Wordcount: 13,927

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It has been almost a full year since Kim Jongin’s family has visited his grandparents’ farm. When he was younger, they used to visit once a month, which turned into once a quarter, then once a semester…until things started getting so busy that it is now almost a year later and Jongin is finally packing his suitcase for a week of fresh air during the Chuseok holiday. For the other holidays in between, his grandparents had opted to travel in to the city. To be honest, there is a lot that Jongin has missed about visiting the farm; the refreshing quietness, the animals, the general home-y atmosphere. Especially now that Jongin is a Senior in high school and is feeling the stress and pressure of preparing for the college entrance exam and university auditions on top of his regularly scheduled classes, he could really use a break to get away.

Generally speaking, Jongin really loves being at the Kim farm except for two things.

“Now remember, sweetie, Grandma doesn’t have internet at the farm and cell phone service is spotty, so you should really bring something to keep yourself entertained,” Jongin’s mom reminds him at the dinner table a week before departure. Oh, right.

“Thanks for the reminder, mom,” he sighs, “I’ll go dig through some of my old stuff after I finish eating.” Thanks to countless bribes from his father growing up, Jongin has amassed quite a collection of video games over the years. First looking over his devices, he settles on his Nintendo 3DS—kind of old school without being too vintage. He then opens up his case of 3DS games and riffles through the titles, immediately skipping anything that requires too much strategy, because let’s face it, Jongin doesn’t want to use his brain too much while he is on vacation. Halfway through, his eyes linger on one cartridge that causes laughter to bubble out of his lips: “Harvest Moon”. Oh, the irony.

That whole week before vacation, Jongin is inseparable from his 3DS, diligently reacquainting himself with one of his old favorites. Tired of being ignored at the lunch table, Oh Sehun, Jongin’s best friend and ever-present thorn in his side, leans over his shoulder to see what he is doing. “Dude, is that a Nintendo 3DS? I haven't seen one of those in, like, at least a decade.”

“Yeah, go ahead and laugh it up, chuckles,” Jongin sasses his friend. “It hasn’t been that long since it came out. Besides, if you were going to a farm in the middle of nowhere for a week, you would be digging up old relics, too. I need to bring something that will be able to keep me entertained all week long, so I am trying out some old games to see what will be able to keep me most entertained.”

Sehun snorts, “You don’t need to feed me your feeble excuses. Is that this version of Harvest Moon the one that lets you customize your little farmer guy? Let me see yours!” He paws at Jongin’s arm to steal the device away, and Jongin quickly hands it over so that his friend won’t accidentally drop and break it. “Let’s see here…name is D.O, huh? Interesting, guy looks a little short, brown hair, big, round eyes, heart-shaped smile…your farmer looks a little like an owl." Sehun assesses.

“Shut up, he does not look like an owl!” Jongin disagrees, shoving his friend away.

Sehun’s normally stoic face cracks into a smile and he revises, “Ok, ok, how about a penguin?”

Jongin doesn’t like that comparison any better. “I think D.O. is adorable,” he says defensively.

“Sure, sure, so is he any good?” Sehun asks.

“I mean, I guess? I didn’t know the little dudes could change facial expressions, but I swear half the time when I have him do things, he starts to scowl at me,” Jongin complains.

Sehun stifles a snort, suggesting, “Maybe it’s because you are a y farmer and he knows it. Also, your house looks like your grandma decorated it.”

“Shut up!” Jongin snaps, although internally, he knows that he decorated exactly like his grandma’s house.

In the evenings, Jongin is attached to his device as well. "Jongin, put the GameBoy away," his dad chides him. “You aren’t going to be able to do this during dinner at Grandma’s so you should get used to it now. Even if it is just us at home, you shouldn’t be doing that. It’s rude.”

Jongin rolls his eyes but complies, sliding it into the front pocket of his jeans. "You told me I have to entertain myself all next week, I need to make sure this game will keep me busy for seven. whole. days,” he emphasizes the last several words for impact.

"I just talked to your grandma this morning,” his mom speaks up after clearing , trying to waive away the sudden awkward tension. “It sounds like there are some farm hands close to your age who won't be able to go home for the holidays, so they will be joining us for our celebration. Doesn’t that sound fun?"

"I guess...?" Jongin drawls, voice lilting at the end.

"She said they are around your age, a year or two older, so maybe you can make friends with them instead of being glued to your device all week," she suggests, dropping a few more pieces of chicken onto her son’s plate.

“Maybe, we'll see," he grunts.

*  ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Unsurprisingly, Jongin sleeps the whole drive to the farm. Since they didn’t leave until after his parents finished work, they arrive at the farm late and go straight to bed. The next morning, he is woken bright and early by his mom. "What time is it?" he groans, “I can’t have been asleep for more than five minutes, I swear.”

With an airy laugh, Mrs. Kim breaks the news to him: "It’s 6 AM."

The noise that escapes Jongin’s windpipes is akin to that of a bear whose food has been stolen away. "WHAT?!” he whines, “Why are you waking me up at the crack of dawn?!"

In an attempt to lessen the offense, she rubs small circles into her son’s back. "It is breakfast time on the farm. We aren't in the city anymore, son."

"Can't I just eat later?" he pleads.

Shaking her head, she tells him, "If you don't wake up and eat now, you won't be fed until lunch."

"WHAT?! But this is vacation!" he whines again, voice muffled by the pillow he is currently face-planted into.

"Welcome to the farm life, sweetie," she apologizes, patting him on the rear. “Now wake up and come downstairs.”

Jongin would rather be sleeping, but he knows if he doesn't eat now, he will regret it by lunch time. He stumbles into the kitchen, hair awry, eyes puffy. "Introduce yourself, sweetie," his mother instructs him. He bows slowly and mumbles an introduction before plopping into a chair, not paying attention to anyone at the table. Head propped up on one hand and eyes closed, he lethargically scoops bites of pancakes into his mouth with the other. He is vaguely aware of the hushed voices conversing around him, although there is one in particular that cuts through his hazy thoughts and sticks in his mind. The sound is low, soothing, gentle. Slowly, it lulls him back to sleep.

The next time Jongin stirs awake, he is still at the kitchen table, head resting on his left bicep. The sun is now high in the sky and his mother and grandmother are bustling around the kitchen food prepping for the week. "What time is it?" he asks groggily. "It is almost lunch time, Jongin-ah. You were asleep for a long time. The farm hands should be back here soon to eat. How about you go wash up before they get here?" Standing to stretch out his spine that has been bent awkwardly all morning, he ambles to the bathroom upstairs to brush his teeth and make his hair a bit more presentable.

