Kai kept his dumbass grin plastered across his face as he waved the frilly, lace-covered dress in front of Jin's face.
Jin let out a hesitant laugh.
"I know you like playing dumb jokes. You got the reaction you wanted, so drop the act."
But Kai's grin faded. His expression turned serious.
"I'm not joking. Put it on, or I'm not even driving you home."
Jin paled.
"All I have to do is put the dress on, right? I don't have to go out in it or anything?"
"Yup. Just put it on and maybe strike a pose or two," Kai said with a mischievous glint.
Jin sighed deeply.
"Fine, give it here. I'll get this over with."
Grumbling, Jin took the dress and disappeared into the changing room. For the next five minutes, muffled curses and confused muttering leaked through the door as he struggled to figure out how to wear the ornate monstrosity.
Eventually, the door creaked open and Jin stepped out, utterly humiliated.
The dress was a floor-length explosion of lace and frills, somewhere between a wedding gown and a maid cafe outfit. Delicate flower patterns covered the fabric making him look like a honeybee's wet dream.
Kai blinked.
"..."
"...It's not that bad, right? Brother?" Jin asked weakly.
"BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Kai burst out laughing so hard he doubled over, clutching his stomach. Tears streamed from his eyes as he wheezed between fits.
"I'm done," Jin said flatly. "I'm taking this off."
"Wait—wait! You still owe me a pose," Kai managed to say through his laughter. "Just one."
"Fine. What do you want?"
"Do a cat pose."
Jin flushed bright red.
"Can't you think of anything less embarrassing?"
"It's fine, only I'm gonna see it," Kai teased.
"Alright. Quick and done."
Jin leaned forward slightly, bent his knees, raised his fists near his cheeks, and curled them like a fake-crying anime catgirl.
Snap
Jin froze.
Kai was holding up his phone, laughing hysterically.
"DELETE THAT PHOTO RIGHT NOW!" Jin shouted.
"Nope."
Red-faced and livid, Jin lunged to grab the phone, but in his rush, he forgot one crucial detail. The dress was too long.
His foot snagged on the hem, and he slipped forward like a cartoon character stepping on a banana peel.
Thud
Kai lost it again, collapsing on the floor next to Jin, rolling in laughter and struggling to breathe.
And that's exactly how a passing store clerk found them, one boy in a frilly dress sprawled on the ground, the other in tears from laughter, both a total mess.
The staff member blinked, clearly trying to process the scene.
"Uh… is everything alright here? You guys find everything alright?" she asked cautiously.
Jin scrambled to his feet, face now a shade redder than a tomato. Kai, still gasping for air, managed a weak nod.
"We—we're fine. Sorry. We'll pay and go."
Five minutes later, Jin, now back in normal clothes, stood at the checkout with a full bag of new outfits and the shame of a thousand lifetimes weighing on him.
Kai leaned in, still snickering.
"You looked majestic, by the way."
"Shut up."
Jin continued to sulk for the next fifteen minutes, arms crossed, mood foul, until Kai finally pulled into the food court parking lot.
"Alright, alright. I'll make it up to you," Kai said. "I'll buy you something to eat and drink, how about that?"
"Fine. But I want boba and pizza," Jin grumbled.
They made their way inside and headed straight for the boba shop. The menu was plastered with an overwhelming variety of flavors, taro, matcha, mango, lychee, even durian.
Jin furrowed his brow in thought, trying to make the impossible decision.
"Hey Kai, what flavor should I…" he began, but stopped when he noticed Kai wasn't listening.
"Hello? Earth to Kai?"
Kai stood frozen, staring blankly off into the distance. Jin followed his line of sight… and saw a high school girl standing by herself, scrolling through her phone.
"Uhhh… brother? Don't you have a girlfriend? And also you're an adult now?"
Kai blinked and turned back to Jin. "I know, dumbass. I wasn't checking her out—I just got an idea."
Jin narrowed his eyes. That glint in Kai's eye was never a good sign. Last time he saw it, he ended up in a frilly lace dress doing cat poses. Exhibit A: his lingering trauma from thirty minutes ago.
"I dare you to go ask her what boba flavor she recommends," Kai said, a grin spreading across his face.
"No way. Absolutely not. Not doing that."
Kai gave him a disappointed shake of the head.
"Tch. I thought you were trying to get better with girls. Guess you're all talk."
Jin paused. He clenched his fists, took a breath, then nodded.
"You know what? You're right. I've gotta start somewhere."
He squared his shoulders, straightened his back, and marched toward the girl, every step filled with forced confidence and inner screaming.
When he reached her, he tapped her lightly on the shoulder. She turned to look at him with a polite smile.
And then his brain completely shut down.
"Uh—h-hi. I mean, hey. I mean—uhh, boba! No—I mean flavors, yeah, flavors. Boba. Uh, what… what drink do you… you—uh, you—flavor—boba—recommend?" Jin blurted out like a malfunctioning robot.
The girl blinked.
"…Huh?"
"I mean—I like… like you drinks? I mean—not like you! Not that I don't like you—I don't know you—but like, uh, boba. You know?"
The girl tilted her head, clearly unsure if he was joking or having a stroke.
Meanwhile, from across the food court, Kai was hunched over the table, absolutely losing it. He was laughing so hard he nearly knocked over a tray of napkins.
Jin felt his soul leave his body.
"I—I'm sorry, never mind," he muttered, turning on his heel and power-walking back to Kai like he'd just been hit by a car.
Kai was still wheezing with laughter when Jin sat down, face flushed and dead inside.
"Whew," Kai said, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. "You were doing so well until you opened your mouth."
"Don't talk to me," Jin said, burying his face in his arms.
Kai reached over and patted him on the back.
"Hey. You tried. That's more than most guys your age would do."
"Will you at least delete the photo from earlier?"
Kai only grinned.
"Nope. But I'll add this moment to your growing collection of L's."
Jin groaned and flushed thinking back at the atrocities he was forced to commit so far.
Hopefully the rest of the day won't be as bad, hoped Jin.