Make Me STAY

Hug Me

Rose pulled Felix in for a hug and the dancer held on tightly to her.

"Of course they are, Sweetie, my soulmate lives here so there won't be a problem. Don't worry, okay?"

"Okay, Noona."

Chan ruffled Felix's hair as the young boy still looked worried. Changbin came over and poked the younger boy's cheek.

"What's with the sad face?"

"Noona might get kicked out of the country!"

"Felix..."

Chan went to reprimand the dancer for needlessly worrying the others but it was too late.

"No! They'll have to get through me before I'll let them take Rose-Noona!"

Everyone looked at Hyunjin in surprise.

"While I'm glad you've had a change of heart, that won't be necessary. As Rose's soulmate - me - lives here, she can get a soulmate visa, no problem. Let's get back to work shall we."

Chan walked back into position and the others followed apart from Changbin.

"Is that true?"

"Yes. At least that's what they told me on the phone. We just need to go and show our marks as proof."

"Good. We'd do whatever it took to make sure you stayed, but I'm glad there's a simple solution."

Changbin wrapped his arm around her shoulder and gave her a squeeze.

"Changin, leave my assistant alone!"

"Yes, Sir!"

Rose stifled a laugh as she sat back down in her position as the boy's audience.

Late that afternoon, Chan and Rose entered the Soulmate Registration Office. They met with an officer who got them to fill out some paperwork, answer some questions and tested their bond.

"And how long have you been bonded?"

The two soulmates looked at each other before trying to work it out.

"Umm, 4? 5 months?"

"Nearly 6 months."

"Okay, so you're registering your bond now because Rose's work visa expired?"

"That's correct."

"That's fine... Right, now I just need to confirm the bond. If you could hold out your left hands, please."

The officer looked over their marks with a device.

"What does that do?"

"Confirms it's genuine."

"You mean people get fake soulmarks?!"

"Unfortunately, yes. Especially to get visas. I just need to speak with my colleague. I'll be right back."

Rose looked at Chan in alarm and he squeezed her hand.

Another officer entered.

"Hello, I'm a soulmate specialist and I've been asked to consult. May I?"

Chan and Rose had their soulmarks examined again.

"Has anything upsetting happened between you two recently?"

Neither said anything but the answer must have been written on their faces.

"I see. Now there's no need to worry, but your bond is weak."

"Weak?'

"That can happen?"

"Yes. With time it will heal if whatever happened is resolved of course."

"So we shouldn't worry?"

"No -"

"What if it isn't resolved?"

"You mean if your bond doesn't heal? Then there is a possibility that it would break."

"Break?"

"Don't panic! It's very rare. Something extreme would have to happen to cause a soulmate bond to break. Usually, while the bond is weak you could feel ill, like having a cold. The longer it goes without healing the worse you might feel."

"Is that the only side effect?"

"I'll admit that this is a fairly new field. Not much is known about weakened soulbonds. So this is all I can tell you for certain to expect."

"How do we... How do you know if your -"

"How do you know if your bond breaks? It will be the same as when someone's soulmate dies before they meet them. Do you know...?"

Rose nodded while Chan shook his head. The leader looked at his soulmate curiously for a second before paying attention to the specialist.

"In the case that a person's soulmate dies before they meet them, they will feel their loss. It's quite painful, but short, as the bond that was never formed is made and broken. The soulmark they would've had appears, but fades until it is all but invisible to the naked eye. A similar thing would happen to you."

Chan and Rose left the Soulmate Registration Office hand in hand. They clutched each other tightly as they thought about what they had just been told.

They didn't talk anymore about it that day, or the one after as Chan was busy preparing for the release of the next album.

When the time came for Stray Kids' comeback stage a few days later, Chan and Rose had a bit of a disagreement.

"Chan, I'm not staff anymore. I can't just follow you everywhere."

"But you have been coming everywhere with me all this time! Why is a TV studio different?"

"The company doesn't count! You work there, so you have special privileges. That's not the case here."

"Then I'll get you a staff badge, okay? You can be my personal assistant."

"Chan, baby... You can't keep me within your sight for the rest of our lives."

"Oh, I think I can."

Rose cupped Chan's face between her palms.

"I'm not going anywhere. I promise you, I am not going to disappear. Never again. We talked about this. There's no reason for me to go anywhere. I love you."

"I love you, too, but..."

Rose's hands dropped.

"But?"

Chan took her hands in his and kissed them. He held them tightly as he looked into her eyes.

"I love you, but I don't trust you. Fully. Yet. I want to. I really do. I think I just need time."

Rose nodded, a tear running down her cheek. Chan pulled her in for a hug, holding her tightly and although it was meant to comfort her it only opened the floodgates.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Shh, shh. It's okay. We're going to be okay."

"Chan... What if our bond doesn't heal?what if I - what if what I did -"

Chan stroked Rose's hair as he squeezed his eyes closed to stop his own tears from falling.

"No. That's not going to happen. I promise."