By the time he completes his morning routine, there are two young men already sitting down at the square kitchen table. "These are a couple of our farm hands, please introduce yourselves," Grandma Kim gestures towards the young men, who introduce themselves as Baekhyun and Chanyeol. "Where is Kyungsoo?" she asks the pair.

"Ah, he stopped by the chicken coop to pick up some more eggs; he remembered you said your grandson has quite an appetite for chicken and eggs, so he wanted to make sure we had enough," the taller of the two farm hands replies.

"What a sweetheart. I'll have to give him an extra-large helping of potatoes" Grandma Kim declares.

"That's not fair!" Baekhyun and Chanyeol protest, "We work hard too!" Chaos ensues.

"What is everyone yelling about?" Jongin ears perk up at the sounds of that soothing voice from this morning that lulled him to sleep. Eyes drifting towards the source of the sweet melody, their gazes meet and Jongin stands up abruptly, his jaw dropping. "Hello, I'm Do Kyungsoo, it is nice to meet you."

Jongin stands there stupidly and stutters, "Do...D...O...?”

Kyungsoo nods amicably and confirms, "Yes, that's how you spell it." Jongin continues to stare at the shorter male, causing Kyungsoo to fidget under his gaze. "Is there something on my face?" Kyungsoo asks nervously. Jongin's eyes trace a bead of sweat that trails halfway down his face before Kyungsoo dabs it away with the back of his hand.

Out of nowhere, Grandma Kim swiftly smacks Jongin on the back of the head, forcing him to bend over 90 degrees in pain. "This oaf of a young man is my grandson, Jongin. He's almost exactly a year younger than you, maybe a couple days off. It has been a while since I have seen him, but I don't remember him being this much of a socially awkward turtle. I apologize for his lack of manners just now," she says, sending him a glare that has him sinking back into his chair.

Kyungsoo takes a seat in the chair next to Jongin, which, at the small kitchen table, is much too close for Jongin's comfort at the moment. He sees Kyungsoo scoot his chair as far away as possible, but it still isn't enough. "Sorry," Kyungsoo whispers to Jongin out of the corner of his mouth, causing Jongin to look up at the older boy in surprise.

"It's not your fault it's a small table," Jongin grumbles in response.

"Perhaps not, but it's my fault that only I seem to make you so uncomfortable, no? I'll eat quickly and get out of your way," Kyungsoo whispers shyly, to keep their conversation from the rest of the table’s attention. Jongin's stomach sinks at the misunderstanding. He doesn't actually want the older boy to think he hates him.

Hesitantly, he places a hand on Kyungsoo's shoulder, "No, I'm sorry for acting this way...I think I am still half asleep. You are fine—you need to eat slowly so you don’t upset your stomach later." His hand reluctantly retracts, not wanting to separate from the warmth beneath it. Kyungsoo hums in agreement and smiles serenely before turning back to the conversation between the other farm hands, shoulders more relaxed than before. Jongin focuses on eating his lunch without spilling on his shirt, because regardless of what he says, the older boy's presence still has him flustered. Occasionally throughout the meal, Jongin will sneak a peek at the boy next to him to make sure that he isn't delusional, that he isn't just seeing things. But after about 20 glances within 30 minutes, Jongin is resolutely convinced that this Do Kyungsoo is his D.O. His farmer from Harvest Moon. From the brown hair that falls across his forehead, to the large, round doe eyes, down to the identically shaped nose and heart-shaped lips, his shorter, but sturdy frame that was surely shaped by farming. Jongin tries his best to keep one ear on the table talk to react at the appropriate moments; he doesn't want to seem like he isn't paying any attention, even if that is truly the case.

Once everyone finishes eating, the farm hands clear the table and stack their dishes in the sink, bidding the rest of the group goodbye so they can get back to work. Before he leaves, Kyungsoo turns to Jongin specifically and asks, "I'll see you at supper?" to which Jongin reddens and barely manages to stammer an affirmative response before the older boy flashes that heart shaped smile and catches up with his friends. As soon as the motley crew is gone, Jongin groans loudly and slouches down in the kitchen chair, mortified at just how awkwardly he handled his encounter with his real-life video game character.

"You really need to simmer down, child," his grandmother chides him from her station at the kitchen sink. "Come over here and make yourself useful." Jongin obediently starts rinsing the dishes and handing them to his grandmother to dry. "So tell me," Grandma Kim starts the dreaded conversation, "what do you think of my farmhands?"

Jongin chokes. "They, uh, all seem very...capable?" His response makes Grandma Kim chuckle. "How long have they been working here?" He keeps his question general, but he is really only interested in knowing about one particular doe-eyed boy.

"Kyungsoo has been with us for about a year, ever since he graduated high school," she replies, a twinkle in her eye. She knows her grandson all too well.

Coughing to cover up his embarrassment, he prods her, "And what about Baekhyun-ssi and Chanyeol-ssi?" She tells him that Baekhyun and Chanyeol both joined the farm a year before Kyungsoo. Jongin isn't sure where to take the conversation from there, so he opts to just nod and then remains silent.

"You know, I think you gave our dear Kyungsoo quite a fright earlier," Grandma Kim comments. "You looked like you had seen a ghost when he walked in."

Jongin clearly blushes and vaguely explains, "He looks exactly like somebody I've seen before..."

"That person must have been a heck of a looker, then!" Grandma declares, laughing at how mortified her grandson looks. “Jonginnie, you are almost a grown man now, it’s ok for you to think that a boy is cute. Besides, Kyungsoo is such a sweetheart, I wouldn’t mind having him as a grandson-in-law—”

“Oh my gosh, grandma, stop!!” Jongin whines, covering his face with soapy hands. “I didn’t say that I think he’s cute!”

Grandma Kim pats the boy on the back and says, “But you were thinking it.”

After the dishes are all dried and stacked, Jongin sprawls himself out on the couch, Nintendo 3DS in hand to pass the time until dinner. Thirty minutes, then an hour pass without Jongin pressing a single button on his device. He just sits there, staring at his little farmer avatar, noting how it stares back at him blankly, so lifeless compared to the young man it resembles. “How can you have the same name and look so much like him?” he mumbles.

