Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The worst thing when Minho woke up wasn't the complete silence around him or the hard surface he could feel under him. It was the awful crick in his neck, one that he only got when he fell asleep upright sometimes and none of the members were there to move him to his bed. He already dreaded the amount of stretches he would have to do to get the muscles to feel alright again, and he softly groaned, not even bothering to open his eyes as he allowed himself to mourn his neck for a minute.

But then he realized just how silent and just how hard the surface under him was, and he finally opened his eyes, looking around in confusion as darkness met him everywhere he looked.

He couldn’t still be dreaming, could he? He felt far too aware for that.

“Guys?”

He didn’t think he’d get an answer, but it still couldn’t hurt to try. He weakly pushed his hands under him so he could sit up, but as soon as he could properly see around himself, the urge to call out for them became far more prominent.

“Guys!”

What the hell. There was no one.

He’d awoken on a small heightened platform, barely the size of his body when he was splayed out flat, and peering over the edges brought him a bad case of vertigo as it seemed to be raised very high. He was in some kind of dark room, he could tell from the ceiling above him, but the walls were all so far away that he could barely make out where they began or ended. Everything was pitch black, even the ground underneath him.

He only knew how high up he actually was because of those things: the white, bodiless arms that seemed to literally grow out of the floor. They were like frozen statues, the hands reaching for the platform but none of them ever touching it. And they were everywhere. The entire floor was covered in them, only small specks of black in between showing that there was, in fact, a floor under them.

Needless to say, Minho was properly creeped out.

“Guys! Hey!”

He had the feeling yelling any louder wouldn’t yield any better results, and so he pulled his knees up to himself, hating how small he felt in such a big, soundless space.

This was literally his worst nightmare.

He shut his eyes, letting out a shuddering breath. He had to calm himself down. Letting his fear take over wouldn’t get him out of here. He shouldn’t let himself be so weak.

He didn’t know where the others were, and the last thing he remembered was that they had been driving back to the dorms at the end of the night, but who knows what happened after that. While panic was trying and failing (for now) to get a hold of him, he also noticed how drowsy he still felt, as if he could fall asleep without any problem again if he wanted to.

He didn’t, but he could.

“Come on, Lee. Think.” He pressed his knees closer to his chest, trying to give himself some semblance of control back in the way he curled his back and dug his fingers into his skin. “You’re not a pussy. You can easily figure this out.”

Maybe this was an elaborate prank. Or still a dream. Or just some test that he’d forgotten about. He didn’t know what kind of idol company would test their idols by putting them on a platform surrounded by creepy white hands, but he wouldn’t put it past JYP either. That man was weird, alright, he would be capable of doing something like this.

“Haha, very funny,” he tried, raising his voice just so that it sounded as if he was annoyed at whoever was behind this. “Are you gonna give me the objective soon or what? This is honestly such a stupid idea for a SKZ code. Whoever thought of it should be fired immediately.”

No answer came, but it’s not like he expected any. Still, he had to test if anyone was there, listening or watching, and so he continued goating, trying to lure them out.

“What? Is this funny to you? Do you think I’m interested in playing the scared little idol for some dumb game show, huh? Give me a break, guys. You’re seriously demented if you think this could have worked on Lee Know. You should have tried Jisungie. Or Yongbok-ah. Even Chan-hyung would’ve been better. You seriously do not know anything, do you?”

The room remained silent, and it was seriously starting to get on his nerves. Insecurity tried to creep into his chest, but he stomped it down, welcoming irritation for it in its place.

If he just kept talking, someone was bound to respond sometime. He just had to be the ultimate winner in this game of endurance.

In the end, it wasn’t the response he’d been expecting that finally made him stop talking. No one appeared, no speaker system turned on, and no cameras popped up anywhere.

He was mid-rant, trying to come up with every insult he’d ever heard (didn’t matter which language, he’d heard a lot of insults from his English members, but also from his other friends in the industry—Korean, Japanese or otherwise, he was very creative), and then it happened.

“You fucking bastards, absolute brainless shits, dickheads, fuckwits-”

The platform shook, as if one of its pillars was suddenly displaced and caused the whole thing to tilt in a very dangerous way. He yelped, hands shooting out to grip the edges of the platform with white knuckles. He kept it up until the platform stabilized again on its own after what felt like ages, the room returning to its immobile, soundless stage.

