I know this isn't the first and not the last story to do it, but does this happen? Do people just get up to other people and grab them? And if so how often does that happen?
Naur this shit absolutely does not happen. It's just an overused plot device to create conflict cause human brains enjoy plot structure and we need our characters to experience challenges that make the rewards feel earned. Authors understand that so they add some external conflict in order to push the two characters together. It's a practical solution since it makes one character look good and makes their romance feel like it has a structural reason to progress to the next step (kind of like when the main character saves a cat in the beginning of the story or help an old lady across the street to establish they're a good person. They're all plot solutions using external problems)....
Not saying it's a good technique. It's incredibly cliché, feels out of place, and introduces useless characters that make the worldbuilding feel shallow. Most importantly, it has nothing to do with character conflict/desire/need. It's like fast food in writing techniques.
last edited at Apr 30, 2023 2:02AM