“Sweetie, you are starting to talk to yourself…why don’t you go take a walk or run around the property to get yourself acquainted instead of staying cooped up inside glued to your video games?” his mom asks him, not taking her eyes off the knitting project she is working on. “It is not too cold outside yet, so you shouldn’t need to wear too many layers.” She makes it sound like a suggestion, but he can tell she wants him to get off his . And so Jongin begrudgingly rolls off the couch and crawls on all fours towards the stairs. “First day on the farm and you are already acting like one of the animals,” she snickers. Jongin immediately scrambles to his feet and scampers the rest of the way upstairs to his room.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Jongin has to admit that his mom was right—the mid-afternoon weather is beautiful for a run, and he admittedly has never paid much attention to the landscape that makes up his grandparents’ farmland. Being a typical city boy, although he appreciates the fresh air and quietness for a few days, any longer than that and Jongin considers the countryside too boring for his tastes, lacking the hustle and bustle of the life he is used to. When he was much younger used to love going out and exploring with Grandpa Kim, feeding the animals, but after his grandpa’s passing almost a decade ago, Jongin had lost his spark for the farm, opting to “stay cooped up inside glued to his video games”, as his mom would put it. He would find ways to complain that it was “too hot”, “too cold”, or “too boring” to spend any time out in nature, admiring the area that his grandparents had worked so hard to build. It just felt weird to try to do those things without his grandfather by his side. Now, though, now that he is an older, mature senior in high school, and he is learning to cherish those old memories while rediscovering the beauty of the world around him…and maybe he is hoping that he will catch a glimpse of a certain farmhand.

Jongin is halfway through his second lap around the property when he hears someone shouting for him, “Hey! Hey Jongin-ssi, slow down!” Jongin jogs towards the young man calling his name and slows to a stop. Despite being a couple inches shorter, Baekhyun throws an arm around Jongin’s shoulders, not caring that they are both perspiring from the high sun beating down on them.

“Hey, uh, Baekhyun-ssi, what’s up?” Jongin pants, still a bit winded from his run. He stands with his hands on his hips, chest heaving up and down. His hair is drenched in sweat, as is his thin t-shirt.

Baekhyun doesn’t remove his arm and casually replies, “Oh, you know, we just saw you mucking about and thought we’d get to know you a bit, you know, away from the adults.” He waggles his eyebrows suggestively.

Jongin snorts, “Ok, first of all, I was not ‘mucking about’ I was on a run. And second of all, we?” It is only then that he looks past Baekhyun and sees that the other two farm hands are standing around as well. Of course they would all be working together in the same area—why wouldn’t they be? Chanyeol gives an enthusiastic wave and bright smile from where he stands and Kyungsoo gives a small smile himself. Jongin just nods in their direction, not trusting himself to smile and wave without looking like a total dweeb in front of the older boys.

“You look like you could use a rest! Come chill with us for a few minutes,” Baekhyun guides him by the shoulder over to the base of a giant tree where the other two farmhands are seeking refuge. Chanyeol hands him a juice box of melon milk, which he takes gratefully.

“What are you running for?” Chanyeol asks, sipping his own juice box.

Jongin takes a gulp before answering, “It’s cross country season right now. We have regionals coming up soon, so I need to stay in good condition even during the holiday.” He feels warm inside when the trio of farmhands looks impressed. He scratches the back of his head sheepishly and shrugs, “It’s no big deal, just something I do in the fall to maintain my stamina.”

“Maintain your stamina for what?” Baekhyun asks, leaning in with interest. Jongin’s face gets even redder when he explains that he is primarily a dancer. His teacher had recommended that he also engage in other physical activity besides dancing to stay in shape (“but nothing too crazy so he doesn’t get hurt”) and long-distance running seemed like a good secondary sport to pick up that would be cardio intensive while keeping his muscles long and lean. He explains that he is practicing for auditions for the biggest dance universities in Seoul, and hopes to one day join the prestigious Korean National Ballet.

Baekhyun, Chanyeol, and Kyungsoo perk up immediately when Jongin mentions that he dances. “I play the guitar and these guys sing!” Chanyeol tells him excitedly. “We try to have jam sessions a couple times a week just for fun, and it would be really cool if you, I don’t know, could improv some moves while we sing. We can try it out after dinner tonight if you are interested!”

And so that’s what they do. After a short post-dinner rest, Chanyeol brings his guitar out to the living room where the whole family is gathered, strumming a few chords to warm up before the three farm hands launch into an acoustic rendition of EXO’s “Lady Luck.” Jongin stands still for a couple measures, letting the music envelop him, before opening his eyes and letting it flow through him. When the song ends, the quartet of boys look around at each other before all breaking into wide grins and laughter.

“That was wicked cool!” Chanyeol exclaims, and the other agree. Jongin’s parents and grandma also break into applause after the performance. For an hour, the group messes around with different songs, just enjoying their new member’s amazing talents. Shower time rolls around, though, and one by one each member of the household takes turns washing up and getting ready for bed.

As he waits for his turn to go, Jongin lays lifelessly on the couch, staring at his D.O. again. The adults have already retired to their bedrooms, Kyungsoo is currently in the shower, and Baekhyun and Chanyeol are in their room picking out clothes, which leaves Jongin alone in the living room. He must have spaced out pretty intensely because he doesn’t even realize anyone has joined him until a smooth voice croons right above his head, “What are you playing?”

Jongin yelps and jumps a mile into the air, landing on the floor. The impact hurts a bit, but not enough to distract him from slamming his 3DS shut. “Holy crap, Kyungsoo-ssi, you scared the living daylights out of me!” He holds his hand over his chest to measure just how quickly his heart is beating right now. His primary concern is that Kyungsoo has seen his mini-me on the screen of Jongin’s handheld and now thinks the younger boy is a creepy stalker.

“Sorry about that,” Kyungsoo apologizes bashfully as he takes the towel from around his shoulders and proceeds to dry his hair. “I thought you had heard me coming.” The younger boy shakes his head to indicate he hadn’t heard anything, but assures the farm hand that accidents happen.

“Uh, anyway,” Jongin clears his throat, “I’m just going to…go get my clothes and stuff ready for my shower. Yeah. I’ll see you in the morning?” He bows awkwardly and runs away before Kyungsoo can remember that he is curious about Jongin’s game.

Back in the safety of his bedroom, Jongin buries his face into his pillow and chides himself for acting like such a loser in front of Kyungsoo. Every interaction today has been so uncomfortable that Jongin could scream. He rolls over onto his back and slaps himself in the face. Get it together, Kim Jongin, he gives himself a pep talk. Tomorrow is a new day. You are capable of having a normal conversation.

Although it is relatively late when he finishes his shower, Jongin decides to make a serious attempt at playing Harvest Moon before he falls asleep. Laying in the dark, he quickly bypasses his game profile so he won’t get into another ‘stare at D.O.’ session. Alright, D.O., we have got some cows to milk.

Meanwhile…

A sudden beep from a futuristic looking headset on Kyungsoo’s desk makes him groan in despair. “No way…” he whines, “Is this Kai kid really back to playing again?” He drags himself over to his desk and straps on the headset before busying himself with securing the robotic gauntlets on his hands and forearms.

Baekhyun chuckles from his bed, “You know, you could just stop playing if it annoys you so much. Besides isn’t the whole point of VR/AR games that you can stay put and do your thing while it just feels like you are actually out fighting zombies and crap? You aren’t supposed to be doing the dirty work, is my understanding.”

