After the nearly destructive gaming session, Kai turned to Jin with a grin.
"Hey, lil bro. We haven't really hung out much and I head back to college next week. Wanna go out and do something tomorrow?"
Jin shrugged, still shaking off the chaos. "Sure, why not? I was planning to rest for most of the day anyway."
"Awesome! Let's head out sometime before lunch. Be ready, yeah?"
"Got it."
With that, the two of them went to their respective rooms. It was already late thanks to their impromptu gaming war.
Jin collapsed onto his bed, sore in all the right places. Shoulders aching, abs tight, legs feeling like jelly. But it was the kind of soreness that kept him motivated.
Using the ironically comfortable pain Jin fell asleep in minutes.
The next morning, Jin woke up feeling… great.
No brain fog, no grogginess, no weight on his chest. Just pure energy coursing through him.
When was the last time I woke up like this? he wondered.
Riding the high, he blasted through his morning chores, then headed out for his daily run and workout. He wasn't about to risk finding out what the "penalty" was for skipping a task, the unknown is scary after all.
Two hours later, sweat-soaked and satisfied, he returned home. After a quick shower, he changed into a tennis-themed hoodie and black sweatpants, simple yet infinitely comfortable.
Still a little early before Kai's outing, Jin sat down at his computer to kill some time.
Before he even realized what he was doing, his fingers moved on autopilot. League of Legends booted up. He navigated the client, clicked into ARAM, and queued into a game without a second thought.
As the loading screen came up, Jin blinked.
"…Whoa. I was such an incel," he muttered.
He laughed at himself, half-amused, half-horrified. Muscle memory really was a scary thing.
After finishing his game, barely resisting the urge to slam his keyboard, Jin pushed back from his desk and headed into the living room. It was finally time to go out with Kai.
About five minutes later, Kai strolled around the corner like he had just stepped off a runway.
He wore cream-colored, washed denim jeans with a matching jacket layered over a diagonally buttoned shirt. A pearl chain hung from his neck, glinting under the light, while a couple of silver bracelets clinked softly with every movement.
Jin blinked. "Are we going to a modeling show or something?"
Kai grinned. "Brother, brother, brother. Do you not understand what style is?"
Heathen took a look at Jin's fit and then recoiled like he'd been slapped.
"Actually… never mind, I can see very clearly that you don't. You look like an absolute hobo. Sweatpants? Seriously?"
Jin frowned, glancing down at his hoodie and joggers.
Kai clapped his hands dramatically. "New plan! First stop, the mall. I can't be seen with you like this."
Jin groaned. "Do we have to, Kai?"
Kai smirked. "I'll let you in on a little secret. Come here… closer."
Jin leaned in, deciding to humor whatever nonsense Kai was about to say.
"Girls absolutely dig well-dressed guys," Kai whispered like he was revealing the secret to life itself.
Jin froze. Then straightened up like Kai had just activated his sleeper agent code.
"Are you serious?" Jin asked, eyes wide with deadpan intensity.
"I would never joke about something this important," Kai replied, equally grave.
Jin clenched his fists, his eyes burning with sudden resolve. "Alright, let's go!"
In Jin's past life, romance was a barren wasteland. Like, zero experience. Not even a held hand. The closest he ever got was when a girl gave him her number, strictly to coordinate a school project.
Truly tragic.
But this time? Jin was determined to change that. No more sitting on the sidelines.
"This time I'll be different!" he declared dramatically.
Kai raised an eyebrow, then burst out laughing with a twinkle in his eye. "I'm loving this energy. You know what? Everything's on me today."
Tears welled in Jin's eyes. "Have I ever told you how much I love you, bro?"
"Yes," Kai said smugly, spinning the car keys around his finger. "I am the best brother ever. Now let's go before it gets too late."
"Onwards!"
Kai hopped in the driver's seat while Jin slid into the passenger side. Jin quickly took control of the aux and started queuing up Travis Scott and Don Toliver. The bass kicked in, and the two brothers vibed all the way to the mall, the car practically creating low magnitude earthquakes with every beat.
Once they parked in the lot outside the mall, Kai wasted no time dragging Jin toward his favorite store, H&M.
Like a wind demon unleashed, Kai whirled through the aisles at breakneck speed, his hands moving faster than Jin's eyes could follow. In minutes, he had a basket overflowing with clothes. Then another. Then another.
He grabbed pieces from all across the fashion spectrum. Baggy hoodies, sleek jackets, minimalist cardigans, and even… was that a dress?
"Oi, Kai. I'm straight. And I don't crossdress," Jin said, pointing at the frilly garment sticking out of one basket.
Kai didn't even spare a look. He kept zipping around like a bouncy ball in a closed room, ignoring Jin's protests.
Fifteen minutes and five full baskets later, Kai spun around with an innocent smile and pointed at the fitting rooms.
"Alright. Get to trying."
Jin looked at the mountain of clothes, then back at Kai, then back at the fitting room. For a moment, he was on the verge of throwing a tantrum but then he remembered his mission.
The baddies.
He clenched his jaw, took a deep breath, and marched toward the fitting room like Erwin from AOT heading into battle.
Nearly two hours later, Jin lay half-dead on the floor of the changing area, his limbs strewn out awkwardly. He looked like he'd just spent the day trying to survive against a clingy succumbus.
But… the torture had borne fruit.
Turns out, Jin looked great in a few different styles, especially an urban street look and a softboy aesthetic.
One standout outfit had baggy jeans with a wallet chain, paired with a crisp white button-up, a loosely tied black tie, and a black leather jacket that gave the whole ensemble just the right amount of rebellion and edge. Another was more refined—white linen pants, a clean white tee, and a sky-blue cardigan draped loosely over his shoulders.
Much as Jin wanted to find a flaw in Kai's over-the-top fashion enthusiasm, everything actually looked… really good.
"Alright, these work," Jin admitted, still catching his breath. "Let's buy and head out."
"Yup," Kai said, already putting the clothes they wanted into the baskets. "But before we go, you gotta pay me real quick."
Jin narrowed his eyes. "What? I thought you said you were covering everything?"
"I am," Kai replied, grinning. "But I still want a certain form of payment…"
Kai reached into one of the baskets and pulled out the dress.
Jin blinked. "Huh?"
"You heard me," Kai said, holding it out like it was sacred.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
(A/N: Should I make a discord server? Let me know!)