The Underground (Minho x Reader)

Did We Know Each Other?

She woke up in the maze, no memory other than an echo in her mind. On constant repeat, someone in the back of her head saying 'you need to find him.' The voice was feminine, urgent and yet quiet. Hushed and frantic, the girl could only make the assumption that she wasn't supposed to be here. Someone had put her here against orders. She couldn't remember anything aside from her name, but that didn't mean she was clueless.

Something tickled her hand. There was an old faded picture crumpled in her palm of a boy, one with dark hair and eyes. She didn't recognize him, but the directions were clear. This was the one she needed to find. With nothing other than stone walls all around her, she figured she better start making ground sooner than later.

She ran for what felt like hours. Each breath felt like razor blades down her dry throat and her legs were slowly becoming less and less limber. Stopping wasn't an option, though. Those hours soon faded in significance and night fell. The walls were now moving, it was dark and something or someone was screaming in the distance.

It was early into the second day when she entered a new section of the maze. It seemed brighter and at each intersecting point where the maze branched off, there were piles of old ivy withered up. Except for one pile which then led into a trial, fresh and green. She followed it.

She ambled slowly through the tall corridors. She shivered and yet was burning up. The breeze flowing through had a cold bite and there was nothing she could do to warm herself other than find a patch of sun or to move faster. The t-shirt and shorts did nothing to warm her or her diminishing spirit. Her body felt like it was falling apart piece by piece. Frequently, her consciousness lapsed and she had to look at that photo in her hand to remind her of what she was doing.

Coming bursting around the corner, the girl froze at the sight of a body careering at her. She didn't have the power to run anymore and her mind was rotten from dehydration. She hardly knew what was going on. So, she stared blankly at the body approaching. Her eyes came into focus once the person slowed to a jog and came within six feet of her.

"The...shuck?" He stepped closer, confused, unsure if she was real. "Who the hell are you?"

It took a second, but the girls mind finally kicked back into gear. Her expression lifted. "You're him! It's you!"

Her eyes flickered between the picture of the boy and him standing right there a couple times. The photo was obviously older than she thought since this boy had certainly aged since it was taken. But, there was no mistaking the face. It was him.

"Okay? Yeah, I'm Minho." He eyed the photo. He even knew it was of himself. A little unnerved, he shifted his weight. "And you are?"

"Uhm—" She was suddenly painfully aware of her own existence. "I'm Y/N. At least I think I am. That's all I can remember."

Minho raised a brow. He was still unsure of the girl and the circumstances in which he'd found her, but he'd taken a quick liking. She seemed strong. By the looks of it, she'd also made it at least a night alone out here.

"How'd you get here?"

"I woke up a couple days ago somewhere—" She turned around and threw her arms in the other direction. "Somewhere out there. I had this picture and a voice in my head that kept saying 'you need to find him.' That's all I know."

Minho took the photo and examined it, looking for clues. "Someone sent you here for a reason then. Odd the creators didn't send you up in the box."

Y/N tried to catch the boy's eyes. "I don't think it was your creators who sent me. It had to be someone else. I don't think I'm supposed to be here."

The runner scanned the girls face. It wasn't like he was searching for a hint of dishonestly, but he was looking for a sign she was being genuine. He didn't find any doubt in her features. "Two days, huh?"

Y/N nodded weakly.

"We should get you to the Glade for some rest." He shoved the photo in his pocket. Quickly, he scanned her over. "Can you run?"

"Maybe a little more." She shrugged halfheartedly. Despite being half-dead, she was sure she could make it just a little further, especially when there was promise of food and water on the other side.

"Alright," Minho shift his running pack. "Let's go!" He bounded off but soon settled into a slow jog Y/N kept a comfortable pace with. It had been a long time since Minho had a running partner and just being able to hear the breath of someone else and the pounding of their feet against concrete made him feel more human. Everyday he ran, he felt less and less real. It was like each day in the maze replaced a small piece of himself with something mechanical. Slowly, he was becoming a machine. An engine built solely for finding a way out of the maze. It hurt. That heartbeat now beside him was a reminder he was still real.

Their run was silent. When they finally set foot in the Glade though, the boy smirked down at the girl and put a hand on her shoulder. "Hopefully we can figure this out and you get to stay. You'd make a good running partner."

"More running?" She nearly melted. After two days of straight running, she wasn't looking forward to doing it again without at least a few days rest. And just by the way he was built, Y/N knew he ran everyday. Being his running partner, or whatever that was, seemed like a daunting job. She'd constantly be chasing after him.

"Not yet," Minho laughed. "Let's go get you some food and water first."

Sitting in the Glade, now surrounded by a flurry of Gladers asking questions, the only person she seemed to hear or pay attention to was him. Probably because he was the only one she trusted so far. And, she was focused solely on the food and water while resting her tired legs. Clint and Jeff tended to some small wounds but she paid no attention.

"You seem so relaxed about all of this," Y/N said quietly. "You know something, don't you?"

"I might." He looked to her and took in a deep breath. "I have a feeling we knew each other before all of this. That's why you're here." Nervously, Minho looked down to his arm. There, inked in his skin, was the first letter of the girls name. He'd noticed a small M on her arm earlier as well. Had they done these themselves before the memory wipe in hopes they'd find each other? Trigger memories? He wasn't sure. Either way, he wasn't going to say anything until he knew it was the right time. As it seemed right now, that could be quite a while.