This was just the beginning of the wildest fan meet Zeke and Jihyo has ever seen. Are they ready? Of course.
It has already been six days since Jihyo's decisive battle against Khera, and the settlement had been busy treating the injured in the past few days.
Hyungwon, Hangyeol, and Minji, despite being tired, went immediately back to work after the battle, supporting the settlement in any way they can.
Seojun, Ryujin, and Miyeon needed medical care as they sustained moderate injuries and had to rest for a full day or two at best.
Minhyuk, who was injured by Zheri by damaging his left lower ribcage, has been slowly recovering, too. He can still walk and oversee the settlement, but he was banned from doing extreme physical activities such as lifting, pushing, and pulling materials for the next four to six weeks.
Sana, fortunately, sustained no grave physical injuries, with dehydration being the only major issue to her health. She was recovering at the medbay for time being.
Jihyo was also confined at the medbay. Despite her being unconscious for nearly six days, she was fairing well. Her wounds have fully healed, and she is expected to wake anytime soon.
As for Zeke...
April 25, 2023, 7:33 am, Minhyuk's Settlement, Daegu, South Korea.
Zeke was sitting alone inside his makeshift apartment, stirring what seems to be a tall glass of orange juice. He had just fully recovered, and he wasn't planning on going out until afternoon came.
He liked the alone time he was having. It was, after all, his first time that he was completely idle after many weeks of training, battling, and planning. It was nice to be able to relax for a good while, content at what achievements he had done.
And what big achievements it was.
From saving Jihyo to meeting more friends, to fighting alongside them, to defeating multiple superpowered aliens... and now, saving Sana and a lot of survivors from the clutches of a mad general.
It was still hard to believe.
It all still felt like a fever dream...
Suddenly, a female voice followed by some knocking snaps Zeke off his thoughts.
KNOCK KNOCK!
"Hello? Zeke..? Are you home...?"
"Uh... yes, yes, I'm here. Who's there?"
"...it's Sana."
Zeke's eyes widen as he immediately stands up and goes for the door. As he opens it, he sees Sana looking at him with a faint smile. She was wearing a dark fur coat, a tight-fit white shirt that has a bouquet design on the middle, dark blue jeans, and a white pair of winter boots. She had a few bandages here and there.
She looked calm. Her face was gleaming with beauty, and her hair flowed as if it resonated with the cold wind.
"Oh, h... hi." Zeke blushes. "I'm guessing you've recovered..."
"Yes... Just needed to hydrate, patch up some of my troublesome wounds, and rest, that's all." Sana replied as she smiled.
"I... I see." Zeke said as he just looks at Sana.
For a moment, Zeke was stunned by Sana's beauty, and he was just in awe of how she looked in person. Her beauty was ethereal. How could someone look this beautiful? So charming? So cute?
"Hey... Hellooooo..." Sana waves her hand in front of him.
Zeke, realizing he's been looking at Sana for a while, soon shakes off his flustered stance and tries to compose himself, his mind frantically gathering the proper words to conjure a sensible response.
"Oh! Sorry for spacing out like that! It's just that... I'm trying to grasp the fact that you, TWICE's Sana, is in front of me right now." Zeke replied. "It feels surreal."
Sana giggles.
"But... you've been with Jihyo, Ryujin, and Miyeon for quite some time. Surely you must've been used to meeting people like us by now?" Sana asked in a curious tone.
"Hmm... sometimes, I still find it hard to believe that I am surrounded by Korean idols... It just feels... unbelievable every single time." Zeke chuckled as his rationality finally returns. "For a regular fan, that's just kind of a normal reaction, I think."
"I think so too," Sana giggles. "Can I come inside?"
"Yes yes! Please, come in and make yourself comfortable." Zeke offered as Sana nodded and went inside. She then sits in their small dining area as her eyes then scan the light-yellow colored makeshift apartment. Zeke sits down in front of her.
"So... what can I help you with?" Zeke asked. "I just kinda recovered, but if you need anything I'll try my best to provide."
"I'm supposed to say that same sentence... because you've done a lot for me and Jihyo as well. It's just right that I give you something in return... So..." Sana then tries to copy Zeke's voice. "I just kinda recovered, but if you need anything I'll try my best to provide."
"Did you really have to copy me...?" Zeke chuckles.
"Sorry... a force of habit, hehe. So yeah, anything~ Except money, of course. I don't have any of those right now..." Sana added.
"I have none in mind... I'm not actually expecting anything in return for what we did..." Zeke thought. "The sight of you being reunited with Jihyo is good enough for me."
"Aww..." Sana cooed. "That's sweet and all, but come on~ There's gotta be something I could do for you in return..." Sana said in a cute tone. "Do I have to beg?"
"Oh! N-no, that's not necessary Sa---"
Sana then scoots herself closer to the table. She then shows her begging face: a cute pout and a puppy-eyed stare.
Sana's cute face.
Her aegyo.
"Please?" She said as she blinks cutely.
"I..." Zeke blushed at her sudden begging.
Sana then immediately stops, and her face soon displays what seems to be absolute cringe.
"Ugh, okay, maybe this whole aegyo thing isn't working for me in general these days..." Sana chuckles. "It's been quite a long while since I did so, it feels foreign now. Sorry."
"I... No, no! Don't say sorry about it, its okay. Like I said, you didn't even need to do aegyo. I was honestly going to say what I want, anyway." Zeke replied.
"Really? Oh yeah!" Sana cheered victoriously as she shakes her fists in delight. "So, what will it be?"
"I don't honestly know how can I say this properly, but... when I went here to South Korea for a vacation, my sister sent me these TWICE merchandises. Albums, photocards... yes, lots of them, so that you girls could sign them. Sadly, when the apocalypse happened, I wasn't at my hotel, so I assumed all those TWICE merch got destroyed..." Zeke sighs. "So..."