“I can’t just stop, though! I promised Insung hyung that I would help demo his new technology to tell him if it is good or not,” Kyungsoo laments. “It would be a lot more fun if the idiot controlling me wasn’t a total noob.” He squeezes into his jeans and zips up a hoodie before saluting his friend, “I’ll be back later. Wish me luck that Kai doesn’t make me step in cow manure or something again.”

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

The next day progresses much like the first, the only difference being that Jongin is (slightly) more alert during breakfast. Jongin eats breakfast, lazes around all morning, eats lunch, helps Grandma Kim wash the dishes, goes for a run, takes a break with the farm hands, lazes around until dinner, eats dinner, jam session…unlike the previous evening, though, Jongin is on high alert when he waits in the living room for his turn to shower. Or so he thinks.

“Wha cha doin’?” Baekhyun breathes over Jongin’s shoulder, catching him off guard. Jongin tries to slam the lid of his 3DS shut, but it is too late. “WHOA. IS THAT—?!” Baekhyun might as well have yelled for the whole house to hear.

“Keep it down!” Jongin hisses. He isn’t ready to reveal his secret to anyone yet, especially Kyungsoo. Seeing as how Baekhyun is the first person who found out, though, Jongin has little faith that his secret will stay a secret for long.

Baekhyun plops himself down on the couch right next to Jongin and holds out his hand. “I promise I’ll keep it a secret if you explain to me exactly what is going on and why your Harvest Moon avatar looks exactly like our little Soo.” And so, even though he doesn’t quite understand the situation himself, Jongin tries to explain it to the best of his ability. Starting with when he got the game, how he made his avatar into a cute little farmer boy, how it came to him in a dream to name the farmer D.O, how little D.O. seems to scowl at him every time he does something dumb, but Jongin still finds it cute anyway. He explains everything up through how he decided to pick the game back up on this holiday since his mom told him he would need to entertain himself, how he very nearly had a heart attack when he saw Kyungsoo at lunch on that first day because it was like D.O. had been sent down from gaming heaven to personally kick his for being a terrible farmer.

Jongin can see the gears turning in Baekhyun’s head before something clicks and Baekhyun keels over, rumbling with laughter. “Oh my God, this is too good to be true!” he wheezes. “I can’t, oh my God, someone help me breathe!” Jongin slaps his hand half-heartedly against Baekhyun’s back a few times to see if that helps, and after a couple minutes, Baekhyun finally calms down.

“I’ve done a lot of talking up ‘til now—I think it is your turn to do some explaining,” Jongin bargains. Baekhyun opens his mouth like he is about to speak, but one glance at D.O. staring blankly back at him from the screen sends him back into a laughing fit. “Hyunggggggggg!” Jongin complains, snatching back his 3DS and closing it, slipping it back into his pocket. Baekhyun takes his time catching his breath, but eventually levels out to a pattern that is manageable.

“Ok, ok, it’s not everything, but I’ll tell you what I know,” Baekhyun complies. “So Kyungsoo knows a hyung who is in charge of new product development at Natsume—”

“HE KNOWS SOMEONE WHO WORKS AT NASUME??” Jongin interrupts excitedly.

Baekhyun does not look impressed. “Do you want to know about your fate or not?”

Jongin mimes zipping his lips and tossing away the key. “Anyway,” Baekhyun continues, “so this hyung came up with this new VR/AR-type technology where you know, instead of just wearing the headset and controllers and feeling like you are out fighting zombies and crap, when you wear the equipment, you actually get to be controlled by someone else.” Jongin’s brows pull into a frown as he tries to wrap his head around the technology that Baekhyun is describing.

“So…if I put on this equipment, you could literally control every thing that I do from your controller? Like where I walk, whether I run, if I tuck & roll, or dodge, or punch?” Jongin asks in awe. “That sounds awesome!”

“In theory, yes,” Baekhyun answers simply, and then smirks before adding, “I bet it’s not so fun if the guy controlling you is a y gamer. Can you imagine being a player in Mortal Kombat if your gamer is a noob? You’d be literally dead in 2 seconds flat.”

Jongin nods gravely and asks, “So what does this have to do with Kyungsoo?”

“Ah, yes, baby Soo,” Baekhyun continues with the story. “So Insung hyung needed some guinea pigs to test out this new technology to see if it would work properly, if it would even be any fun for both the controller and the player, etc. I don’t remember exactly how long he has been testing the various version of this equipment, but it has been a while. Anyway, Insung hyung has several people throughout the region who are helping him with testing. He wanted people living in many different types of environments to test and gather data so he could determine which types of games this would work best for. He asked Kyungsoo to help out because he knew Soo was working and living on a farm, and he needed to test out the equipment in a farm simulation role-playing game…”

Baekhyun doesn’t need to say much more for Jongin to connect the dots. “So what you are saying is that Kyungsoo hyung is literally the living incarnation of my D.O.” He states rather than asks.

Baekhyun smiles wryly and confirms, “Yes, yes, when you make your little D.O. run around the farm watering potatoes every night, you are really wearing out Kyungsoo. You should really consider planting your crops a bit closer together.”

“Oh God,” Jongin’s eyes widen in horror, “Is that why he always looks so tired every morning?? Because I usually play Harvest Moon while I am in bed at night? He has to hate me, I am so doomed.”

“Eh, I wouldn’t worry about it too much,” Baekhyun assures the younger boy, “He always receives a notification when you turn on your game, but he always has the option to ignore it and not play if he doesn’t feel like it.”

“Do you know any specifics about how it actually works?” Jongin asks, curiosity killing him.

Baekhyun shakes his head regretfully as he informs the boy that his friend doesn’t trust him with his toys, especially when they are from Insung hyung. “Sorry,” he apologizes, “if you want to know the details of how it works, you’re going to have to talk to him about it.” Jongin pouts and looks unsure that he wants to have that conversation, because that would mean fessing up about Kyungsoo’s doppelganger video game character. “Just talk to him, he’ll understand,” Baekhyun prods him, with an encouraging squeeze of his shoulder.

Around this time, Kyungsoo finishes up his shower and wanders back into the living room, towel slung around his shoulders while he dries the sides of his head with the ends. “Why so serious, guys?” he asks, approaching the two boys on the couch. He is wearing a pair of black and white patterned basketball shorts and an oversized white t-shirt, and Jongin doesn’t think he has ever seen a person look so soft in his life.

“Oh, nothing important,” Baekhyun replies, jumping up from his seat so Kyungsoo can occupy it. “I was just telling Jongin about Insung hyung’s new game technology that you are helping to test. Jongin seems pretty interested in it, so maybe you two can discuss it while I go take my shower. Ok, bye!” Jongin wants to disappear into the couch when he realizes that Baekhyun dropped a bomb and then ran away for him to deal with it.

