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July/August 2022
The relationship between them had started off slow and gradually increased, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. What had begun as an impulsive act to upset Chaeri's group members, as well as rebel against the entertainment industry's flawed system, had developed into something more.
Chaeri hadn't anticipated being this drawn to Hongjoong; she hadn't expected to feel this way with anyone anymore. But it happened, and she was taken by surprise.
The day they had decided to take the plunge into a real relationship, the following weeks were full of excitement. Every time their lips touched it was like electricity running through both of them, washing away any remnants of the false connection they somehow created for the cameras. The kisses were passionate and lingering now, with no fear or doubt that this was real.
The one thing she refused to admit was that she was scared to spend the whole night with him at his dorms. It wasn't the thought of getting too intimate, seeing as it's natural for lovers to reach that level eventually. Rather, what terrified her was not knowing if her sudden episodes of paranoia would terrify him.
They had grown less frequent as she'd aged. It had been two years since her last episode of half-waking from sleep in a panic, convinced something was coming to hurt her. She had taken the advice of Namjoon and Suga, and sought out psychologists to help her work through the trauma that triggered those episodes—but never found success with any of them. Over time, however, she figured out how to lessen the chances of it happening. Perhaps she simply had to reassure herself that if she agreed to stay overnight with him after their date, the chances of it happening were almost 0.
