Hey! I didn't know there was a name for this, but from some basic internet reading I can say you're not alone. I'm not sure how many of these little multiple dudes one needs to qualify, but I get them quite frequently on my upper lip and chin. They're actually kind of fun to tweeze and separate if you're weirdly masochistic like I am. I'm also cursed with the Scandinavian fair/red hairs which on a hair-by-hair basis are thicker on average. I feel your pain.
So, long story short, you're progress is going about the same as mine was. Any hairs within about 2 inches from my mouth cannot be shaved against the grain, they are just too stout. Try to focus on with the grain passes and oblique angles (maybe halfway between WTG and XTG). Also, drawing the blade along the hairs (guillotine or scything strokes) has done me wonders. Try to think about how cutting something on a cutting board is a lot easier if you move in a slicing motion rather than a pushing motion. Now, consider that happening on a microscopic level on your face and you get the idea.
Just keep at it! My success in shaving has come in strongly-contested small yardage rather than big downfield plays. Big 10 rather than SEC. It won't come overnight, but it will come.