten breakfast not too long ago, and yet he was already worrying about lunch. Perhaps it was because they hadn’t eaten properly for a few days, but Kwak Soohwan seemed even more obsessed with feeding him. Seokhwa thought his concern was over the top, but knowing how worried he’d been when Seokhwa had been frail in the past, he answered without resistance.

“Sure.”

Seokhwa, still resting his hand on Kwak Soohwan’s shoulder, suddenly looked toward the entrance when he sensed people approaching. Several figures were walking their way. Among them were Na Seohan and Federico, as well as the captain they had met the day before.

Seokhwa tapped Kwak Soohwan’s shoulder, signaling that he wanted to be put down. But Kwak Soohwan, still holding Seokhwa, stared at the approaching group.

“Just from their faces, I can tell they’re all old-fashioned.”

“You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.”

“How about a bet? I say they’re old-fashioned, and you say they’re not?”

“…No, I’m not betting.”

At Seokhwa’s hesitant reply, Kwak Soohwan burst out in hearty laughter that echoed through the cathedral.

***

“Ugh, I’m starving.”

“You ate seaweed soup before we left. A whole bowl of rice, too.”

“Like one bowl of rice and some soup is enough to fill me up?”

Lee Chaeyoon, crouched at the top of the Colosseum, blew out a long puff of cigarette smoke. Yang Sanghoon stood beside him, shading his eyes with his hand as he looked down. The ancient Roman arena had changed considerably compared to the old photographs.

The oval arena was composed of four levels, but significant portions were damaged, preventing it from forming a complete perimeter. The first level’s outer wall had 80 arches that once served as entrances, though now they were mostly sealed off with large stones or thick wooden planks.

Out of the 80 arches, only two were open, located on opposite sides of the arena.

Below the first level, which had been turned into a barrier, was an underground space that could be accessed by jumping down directly. The area was a labyrinth of paths, which seemed easy to see from above, but anyone going down there would quickly get lost.

The labyrinth was crawling with Adams, though they were currently inactive, as if in a dormant state, unable to find any targets to attack. To escape, they would need tools like ropes to climb up to the first floor, but they lacked that level of intelligence.

Even if they did manage to escape the labyrinth, all the pathways leading upward were blocked. Essentially, the place had become a prison for the Adams.

“Hey, Lee Chaeyoon.”

“What?”

“Being here feels weird somehow.”

“What now?”

“It’s like my blood is boiling… Could it be that I was a gladiator in my past life?”

At Yang Sanghoon’s serious comment, Lee Chaeyoon exhaled a puff of smoke and chuckled.

“Gladiator? Were you a slave in your past life?”

“Huh? Gladiators were slaves?”

“You didn’t know? That’s what I saw in a movie.”

Lee Chaeyoon shrugged, admitting he wasn’t entirely sure.

The underground labyrinth they were staring at had once been a series of compartments for holding gladiators and wild beasts during Roman times. Back then, wooden planks would have covered the top to create the arena, but now it was all exposed, giving it the appearance of a maze.

“Then… is my blood boiling because of the Adams? But I definitely wasn’t a slave. Maybe I was an emperor!”

“What are you talking about? Hey, look. Someone’s coming.”

Just as Lee Chaeyoon spoke, someone was running toward one of the open arches. The person had a hat pulled low, making it difficult to judge his age, but judging by his frame, he seemed to be an adult male.

Five Adams were chasing behind him. Their roars and sprinting were intense, suggesting they had recently transformed. The Adams, following the man, burst into the Colosseum.

The man, after confirming the Adams behind him, jumped from the first floor into the underground labyrinth. The Adams followed, hurling themselves from the first floor to the ground, though most of them crashed into the walls or hit the ground awkwardly, their bodies twisting unnaturally.

The man, however, landed not on the floor but atop one of the labyrinth’s walls. The Adams trapped in the maze below went wild at the sight of a living human, but the walls were high enough that no matter how hard they reached, they couldn’t touch him.

The Adams, chasing the man running along the barrier, collided with each other and fell, or ended up trapped in even tighter spaces. The man, leaping across pillars and walls, quickly reached the opposite side. Picking up more speed, he launched himself back up to the first floor.

Leaving the screeches of the Adams behind, the man calmly exited through the opposite archway.

