"- I've been assured that there will be extra security with us when we get to the airport. You guys know the procedure after that. Once we land, we'll head to -"

Rose tuned Chan out after that. They were in a meeting room again, this time discussing their trip to Japan for the next concerts of their world tour. She started scribbling furiously on her notepad, so much so that she ripped a hole in the paper. This didn't go unnoticed by those sitting next to her and her soulmate paused as Felix laid his hand on her arm.

"Um, Noona? Is everything alright?"

"Huh? Oh... Sorry."

"No need to be sorry. Is something bothering you?"

What was bothering Rose was that she hadn't been able to deliver on her promise. She hadn't been able to get anyone to agree to Stray Kids bypassing the usual entrance into the airport. Apparently, it was too important to be seen by fans and the press regardless of the dangers such crowds bring.

"Nothing that you boys need to worry about. I'm fine. Carry on, Chan."

After sending him a reassuring smile, Chan continued discussing their schedule whilst in Japan. Rose put down her pen to stop herself from wasting any more ink. On her other side, Felix leaned his head on her arm. The young boy looked up at her with a smile and she couldn't help but smile back.

Rose lived for these boys. To keep them safe, to make them happy, to help them achieve their dreams. Sometimes it was hard to come to terms with the limits of her position. While she made want to move heaven and earth for them, reality meant she could only do so much. However, this meant that any little thing that she could do for them, she would, no matter the cost.

The two weeks in Japan passed by quickly. Both weekends of concerts were successful much to Rose's relief. As much as the boys enjoyed performing, the organisation behind the tour was exhausting. She was looking forward to going back home, even if it was only for a little while before they headed to America.

Between the concerts, interviews, performances and other schedules that Stray Kids had whilst in Japan, Rose still had time to do a bit of sightseeing. While she did have to do some on her own, or with some of the other staff members, she had also gotten the chance to spend some time with her soulmate. It was nice to spend some time together outside of work, even if some of the other boys liked to invite themselves along too. They almost felt like a normal couple.

The worst part of travelling with her Idol soulmate for work was the times when they were separated. After landing back in Korea, Rose was waiting in the car for the boys to join her and the wait was an anxious one. They had made it through their Japan trip without any major incidents, all they had to do was get from arrivals to the cars waiting outside. She wished that she could be with the boys, not that there was much she would be able to do to help, but at least she would know that they were safe with her own eyes.

What's taking them so long?

When the boys did appear, Rose could tell straight away that something was wrong. The security seemed particularly on edge and the crowd was more riled up than usual. Jisung and Seungmin were at the front, and the singer had his hand on the older boy's shoulder. Jisung was led to one car while Seungmin got in the same one as Rose.

"Something happened."

"Jisung fell over."

"What?! Is he okay? Is he hurt?"

Seungmin looked at Rose with his steady gaze, not allowing her to guess how he was feeling about the situation. He took a moment before answering, not wanting to worry Chan's soulmate, but ultimately decided that it was unavoidable.

"The crowd was pushy, as usual. It happened very quickly. One second, he was behind me and the next, everyone had stopped. I turned back and saw Jisung on the floor. He was clutching his arm."

By this time, they had been joined by Hyunjin and Felix. Chan was the last member to arrive, and he got in their car and sat in the seat next to Rose. He looked furious. Rose felt her heart pounding in her chest. She almost jumped when Felix clung to her arm on her other side. In the back of the car, Hyunjin was doing the same to Seungmin.

Rose hesitated to reach out to her soulmate. It wasn't often that Chan got angry, and she was torn between giving him space to calm down and her need to comfort him. In the end, she didn't need to choose. He reached out and linked their fingers, raising their hands he pressed his lips to the back of her hand. They sat in silence for the rest of the ride, but the reassuring touch of her soulmate's hand in hers kept her calm.

When they reached their apartments, they all gathered in Jisung's living room. The rapper sat on the sofa while the others checked on him. Minho sat next to him with his arm wrapped around the younger boy to help him relax.

After checking that Jisung was sure he didn't need to go to the hospital, Rose went out into the hallway, while the boys were gathered inside. Closing her eyes, tears began to fall. It was her job to look after these boys and she felt like she had failed them.

Seungmin came out of his apartment next door and Rose quickly wiped away her tears. He looked at her but didn't say anything as he made his way into the other apartment where everyone else was gathered. Once inside he looked back at the front door before standing beside Chan.

"Chan-Hyung?"

"Are you okay, Seungmin?"

"I'm fine, Hyung, but..."

"What is it?"

"Rose is crying in the hallway."

"What? Thanks, Minnie."

Chan quickly walked to the front door and opened it, peering outside. When he saw Rose, her eyes still wet with tears, he stepped out into the hallway and gathered her into his arms.

"I'm sorry."

"Rose? What? You have nothing to be sorry about."

"I promised last time that I would make sure that this would never happen again."

"You did everything you could. The increase in bodyguards was a big help."

"But Jisung got hurt!"

He had to stop himself from saying that Jisung was okay because he wasn't. Physically, the rapper may just have a bruised elbow, but mentally, he was rather shaken up.

"It's not your fault."

Rose pulled back slightly and looked up at her soulmate.

"It's not yours either."

"I'm their leader. I'm responsible for them."

"For keeping them focused on work and happy, maybe, but not for their safety."

Changbin had noticed Chan leave and had followed him to the front door. The rapper overheard part of the two soulmates' conversation and it hurt his heart that Rose was upset over something out of her control. Not wanting to eavesdrop any longer, he went back into the apartment. Felix noticed his return and the strange look on his face.

"Binnie-Hyung? Is everything okay?"

Changbin opened his mouth but hesitated to answer for a moment before sighing.

"Noona's crying."

"What? Noona's crying! Why?"

At Felix's cry, the whole room was now paying attention.

"She blames herself for Jisung getting hurt."

Minho frowned.

"How is it her fault?"

"It sounded like she promised Chan she'd do something about the airport situation, but she didn't have enough power to make any big changes. She's the reason we had more bodyguards this time, but she wanted to do more."

"And she really thought she'd be able to achieve that? We all know that Chan's demanded better security, if he can't get it done then what made her think she could."

"Minho-Hyung, don't be mean. Noona just wants to help us."

"I'm not being mean. I just don't want her to blame herself."

They all sat in silence for a minute until Chan and Rose come back in. The other boys tried to be obvious in the fact that they knew she had been crying, but they hated the fake smile she had put on to try to hide it. Jisung got up off the sofa, walked over to Rose and wrapped his arms around her.

"Thank you, Noona."

"What...?"

"For everything you do. You take such good care of us, and I feel like we don't tell you enough how much we appreciate it, and you."

"I... I'm just doing my job."

"We all know that's not true, Noona."

One by one all the boys joined in the hug.

"Ah, watch my arm! Injured person, remember?"

Over the tops of the boys' heads, Chan could see Rose smiling in the centre. It made him so happy to see his members and his soulmate getting along like this, that they thought so highly of her. He only wished that the whole world knew how wonderful his soulmate was too.