Pairing: Seungyoon/Mino
Genre: Dystopia!AU, Parallel Universe
Word Count: 755
Note: Thank you so much Gwynn for helping me beta <3333

“Have you ever wondered,” Mino starts, staring blankly up at the flaking ceiling of their tiny one-room apartment, “if there are other universes out there?”

“Hm?” Seungyoon hums distractedly as he fiddles with the mechanical tools on the square wooden coffee table that looks like it’s about to fall apart anytime.

“If there really is a parallel universe, do you think the other us will have a much happier life?” One free of judgement and fear.

Seungyoon turns to look at Mino lying on their battered couch, and reaches out to his green mop of hair soothingly. “Who knows.”

“At least in this universe, we have each other.”


Life hadn’t been kind to them, and the world was falling apart at its seams. The fear of being hunted forced them into hiding, constantly moving from place to place to avoid being caught. None of them knew what happened to those who were captured, for they were never seen or heard from ever again.


Mino bites his bottom lip worriedly. They had not been able to get hold of Jiho and the gang for the past few days, and an unsettling feeling washes over him. Picking up the burner phone beside him, Mino makes another call to Jiho. Tears begin to well up in his eyes as the ringing continues, and Mino rests his head on Seungyoon’s shoulder when Seungyoon shifts up onto the couch next to him.

Jiho had promised. He had promised to answer the calls within the first five rings no matter what.

“Who is this?” An unfamiliar, gruff voice and not Jiho hyung answers. “We will find you, just like your little frien–” Mino instantly hit the button to end the call in panic before the guy could say more.

.

The tears he was holding back streak down his cheeks. Mino lets out sob after sob, grieving for his hyungs and best friend. They were gone, and he knew it. Seungyoon gently his back soothingly, his soft melodic voice murmuring words of comfort continuously.

It is time for them to move once again.

“Seunghoon hyung gave me this a while ago,” Seungyoon pulls out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket when Mino’s sobs die down, unfolding it to reveal its content. “Said he and Jinwoo hyung will meet us on the Other Side – wherever that is.”

While they study the piece of paper – a simple hand drawn map of their building with numbers scribbled at the bottom – that’s when they hear it. Footsteps. Lots of them. They look at each other knowingly, swiftly grabbing their pre-packed bags. Seungyoon hurriedly packs his remaining tools into his backpack before joining Mino at their secret exit.

The footsteps are getting louder. , they are very close. Mino presses on one of the tiles and a hidden trapdoor reveals itself. He pulls it open and speedily climbs down the ladder, with Seungyoon following closely after him. Just as Seungyoon shuts the trapdoor above him, the door to their apartment bursts open and all that greets the mob of angry soldiers is an empty room with a burner phone left behind on the couch.



They make their way through the secret passages surrounding the building, all the way down to the underground sewage. Seungyoon shines his flashlight at the map as they run, following Seunghoon’s directions. The loud rush of water, rats squeaking, the sloshing of muddy water due to their boots as they move; the sounds are amplified in the dark, grimy tunnel, with their flashlights as their only light source.

“Here, this way,” Seungyoon points at one of the smaller tunnels, pulling Mino towards it.

Arriving at a dead end with surprise etched on their faces, all there is in the tunnel is a mysterious machine resting on the ground. They approach the machine together cautiously and Seungyoon turns to look at Mino. Catching his eye, Mino nods. Seungyoon walks forward and bends down in front of the machine, keying in the numbers he had memorized from the paper earlier. As soon as he presses the last number on the keypad, the portal blares to life.

“What the–”

Seungyoon moves back to stand beside Mino, reaching for his hand and entwining their fingers together, briefly giving Mino’s hand a squeeze. They stare at the swirling circles in front of them for a moment before determination sparkles in their eyes.

“Let’s do this. I trust Seunghoon hyung.”

And together, they enter the portal, leaving their dreadful world behind them.