“That’s the guy Kwak Soohwan mentioned, right?”

Lee Chaeyoon asked as he popped a candy into his mouth from his pocket.

“Yeah, seems like it.”

“Let’s follow him.”

Lee Chaeyoon and Yang Sanghoon sprinted in the direction the man disappeared. They quickly descended from the top of the Colosseum by sliding down a rope wrapped around a stone pillar.

***

Six members of the council sat around the round table in front of the Baldacchino.

Though the council was supposed to consist of ten members, four seats were empty. Two were part of a team sent out to procure food from the provinces, and the other two had excused themselves, citing illness.

Despite being invited to sit, Kwak Soohwan stood apart from the round table, watching everyone closely. However, he didn’t forget to pull out a chair and seat Seokhwa in front of him. Federico stood nearby, immediately translating the council members’ conversation for them.

The vaccines produced in Rainbow City had become more refined after commercialization. Seokhwa, along with other researchers, had redeveloped the Adam virus vaccine to remain stable at room temperature. Thanks to this, the vaccine could be distributed to other countries without issues, though it still had a relatively short shelf life of only two months at room temperature.

Guillaume was the head of God’s Fortress, who had excused himself under the pretense of illness. Kwak Soohwan no longer saw a need to stay.

“Lead the way to where the other two are living.”

Kwak Soohwan ordered Federico. As Kwak Soohwan and Seokhwa made their way outside, the council members, who had been arguing amongst themselves, fell silent.

They wanted to accuse Rainbow City of mixing fake vaccines into the supply but lacked the courage to say it outright.

“If we’re the ones who swapped the vaccines, Rainbow City will pay for it. But if you guys are the ones who lied, you’ll pay for dragging us all the way out here.”

Kwak Soohwan wrapped up the matter as if it were a simple conclusion.

It was clear why Lee Heechan had sent Kwak Soohwan. He was suspicious that the vaccine wasn’t working. Moreover, Rainbow City couldn’t afford to send many soldiers due to their own situation. Kwak Soohwan was the only one capable of handling a thorough investigation with a small team.

The council members didn’t try to stop Kwak Soohwan and Seokhwa from leaving the cathedral.

“Is that person’s house far from here?”

The mint-colored scooter was still parked in the same spot.

“Yes, Dr. Seok. It’s a bit far to walk.”

Federico relayed a message through his radio, asking the soldiers near Guillaume’s residence to prepare for a visit from Kwak Soohwan and Seokhwa. Soon after, disturbing news came back from the soldier who had been sent to Guillaume’s house.

Holding the radio, Federico hesitated before speaking with a strained voice.

“I’m sorry, but… Guillaume just left God’s Fortress a short while ago.”

Kwak Soohwan scoffed, as if it were obvious.

“Did his feet fall asleep, or something?”

“…Sorry?”

Federico, embarrassed, asked cautiously.

“If he’s a thief, he should be feeling guilty, right? How about the other one?”

Federico still looked confused, but Kwak Soohwan continued speaking without waiting for him to understand.

“Emma is almost here.”

A jeep approached the cathedral, and a red-haired woman stepped out of the passenger seat. God’s Fortress was home to people from various nationalities, resulting in diverse racial backgrounds. Emma wore a khaki military uniform and a black cloth mask.

“Apologies for the delay.”

Her voice was rough, still hoarse from a severe cold she had been suffering from for days. In God’s Fortress, those infected with contagious diseases were prohibited from leaving their homes, but the situation was urgent, so Emma had rushed out.

“Keep at least five meters away.”

Kwak Soohwan pushed Seokhwa behind him, increasing the distance between them. Though it was almost as if he were treating her like an Adam, Emma silently stepped back a few paces without complaint.

“I’ve been informed that Rainbow City doesn’t handle vials. Previously, Guillaume was in charge of transporting and storing the vaccines we received from Rainbow City. But there’s something strange.”

Emma paused, coughing, and Kwak Soohwan instinctively pulled Seokhwa completely behind him.

“Major, influenza spreads through droplets.”

With her mask on and maintaining a significant distance, they were safe enough. Besides, Kwak Soohwan and Seokhwa, who had received his blood transfusion, were immune to existing viruses. Though their physical strength had only slightly improved, they were free from infectious diseases like the common cold.