“What was that for, huh?!” he yelled at the ceiling, shooting daggers at the darkness above him. His heart was beating a thrumming march in his chest. “What the hell was that?”

Of course, no one answered, but he got the feeling that he was being watched now. Goosebumps trailed over his back and he shivered.

“If you want me to shut up you should say it to my face, cowards!”

Though he didn’t want to risk eliciting the same response with the shaking platform (he was afraid of heights, thank you very much), he still refused to quiet down that easily. They had to do a lot more than just scare him for a second to get him to shut his mouth. And besides, it felt like they were toying with him. Raised on a small platform with weird modern art all around him, he felt as if on display. This was a sick kind of circus, and whoever had put him here enjoyed it, he just knew it.

“I’m not a damn animal for you to put on a performance, you motherfucking freaks!”

If Chan were here, he’d have an aneurism, but Minho didn’t care. He wasn’t here, and so Minho was free to be as foulmouthed as he wanted.

“Pathetic fetishizing bastards! When I get out of here, I’ll pop out all of your eyeballs and put them in the airfryer! You psychos, don’t think I won’t hesitate to sue your asses as soon as I get the chance! I’m fucking rich if you hadn’t noticed yet, I’m Lee Know from Stray Kids!”

A small voice in the back of his head was hissing at him to shut up already, but he literally, physically couldn’t. Sass and snides were the only way he could deflect, the only way he could distract himself enough so he wouldn’t fall into a full-on panic attack.

Is this how Jisungie felt before going outside on some mornings? How did he ever manage to survive that? Minho’s heart felt like it was trying to beat his bones into a pulp and jump out, while his hands were clammy and shaking. His eyes darted all around him, desperate to find a door that he might have missed or another way out. He couldn’t find anything, but he had to keep trying.

“You sick scumbags! I’ll make you regret it if you don’t let me out right now-!”

Or so help me I will stab every one of you and feed your livers to Lino-hyung’s cats!

Minho stopped in the middle of his sentence, mouth hanging open as that sudden thought had popped into his head.

He wasn’t the one to think that.

And it sounded suspiciously like Jisungie.

“Sungie…?” He muttered the name softly, as if scared that he would actually receive an answer this time, but it stayed quiet. Had he imagined it…?

Fucking hell, son of a bitch, when I get out of here, I’ll put Lee Know on your asses! He’s rich, if you didn’t know, and he can buy the best lawyers in the entire damn country to put you stupid assholes in jail!

Minho blinked, not taken aback by the amount of swearing (Jisung tended to have a very foul mouth if he felt threatened), but by just how in-character these thoughts were for Jisung. It was like the younger was directly screaming into his head, his thoughts reflecting perfectly what he would say if he wanted someone to listen to him. In fact, Minho had actually given him permission for it.

“Sungie, If you’re ever scared of someone and I’m not there, just say I’ll sue them all. That’ll keep them off your backs. Show them all how your hyung is not afraid to mess with them if they should ever mess with you first, okay?”

“You’re gonna go broke with that promise, hyung.”

But this couldn’t be happening. It was simply not possible. There was no way that Minho was actually hearing Jisung’s words right in his own mind, not when the younger was nowhere to be found and Minho had been alone ever since he’d woken up here.

He knew it was stupid, and it was just a desperate guess on his part, but even so, he tried it.

He tentatively reached out with his mind, imagining Jisungie in front of him, and thought.

Sungie?

The slew of insults stopped abruptly, and Minho held his breath.

Then, just as quiet, the voice responded.

Minho-hyung?

And oh my god, this wasn’t happening. Were they actually communicating through their minds? He was going crazy. There was no other explanation.

But no, when he thought again, trying to send it out like he was throwing a frisbee and hoping for Jisung to catch it, he actually got another answer again.

Jisungie, is that really you?

It is, hyung. I’m… so relieved to hear your voice.

Minho swallowed heavily, his heart clenching at the thought of Jisung being all alone, wherever he was. Minho could handle it, but Jisung? That poor boy got scared of so much, both being in crowds and being in total solitude. This must be total hell for him.

How are you… in my thoughts?

How are you in my thoughts, hyung?

