Author-nim's favorite animal are brown bears, and in this story, this would explain why. Enjoy! :D
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Sweat dripping down the side of her head, hands shaking, knees trembling, Mina couldn't move her body. She can see a black figure walking slowly towards her. A long-limbed black creature that has no face, stood beside Mina. They were staring at each other, Mina hoping that it would go away. The creature choked Mina, the poor girl couldn't move a single muscle.
She was woken up by Chaeyoung, who was panicking about Mina's sleep paralysis. She heard Mina choking in her sleep, so she resorted into shaking her rapidly. Mina broke into tears and hugged Chaeyoung tightly, who was holding Mina's bear, Tim.
"It's okay, baby. Tim and I are here." Chaeyoung assures Mina while rubbing her back. She kisses her on her scalp and makes Tim hug Mina too.
Mina calmed down and stayed in Chaeyoung's arms.
"Minari? Do you want to talk about what happened?"
"W-we were s-sleeping and s-something was w-walking towards me a-and started c-choking me" Mina said while she broke into tears again.
"I c-couldn't move, I was s-scared that it would h-hurt you too." Mina's shivering from fear in Chaeyoung's arms, who was thinking of how to cheer Mina up.
"Mina?" Mina looked up to Chaeyoung, who kissed her on the lips.
"Thank you for trying to protect me. You didn't have to."
"I want to. You are my cub, I'd do anything to protect you." Mina wipes her tears while pouting.
"I'm here, okay? Look at Tim. He did a great job in helping me wake you up."
Chaeyoung took Tim and placed him in Mina's arms.
"Tim and I will protect you from nightmares, okay? You will never see that thing ever again."
"We promise." Chaeyoung says whole holding Tim's hand, making a promise gesture from its paw. Mina smiled and hugged them both. She was lucky to have Chaeyoung in her life.
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"Minari! I bought you something!!" Chaeyoung screamed happily when she got home. She saw Mina watching TV with Tim in their living room, so she sprinted towards them.
"Look! I got you more bodyguards!"
Mina looked at Chaeyoung's bags and saw 3 brown bears, each of different styles and sizes. She even bought different clothes for the bears to wear, even Tim.
Mina chuckles and hugs them all. Chaeyoung kisses her on the forehead, grabs her face and stares at her lovingly.
"They will protect you, okay? I promise."
Mina nods and decides to tease Chaeyoung.
"I thought you were going to protect me?"
"But I'm always sleepyyyy. Let them protect you in your sleep, I'll give you cuddles instead."
Mina smiles widely and hugs Chaeyoung. They spent their entire afternoon, changing the bears' clothes for the evening.
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Ever since the sleep paralysis incident, Mina has been sleeping soundly every night, surrounded by Chaeyoung and their army of bears.
At this point, they fixed the headrest of their bed in order for the bears to fit, and even installed a shelf on top.
Chaeyoung loves Mina alot. Everytime she goes out, she comes home with a bear for Mina. She will always remember that Mina would put Chaeyoung first before her, and that really stuck to her.
