[King of Disaster]: Just kidding.
[King of Disaster]: But from what I see, he likes you.
[King of Disaster]: And he likes you very much too.
[King of Disaster]: Everytime I look at you, shift my gaze a little further and see him looking at you as well.
[Moonlight Dragon]: Jayden looked at Dan, Didn't you accidentally make eye contact?
[King of Disaster]: Go away, you idiot!
[King of Disaster]: I was startled.
[King of Disaster]: He wants everyone to know that you are his.
[Dan]: North, do you really think so?
[King of Disaster]: Trust my sharp observation.
[Dan]: Actually, can we talk later?
[Dan]: Jay seems tired.
[King of Disaster]: When?
[King of Disaster]: It has to be through chat. Otherwise, we'll never get the chance because you're always with Jayden.
[Dan]: Should I call you when Jay is asleep?
[King of Disaster]: Yes, yes.
[King of Disaster]: Send me a message.
[Dan]: Alright.
"If you're tired, sleep."
"Okay," Jay slowly lay down. "Will you sleep too?"
"Yes, later. I'm not sleepy yet. I'll go to the balcony to talk to my friends. If you wake up and I'm not here, don't worry. I'll be back soon."
Jay nodded.
"Stay with me until I fall asleep."
"That was the plan," I smiled, adjusting his blanket and turning off the lights except for the bedside lamp. Jay was drowsy from the sleeping pill. He hadn't slept well in a long time, so the doctor allowed him to take the pill earlier so he could rest properly. I lay down and watched him. I gently caressed his cheek. "You did a great job going to the doctor today. Good night."
"Hmm."
Not long after, Jay was asleep, his breathing steady. When I was sure he was asleep, I went to the balcony, closing the door so he wouldn't hear. North added someone to the group chat. He introduced himself as DaoTok, North's friend, who was there to read my tarot. Tarot? While I was thinking, North started a video call. I turned on my camera.
[King of Disaster]: "This is my friend DaoTok. Nao wanted me to read tarot cards for you, but I'm not an expert, so I asked my tarot-reading friend for help."
DaoTok turned on his camera. Another man appeared.
…Dylan Castle?
I was surprised, covering my mouth.
[Dan]: "Dylan?"
Dylan waved his hand.
[Arthit]: "Hi."
[Dan]: "Hi, I... I know you."
[King of Disaster]: "He speaks Thai. He's famous. Nao, you never mentioned him?"
[Moonlight Dragon]: "Did I not say?"
[Dan]: "Yes, I remember," I said. "Nao once mentioned that you and North are close friends. Hello, DaoTok."
[DaoTok]: "Call me Dao, we're the same age." His voice was soft but firm, similar to Jay's. "Arthit, get me some juice from the fridge, I'm thirsty."
Then Dylan walked away. I knew him because of his fame. Even though I wasn't a music fan, I often saw him on the internet. I wanted to ask Duan why we need to get my fortunes told, but with North bringing a Daotok like this, I guess I have to get my fortune told too. Duan, once said that if you like someone, you should get your fortune told?
[King of Disaster]: "Hey, Daotok, I have something to tell you," North said with a mischievous smile.
[DaoTok]: "I'm actually not interested, but if you want to say it, I'll listen."
[King of Disaster]: "You'll be jealous because tomorrow I'm going hiking and camping with P'Fah, Ghost Cat, and Nong Fon!"
[DaoTok]:...
DaoTok looked stunned.
[DaoTok]: "Arthit!"
Then the person whose name was called hurried over with a box of juice.
[DaoTok]: "Let's go back to Thailand, right now."
[Arthit]: "Why?"
[DaoTok]: "Because tomorrow, North and his partner will be hiking and camping with Meow and Nong Fon." DaoTok looked excited. "Can we book tickets now? If we fly now, we'll arrive just in time. I want to meet Nong Fon."
[King of Disaster]: "Seriously? Aren't you in New York?"
[DaoTok]: "In Tokyo, we're on vacation. After Tokyo, we planned to surprise everyone, but with this, we have to go now. We have to get tickets and pack quickly."
[Arthit]: "Hill, pick up the phone!"
[King of Disaster]: "Looks like the group will be complete tomorrow. Sorry for the chaos, but tomorrow will be livelier. Two more people will be joining. Are you okay with that?"
[Dan]: "Yes, I'm okay. It's nice to gather again after so long."
DaoTok announced that he would be offline for a while.
[Dan]: "But why do you guys want to read tarot?"
[Moonlight Dragon]: "To see if Jayden likes you."
[King of Disaster]: "If you ask me, I think Jayden likes you. If you're asking for love advice from me, I would just say: if you like him, go after him. And if he doesn't understand love, teach him. Tell him: "this is jealousy, this is love, do you love me?"