Kyungsoo carefully sits down next to Jongin, but at a respectful distance. He scratches the back of his head nervously when he asks, “So…Baekhyun told you about the gaming equipment?” Jongin just nods. “What do you want to know about it?”

“Is it weird? Not really having control over your own body, even though you still have control over your mind,” is what tumbles out of Jongin’s mouth first. He is really curious to know how Kyungsoo feels after being forced to follow his whims for the past who knows how many weeks, months, years, depending on how long Kyungsoo has been using the equipment.

“Some days are better than others,” Kyungsoo admits with a laugh. “The gamer I play for…he seems like he doesn’t always know what he is doing.” Jongin chokes and almost speaks up to defend himself, but he thinks he should probably ease his way into that conversation a bit later.

He tries to play it off as a violent series of coughs, which was really not a good plan because now Kyungsoo is looking at him with concern on his face while he gently pats him on the back. “I’m fine,” he gasps, “I’m fine.” Kyungsoo’s hand lingers for a second longer than necessary before he is back to sitting a few inches away. “So what kind of game are you testing? Baekhyun hyung mentioned that Insung hyung has a bunch of different people testing the equipment for different types of games depending on where they live.”

Kyungsoo visibly reddens when he says he is a player for Harvest Moon. “I know, it’s kind of a kid game, but since I live and work here…it just made sense.”

“It’s not a kid game, hyung,” Jongin’s eyes shine earnestly and he leans towards the other boy. “I—I still play it sometimes,” he admits. He can tell the time for ‘the talk’ is drawing ever closer, and he thinks he is ready for it. “So what do they make you do when you play Harvest Moon?”

Jongin clearly said the right thing, because Kyungsoo’s eyes curve into crescents and he smiles his heart shaped smile before standing up abruptly. “Hold on, I’ll be right back,” he excuses himself. Not 30 seconds later he returns, equipment in hand, and launches into a detailed explanation of how exactly the technology works. “Ok, so you put the headset on like this,” he says, as he straps the visor to Jongin’s head. “And then you put on the gauntlets like this,” he continues, strapping those on the younger boy as well. Jongin immediately stands up and tries to test them out, ducking here and there and throwing some quick punches like a boxer. The actions draw a chuckle from Kyungsoo when he reminds the younger boy that this isn’t typical VR equipment that he will be controlling himself. “I, uh, don’t actually have a copy of the game that we can play with, I usually just have to wait for my gamer to log on and I get a notification…” he admits sheepishly. “Sorry to get your hopes up.”

This is it. The time has come, and Jongin recognizes that. “Um, actually, hyung…” Kyungsoo raises his eyebrows in curiosity. “Hyung, can you help me take this stuff off first?” Kyungsoo quickly unstraps the equipment and sets it on the coffee table, then turns his attention back to the nervous younger male in front of him. Jongin pulls his 3DS out of his pocket and asks, “Do you remember yesterday when I wouldn’t show you what I was playing on my GameBoy?” Kyungsoo nods. “Well, I was playing Harvest Moon.” He shows Kyungsoo the home screen that is loading.

Kyungsoo laughs at the irony, “Man, you should have just showed me this yesterday and we would have been instant friends!”

“Maybe, maybe not,” Jongin laughs along the best that he can, but he knows there is more that he needs to admit to the youngest farmhand. “Do you remember yesterday at lunch when you walked in and I just kinda…stared at you?” he asks, cheeks tinged pink at the mere memory of how awkward he acted.

Again, Kyungsoo laughs and calls Jongin out for being socially awkward. “I really thought you were going to pass out.”

“If you had seen what I saw knowing what I know, you would have been stupefied too!” Jongin defends himself indignantly. He hesitates for a moment but hands his GameBoy to Kyungsoo before he can convince himself not to. His profile is pulled up, and D.O. is displayed in the middle of the screen, staring at him blankly. Jongin watches Kyungsoo’s face closely for his reaction to seeing his little mini-me on screen.

“…Jongin…” Kyungsoo drawls slowly, unsure of what exactly he is looking at. “How…? Why does he look like me? How long have you had this?” Jongin explains that he first got the game when it first came out, which is when he created D.O. He had abandoned the game after a couple months when he started getting busy at school and with dance, but picked it back up a week ago when his parents had told him he would need to entertain himself at grandma’s. Kyungsoo continues to just stare at D.O, eyes soaking in every detail of the video game character. “It’s like looking into a mirror, this is so bizarre!”

Jongin is relieved that Kyungsoo doesn’t seem too freaked out by the coincidence. Or maybe he spoke too soon, because suddenly the headset beeps and the shorter male is now punching him in the arm. “Wait a minute. You’re Kai?!”

“I, uh, yes…” Jongin admits. “Are you weirded out?”

“Weirded out is not exactly how I would put it,” Kyungsoo fumes. He punches Jongin in the arm again, which makes the younger boy wince because the farmhand has some muscle. “You hat! Do you even know how miserable you have been making me with this stinkin’ game?!” Jongin braces himself, arms in front of his face in a defensive position as Kyungsoo’s attack is unrelenting. “Do you know how many eggs you’ve made me waste?? How many plants you have made me drown?? How many piles of cow manure you have made me step in??”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, ok?!” Jongin surrenders and pleads for forgiveness. “Just please stop hitting me, it hurts!” Kyungsoo ceases his assault but gets this glint in his eye that Jongin doesn’t like at all. Next thing he knows, the older boy is suiting him back up in the equipment and is leading him outside by the hand.

“Come on, Jongin, I’ll show you how the game works!” Kyungsoo sounds a little too excited about what is about to go down, but his grip on Jongin’s hand doesn’t loosen as they get further and further away from the main house. Jongin should feel scared, but the feeling of a warm hand holding his is enough for his worries to subside. “Ok, let’s do this,” Kyungsoo says, pressing a couple of buttons on the visor, gauntlets, and boots. Jongin can only stand there helplessly and watch the young man who will decide his fate. Kyungsoo has Jongin’s 3DS in hand and looks him in the eye once to ask, “Are you ready?” Not that it matters anyway, but Jongin nods his consent.

Suddenly, his legs start moving on their own and he circles around a tree. “WHOA!” Jongin yells in glee. “This is awesome!” He wants to clap his hands, but even that action is now out of his control. “What else can you make me do?” Jongin immediately regrets asking, because next thing he knows, he is stepping into a pile of cow manure. “Why would you do that?!” he whines, “My feet are going to smell for days!”

Kyungsoo only laughs and tells him, “I want you to see what you have been putting me through.” And just like that, the two boys spend the next hour running around the property, their laughs and giggles piercing the night air.