Kwak Soohwan was fully aware of this, but he believed in taking every possible precaution.

“Guillaume administered the vaccine from the vial to himself.”

Seokhwa’s eyes widened slightly. If Guillaume was the one who swapped out the vaccines, there’s no way he wouldn’t have known that the pen-type syringes were the real ones. But he injected the fake vaccine into himself? Could Guillaume not be the culprit after all?

“Does that bastard have a family?”

“He has a wife… but she left with him.”

Federico glanced nervously at Kwak Soohwan, holding the radio. Just then, Emma raised her hand slightly.

“But his wife was also injected with the vial vaccine.”

Seokhwa and Kwak Soohwan exchanged glances. Both had arrived at a reasonable suspicion: for some reason, Guillaume didn’t trust the vaccine from Rainbow City.

At that moment, static crackled from the radio inside Kwak Soohwan’s uniform pocket.

Just as he picked up the radio, a voice burst out.

“He’s cursing right from the start,” Kwak Soohwan muttered as he brought the radio closer to his mouth.

“What is it?”

Seokhwa stared at Kwak Soohwan, puzzled. He had thought Lee Chaeyoon and Yang Sanghoon would be sleeping, but Lee Chaeyoon’s voice was far too alert for someone who had just woken up.

“Are you going to skip the explanation again?”

The distance from God’s Fortress to the Colosseum was about 6 kilometers. It would take roughly 10 minutes by vehicle.

“Why do you need a doctor?”

Kwak Soohwan’s tone grew more serious.

“What?”

“What did you say?” Seokhwa interjected, alarmed.

Though Kwak Soohwan tried to get more details through the radio, there was no further response from Lee Chaeyoon.

“Did someone get bitten by an Adam?”

The problem was that everyone present had heard the conversation over the radio. Wrinkles appeared on Emma’s forehead, visible above her mask.

“If he’s been bitten by an Adam, he can’t enter the fortress.”

Emma took a firm stance.

“I’m really sorry, but Emma’s right. According to the rules of God’s Fortress, anyone injured by an Adam is barred from entering for a full 24 hours from the moment it’s reported. Even if they’ve been vaccinated, it’s the same. If they don’t mutate within that time, only then can they enter.”

“Major, we should head outside.”

Given that this involved an Adam, an outsider couldn’t be allowed to break the fortress’s safety protocols.

“You don’t trust the vaccine, do you?”

Kwak Soohwan sneered.

“You rushed to buy it when you heard there was a vaccine, but you still don’t believe it, right? No one here’s got the guts to get vaccinated and then let an Adam bite them. But I’ve been curious as to why one of your residents got torn apart outside.”

The couple who had worn the bracelets Kwak Soohwan brought back had died without turning into Adams. The cause of death was likely excessive blood loss.

“You kicked that couple out, didn’t you?”

“Killing someone results in expulsion. The Russo couple committed murder.”

Na Seohan, who had just stepped out of the cathedral, suddenly interjected. Kwak Soohwan sharply responded to his statement.

“And how do you feel about seeing someone come out negative even after being covered in an Adam’s blood? Do you believe it now?”

Kwak Soohwan’s aggressive demeanor made Seokhwa grip his arm tightly.

“We need to go to Major Yang Sanghoon right now. If he’s bleeding heavily, it could be dangerous,” Seokhwa urged. Unlike Rainbow City, this place didn’t have blood transfusion packs. Kwak Soohwan, uncertain about Yang Sanghoon’s condition, didn’t waste any more time.

“Could we borrow a vehicle to get to the East Gate?”

Seokhwa pointed at the jeep Emma had arrived in. Emma readily offered the jeep and instructed the driver where to go. Kwak Soohwan and Seokhwa hurried to the East Gate, where their military jeep was parked.

It didn’t take long to reach the gate. Once they arrived, Kwak Soohwan let Seokhwa out first and quickly seated him in the passenger seat of their parked jeep. He then got into the driver’s seat, picked up the radio, and spoke.

“Lee Chaeyoon, you can’t enter the fortress right now, so wait somewhere safe and tell me your location.”

“You said you were bitten by an Adam.”

“Where are you now?”

Kwak Soohwan rolled down the jeep’s bulletproof window and shouted.

“Hey! Open the damn East Gate!”

