Chapter Text
Jinn finds it strange that after taking a nap, his classmates seem to be whispering about him. Some even lift their phones discreetly in the corner of his eyes.
He wipes his mouth to confirm that, no, he did not drool, checks his face for pillow marks, and finds nothing out of the ordinary. Yet, it doesn’t seem like they’re discussing about him maliciously. Some girls passing by even smile knowingly at him, leaving him scratching his head as he continues to his next class.
His phone vibrates in his pocket. He takes it out to see a message from his mom, asking what kind of birthday cake he wants. She mentions she has a fashion show tomorrow and can’t make it home but will have a cake delivered.
Just as Jinn is about to type a reply, the typing bubble appears, followed by another message, telling him she already ordered since he didn’t respond in time.
It’s a six-inch strawberry cake. Jinn flinches, immediately files a complaint, saying he can’t finish it alone. His dear mommy, however, is unwavering and sends a firm reply: "Bring it next door and share it with Jay. If you still can’t finish it, put it in the fridge."
Jinn gasps, ready to argue with her through texts, but a friend taps his shoulder, snapping him back to reality.
Jinn looks up startled, his furrowed brow intimidating his friend, who awkwardly steps back and nervously says, “What’s that on your hoodie? Starting a new trend or what?”
Confused, Jinn grunts, “What?”
“On your hoodie. That doll hanging from your hood. Isn’t this kind of thing supposed to be hung on belts these days?”
Jinn raises an eyebrow, following his friend’s gesture as he reaches behind his hoodie to grab the object. His fingers land on something small and fluffy, and when he pulls it off, he finds a tiger plushie that has been clinging on him without him knowing.
It’s a little tiger baring its teeth as if growling, but its harmless expression and palm-sized body make it more adorable than fierce.
Jinn squeezes the doll in his hand before letting go, not because he finds it cute but because the name of the culprit bursts out between his clenched teeth.
“Ai’ Jay!”
His roar has no effect on Jay, who lazily cocks his head with a smirk and stops in his tracks.
“What’s up? Miss me?”
So it’s him. Jay must have sneaked up on him while he was napping and attached this completely mismatched accessory to his outfit, ruining the look he had meticulously put together. The whispering from passersby now makes sense.
Jinn remembers hearing familiar footsteps stop near him while he was half-asleep. the sound of Jay’s breathing was even easily recognizable. He wanted to lift his head to jumpscare him but was too drowsy to open his eyes, giving Jay the perfect opportunity for mischief.
Seeing the fire in Jinn’s eyes as Jay approaches, the friend who had been talking to him zips his mouth and quietly makes his exit, not wanting to be caught in the crossfire.
And so, the daily routine begins. Jinn chases Jay down the hallway, waving the little tiger doll in his hand, seemingly to be a miniature version of himself.
The next day, a friend sees Jinn and starts to greet him but pauses when they notice a familiar plushie charm hanging from Jinn's tote bag. He hesitates, unsure whether to mention it.
Before the friend can make up his mind, Jay appears behind Jinn, casually resting his chin on Jinn’s shoulder. Jinn jumps in surprise and immediately starts cussing at Jay.
“Oh, you hang it here?” Jay says, his hand flicking the little tiger charm. The tiger cub sways gently on Jinn’s bag strap.
Jinn flashes a tight-lipped smile. “Unlike some people, I actually value my things. If I own something, I’ll use it. Problem?”
“Not at all,” Jay replies smoothly, winking at the friend, who silently thinks, Don’t drag me into whatever you guys are playing. Jay adds, “By the way, you forgot the cake yesterday. It’s still in my fridge.”
Their morning kicks off with an argument over whether Jinn should go to Jay’s place to pick up the cake or Jay should deliver it to Jinn’s door.
Their friend doesn’t care. He has a professor’s assignment to finish, hence he quietly slips into the sewing room to focus on work.