Whispers of Destiny

Chapter 6: The Angel and the Smoothie

Soraichi stood atop the tallest building in South Korea, a striking figure against the skyline, sipping on a green smoothie that probably contained enough kale to fuel a small army. 

To an unsuspecting passerby, he looked like just another eccentric human enjoying the view. But in the realm of immortals, he was an observer of angels, tasked with determining whether these celestial beings were fit for more "earthly" adventures or needed to be sent back for some serious training.

He sighed dramatically, watching the chaos below. "Ah, humanity," he mused.

"So wonderfully clueless and yet so entertaining. It's like a reality show without any producers. I should really get a camera."

Just then, a flash of white zipped beside him, causing Soraichi to nearly drop his smoothie. It was Seoyeon, the head of angels, looking like he had just consumed five espressos in a row.

"You summoned me?" Seoyeon asked, brushing off nonexistent dust from his immaculate white outfit, which was somehow even whiter than the clouds above.

"Yes, we need to talk about your angels," Soraichi said, trying to keep his smoothie steady.

 "Specifically, your angel Kaede."

Seoyeon raised an eyebrow, bracing himself for the worst. "What did she do now?"

Soraichi took a deep breath. "You haven't given Kaede her letter, have you?"

Seoyeon rubbed the back of his neck, a gesture quickly becoming a telltale sign of impending stress.

"No, not yet. But at least Mayu is on the right track! She's protecting Yooyeon, even without the letter!"

"Well, that's because Mayu saw the giant sign above Yooyeon's head the first time they met. Who wouldn't notice a neon billboard saying, 'Protect Me, I'm Important!'?" Soraichi shot back.

Seoyeon frowned, his patience wearing thin. "Look, it's not my fault Kaede was assigned to your human form!"

"Ah, yes," Soraichi replied dramatically, gesturing to himself, "my fabulous face, the one that apparently doesn't come with a 'Protect Me' sign. Talk about unfair."

"Exactly!" Seoyeon exclaimed, throwing his hands up in exasperation.

"You expect Kaede to just know she's supposed to protect you? She's not a mind reader! Plus, I mean—who would actually assign an angel to protect a mortal without a big flashing neon sign? It's like sending a cat to guard a fish tank!"

"Well, she's not a newbie," Soraichi countered.

"She should have some instincts by now. It's called training, Seoyeon! She shouldn't just assume that she's supposed to protect the first cute human she sees."

Just as they were getting into it, another figure joined them—Chunhwa, another observer of angels, who looked like he just waltzed in from a fashion magazine. He was sipping a strawberry latte, looking far too comfortable for a celestial discussion.

"Ah, gentlemen," Chunhwa said, flashing a smile. "What's this? A little angel gossip? I hope I'm not interrupting."

Soraichi rolled his eyes. "You've arrived just in time to hear me lament about Seoyeon's complete lack of organization when it comes to his angels."

"Hey! I have my moments!" Seoyeon protested, crossing his arms defiantly.

"Moments? Like when you forgot to give Kaede her instructions?" Soraichi shot back, smirking.

Chunhwa chuckled, taking a sip of his latte.

"You know, Soraichi, if you're feeling overwhelmed, you could always give Kaede a break. Maybe she needs a mentor."

"Sure! Let's just throw her into the deep end without a floatie!" Soraichi replied sarcastically.

 "What do you think she is, a superhero?"

Chunhwa waved his hand dismissively.

"Look, we all know Mayu is doing great. She's protective, and she keeps an eye on her human. Maybe Kaede just needs to take a page out of her book."

Soraichi sighed again, shaking his head.

"If only it were that easy. I assigned Kaede to protect my mortal form, and now I'm starting to think I should have gone with a less charming, more obvious disguise."

"Or a less clumsy one," Seoyeon added, trying to stifle a laugh.

"Hey! My clumsiness adds character!" Soraichi protested, puffing his chest out.

"Besides, if Kaede can't figure out who to protect, it's not my fault!"

"Okay, okay," Chunhwa interjected, trying to mediate.

"So, what's the plan? How do we help Kaede figure this out? Are we going to throw her a party with a big 'Happy Protection Assignment' banner?"

Soraichi raised an eyebrow. 

"You mean, like a celestial baby shower? Get her some angelic gifts? 'Congratulations on your new human! Good luck keeping him alive!'?"

Seoyeon snorted. 

"That actually doesn't sound half bad. I could even bake a cake! The theme could be 'Heavenly Guidance'!"

Soraichi shook his head, chuckling. "Please, spare us the baking disaster. Last time you made cookies, the fire department showed up."

"Hey! I was experimenting with new recipes!" Seoyeon defended, crossing his arms.

"Besides, I thought they were pretty good! And nobody got hurt... that badly."

Chunhwa burst out laughing.

"I think we have our answer, Soraichi. Just give Kaede some time. She'll figure it out. If she can't, at least we can always blame Seoyeon for not giving her the letter on time!"

"Great! So I'm the scapegoat now," Seoyeon grumbled, pretending to be offended.

Soraichi shrugged, grinning. "Hey, at least I still have my smoothie. Cheers to that!"

With a shared laugh, the three immortals stood on the rooftop, watching the human chaos unfold below them. Perhaps the angels had their flaws, but as long as they had each other—and a healthy dose of humor—they could handle anything that came their way.