[4] The Leader, The ONCE, and The Golem

Zeke couldn't believe his eyes.

"What is it...?" The woman asked. She looked worried about Zeke's expression.

Zeke continued to stutter. "Are you... Ji... Jih.."

The woman gave a confused look but soon gets what's going on.

She chuckled. "Hey, relax. If you're wondering, yes, I am TWICE's Park Jihyo. The one and only." She said, dusting off her torn coat. "Let me guess, you're a ONCE?" She looked tired and afraid, but she gave off a small smile.

"Well, yes?" His face was flustered. "I.." He was left speechless.

Standing before him is Park Jihyo. the Park Jihyo. The leader of TWICE. An actual celebrity, right in front of him.

Sure, he was about to meet her anyway in four days at the Incheon Festival, but he didn't expect it to be this soon, let alone in a situation like this.

And he just saved her.

Meanwhile, Jihyo was observing the the guy who just saved her life.

He was standing a little bit taller than her. He had a ruffled black hair, a fair skin complexion that was similar to hers, and dark hazelnut eyes that were filled with a mix of both worry and embarrassment.

Before Zeke could even continue his sentence, a deep, deafening howl echoed through the other building. Jihyo froze in fear and fell to the ground. Zeke flinched.

"Huh?! What was that?" Zeke asked.

"I... It's the one that has been following me.." She trembled. "It's some sort of huge snow golem. They call them Scrapers."

"Scrapers...?" Zeke replied.

"Yeah.. I barely made it... because I took the risk of jumping to this building. I don't--"

Jihyo stops talking and notices Zeke turn from being shy and embarrassed, to serious in a matter of seconds. He looks at her.

"There is no time to explain. Do you trust me?" Zeke interrupted her. Jihyo looked at Zeke. He looked more tired than she was, and she felt they both wouldn't stand a chance against the creature in this state if it gets them.

But then again, she knew they'd have a better chance of survival if they stuck together. "The more and more, the merrier", she thought.

And besides, he looked like he could be trusted.

"Yeah. I do." She replied.

"We'll talk later. Let's get the hell out of here. If I may...?" He said, reaching out his hand.

Jihyo hesitates, but then finally grabs his hand as Zeke pulls her up.

They then begin to run as they hear the walls of the other building coming apart. Jihyo goes to the second-floor stairs as she sees it blocked with desks, chairs, and a photocopying machine.

"Curses! It's blocked. How?!" Jihyo said in frustration.

"I'm sorry. That's my fault... I battled some snowmen on the way here and I had to block the path.." Zeke frantically explained.

"Snowmen? Like... Literal snowmen?" Jihyo said, visibly confused.

"They're these disfigured humanoid figures forming out of small gems that look like scary snowmen," Zeke said, trying to explain himself to the frustrated Jihyo. "Look, I'm sorry, I--"

"It's fine. At this point, everything's possible. And I've seen worse. Much, much worse..." Jihyo replied in an exasperated tone. Both Zeke and Jihyo then set their eyes on the stairs to the fourth floor.

There was no way but up.

The two climb the stairs and eventually reach the fourth floor, only to find themselves at a dead end. They can't go forward or backward. They face each other as they tried to catch their breath.

"Anything... I should know.. about this Scraper..?" Zeke asks.

"Like I said earlier, it primarily looks like a large snow golem... It's probably impervious to most injuries because.. while it was chasing me, it didn't get injured by falling concrete, and heavy metal.." Jihyo replies. "Oh, and it's resistant to electricity."

Zeke gave a worried look.

"So, uh.." Jihyo muttered, still a bit trembling both from cold and fear.

"Zeke... Call me Zeke." Zeke replied, panting heavily.

"Alright, nice meeting you, Zeke.. what should we do? We are trapped." Jihyo said.

Zeke scouts the area. This final floor consists of two spacious rooms: the conference room, with an emergency box inside, containing a hose, a hatchet, and fire safety gear. Adjacent to the conference room is a small room with a working generator, along with a long, thick cable connected to it. In the middle of the two rooms is a sliding glass door that leads to a small, open balcony.

"Okay, I have a plan.." Zeke said as he goes to the generator room. He extends the thick cable towards the conference room and ties it around a metal pipe next to the conference room's door. He then positions himself behind the cable, effectively making a tripwire trap.

"Uhm, Ms. Jihyo, here's the plan. I'll act as bait. Position yourself in the generator room and hold the cable. When that Scraper comes to charge at me, please pull the cable so that it trips and crashes through the balcony! The fall should kill it." He exclaimed.

It seemed dangerous, but it looks like it could work.

Jihyo nods and frantically grabs the cable. "Are you sure about this..?"

"Not quite, honestly." Zeke sighed. "But if this plan won't kill the creature, at least, it could give us time to escape." He said. "I got this, though!" He slightly smiled, reassuring Jihyo that everything will be in accordance to the plan.

For some reason, Jihyo felt a bit relieved by his kind aura---for it was the only thing that felt familiar in a land of cold uncertainty.

The floor near the stairs started quaking, and soon enough, the Scraper manages to barge in, destroying the stairs and its adjacent wall as they all crumble under it's sheer strength.

"What the hell..." Zeke muttered as he looks at the creature.

The Scraper looks like a hulking, muscular humanoid golem that was twice their size. It's skin looked as pale as it can be, seemingly made of sturdy snow. It had a similar face like a snowman, and it's teeth looked like they were made of diamonds. It's body is riddled with tough, icy crystals, seemingly acting as an external protection. It had huge arms, with three-fingered hands tipped with icy claws. It also has two clear domes protecting both of its eyes.

The Scraper roars and sets its sights at Zeke.

"Alright, big boy. Come to papa." Zeke muttered as he took a taunting stance.

The Scraper roars in response, movinh toward Zeke as the floor shakes with it's every step.