“Ok, ok, I get it!” Jongin pants, both from physical exhaustion and mental trauma of some of the dumb things Kyungsoo has made him do. “I’m a terrible gamer and I repent for all of the things I have ever made you do. Please, please, please do not make me wade into the lake again to try to night fish.”

“That’s when the glow in the dark fish come out, though, so they are easier to catch!” Kyungsoo grins, but he reaches out to turn off all the equipment components before pushing Jongin down to sit back again a tree trunk. He plops down next to him and happily sighs, “This game really is fun.”

Now having full control of his body back, Jongin scoots a tad closer so that their shoulders rest against each other and agrees, “It sure is.” Despite only having known Kyungsoo for a couple days, Jongin feels an inexplicable connection with the shorter male. Maybe it is because he has had D.O as his companion for a while so Kyungsoo’s resemblance to the game character makes him feel familiar, but Jongin can’t fight the need to want to be closer with his newly found friend. So without any warning, Jongin slouches a little against the tree and drops his head to Kyungsoo’s shoulder. The other boy tenses for a second and Jongin is poised to pull away, afraid that he is doing too much too soon, but before he can, Kyungsoo brings his hand to rest on Jongin’s thigh and gives it a pat.

The two boys sit there for a few minutes in a comfortable silence until Kyungsoo stirs and whispers, “You are going to get creases on your face if you fall asleep with that headset on. Let’s head back inside, ok?” Jongin really doesn’t want to leave but he knows if he doesn’t sleep soon, he will regret it in the morning. And so he lets himself be pulled to his feet and guided back to the house by an arm around his shoulders.

“Hey, hyung?” Jongin suddenly addresses his new friend.

“Yeah?” Kyungsoo replies, turning to look at the boy next to him.

“Do you think you could teach me how to be a better farmer? I don’t…I don’t want to make your life miserable anymore, if I can help it,” he admits sheepishly. Honestly, Jongin never really thought that he was bad at playing Harvest Moon, but if the ordeal he just went through is any kind of yardstick, he obviously has much room for improvement.

Kyungsoo stops walking and turns to face him. “Wait, really? Shoot, I didn’t mean to make you feel that bad about your farming skills…I mean, a city slicker like you probably won’t have a need for these skills back in your real life, right?” He laughs nervously. Jongin can’t help but to feel a little hurt by Kyungsoo’s comment, even though he knows the older boy didn’t mean it that way. He toes at the dirt and mumbles, “Never mind, forget I asked.”

Quickly realizing the way his words were interpreted, Kyungsoo panics and slides his hand down to grip the crook of Jongin’s elbow, clarifying, “No no, don’t take it back! I didn’t mean it in a bad way, I swear. Of course I’ll show you the ropes, but are you sure you want to wake up early in the morning on your vacation to spend time with m—I mean, to learn how to farm?” He tries to cover up the slip of his tongue, but because Jongin is hanging on his every word, he catches it. The mistake makes him smile to himself.

“Hyung pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease, I really want to!!!” Jongin whines cutely, trying not to look embarrassed at his own cringy aegyo. The act brings a smile back to Kyungsoo’s face and Jongin thinks to himself that he could stare at this vision forever. As Kyungsoo helps Jongin remove all of the equipment that is strapped to him, they agree on a plan that Kyungsoo will come wake up the younger boy in the morning for breakfast, and then Jongin will spend the morning shadowing Kyungsoo, Baekhyun, and Chanyeol, out in the fields. With a pat on the shoulder, Kyungsoo sends Jongin inside to shower and go to sleep, while he stays out on the porch wiping down the electronics. “You know, you wouldn’t have to spend so much time cleaning the boots if you hadn’t made me walk through all of that manure and lake water,” Jongin comments cheekily.

Kyungsoo throws him a look and replies, “Don’t worry, I’m used to it—I have already had to clean plenty of manure off these thanks to you.”

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

The crack of dawn the next morning comes much too soon for Jongin. He immediately starts regretting yesterday’s decisions when he is being shaken awake. “Jongin-ah,” Kyungsoo’s deep morning voice calls him softly, “It’s time to wake up. Aren’t you excited for your first day of farming??”

The sleeping boy hugs his pillow tighter and pulls the covers up over his face to hide himself. “I changed my mind,” he mumbles, but Kyungsoo isn’t buying it.

“Come on Jonginnie,” he coaxes, slowly peeling back the blanket from the sleeping form, but he yelps and throws the covers back when he is confronted with the sight of Jongin’s unclothed muscular torso. Curse him and his runner’s/dancer’s body. He clears his throat before trying a bit of his own cringy aegyo, “Niniiiiiii,” he whines, “You promised you would spend the day with me!” He starts shaking the boy a bit more forcefully by his blanket-covered shoulder, and there is a moment he thinks he has succeeded, when one of Jongin’s eyes peeks open. His internal celebration as short-lived though, when instead of sitting up and getting out of bed, Jongin just reaches for one of Kyungsoo’s arms that is shaking him and yanks on it, causing the older boy to tumble onto the bed, one arm wrapped around Jongin’s waist.

“Just five more minutes, hyung,” Jongin mumbles, followed by a loud yawn, “Just five more minutes.” Knowing the other farmhands, Kyungsoo knows that any second now, one or both of the other two will come bursting through the door and will witness him cuddling a human teddy bear, but at the moment, he can’t really bring himself to care. Having the younger boy in his embrace should be awkward and uncomfortable because they just met and don’t really know each other, but Kyungsoo has never felt more at home in his life. “Ok, fine,” he concedes, and rests his head on the pillow directly behind Jongin’s, relaxing into the mattress. He can’t see the large grin overtaking the little spoon’s face. Neither of them sees Baekhyun crack the door open and poke his head in two minutes later, or how he fist pumps and quietly pulls the door shut.

After 15 minutes, Kyungsoo jolts awake and starts to panic. Breakfast has surely started by now, and if they don’t wash up and get ready soon, they will have missed the morning meal and will have to make it through the morning without any sustenance. “Jongin! Jongin, we have got to go!” he frantically shakes the other boy by his shoulder again.

This time, Jongin easily acquiesces to the older boy’s request, sitting up and shaking out his hair, patting down the bangs with one hand. “Thanks for letting us sleep in, hyung,” he sends the Kyungsoo a blinding smile that ends up flustering the shorter male even more. “I think I am more energized for my day now.”