I immediately shook my head. "That would be weird."
[King of Disaster]: "It's not weird."
[Moonlight Dragon]: "For someone as shameless as you."
[King of Disaster]: "If it were me, I'd do it like that. 'You definitely like me. Let's get married', something like that."
[Dan]: "I can't," I said softly.
[King of Disaster]: "Then let's read the tarot."
[Moonlight Dragon]: "North is accurate. I've checked. We've all checked: me, Tiger, Fei, and Mom. It's kind of like cheating because it's like knowing the future."
[King of Disaster]: "If you can cheat, just do it. Life isn't Fair. But you have to pay me."
[Dan]: "Sure, how much?"
[King of Disaster]: 2 millions per question or a 15 millions package for unlimited questions.
[Dan]: "Wow!" I laughed. "How much did you spend, Nao?"
[Moonlight Dragon]: "Everything."
[King of Disaster]: "I'm joking, but also serious."
[Dan]: "I didn't think this was real. How much does it actually cost?"
[King of Disaster]: "Whatever you can. I really don't want to charge friends because I'm a kind-hearted person, but according to tradition, even just a baht or two would be fine and I'll donate it to charity—to Nao."
[Moonlight Dragon]: "Why is donating to me considered charity?"
[Dan]: "I understand."
[King of Disaster]: "What do you want to ask?"
[Dan]: "Can Jay love me romantically?"
[King of Disaster]: "What answer do you want?"
[Dan]: "Huh? What do you mean?"
[King of Disaster]: "Fate can be written. What answer do you want? I'll find it for you."
I frowned.
[Dan]: "That's not tarot reading, that's cheating."
[King of Disaster]: "If you want a reading but want a good answer, I can remove the bad cards."
Nao laughed.
[Dan]: "Really?"
[King of Disaster]: "Really."
[Dan]: "No, I prefer the normal way."
[King of Disaster]: "Alright. Does Jayden love Dan?"
North started shuffling the cards. I didn't believe in this thing, but there was no harm in trying. North pointed the camera at the cards. He pulled four cards.
[King of Disaster]: "The first one, oh."
[Moonlight Dragon]: "What? What?" He asked excitedly.
North showed the card, a man raising his hand holding something unclear.
[Dan]: "What is this?"
[King of Disaster]: "The Magician. Hmm, we asked if Jayden loves Dan, right? It usually means wisdom, someone talented. How does this relate to the question?"
[Dan]: " Hey, what's this?"
[King of Disaster]: "I forgot." North Said "Let's see the next card. Oh, Two of Cups." He showed a card with two people holding cups. "Soulmates."
[Dan]: "Really?"
[King of Disaster]: "Yes, that's what it means. The card showed up, I didn't make it up."
[Dan]: "You didn't pick it, right?"
[King of Disaster]: "I shuffled and drew it randomly. Are you blind? Why does Dan look unhappy? That's a soulmate."
[Dan]: "Kind of unbelievable. Soulmate?"
[King of Disaster]: "So that's what came up. Next, Queen of Cups—Jayden sees you as someone he cares for, protects, and trusts."
[Dan]: "Trusts? Wow."
[Moonlight Dragon]: "Not surprising, given the situation."
[King of Disaster]: "The last card, The Lovers. Another soulmate card. Soulmates, of course!"
[Dan]: "Wow…"
DaoTok returns to the video call.
[King of Disaster]: "Look, Dao, look at this." He excitedly shows the cards. "Explain."
[DaoTok]: "Mmmm, what did you ask?"
[King of Disaster]: "Does Jayden love Dan?"
[Dan]: "Wait a minute."
I interrupted, completely forgetting that if this continued, everyone else would find out.
[King of Disaster]: "Can't I say it? Come on."
[Dan]: "It's okay, go ahead."
[DaoTok]: "Hm." He looks at the cards. "Soulmates. Two of Cups and The Lovers."
[King of Disaster]: "See? I said the same thing. This wasn't planned."
[Dan]: "Yeah." I nod, excited.
[DaoTok]: "He loves you very much. He wants to be with you, take care of you, and protect you."
[King of Disaster]: "And this one? The Magician."
[DaoTok]: "Same-sex love."
[King of Disaster]: "Oh. In this case, it means same-sex love. I see. But Dan said Jayden doesn't understand love."
[DaoTok]: "He may not understand, but he loves."
[Dan]: "Really?" I ask eagerly.
[King of Disaster]: "I read the cards well, but if you don't believe me, Dao can do it too."
DaoTok takes out another deck, asks the same question, draws four cards at random, and shows them. My eyes widen— the cards are exactly the same as the ones North drew.