Minho huffed, something easing inside of him at the snappy tone Jisung asked that with. That was the rapper, alright.

I was cursing out my captors when I suddenly heard you do the same. Are you… stuck somewhere too?

If that was even possible, he felt Jisung humm. It was like a phantom vibration on his own vocal cords, and somehow his mind knew exactly that that meant that Jisung had hummed, though he couldn’t hear it. This connection was really starting to creep him out.

Where are we, hyung?

Hell if I know. I just woke up on a damn platform with no way down. There are no doors and no one’s been answering me either. I thought I was all alone.

Same, actually. Even the platform part. I’m too scared to get off.

Wait, you think you could get off then?

Well yeah. It’s not that high, I could easily step off, but… when I tried it the first time, something exploded.

What?!

And it was weird, the way he just knew that Jisung had flinched at his loud tone. He could feel his own muscles wanting to do the same, to copy the move as if he was feeling just as jittery and on edge as Jisung. He had no idea what was happening anymore.

Not wanting to scare the younger again, he ‘lowered’ his voice and asked the question again, quieter.

What do you mean, exploded?

Just as I said. I think there are small mines all around me, and if I try to step off the platform, I’ll trigger them.

And damn, that was way scarier than some random modern art hand statues that Minho was dealing with.

Do you think you can avoid them?

It’s not like I can see them, hyung!

The outburst was not entirely unexpected, but it still made Minho’s ears ring. How that could happen while all the sound was happening inside his brain, he didn’t know.

Sorry, sorry. I didn’t mean to yell at you.

It’s alright. It was a stupid question anyway. If you could have avoided them, you’d be doing some reckless stunts right now, I’m sure.

Jisung’s huffed in their minds. Wow, do you have so little faith in me?

Actually, I do.

Rude.

Not as rude as your choice of words to our captors right now.

Don’t act as if you weren’t cussing them out just as much.

Minho shrugged, his lips pulling upward a bit now that they were in familiar terrain. Bantering, he knew how to do.

They deserve it, though.

They totally do.

It was quiet for a bit, the both of them having said everything they wanted to say. Minho took the small drop in conversation as a moment to look around again, hoping against all hope that he would be able to see something more than the black walls and white hands all around him. He hesitantly shifted himself until he was on his knees, and leaned forward, very carefully looking over the edge of the platform.

He didn’t see anything, but as he moved his hand along the edge to look on the other side, his fingers brushed against something and he gasped.

Instantly, Jisung’s worried thoughts flooded his mind again.

What is it, hyung? What is happening? Are you okay?

I’m fine, Han-ah. Just surprised. I think I found something.

What is it?

Minho reached for whatever it was, his hand coming back from under the platform with a small paper. He unfolded it, frowning as he read the English words on it.

Huh? What could that mean?

Apparently, reading the letters had transmitted them directly to Jisung. Minho didn’t want to dwell on the technicalities of it all before he answered.

I have no clue. It was stuck under my platform. Do you think you have a paper like this too?

Jisung didn’t respond, meaning that he was probably searching for it himself. A couple of seconds later, it was like he returned to Minho’s mind, his presence filling up the empty space again as his voice read:

What could that mean? Minho didn’t have any kind of note written under it like Jisung had. He turned the paper, finding it blank on the other side. Why did Jisung have more on it than him?

I don’t know. But it’s weird that it’s all in English, don’t you think so?

Jisung had a point there. Minho looked back at the text, trying to find any hidden meanings behind it.

Do you… think the others are somewhere here too?

We don’t even know where we are, Jisungie.

No, but I mean, like, stuck. Do you think they’re stuck somewhere too, like us?

Could be. I don’t hear any of them blaring through my head though.

They fell silent again. Too many questions were popping up one after the other, and as stuck on their platforms as they were, they had no way of answering any of them. Minho hadn’t felt helplessness like this in a long time, not since the survival- Nope, he wasn’t thinking about that. He sighed and shuffled back to the middle of his platform, dropping his trembling hands in his lap and toying with his fingers to distract himself a bit.

I hope they’re not.

Jisung’s thought came so sudden that Minho startled, already having gotten used to the silence again.

You hope they’re not what?

I hope they’re not stuck like us.

Minho agreed. It was already awful that something like this was happening to Jisung of all people, but to imagine another one of their team in a similar predicament… It wasn’t a comforting thought at all.

