Make Me STAY

MEGAVERSE

"Thank you for coming with me. You didn't have to."

Rose turned to look at Jisung and Seungmin, who were in the car with her on the way to the Soulmate Registration Office.

"Noona, you've been there for me so many times. It's my turn to repay the favour."

"Chan made you, didn't he?"

Jisung didn't hesitate to nod.

"Yes, that too."

Rose shook her head.

Seungmin leaned forward, poking his head between Rose's and Jisung's seats.

"Don't be mad, Noona. He didn't want you to have to do this alone."

"We don't even know why I've been called in. It didn't sound like anything bad."

"Better to have us here and not need us."

Rose couldn't argue with Seungmin's words. To be honest, she didn't mind having them there either, but she also felt a little silly taking people who weren't her soulmates to this meeting of unknown purpose.

Once they arrived, they were immediately led to the doctor's office.

"Miss Rose, wonderful to see you again. And these are?"

"Friends of my soulmates. None of them were available, but Chan insisted someone come with me."

"Ah, understandable. Are you comfortable having them in the room for our discussion?"

"Yes, but Doctor, why exactly have you called me in?"

"Nothing to worry about, I assure you. After our last meeting, I have continued to research, more specifically, into multiple bonds, along with colleagues across the world. I thought our discoveries might be of interest to you, and also I hoped that you would consider being a part of my research."

"Oh, wow. I uh..."

The Doctor waved his hands.

"Let me start by explaining what we have learnt."

"Yes, please."

"Okay. Now, your bonds were unusual because you have multiple soulmates, but your soulmates are not soulmates. In other words, you are not a soul-group. We, currently, are calling your type of bond a tree-bond, and you, as the common denominator, are the soul-root."

The Doctor clasped his hands in front of him.

"This is you, the root. And then your tree - bonds - grow with multiple branches."

His hands moved up and separated, trying to show tree branches forming.

"Make sense?"

Rose nodded slowly. 

"Usually, it is upon first meeting that we feel the soulmate bond, so why do more branches grow? This was difficult to determine, but from the small amount of data we have been able to gather so far, we have some hypotheses. The gist of it is that in moments of great need or connection, whether it be physical, mental, or emotional, a soulbond could form between you and that person."

A gasp had them turning toward Jisung, whose face turned red as he apologised. 

Rose looked back at the Doctor.

"Um, okay. It almost sounds as if I could form a bond with anyone at any time."

"No, no, no. At most, it would either have to be a very significant event, such as life and death, or you would have a previous connection with the person. I don't mean that every person who saves your life or that you know will form a bond with you."