[Dan]: "Alright. Wow, this is amazing."
[Moonlight Dragon]: "Right?"
[King of Disaster]: "Send one baht for the reading." I nod.
[King of Disaster]: "Any other questions?"
[Dan]: "I want to know about Jayden's future. Will he be successful? Will he face obstacles?"
[King of Disaster]: "Okay." North asked the same question I just asked before picking up four more cards. "The first one," and showing them to the camera. "Ace of Wands. If I remember correctly, this means success, right?"
[DaoTok]: "Yes, Wands are related to work. The best card for career success."
[Dan]: "Wow… I'm glad to hear that."
[King of Disaster]: "Next, Seven of Pentacles." He shows a card of someone looking at coins. "Dao?"
[DaoTok]: "He is persistent, hardworking, and desires wealth. He has goals and is on the right path."
[Dan]: "I see…"
[King of Disaster]: "Next, Ten of Cups. The family card." He enjoys showing this one.
On the card, two people look ahead while children dance.
[DaoTok]: "He wants to build a family, have a home, and wealth. Based on the previous cards, I believe he wants to be with you, Dan. You play an important role in his life goals."
North smiles and excitedly says, "I feel shy for you. Isn't this amazing?"
I smile widely at that. Finally, North reveals the last card:
[King of Disaster]: "The last card is King of Coins. The best one!"
[Dan]: "Why?"
[King of Disaster]: "You will definitely succeed because of your efforts. Two cards show success—these are really good cards. Your life will be amazing."
[Dan]: "I'm happy to hear that. Thank you, both of you."
As North and DaoTok talk, I reflect on all these predictions. I don't need much to be happy; I just want to be a teacher and live a peaceful life. Now, with Jay, starting a family would be incredible. The cards also show his desire to build a family.
[Moonlight Dragon]: "You're blushing," he jokes. "The cards were really positive."
[King of Disaster]: "I'll send my account number for payment. DaoTok too."
Thinking about everything, I admit, "I don't actually believe in fortune-telling. I've never had my cards read before. But it was amazing to see both of them pull the same cards. It's interesting. Do you believe in this, Nao?" Without hesitation, Nao answers.
[Moonlight Dragon]: "Yes. At first, I didn't believe North knew how to read cards. He even tried to manipulate them at first."
[King of Disaster] "I just wanted to help you."
[Moonlight Dragon]: "Our fate is in our hands. I can't believe it," Nao laughs. "But it was accurate. Dan, listen, believe in what you want, but it's very encouraging to know that you're soulmates. Not only that, but he wants to love you, take care of you, and build a family. The cards show his effort toward that."
[King of Disaster]: "Who else but Dan?"
[Moonlight Dragon]: "You love him. Dan, you've been smiling a lot," he jokes.
[Dan]: "With everything they said, it's hard not to blush," I admit. "I hope it's true. The cards showed that Jay will be successful."
[King of Disaster]: "Of course. Jayden got the best card. King of Coins is the highest in wealth. Success and riches. Johan and Tiger got that card too."
[Nao]: "Tiger and me?"
[King of Disaster]: "Yes, remember. The same card. 'He has a lot, but I want more. Greedy.'"
North laughs.
[Dan]: "Nao, do you want more?" I ask curiously.
[Moonlight Dragon]: "Yes, I want a lot of wealth. North wants to win the lottery."
[Dan]: "Can't you see that in the cards?"
[King of Disaster]: "If I could, I wouldn't be here."
[Moonlight Dragon]: "Being with Johan is better than the lottery."
[King of Disaster]: "Amen."
[Moonlight Dragon]: "Why 'amen'?" He frowns.
[Dan]: "And what did they predict for the others?"
[Moonlight Dragon]: "For me, it has come true. I'm happy, but I want more. Fei will succeed but with obstacles, as always. Tiger is happy and will be wealthy."
[Dan]: "Even more wealth?"
[Moonlight Dragon]: "Yes. Mom has everything she wants; she's content."
[Dan]: "Everything is going well."
[Moonlight Dragon]: "Tiger also got a passionate love card."
[Dan]: "Huh?"
[Moonlight Dragon]: "Intense, passionate love."
[Dan]: "Hmm?."
[Moonlight Dragon]: "Just like Johan."
We kept talking for a while before ending the call. It's past 9 PM. We talked for 40 minutes. I go back to my room—Jay is still asleep. I hope he's sleeping peacefully, without nightmares or waking up. I pick up the book I bought at the airport and read it in bed. Jay hugs me.
"Dan…"
"Did I wake you?"
With no response, I understand that he's still asleep. I stroke his hair and kiss him gently. He lets me kiss him. Then, I caress his cheek. "I really like you. I hope the cards are right."