The two rush to get ready and finally stumble downstairs when the rest of the family is halfway through eating. They both bow bashfully and apologize for being late, but everyone brushes off their concerns with knowing smiles that the boys do not notice. Although he had claimed that he felt much more energized earlier, Jongin barely makes it two bites into his breakfast before drowsiness overcomes him again. Without thinking twice, he lays his head onto Kyungsoo’s shoulder and continues to eat half-heartedly with his eyes closed. Kyungsoo’s eyes widen because he is clearly still aware of everyone else’s presence, but he tries his best to play it off as no big deal. Baekhyun and Chanyeol on the other side of the table, though, send him exaggerated winks and thumbs ups. He turns red and tucks his chin in embarrassment, but otherwise doesn’t retaliate or push the younger boy away. When it is time to head out, Kyungsoo gently wakes Jongin and helps him stack his plates in the sink.

The three farmhands spend the morning doing their usual work, with Jongin following them around like a lost puppy. They show him how to feed the animals, milk the cows, and do other basic farm things that he had forgotten how to do. His grandfather had taught him some of these things at some point, but after years of being unused, the skills vanished. When lunchtime rolls around, they eat loudly together, along with Jongin’s parents and grandmother. In the afternoon, Jongin goes for a run and then lazes around until supper timer. After supper, like the night before, Chanyeol, Baekhyun, and Kyungsoo goof around singing songs while Jongin dances along. Some nights, Kyungsoo takes Jongin out for a spin with the gaming equipment, and other nights, the four young men opt to stay in and watch a movie. Day after day, they easily fall into this same routine as if Jongin has always been a part of their motley crew.

The first movie night is held per Chanyeol’s suggestion, who has been itching to re-watch Back to the Future for ages. The four boys find themselves crammed into the three-seater sofa when there are clearly other seats available. Jongin and Chanyeol bookend the two smaller males in between. “This is ridiculous,” Kyungsoo complains, “Why can’t we have someone sit on the recliner over there? We are all too grown to all fit on here!”

Baekhyun throws an arm around Kyungsoo’s shoulder to keep him from standing up and declares, “But this is so much cozier!” He catches Jongin’s eyes above Kyungsoo’s head and sends him a wink. Honestly, Jongin has to agree with Kyungsoo—the group is not actually able to all fit on the couch without being half on top of each other. For example, Jongin has his right ankle crossed on top of his left knee, but not without having his right knee resting on top of Kyungsoo’s left thigh. They can’t even all have their arms crossed in front of their chests without bumping elbows, so Jongin has to have his right arm resting on the back of the couch behind Kyungsoo. The older boy, not sure what to do with his arms, either, has his left hand on top of Jongin’s knee and his right arm wrapped around his own torso. Jongin is pleased that Kyungsoo doesn’t shy away from the skinship this time.

Jongin has never seen the film before, and although it is quite funny and interesting, he can’t help but to start dozing off halfway through due to exhaustion from the day’s activities. He peeks out of the corner of his eye and sees that Kyungsoo, too, is about to succumb to sleep himself, while Chanyeol and Baekhyun are enraptured by the TV. A little nap won’t hurt, he thinks to himself, before slouching down enough to be able to rest his head on his left upper arm without hurting his neck. The new position forces his arm to slide off the back of the sofa, instead coming to a natural stop across Kyungsoo’s upper back. When the movie ends, the two oldest farmhands glance over at their friends and snigger. With a mischievous glint in his eye, and careful not to wake his victim, Baekhyun uses one finger to gently push Kyungsoo over so that his weight falls onto Jongin.

Hours later, Jongin comes to and finds that he is now fully laying on the couch, and half of his friends are nowhere to be found. He shifts his head slightly and gets a mouthful of brown, fluffy hair that smells sweetly of strawberries. There is a warm body on top of him, warm enough to keep him from getting cold in the chilly night air, and although the extra weight should be suffocating, Jongin finds comfort in it. He has one leg extended on the couch, the other bent at the knee, foot resting on the floor. The older, but smaller, boy is laying facedown on his stomach, their chests pressed together. Jongin slightly shifts one arm and the boy on top of him stirs. Not wanting to get caught awake, Jongin freezes and immediately squeezes both eyes shut, but thankfully his friend just turns his head to the other side, so that he is nuzzling the underside of Jongin’s chin.

Jongin slowly releases the breath he was holding and just has just barely glanced at the clock to see it is 5:37AM when his companion’s eyes shoot right open and Kyungsoo scrambles to sit up and away from his unintentional mattress. In his frantic state, though, he manages to tumble them both onto the floor, the force causing Jongin to grunt in pain.

“Oh my gosh, Jongin, I am so so so sorry!” Kyungsoo whispers, trying not to cause too much of a disturbance to the rest of the house so early in the morning. “Are you ok? Are you hurt anywhere? You aren’t concussed, are you?” He pries each of Jongin’s eyes open to assess the state of his pupils and then does a quick scan over the rest of Jongin’s body to check for any noticeable damage.

Like an idiot, Jongin just lies there on the ground with a big, dumb grin on his face. Kyungsoo hyung is cute to begin with, but he is absolutely adorable when he is worrying himself over Jongin’s well-being. “I’m doing just great,” Jongin assures him. “I can’t feel any pain at all.” Pausing for a second, he adds, “You’re cute, you know.”

Kyungsoo huffs and stands up, declaring, “Ah, good, only brain damage, then.” He heads towards the bathroom to brush his teeth, and Jongin jumps up to follow closely behind. “Yah, stop following me, I have business to take care of,” he scolds, trying to box the younger boy out of the bathroom enough to close the door.

“But hyung, I need to brush my teeth too!” Jongin whines, “Don’t you want my smile to be clean and sparkly too??”

Kyungsoo grumbles something along the lines of, “Like it needs any help being sparkly…”

“Don’t be mad at me for earlier, hyung, I was just making an observation about how cu—” Jongin starts to defend his statement, but Kyungsoo sends him a glare that is downright frightening. It is super effective and shuts him up immediately. “I’ll just, uh, go change my clothes first.” By the time he finishes changing, Kyungsoo has vacated the bathroom and is presumably downstairs helping to prepare breakfast. Jongin brushes as quick as he can and heads down to join the rest of the group.

Unlike the day before, Jongin manages to stay upright and alert while he eats his morning meal. “You look unusually…conscious this morning,” Chanyeol comments, a delighted smirk on his lips. “Did you sleep well last night?”

Jongin replies brightly, “I did, thanks for asking! Best night of rest I’ve had since we arrived.” Next to him, Kyungsoo turns a bright red and looks like he is about to die of embarrassment. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to watch the whole movie…it’s not because I thought it was bad, promise!”

“Nah, don’t worry about it,” Baekhyun assures him, “It seemed like Kyungsoo was having a hard time staying awake too, it wasn’t only you.”

Fist on the table, Kyungsoo clutches his fork a little tighter than before and stabs at his eggs with a bit more force than necessary. “Thanks for the observation, Baek hyung.”