Federico, arriving late, hurriedly ordered the gate guards to open it.

Earlier, Lee Chaeyoon had sounded calm, but now his voice wavered with panic.

“Yang Sanghoon isn’t going to die easily. Park the jeep and describe everything around you.”

Seokhwa reached into the backseat as quickly as he could, grabbed the first-aid kit off the floor, and buckled his seatbelt. He checked the contents of the kit. If Yang Sanghoon had been bitten by an Adam, parts of his flesh might have been torn or dangling. Fortunately, the kit had medical staples and sutures, necessary for stitching wounds during long journeys.

Before the gate had even fully opened, Kwak Soohwan slipped the jeep through, barely avoiding the closing doors. The speedometer on the dashboard quickly climbed upward.

“Lee Chaeyoon, listen carefully. Don’t move. Stay right where you are. Dr. Seok and I are on the way, so help stop Yang Sanghoon’s bleeding.”

With one hand holding the radio, Kwak Soohwan had to steer with the other, his knuckles turning white as the veins in his hands bulged from the pressure.

Seokhwa, too, clenched his trembling hands, trying to calm his nerves. He pushed the necessary wound-sealing items to one side of the first-aid kit. Unfortunately, there were no blood transfusion packs.

“He’ll be fine. That guy can afford to lose some blood,” Kwak Soohwan said, trying to reassure Seokhwa as if it wasn’t a big deal.

“I’ve never actually stitched a wound, but I can do it,” Seokhwa replied, recalling all the first-aid and suture techniques he had studied in theory. As Kwak Soohwan pushed the jeep to its maximum speed, the outer walls of the Colosseum soon came into view. Luckily, the military vehicle from Rainbow City was parked in a noticeable spot near the triumphal arch.

Kwak Soohwan sped toward the arch.

“Don’t open your mouth,” he warned.

Seokhwa didn’t respond, knowing the warning was to prevent biting his tongue during the sudden stop.

When Kwak Soohwan abruptly hit the brakes, he pressed a hand to Seokhwa’s chest, keeping him from lurching forward. Even though Seokhwa was buckled in, Kwak Soohwan’s help kept him from feeling too disoriented by the sudden stop.

“Stay inside the jeep,” Kwak Soohwan ordered.

“Yes,” Seokhwa answered.

Kwak Soohwan quickly exited the driver’s seat and opened the door of the jeep in front of them. Seokhwa, clutching the first-aid kit, pressed himself against the windshield, straining to see ahead. Kwak Soohwan opened the back door of the jeep, then roughly ran a hand over his face.

Seokhwa couldn’t see Lee Chaeyoon or Yang Sanghoon anywhere. Kwak Soohwan was holding something he’d retrieved from the backseat—a bloodstained radio.

Seokhwa quickly rolled down the window and looked at the ground. A trail of blood led from the Colosseum toward Lee Chaeyoon’s jeep, but it didn’t stop there. Blood had also dripped in front of the vehicle, as if someone had gotten out and moved to another location.

“Major, I think they moved the car,” Seokhwa suggested.

If they had walked or run, there would have been more bloodstains. But the trail Seokhwa pointed to abruptly stopped. Kwak Soohwan returned to their jeep and grabbed the steering wheel.

Just as Seokhwa had guessed, tracks from another vehicle were clearly visible in the dirt. Kwak Soohwan followed the tire marks. Though he wasn’t driving as fast as earlier, the scenery still rushed past them in a blur.

The city was a wasteland of broken buildings. Unmaintained wooden structures had turned into open spaces, while concrete buildings, left unrepaired, seemed on the verge of collapse with the slightest impact.

Thick vines had overrun the Pantheon, and several temples had crumbled under missile strikes. Had missiles or nuclear weapons not been launched in an attempt to contain the Adam outbreak, the world might have recovered much faster.

This was why the Unified Nations had eventually relinquished their nuclear arsenal. But by then, the damage had already been done. The idea that humanity might destroy itself with nuclear weapons wasn’t entirely wrong. The only thing that delayed it was the presence of a far more formidable enemy: the Adam virus.

Even the streets, once swept and cleaned daily, were now covered in layers of dust. This made the tracks left by vehicles easy to follow. In time, even these tracks would be buried under fresh dust.

