CONNECT |Enhypen's 8th member|

Chapter Ten: The Final Test

Jake, Sunghoon, Jay, and Daisy sat in the room together.

After she'd talked to them about why they hid Jake's feelings from her, they apologized for not being completely honest. She understood, and forgave them.

Now, the four sat, trying to figure out how to start the discussion of introducing Jake to the relationship.

"How jealous are you right now?" Jay finally asked.

"Jay!" Daisy scolded.

"What? We've gotta know what we're dealing with here. That's the first and hardest part to deal with."

Daisy turned to Sunghoon for help, only to deflate when he agreed with Jay. "I..." All heads turned to Jake as he quietly began speaking. "I don't like seeing you be affectionate with them, but it's not so bad that I'm gonna punch someone or something."

"That's better than where Jay started," Daisy teased, earning a flick from said boy.

"It's about the inclusion, right?" Sunghoon asked, ignoring his partners' antics. Jake nodded, still feeling quite awkward.

"Would you two stop it for two seconds?" Sunghoon finally snapped, tired of them squabbling and pinching each other next to him. Daisy giggled, pecking his cheek as an apology. She looked up and noticed Jake smiling slightly.

He flushed when she asked him about it. "It's just...you seem...happy. It's nice." Jay and Sunghoon exchanged a glance before bursting into laughter.

"Oh man, he's whipped."
"Is that what we looked like back then?"

Jake was now beet red as Daisy scolded both of them, smacking their heads with pillows before going to sit beside Jake on the opposite side of the room. "I'll be frank," Sunghoon started finally.

"If it were anyone else, I would be pretty against the idea. But you're a cool guy, and you care about her. So, it's fine with me."

Jay nodded in agreement. "But if you hurt her, I will kill you." Jake expected him to chuckle after and signal he was joking, but grew tense as he realized he was serious. Daisy stood, opening the door.

"Can I talk to Jake alone?"

They stood, pecking her lips before leaving her be with him. She sat on her bed, gesturing for him to come next to her. He obeyed, putting a decent amount of space between them, which she respected.

"They took that better than I thought," Jake commented. Daisy nodded slightly.

"I think it's because of everything we've been through together. We trust each other more than most couples do." She turned to him, and he sensed that she was suddenly nervous.

"Jake, I need to talk to you about my bipolar episodes," she started, her hands clenching into fists. He waited for her to continue.

"Both mania and depression obviously suck, but with mania...sometimes I..." Jake grabbed her hand gently, squeezing. She took a shaky breath before continuing. "When I'm manic, I can become very impulsive, and sometimes that can lead to...to a desire to do things that are...intimate."

Jake flushed deeply, unsure of where this was going. She made eye contact with him, and he stilled as he noticed the glassiness of her eyes.

"One day, I might try to do something that makes you uncomfortable, and I'm so, so sorry. But promise me you won't let me. Never let me do anything you don't consent to."

His heart broke as tears spilled from her eyes. "Come here," his voice rumbled. He pulled her into a comforting embrace, assuring her that he wouldn't let that happen. She sniffled, thanking him as she calmed down. They stayed like that for a while until he noticed light snores coming from her. He looked down and realized she'd fallen asleep.