"..ul! …Chul! Heechul!!"

He regains consciousness slowly but his head is fuzzy, his vision dark and he feels like a bag of dead weight. Which, all in all, means he still needs to sleep.

"Chullie, dear, it`s breakfast time." May is kneeling in front of his bed. "Hyo already tried to wake you up. Come on, the porridge’ll be cold."

Heechul groans and grabs his phone. He blinks at it a couple times before gawking at his grandma like she just grew a tail and started flying.

"Are you ing kidding me?! It's SIX AM!!"

May smiles and says she's been up since four. "Early to bed, early to rise, makes you healthy, wealthy and wise. Especially on a busy farm!" She winks and yells for him to hurry up.

no. It's his policy to never wake before noon during the summer. No freaking way is he risking not getting enough beauty sleep. He turns over to drift off when a loud call rumbles through the air.

COOK-A-DOODLE-DOO!!!!

He groans and buries his head under the pillow. He is so going to kill his dad.
 

llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

He finally comes down around nine because the stupid tractor noises are bothering him and he swears that fricken rooster has it out for him. He sits at the table and waits. And waits. And where the hell is the food? Does he have to do everything around here?

"Sorry, Chullie." May enters holding bunches of vegetables and covered in dirt. "Lunch isn't until twelve. But come on and I'll give you a tour!"

"Greeaaat." Heechul rolls his eyes as his stomach rumbles. He flips out his phone quickly.

Siwon. THIS. IS. HELL. Come rescue me and I'll treat ya ;)

He smirks because even though they were friends, they've passed the 'with benefits' line a couple times when he needed something…or they were just . If he could be rescued from the family farm of hell, he wouldn't mind throwing in a or two.

"Hey," He calls to May as he stares at the FAILED SEND on his phone. "Grammie, why's there barely reception."

"Oh, Chullie! You still call me that!" Eye roll. "And you're in the country, dear. You can get it here but it comes and goes, unless you find a random hotspot."

He sighs and stuffs his hands in his designer red skinny jeans as he follows May outside. He's worrying about the sun when he sees Hot Farmer walking with a tire slung over one arm. That's what he's calling him now: Hot Farmer. Eunhyuk's taken (and apparently thinks Heechul's competition) and this other guy has that mysterious brooding look about him. Heechul likes that. A lot.

May is thorough with her introduction not failing to tell him the history of how the farm was passed down for generations in their family. Heechul grew up here and only left for the city when he was seven, so he remembers a lot. He knows about the fields and animals and secret holes in the fences. He knows that the Kim Farm is split into two: with Grandma May owning the North Farm, and her brother, Old Man Teuk, owning the south across the road. It's just, last time he was here, his mom was alive.

He's being shown everything and makes note of who and what go where so he knows what putrid parts to avoid. They pass the chicken coup where Donghae is recording and incubating freshly gathered eggs. Taemin, who's strapped to his back, giggles as spit is dripping from his chin. Heechul reaffirms that he doesn’t like kids.

Down a small road May points out the large cattle barn, pastures and huge milking shed. A truck stops in front of them and a sandy headed man gets out with a wide smile.

"May, ah- you're busy. I'll talk to you later." The man stares at Heechul in what he would call disgust.

"Sorry," May says after he leaves. "You remember your second cousin Onew? He's not very fond of city folk." Heechul understands because he's not very fond of farm folk himself.

May explains that further down to the west are the corn fields, which Eunhyuk's in charge of, and the Maxis House, the little cottage residence where he and Donghae stay. May doesn't mention the Philia Lake to the east and Heechul knows why. It's just not the right time. Even after all these years.

"Well," she says after the grand tour. "That's pretty much it, darling. Donghae is chickens, Onew is dairy, Eunhyuk: the corn, Hyo is the resident veterinarian, and she and I do office work as well. So what job would you like, Chullie?"

"What… Job?" Heechul states incredulously because it's one thing if he's being forced to stay here, but working? On a smelly hot manure covered farm? Uh, no way in hell.

"You have to earn your room and board. Everyone helps out. Even little Minho."

"Oh, the devils child, too?"

"We have about a dozen hired farmhands from around town who'll help ya fit in, so dont worry, sugar plum. Oh, and ask Handy Han if you need anything. He's the real driving force around here."

"Who?"

"Handy Han, he's, oh," she pauses when her radio goes off and Onew says something about a delivery being early. Heechul decides to visit the South Kim Farm across the road; maybe they'll give him some food and not make him work.
 

llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

The first time he pisses off Hot Farmer is an accident. He just needs a car to drive him across the road. But they're all without ignition keys and smell like they've been in the sun all day. Which they have. When he revs up a four wheeler he sees lying around he doesn't know that turning the left bar would make him reverse. He screams as he flies backwards into a black pickup truck.

He's in mild shock when Hot Farmer appears from around the barn and he does not look happy.

"My truck!" Hot Farmer examines the damage than his eyes are on Heechul's, and wow, they’re intense and bold and Heechul could get used to that stare.

"Yeah, I’m not hurt, thanks for asking." He says after the silence.

"Wasn’t going to." Hot Farmer replies coldly than looks at him strangely. "May's grandson?" He sighs and mumbles something about city people and trouble. Heechul doesn't pay attention because he's busy staring at the tight that’s bending over to check the new dent in the truck. Yeah, tight farm jeans should be celebrated.

Just than the terror goat from before comes from behind the truck and Heechul can't resist.

"I'm blaming the goat." He jokes but Hot Farmer doesn't crack a smile. "If it's any consolation it was an ugly truck." Heechul steps back when Hot Farmer gives him a stern glare and distantly tells him to leave.

Guess he's walking.
 

llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

Old Man Teuk's farm is not just across the road but it's like a whole other country away. Okay, Heechul might be exaggerating because he's tired and his feet hurt and he feels like . Onew passes by in a car and trailer and doesn't even stop to drive him. Some family he has here. By the time he reaches the South Farm property he feels like collapsing, but he hears a voice yell to him.

"Chul!"