17: Day 3 Jeju Island!
Chaeyoung's mental illness revealed.
3rd Person's POV
Mina woke up sloppily from her bed. As soon as she got inside her room yesterday night, Dahyun immediately threw a pillow at her— which eventually led into an intense pillow fight.
She got up whilst rubbing her eyes, hearing 3 consecutive loud knocks on their door. Groaning, she lazily stood up to check who it was.
Her eyes lit up in excitement like she's having an adrenaline rush. "Chaeyoungie!" she called and hugged the cute cub in front of her.
Chaeyoung, who was at loss for words, returned the hug back and patted her Unnie's back gently. "Yes, yes. It's me. Chaeyoungie." she chuckled.
Mina pulled away from the hug after realizing that it became a 2 minute-long hug already. To ease the awkwardness building up inside her, she cleared her throat and flashed a smile. "So, what brings you here?"
"Oh, I need to see Dahyun. I have to tell her to pack her things already."
The Penguin's eyebrows furrowed in bewilderment. "What? Why? We're supposed to leave at 4 PM right?" she asked continuously.
Chaeyoung put one hand on the nape of her neck, she was finding an excuse to get away from her question. "Uhm.. due to various reasons, the 3 of us have to leave early. Mianhae, unnie. We won't be able to go home with you guys." she apologized, her eyes downcast.
It's not like Mina can do anything about it anyway. Plus, she doesn't expect Chaeyoung to state what the reason is but there's this little feeling inside her that she wants to know. She wants answers yet the cub in front of her won't give her one. Even a hint.
The older one sighed, gesturing Chaeyoung to come in. "It's fine. I guess I'll just be a bit lonely without you here." she bravely said which made the younger one blush faintly. Mina fist pumped after noticing this. 'Yes! I made her blush!'
The little beast decided to shrug it off and wake her annoying friend instead. "Yah Dahyunie! Wake up!!"
The Tofu who seems to be unexpectedly stubborn, stirred over to the left side of the bed. She still hasn't woke up. She's definitely getting on Chaeyoung's nerves.
Due to Chaeyoung's short patience, she slapped Dahyun's cheeks real hard which made her friend shriek in pain with her eyes wide open. "WHAT THE HECK IS YOUR PROBLEM?!"
"Duh! We have to leave early, remember?" she rolled her eyes at her dumb, forgetful friend. "Hurry up. Tzuyu and I will wait for you in our room."
Meanwhile, Mina kept on chuckling at the adorable sight held in front of her. She can't help but grin since the two were cute as heck.
She was leaning on the doorway with her arms crossed and snapped out of her thoughts when Chaeyoung cleared her throat. "You seem to be having fun laughing on your own." she teased.
Mina playfully slapped Chaeyoung's arm and smiled, "Silly! Go to your room now!"
"Alright, alright~ See you at Seoul!" the little beast cheerfully waved whilst running backwards.
Although on the other hand, the Penguin was not satisfied on the expression plastered on Chaeyoung's face today. Her smile seems so fake or maybe she's just overthinking it?
Chaeyoung's POV
We're currently on our way back to Seoul. After riding the ferry, we rode the van next since our Manager Oppa insisted on driving us home. Dahyun was whining all day long because she got separated from her beloved Momo unnie. It's actually strange to see them getting along all of a sudden. From what I've observed the both of them seem to be pretty tense when we met in the Teacher's Office.
I don't really want to go back to Seoul yet. I want to go home with the others but considering my situation, it really is a must to return.
But... I wanted to be with Mina unnie one last time before I completely disappear from her sight.
"Chaeng? You okay?" Tzuyu who is beside me, squeezed my hands tightly. I couldn't help but nod in return. My voice isn't coming out due to anxiety. "Everything will be fine. We're here for you."
I felt Dahyun's hands on my shoulder next as she sadly smiled at me. "Tzuyu's right."
I'm glad that I have the both of them by my side.
What would I ever do if they leave me?
<><><><><><>
After a few hours, we finally reached home. My Eomma was sitting on the couch, waiting there for me with a worried look on her face. Well, this is not unusual at all. "Chaeng.. are you ready?" she asked.
I nodded and gave a faint smile, "Yes..." I said as my two best friend tightened their grip both on my hands. Next, my eyes went to the lady who looks like in her mid-30's already. She was wearing a lab coat and she definitely looks like a person from the Medical ward considering the files and papers she's carrying on her hands. I smiled at the guest and questioned my Eomma, "Is she my psychiatrist?"
