𝐂𝐎𝐆𝐍𝐈𝐙𝐀𝐍𝐓 ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳ 𝐧𝐜𝐭 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 - 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐳𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐮

⇛ 𝐂𝐇. 𝟒𝟔

"okay, okay. just wait. i'll go get—" sumin began to say but was cut off when haechan grabbed her wrist, stopping her from leaving.

"wait." he began to cough harshly.

"haechan, let me just get taeil and he can help."

"no. please. let me tell you everything before i forget it all again." he sat up and looked at her in desperation and she couldn't possibly argue with him.

"okay..."

"i remember everything from before the maze. i remember who i was... my real name is donghyuck lee. my birthday is sixth of june. i should be nineteen years old now. my parents... my mother died to the flare before i was taken by wicked. my father probably died not long after. and... and you're my best friend. not just from the maze but from before it too."

sumin watched him, slowly blinking as there was a growing ache in her head. she couldn't form any words to reply to him with and then suddenly her emotions erupted. she threw her arms around him, pulling her body close to him as she let tears spill from her eyes.

"i missed you so much!" she exclaimed.

"sumin..." he whispered, carefully running his hand through her hair. "i'm so sorry i forgot you."

"why are you apologising for losing your memory?" she sniffled, sitting on the bed to hug him tighter. "you're such a shuckface."

"i..." he muttered as tears of his own began to well up in his eyes. "i love you, sumin. i never want to forget you again. we've been through so much together and i remember it all now."

"and i'm never going to let you leave again." she tried her best to not let out sobs but it was so hard after everything that had happened.

"stop crying please." he whispered, adjusting their position so she was laying down resting her head on his shoulder.

"i thought you'd never remember me and that i'd have to befriend you all over again... start from the beginning. but it wouldn't be the same because you weren't the haechan i knew."

"i know... i know."

he didn't know what else to say so all he could do was comfort her with hugs and small words. as much as he wanted to be there for her and assure her everything would be fine, there was too much on his mind. with all his old memories suddenly coming back, his head felt like it was going to explode. there was a lot to think about, too much new — or old — information, stuff that none of his other friends remembered. he felt this sudden huge weight on his shoulders as if he had uncovered secrets, things he felt he should tell his friends, some things that could heal them and some that could ruin them.

after a while of sitting on the bed in silence and playing with sumin's hair, he noticed the soft sound of air leaving her nose as she slept. he hadn't realised she had fallen asleep while crying. he carefully wiped away some tears from under her eyes and on her cheeks

the opening to the tent was then lifted up and he dropped his hand, looking over to see who was entering. it was mark, jeno and jaemin. their eyes widened in utter surprise when they saw haechan sitting there awake with sumin asleep in his arms.

"hey..." he spoke first.

"haechan... you..." jaemin began, not being able to finish his sentence.

"i remember." he nodded and the younger hurried over to hug him.

"careful." haechan warned as jaemin leaned over sumin to reach him. the hug lasted for as long as he could strain his body for, trying not to fall on top of the sleeping brunette and then he pulled back.