After about ten more minutes of driving, there was still no sign of the tire marks ending. Kwak Soohwan hit the brakes again, once more protecting Seokhwa with his arm.

The tire marks continued ahead, so Seokhwa couldn’t understand why they had stopped. But before he could ask, he realized the reason. At the entrance to a basement shop, fresh blood stains were visible. Kwak Soohwan had noticed them and stopped the vehicle.

Had it been him, Seokhwa would have blindly followed the tire tracks. It suddenly struck him how narrow his focus had been.

After turning off the engine, Kwak Soohwan nervously tapped the steering wheel with his hand.

“I’ll be right back. Just wait here.”

As always, he was a burden to him. However, they simply had different roles to play, and there was no need to wallow in the helplessness he felt. The windows were bulletproof, so he reassured him that he wouldn’t move from inside. Even then, Kwak Soohwan seemed uneasy.

“Hurry up. You need to find Major Yang Sanghoon quickly.”

Seokhwa retrieved leather gloves and a flashlight from the vehicle’s glove compartment and handed them over. When Kwak Soohwan clenched his fist after putting on the gloves, the tough texture of the leather made a friction sound.

“Don’t open the door for anyone.”

Seokhwa nodded. Kwak Soohwan handed over his radio to Seokhwa and took Lee Chaeyoon’s. Just in case, he left the key in the ignition and stepped out of the driver’s seat.

Click. He heard Seokhwa lock the door, but even after that, he tugged at the driver’s door just to be sure. Only a dull clunking noise sounded—the vehicle was securely locked.

Seokhwa gripped his gun and sank deep into his seat. Kwak Soohwan checked on him one last time before surveying the surroundings. They hadn’t seen any people or Adam on their way in the Jeep, but he was determined to check the interior as quickly as possible, so he headed for the underground stairs.

Perhaps because the weather was overcast, after only a few steps, the surroundings darkened quickly. Kwak Soohwan turned on the flashlight and began running down the stairs without hesitation.

The underground tunnel was deeper than expected, and it branched into two paths. Judging by the layout, it seemed the place was once a restaurant. One path led to an empty wine cellar, while the other opened into the main dining area. After scanning the wine cellar with his flashlight, Kwak Soohwan entered the dining area and picked up a metal rod that was lying haphazardly on the floor.

Without hesitation, he slammed the stainless steel table bar with the rod. The noise echoed throughout the area, but there was no scream from Adam. As he continued walking forward, he swung the metal rod again at the table bar.

One of the walls in the dining area had a hole large enough for two people to pass through comfortably. The tunnel led to another building, and the rough finishing suggested it had been artificially made. As Kwak Soohwan passed through the tunnel, he sent a message to Seokhwa via radio.

“Hey, everything alright?”

“There’s a tunnel in the basement. I’m moving through it now. Haven’t found Yang Sanghoon or Lee Chaeyoon yet.”

“Radio me if anything happens.”

“I mean, even if Yang Sanghoon transforms into Adam and attacks, don’t open the door.”

“Yeah, I’ll radio again soon.”

Kwak Soohwan didn’t think Yang Sanghoon would bleed to death from an encounter with Adam. It would be too absurd for someone who had survived far tougher situations than this.

“Shit, this feels like a death flag.”

Kwak Soohwan began sprinting down the tunnel. It branched off in several directions, but he was lucky enough to spot a trail of blood. He turned left and ran toward a faint light that was leaking from the inside. Drawing his gun from his waistband, he closed the distance toward the light.

When he pushed aside the loosely hung curtain, a man and a woman let out soft screams. Upon seeing Kwak Soohwan’s gun, they raised their hands quickly. Scattered throughout the connected tunnel were sleeping bags, lanterns, and other everyday items, signs that people had been living there. Though they were dressed in rags, the spot they were sitting on was a bed.

At that moment, Lee Chaeyoon’s voice came from deeper inside. Kwak Soohwan forcefully yanked aside another curtain that had separated the space. An oval-shaped open area revealed itself.

“Kwak Soohwan!”

Lee Chaeyoon, standing in the center, turned around and greeted him with a delighted shout. Kwak Soohwan merely shifted his gaze, quickly assessing the situation. In front of a blood-soaked Lee Chaeyoon stood a man wearing a hat. Yang Sanghoon was sprawled on a long table, receiving treatment from a middle-aged woman.

