Whispers of Destiny

Chapter 11: Hints Gone Wrong

Soraichi lounged in his favorite café, gazing out at the bustling street below. The aroma of fresh coffee wafted through the air, mingling with the sound of laughter and chatter from nearby tables. Despite the cheerful ambiance, Soraichi's thoughts were heavy. He had just finished a conversation with Seoyeon and Chunhwa about Kaede's progress—or lack thereof—in deciphering the riddle left for her. She seemed stuck, and it was time to do something about it.

"Chaeyeon," he muttered to himself, tapping his fingers on the table.

"I need to ask her for help." With a sigh of determination, he left the café and headed to the local park where he usually found her.

Upon arrival, Soraichi spotted Chaeyeon struggling to feed a group of overly ambitious squirrels.

"Uh, you might want to try a less aggressive approach," he suggested, chuckling as one particularly audacious squirrel made a lunge for the snack in her hand.

"Right! Because they clearly understand the concept of personal space!" she exclaimed, retreating as the furry little creature followed her.

"What's up, Soraichi?" she asked, finally managing to shake off her furry pursuer.

"I need your help," he said, quickly explaining the situation with Kaede and her riddle.

"I was thinking you could give her a hint about who she's supposed to protect."

Chaeyeon's eyes lit up. "Oh! I'd love to! I can totally do that!"

"Great," Soraichi continued, "But you can't tell her who it is directly. Just a hint. It has to be subtle."

Chaeyeon nodded, her enthusiasm radiating. "Got it! Subtle hints, like whispers on the wind."

Soraichi raised an eyebrow. "Uh, more like casual suggestions. You know, something a bit more... casual."

"Casual it is!" Chaeyeon replied with a wink, clearly excited for her mission.

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A few hours later, Kaede was sitting in a café, scrolling through her phone while sipping a latte. Chaeyeon spotted her from across the street and decided to put her plan into action.

She strutted over confidently, or at least attempted to, only to trip over her own feet at the last second. "Smooth," she muttered to herself, shaking off the embarrassment as she approached.

"Hey! You look like you could use some... insight?" Chaeyeon blurted out, leaning over Kaede's table, attempting to sound mysterious.

Kaede blinked, taken aback. "Uh, who are you?"

"I'm a... friend of a friend!" Chaeyeon replied, her voice rising slightly. "You know, someone who can help you find your—uh—your protector!"

Kaede raised an eyebrow. "My what now?"

Chaeyeon faltered. "You know! The person you're supposed to protect. I mean, I heard you're on a mission, right?"

"Oh, the riddle? Yeah, I'm still working on it," Kaede said, visibly confused.

"Great sense of humor!" Chaeyeon declared, trying to sound enthusiastic.

"The person you're looking for is, like, really funny! They make everyone laugh!"

Kaede frowned. "That doesn't really help. Everybody likes to laugh."

Chaeyeon smiled awkwardly, realizing she might be too direct.

"Right, but think about it! They're, like, super charming! Totally a—uh—snack enthusiast!"

Kaede stared blankly at her. "A snack enthusiast? Are you telling me to look for someone who really likes food?"

"Exactly! Or maybe a certain type of food?" Chaeyeon stammered, backtracking again as she fiddled with her hair.

"I mean, they might have a favorite snack! Something that really... brightens their day!"

Kaede looked increasingly puzzled. "Okay? I'll keep that in mind... I guess?"

Chaeyeon sighed, mentally kicking herself. She had to be subtler.

Later that day, Chaeyeon tried again. This time, she found Kaede in a grocery store, looking indecisive in front of the snack aisle. Feeling bold, Chaeyeon approached her with a more casual demeanor, pretending to inspect the chips.

"Hey there! I'm just shopping for some snacks! You know what's great about snacks?" Chaeyeon said, leaning in with exaggerated intrigue.

"They're so versatile! Like the person you're trying to protect. They're super versatile, just like... potato chips!"

Kaede turned to her, bewildered. "Are you suggesting I look for a bag of chips?"

"No! No! Not chips! I mean—uh—think about it! The person you're looking for is, um, crunchy but also soft! You know? Like a—um—potato chip?" Chaeyeon winced internally, realizing her metaphors were rapidly spiraling out of control.

Kaede stared at her, then burst out laughing. "Are you okay? Because this all sounds really ridiculous."

Chaeyeon sighed, throwing her hands up. "I'm failing miserably at this! You don't have to take it seriously! Just know the person is—"

"Funny?" Kaede interjected, crossing her arms.

"Yes! Funny! And they might have a little chaos in their lives!" Chaeyeon added, desperate to salvage the conversation.

Kaede raised an eyebrow, "Right, and that narrows it down to—everyone?"

After several more attempts that ended in confusion and laughter, Chaeyeon was about to throw in the towel when she spotted Kaede sitting in a park with Mayu. This time, Chaeyeon decided to pretend she was a lost tourist.

"Excuse me! I'm trying to find the 'light in laughter and chaos,'" she announced, clutching a map that was clearly upside down.

Mayu and Kaede exchanged confused glances. "You might want to turn that map around," Kaede said, stifling a laugh.

"Right! But seriously, do you know who that might be?" Chaeyeon pressed, now looking desperate.

Mayu laughed. "You might be better off just looking for a comedy club!"

Back at the café, Soraichi observed the chaos unfold from a distance, unable to suppress his laughter. Chaeyeon's attempts to drop hints had turned into a series of hilarious misunderstandings.

Soraichi couldn't help but chuckle as he remembered the endless comedic potential of Chaeyeon's antics. As he sipped his coffee, he resolved to give her one more shot at it. After all, if anyone could pull it off, it was her—eventually.

"Okay, Chaeyeon," he thought, "Let's see how many more creative ways you can bungle this hint-giving mission."

With renewed determination, Soraichi texted Seoyeon: "I think we might need to send in reinforcements for the hint-giving mission. Chaeyeon's on the case, and it's pure comedy gold."

The laughter around him faded into the background as he waited for Chaeyeon's next attempt to lead Kaede to her destiny. Whatever it took, he knew one thing for sure: the path to enlightenment was bound to be entertaining.