Whispers of Destiny

Chapter 10: Soraichi's Shenanigans

The café was buzzing with the sounds of clinking cups and laughter as Soraichi plopped down at their usual table, looking like he'd just been chased by a herd of angry geese.

"Kaede is totally going the wrong way with Dahyun!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms up in exasperation. "It's like watching a train wreck in slow motion!"

Seoyeon sipped his coffee, raising an eyebrow. "And you're surprised? You played with their dreams, remember?"

"Yeah, but I didn't think she'd take it so seriously! She thinks she's on some cosmic superhero mission!" Soraichi flopped back in his chair dramatically.

"It's like she's the lead in a romantic comedy gone horribly wrong."

Chunhwa leaned forward, a grin spreading across his face. "Well, you are the one who decided to mix dreams with reality. It's basically a recipe for disaster."

Soraichi huffed. "I thought I was giving them a little nudge in the right direction, not turning them into a sitcom! Now she's convinced she needs to protect him from...what, exactly? His own bad selfies?"

Seoyeon smirked. "Well, you can't blame her for getting attached. I mean, have you seen Dahyun? He's like a puppy—adorable and always getting into trouble."

Soraichi threw his hands up again. "Exactly! And here I am, stuck watching it unfold like some cosmic spectator. I can't just sit here while Kaede stumbles around!"

Chunhwa chuckled, clearly enjoying Soraichi's misery.

"Why don't you just give her a hint? You know, like a little cosmic GPS?"

"Cosmic GPS?" Soraichi echoed incredulously.

"What am I supposed to say? 'Turn left at the tree of destiny and keep going until you find the guy with the awkward smile'?"

"Hey, it could work!" Chunhwa said, trying to suppress a laugh.

"Just drop a little clue. You have your ways, right?"

"Sure, I could send her on a scavenger hunt across the city," Soraichi said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"But what if I make it too cryptic? She might end up thinking she needs to join a circus or something."

Seoyeon shrugged. "Just make it straightforward. You don't want her getting lost in a dream world of your making, after all."

"Right," Soraichi muttered, tapping his fingers on the table. "I could send one of my underlings to drop a clue. Something like, 'Beware the signs in the chaos of laughter,' or something equally vague and poetic."

"Wow, look at you! A poet and a dreamweaver," Chunhwa teased, leaning back in his chair with a smug smile. "Just imagine the greeting cards you could write: 'Happy Birthday! Here's a riddle instead of a gift!'"

"Shut up, or I'll write a card just for you," Soraichi retorted, trying to suppress a grin. "But I guess I could do something like that. A little hint never hurt anyone...except maybe Kaede, if she misinterprets it."

Chunhwa clapped his hands in mock applause. "Bravo! The king of mixed messages is back in action!"

Soraichi rolled his eyes but couldn't help but smile. "All right, I'll come up with something fun. Maybe I can make it look like a cartoon where she's running through a field of flowers, only to trip over her own two feet."

"Now that's the kind of chaos I can get behind!" Seoyeon said, raising his coffee cup.

"To Soraichi, the master of confusion and comedy!"

"Cheers!" Chunhwa chimed in, clinking his cup against Seoyeon's.

"May your hints be as vague as your motivations!"

As Soraichi got up from the table, he felt a renewed sense of purpose. "I'll send her a little nudge. Something that will make her laugh, or at least raise an eyebrow."

With a snap of his fingers, Soraichi set his plan in motion. He envisioned a whimsical dream filled with colorful chaos, where Kaede would find herself dodging goofy obstacles and maybe even an oversized cartoon banana.

"Just remember," he muttered to himself as he walked out the door, "if this goes wrong, I'm blaming the coffee."

Outside, he couldn't help but chuckle at the thought. Guiding mortals was much more entertaining than watching them struggle on their own, especially when he could add a little flair to the process.

With a wink and a grin, Soraichi was ready to dive back into the dream world and throw a little mischief Kaede's way. After all, what could go wrong with a little laughter and a lot of confusion?