How do you think we got here, hyung? Jisung asked softly. The last thing I remember is being in the car…

Same for me, Sungie. I think I dozed off at some point, but that’s all I can remember.

Wait.

Jisung’s thoughts cut off. Minho hated how his heart immediately jumped at not hearing Jisung anymore. He was already getting used to having the younger in his mind, what if he had disappeared? What if their communication was cut off all of the sudden and this had been their only chance to talk? What if something happened to Jisung? What if he was hurt?

Goodness, I’m alright, hyung, don’t worry.

Minho sagged the second Jisung’s voice popped back into his mind, his panic ebbing away again

Then don’t disappear on me like that, for God’s sake.

I’m sorry, I didn’t know it would scare you that much.

Minho wanted to avert his eyes, to put up an unbothered facade and deny that he was scared, but he knew it wouldn’t have any effect. Jisung couldn’t see him anyway, and for some reason, he had no control whatsoever over his tone in his thoughts. He didn’t have any chance to mask the worry that still held him in an iron grip.

I was scared I’d lost you again.

The thought came unbidden, and he tried to reel it in the second he’d thought it, but it was too late. He could feel another heart speeding up, phantom beats spreading up on top of his own. That was no doubt Jisung’s, which meant that-

Did I just fluster you?

Wha-what? No, of course not! I was just scared you were suffering from brain damage, you- you absolute doofus.

How Jisung was stuttering inside his own mind was a mystery, but Minho couldn’t help the smirk that formed at hearing Jisung’s flustered tone.

For some reason he refused to acknowledge, it made his own heart beat faster as well. Deciding to ignore that and give Jisung a break from his teasing, he shifted back to the topic at hand.

Why did you disappear?

I was revisiting my memory.

What?

Somehow, Jisung sounded embarrassed as he answered. You know, like I tried to remember what happened. I read some people have some sort of mind palace and I wanted to try it, to walk through my memories and try to see if I know what happened.

And?

I… got lost.

Of course you did.

Hey, I tried! The last thing I know is that something was weird in the car.

Weird how?

Like, everyone was falling asleep even though they hadn't been that tired before. Lix even said that something was wrong. Channie-hyung told me the same was happening in your car.

It was? I don't remember.

No, I think you were already asleep by the time we realized something was going on.

So you think we were drugged or something?

I mean, that's the only thing I can think of. I tried to fight it too, but I failed. Channie-hyung stopped responding too.

Well, that's… ominous.

Tell me about it.

He could feel Jisung sigh.

Hyung, do you think… do you think this is a kidnapping? Like, with ransom and things like that?

If so, then it's a very extensive one. My room is gigantic.

Yeah, true. I… really hope the others are okay.

Worry about yourself first, Sungie. Thinking about them won't do us any good right now when we can’t help them anyway.

I guess you're right.

He didn't sound convinced in the slightest, and Minho wanted to do anything to lessen the panic the younger was no doubt feeling. He hugged his knees back to his chest, hoping that maybe Jisung could feel it too.

Don't worry, Sungie. We're gonna get out of here. As you said, if those bastards don't let us go soon, I'll send an army of lawyers after them.

A sense of chuckling bubbled up in his throat, and knowing that it came from Jisung, he couldn't help but be relieved. It meant his distraction was working.

And afterwards, let's get Chan-hyung to treat us all to tteokbokki or something. I'm starving.

Can we get pizza, too?

We'll get everything, anything the others want too. We'll make the biggest buffet the company's ever seen. It's gonna be insane. The financial department is going to be crying because of us.

Jisung didn’t respond immediately, but Minho just knew he was smiling. That was one good thing about this. They might have been stuck somewhere they didn't know, but at least he wasn't as alone as he'd initially thought. Just hearing Jisung's voice, no matter how weird it was that it was inside his head, was the only thing keeping him sane right now.

And wow, he never thought he'd ever think that way. Most of the time, he couldn't wait for the rapper to finally shut up. How the tables had turned, hm?

What are you thinking about, hyung?

How annoying you are, he didn't hesitate to think.

Somehow I doubt that.

You don't know what I think.

You're thinking right now, aren't you?

Do you want to join Hyunjin in the airfryer next time?