The woman’s hands were stitching the flesh that had been torn off by Adam’s bite from Yang Sanghoon’s nape. Although Yang Sanghoon had lost consciousness due to severe blood loss, fortunately, his breathing was stable.

Just as Lee Chaeyoon, who seemed to have a lot to say, was about to approach, Kwak Soohwan picked up the radio.

“I’ve found Lee Chaeyoon and Yang Sanghoon. Both are safe.”

He waited for Seokhwa’s response. Since Seokhwa was always cautious and slow in his actions, his replies came notably later than other soldiers. Despite the short wait—less than a second—Kwak Soohwan couldn’t help but feel anxious. He heard the static noise just before Seokhwa’s message came through.

“I’m bringing them up.”

Ending the radio transmission, Kwak Soohwan fired a shot at the ground as the man in the hat moved closer.

“Are you insane?!”

At the sound of the gunshot, Lee Chaeyoon erupted in anger, and the woman stitching Yang Sanghoon’s neck stopped her hands. The man stood still, throwing a glance at the woman. He then signed something to her in sign language. She nodded and refocused on treating Yang Sanghoon.

“Kwak Soohwan, just listen to me first. Here’s what happened…”

“A soldier ditched his radio and Jeep?”

“I will explain,” the man said, removing the hat that had been pulled low over his head. Black hair, black eyes—he unmistakably looked like someone from Rainbow City. He appeared to be in his early to mid-30s, and there was something vaguely familiar about his face.

The woman treating Yang Sanghoon’s wounds signed to indicate that she had finished. Kwak Soohwan approached Yang Sanghoon to check his pulse. It was steady, and as long as there was no infection, he would be fine.

“I’m moving Yang Sanghoon out.”

Kwak Soohwan hoisted the unconscious Yang Sanghoon over his shoulder. Despite the significant blood loss, he was surprisingly heavy.

“What the hell did this guy eat to be so heavy? Lee Chaeyoon, aren’t you coming?”

“You told me to look into it.”

Lee Chaeyoon gestured toward the man holding the hat.

Yesterday afternoon, while heading toward the Fortress of the Gods, Kwak Soohwan had spotted a figure atop the Colosseum. Seeing the long rope dangling down, he immediately sensed that this was no ordinary person.

Climbing up and down a 50-meter height without safety gear was no easy feat. Moreover, the man had been carefully watching the two Jeeps as they moved.

Although it gave him an uneasy feeling, reaching their destination took priority. But when they fought Adam at the eastern gate, he became certain that they couldn’t just ignore this man. The stranger, who had followed them from the Colosseum, had been watching them from a nearby building’s rooftop.

That’s why Kwak Soohwan had ordered Lee Chaeyoon and Yang Sanghoon to head to the Colosseum and gather information about the man. The presence of the rope suggested he frequented the location.

The man with the hat stood straight in front of Kwak Soohwan.

“Given the severity of the blood loss, it might be better for you to rest here before continuing.”

Resting in the hideout of someone they didn’t know was far riskier than staying in the Jeep.

“I’m Hojun, a non-citizen from Rainbow City,” the man introduced himself.

Whether a citizen or not, the fact that someone from Rainbow City was here was surprising enough. However, right now, he was merely an obstacle to getting back to Seokhwa.

“I was once part of the Hwaseon Lecture Hall as well.”

Suddenly, a memory flashed through Kwak Soohwan’s mind—words he had seen as a child:

The red letters, painted with blood on the asphalt of his apartment complex, were still vividly etched into his memory.

“Instead of hanging around here, you should go to the Hwaseon Lecture Hall. The living should keep living.”

“Just leave me to die.”

“If you starve to death here, it’ll be nothing but a dog’s death. If I were you, I wouldn’t choose this miserable end. If you’re thinking clearly, take this and head to Hwaseon Lecture Hall. Just tell them I sent you.”

It was the one-eyed man, acting on his parents’ wishes, who had tried to send him to Hwaseon Lecture Hall.

…Damn it.

Kwak Soohwan suddenly realized why this man’s face seemed so familiar.

It was the untidy hair and the lack of glasses that had thrown him off. But now he could see the man’s overall friendly expression resembled none other than the late Choi Hoeon.