She nodded and patted my back, "That's right."
The lady put her files down on the table and stood up, offering me a handshake. "Hello, I am Song Hye Kyo. Your personal Psychiatrist." I gladly accepted her hands and was about to introduce myself but she suddenly spoke, "You're Son Chaeyoung. I know. Your eomma has been telling me lots of things about you." she sat down and pat the seat next to her. "Come sit beside me."
I'm scared.
I glanced at Tzuyu and Dahyun and they both nodded at me. Their eyes were encouraging me and I think it worked.
Nervously, I sat down next to Hye Kyo-ssi then she began to talk. "Chaeyoung. You are well aware of the fact that you have Dissociative Identity Disorder right?" hearing her intense question made the remaining smile disappear from my face. It's like my world has shut itself down. "Is she showing up lately? Your other personality I mean. " she added.
Just so you know, Dissociative identity disorder is characterized by the presence of two or more distinct or split identities or personality states that continually have power over the person's behavior. Lucky enough, there's only one personality added. I can't handle it if it'll be 5 or more.
The bad thing about this sickness is, I don't have any recollection of the events that my other personality did, which means when my other personality takes control over my whole body, I won't remember what she did.
I went silent. There's something blocking the words to come out of my mouth. The sweat from my forehead traveled down to my neck and it feels like I was having a break from the real world.
Well, my silence went on only for a short span of time since my eomma snapped me out of my thoughts by pinching my waist. She does that often. "Oh.. uhm.. yes. She's been showing up a lot lately." I hurriedly took my jacket off and showed the scars that was done by my other self to my arm. "She also tried self-harming." I said, trying my best to prevent my voice from cracking.
Hye Kyo-ssi inspected my arms first before she began to talk again, "You shouldn't go to school for 3 weeks." hearing that dropped my mood.
Like helloo! I need to study more since I am aiming to be the school's valedictorian and not only that, I have friends waiting for me. Also, I'm a school idol so how can she expect me to obey her order?!
" I don't want to."
She sighed, averting her gaze from me. Her fingers kept turning the files' pages she's been holding onto one by one. "If this goes on, we can't guarantee your safety anymore. You can switch personalities in no time and it'll be all over for you. Would you like everybody to know your illness, Chaeyoung-ssi?"
Everyone... ? know my illness?
I wonder how would they react? would they get scared? would they avoid me?
The TWICE members... I'm so scared to see their reactions.
Especially Mina unnie.
"T-Tell me why I shouldn't go to school. Eomma always sent our bodyguards to check up on me." I stammered.
She put the files she's scanning through and through down and turned to face me. "You'll let the real Chaeyoung take over your body for 3 whole weeks. I also assume that you know you're not the real Chaeyoung, right? The real Chaeyoung—" she paused, pointing her forefinger to my body. "—is trapped inside there."
.
.
.
Oh..
That's right..
I'm the fake one..
Once the time comes where I get the long-term treatment which includes talk therapy or psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, and adjunctive therapies ... I won't exist anymore.
The Chaeyoung they'll meet will be the depressed, sad and sorrowful one, the original one.
Mina unnie will... meet that kind of Chaeyoung.
I don't want that.
I want to be with them forever .
Eotteoke? I don't want to disappear.
Mina's POV
"Minari! Loosen up those brows will you?" Sana who is seated beside me here in the bus, scolded me. "We'll see them once we get home. Don't worry." Says the person who has her eyebrows knitted intensely. Sana and Momo looks way more upset than me and I've got no energy to argue more about that.
Ever since they those 3 left, I've been feeling uneasy. It's like something bad is happening as of now without us knowing. Plus, this lingering feeling inside me that is suspicious with those 3 is yet to subside. I am really curious.
I observed a few things about them anyway and I think it's the right time for me to conclude things but not precisely since I don't have that much information.
My first observation was, the way Tzuyu fiddles with her fingers whenever she's telling us something. At some other days, she doesn't fiddle with her fingers that much and I noticed that she only does that whenever the topic is averted to Chaeyoung which is weird. The second one was, when Chaeyoung suddenly had this crazy headache that made all of us worry about her. Seriously, I thought she was gonna die that moment. Third one is the way Dahyun glares at Kang Dal Po's poster and the way she denies the fact that Kang Dal Po and Son Chaeyoung has the same features on their faces.