The banter was safe, it was Minho's love language, and if he would have taken any more time to think about it, he would have realized that a special kind of sass was specifically reserved for his members.

But he didn't get the chance to think any more things, as without warning, the platform tilted again, making him yell out in shock as he clamped the edges of it in fear.

It rocked back and forth once before it stopped. Minho's pulse beat against his eardrums painfully.

What was that?! Hyung, why are you suddenly feeling so dizzy?!

It's nothing Jisung-ah. If he could have panted in his thoughts, he would have. He felt winded from the constant jump scares.

It's not nothing! I can feel your nausea pressing on my own chest! What happened?

The platform moved.

What?

It becomes unstable sometimes. Like it's gonna fall.

Wait, hyung, how… high is your platform?

You don't wanna know.

And he truly didn't. Minho didn't even want to know himself, and Jisungie's fear of heights was worse than his own. He held back from glancing over the edge again, knowing that the sight of all those frozen hands reaching for him would only make him more queasy.

Jisung was silent for a bit, and it gave Minho the time to calm himself. He needed to keep it together so the younger wouldn't suffer. Whatever this connection was between them, it was as much of a blessing as it was a curse, and he refused to give Jisung any more reason to panic. Jisung already dealt with enough.

Hyung, I think I can see a door up ahead.

What? Are you sure?

Yeah, I can barely see it, but I think there's one in the wall the furthest away from me. Maybe if I can get to it, I can get to you.

Don't you dare, you said there were mines-

I'll be fine, hyung. I have to try. Even if it doesn't lead to you, maybe I can get out of here and alert the authorities or something.

I don't like this plan at all.

And I didn't ask if you liked it. I'm gonna step off my platform. I'll keep in touch if I find something.

Jisung, no-

But Minho could feel Jisung's presence retreating again and he cursed. Jisung was already reckless on a good day. Fueled by panic and the instinct to save their members, who knew what kind of stupid things the younger would be capable of?

Jisungie, stay right where you fucking are.

No answer came, and the silence gave Minho goosebumps. He just got the younger back, he couldn't go back to being completely alone again so soon. He hated how helpless he was, how Jisung could just choose to retreat like this from their connection and leave Minho in even more darkness than he already was. There was nothing he could do, no way to pull the younger back to safety and or convince him to come back.

He left Minho, and Minho was fucking helpless to do anything against it.

A sudden burning razed over the skin of his right leg and he yelled, his hands shooting out to cradle it in pain.

What the hell was that?!

Jisung, I swear to God, if it is your fault my leg feels like it's about to fall off…

Ugh…

The thought from Jisung was almost too quiet to make out, but it's not like there were any other sounds around, so Minho heard it loud and clear.

Jisungie! Hey! Answer me, what happened?

Maybe you were right about the mines…

Jisung's voice was laced with pain. Minho felt much the same, the skin on his leg was burning, though pulling his pant leg up revealed unblemished skin.

Can you walk? Was the first thing he asked. Because if this was what he was feeling, he couldn't imagine how Jisung must be feeling.

It's alright, but…

Jisung trailed off, and Minho waited patiently until he spoke again.

I ran back to the platform. The explosion- I can't- the sound is too loud, hyung. I'm scared…

You're okay, Sungie. Just… stay on the platform please. You gave me a heart attack.

I'm sorry, hyung…

Minho sighed, rubbing his leg with a grimace. It really hurt, the phantom pain of the burn from the explosion still tingling across his skin.

They couldn't risk letting Jisung walk around again. And it was not just because if he got hurt Minho would feel it. Jisung shouldn't be getting hurt at all. They had to think of something else, something that would get them both out without possibly losing a limb in the process.

They were stuck. With Minho unable to move anywhere at all and Jisung being surrounded by literal explosions, they had no way out. The only solution Minho could think of was to wait for rescue from outside. And oh, how he hated that.

He just had to hope that someone even knew they were gone.

Minho massaged his skin, rubbing careful circles on it in order to alleviate some of the pain for both him and Jisung.

He didn't like to be as helpless as he was, but his hands were tied.

They had to wait for rescue.

At least he wasn't alone, or else he would have lost it a long time ago already.

I'm scared, hyung.

I know.

He hesitated, but decided that they were in it together now anyway, and added:

Me too.