Last one is... Chaeyoung's handkerchief which has a stain of blood. I don't really get that part but I somehow get the feeling that she's sick or maybe she had a nosebleed out of nowhere.
I don't know how to connect these infos yet so I guess I shall embark on a new journey to become an Investigator, lol.
"Gosh! Nayeon is so slow! Where the heck is she?!" Jeongyeon snapped. It's actually 4:30 PM right now and we were supposed to leave at 4:00 PM. "Mina, how about you come with me and search for her?"
Ugh, searching for that annoying Bunny? Of course I don't want to, but I can't refuse Jeongyeon either.
I faked a smile and nodded, "Yeah sure."
She took the lead and I followed behind her. While walking around, I'm still putting the puzzle pieces inside my head, regarding about Chaeyoung's secret. I am so confused.
Jeongyeon told me that we should separate ways and I agreed. We can find Nayeon faster this way. I went to the hotel's garden while Jeongyeon checked the hotel's restaurant in case that dummy bunny is binge eating again.
Surprisingly enough, this was the same place where me and Chaeyoung reconciled about our.. little fight. I was having these crazy flashbacks about it when I suddenly heard Nayeon's voice not that far from here. Finally!
I followed where the voice was coming from and saw Nayeon behind a tree. She was talking with someone so I hid from the bushes to eavesdrop, intentionally. Since I am so bored I decided to do this. What? It's not like I'll get found out.
"Taehyung, are you really sure that your eomma hasn't found any other solution for Chaeyoung's illness?"
Wait, Taehyung? Why is she talking with him?
and wait... Chaeyoung's illness? What?
"No. I haven't heard any updates from my eomma either, Nayeon. How about your eomma? I heard she sent her assistant as her substitute to Chaeyoung's place today." said Taehyung.
I can see that they're talking seriously but why are they talking about Chaeyoung's illness? I hope they spill the beans already.
"Yeah. Eomma sent Miss Song Hye Kyo to their place. Chaeyoung along with her 2 dork friends came home with her." Nayeon crossed her arms but the troubled expression on her face has yet to go away. "What.. What will we do if the happy Chaeyoung we got used to be with, disappeared? I haven't talk with the real Chaeyoung that much." tears suddenly started to from in Nayeon's orbs. "I don't want the fake Chaeyoung to go away."
Huh?
Fake Chaeyoung and Real Chaeyoung?
What in the world are they blabbering about?
This doesn't make any sense.
"We can't do anything about it. It's the irony of having split personalities and the bad thing here is, the Chaeyoung you guys know, the Chaeyoung you're laughing and hanging out with, is a fake. " Taehyung placed his hand at Nayeon's back, comforting her. "Let's just accept it. Sooner or later, the Chaeyoung that everybody knows will disappear."
Subconsciously, I stood up from my spot and revealed myself from them. I couldn't hold it in anymore. This is nonsense. I'm so confused. "M—Mina? What are you doing here?" Nayeon started to panic.
I ignored her question and stood in front of her, holding her arms tightly. "Hey, tell me. Is that true?" my voice cracked. The tears that I've been holding in started to flow down uncontrollably. "It's not true right? There's no way Chaeyoung would have an illness like that." I said, still denying what I heard earlier. "Please tell me it's not true."
My grip tightened and I heard her yelp in pain. Taehyung, held my hand and tried to calm me down. "Calm down, Mina-ssi." I obeyed him and loosened my grip on Nayeon's arm. "I will answer in her stead."
I was waiting for him to say it's a lie.
Once he tells me that, I'll go home with a smile.
Everything will go back the way it used to be.
I'll still see the smiling Chaeyoung running to me.
What they were talking about is a lie.
I know it is.
Right?
.
.
.
"It's true. Chaeyoung has a Dissociative Identity Disorder and.. the Chaeyoung you've been with these past few months is not the real one."
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END
A/N:
Chaeyoung has a Dissociative Personality Disorder, which means she can have another personality.
In this story, the Chaeyoung that has been hanging out with them is the fake one. She's the additional personality which is not supposed to exist.
The original/real Chaeyoung will be revealed on the next chapter. The suicidal and depressed one. Dissociative Identity Disorders can be trigerred through traumas. You'll find out later on what Chaeng's trauma is.