Baekhyun raises his hands in the air and defends himself, “Hey, hey, no need to get all sensitive, I was just trying to help our new friend not feel bad.”

Jongin, not wanting an argument to break out, scratches the back of his neck shyly and assures all parties that everything is fine. They wrap up their morning meal quickly and the quartet head outside for some more farming lessons. Jongin doesn’t want Kyungsoo to be upset for the duration of the day, so he intentionally lags behind the group on the trek to the barn in hopes of getting his hyung alone for a couple seconds. “Soo hyung,” he calls to the older boy, loud enough to get his attention, but not too loud as to attract the attention of the two oldest boys. Kyungsoo stops walking and his head in Jongin’s direction, but doesn’t turn to fully look at him. “Hyung, I’m really sorry about earlier…I don’t want us to be uncomfortable around each other. I-I won’t say things like that to you anymore, just…please don’t ignore me, hyung,” he pleads, head hanging low, eyes downcast.

Kyungsoo’s breath catches in his throat and he has to swallow it down. “I’m not mad at you, Jongin,” he assures the other, “Baekhyun hyung can just be a little…much when he teases me, and I hate it.” He tries hard to keep the pout out of his voice, but Jongin picks up on it.

“I won’t give him any reason to tease you anymore, hyung,” Jongin promises, “I’ll keep my distance.” He says the words, but he doesn’t really mean them—if anything, he wants the complete opposite. He wants to become closer with doe-eyed young man; he wants to know everything there is to know, plus all of the things the boy doesn’t think are worth sharing.

“Jongin, no, that’s not what I—” Kyungsoo starts to correct himself but stops midway. Jongin raises his eyebrows at him, urging him to continue. “That’s not what I want,” he finally finishes his sentence.

Pushing his luck, fully acknowledging that he is fishing here, the younger boy bites his lower lip and sends his friend the most pitiful puppy dog eyes that he can muster and asks, “Then what is it that you want?”

Kyungsoo gapes, opening and closing his mouth a couple times while he struggles for words. He looks finally ready to say something, when Chanyeol calls from the barn, “Hey slowpokes, hurry up! We have lots to do before lunch!” Jongin wants to ask Kyungsoo to say what he was about to say, but Kyungsoo just jerks his head in Chanyeol’s direction and says they should catch up. The younger boy isn’t happy about it, but he trails along after Kyungsoo anyway.

The morning passes much more quietly than the previous days, and the two older boys can tell there is something amiss. During their mid-morning break, Chanyeol and Baekhyun separately approach the two younger boys in an attempt to draw out what the problem is.

“Hey Jongin, are you doing ok today? You seem a little tired,” Chanyeol asks, skirting around what he actually wants to ask.

Jongin feigns a yawn and lies, contradicting his statement at breakfast, “Ah, yeah, I’m a little tired today. You know I’m still not used to waking up this early and sleeping on the couch isn’t really the best setup for the best night’s rest. I’ll be more refreshed after lunch, probably.” He feels bad blatantly lying to his older friend, but he doesn’t really know how to vocalize his concerns about how quickly he is falling for Kyungsoo and his confusion about whether the boy does or does not reciprocate his feelings. Chanyeol gives his shoulder a squeeze and tells him to take it easy—he knows that the city slicker is not used to this kind of manual labor.

At the other corner of the barn, Baekhyun is asking Kyungsoo the same question: “Hey, Kyung, are you doing ok today? You seem a little…off.”

“Do I?” Kyungsoo replies, staring off into the distance. “Sorry about that…I must still be tired from last night. That movie really took it out of me.” He tries to laugh it off, but Baekhyun knows his friend better than that.

Baekhyun purses his lips and gives Kyungsoo an unimpressed look. “Cut the crap,” he demands. Kyungsoo’s eyes shoot open in alarm. Baekhyun rarely speaks this way to him; he says many things jokingly, but something about his tone this time catches Kyungsoo off guard. “Don’t give me that look, you know what I’m talking about. Now how about you tell me what’s really wrong?” Kyungsoo’s eyes subconsciously drift over to where Chanyeol and Jongin are sitting. Baekhyun’s eyes follow Kyungsoo’s line of vision and bites back a smirk. “Does this have something to do with your city boy?”

With a frustrated sigh, both of Kyungsoo’s hands come up to ruffle his own hair. “He’s not my city boy,” he huffs.

“Ah, so that must be the problem, then,” Baekhyun shoots back.

Usually Kyungsoo’s glares are due to his astigmatism, but the one gracing his features right now is 100% intentional and fueled by annoyance. If looks could kill… “This. This is the crap I can’t take from you right now!” he complains, trying to keep his voice down so the other boys can’t hear. “You and your comments and your insinuations are making everything awkward and I can’t deal with it! I am awkward as it is—I don’t need your help! Can’t you just let me live?”

Kyungsoo’s little outburst takes his friend by surprise. Although he usually exhibits some signs of annoyance at the behavior of the two boisterous older boys, he rarely speaks so assertively towards his hyungs. Baekhyun can tell he has really struck a nerve. “Shoot, Kyung, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize…you really like him, don’t you?” Kyungsoo turns a bright red, and even without saying anything, his answer is clear. Clearing his throat, Baekhyun tries to extend a peace offering by suggesting, “I can talk to him and apologize for what I said at breakfast—” but Kyungsoo cuts him off with a curt, “Please don’t.”

Baekhyun nods in resignation and promises that he and Chanyeol will not interfere anymore. “You should really talk to him about whatever this is that is developing between the two of you, though,” he puts in his final two cents. “He is only here for a few more days and then you’ll really regret not saying anything. That’s the last thing I’ll say on the subject, I swear.”

Kyungsoo wraps his arms around his bent knees and stares at the ground, contemplating his friend’s advice. He knows he is running out of time. He knows that if he doesn’t say something to the younger boy soon, he’ll never get another chance to. But he also knows that despite how close he feels to the boy after only a few days, he hardly knows the boy at all. He knows that Jongin has his hopes and dreams in the city, while he himself desires a quiet life in the countryside. He knows that back where Jongin’s from, there must be a queue of people who find the boy as magnetic as he does. And all of these realizations make him feel insecure.

A hand is extended in front of Kyungsoo’s face in an offering to help him stand up, and he takes it without a thought. He finds himself face-to-face with the last person he wants to face right now. “Chanyeol hyung said that we have been slacking off this morning and we should get our heads on straight,” Jongin pouts. The close proximity does things to Kyungsoo’s heart and he has to look away just so he can reply without stuttering, “Yeah, Baekhyun hyung said that, too. Let’s go.”

The rest of the day progresses significantly quicker and less awkwardly than the first couple hours of the morning, to everyone’s relief. At dinner, the conversation turns to Kyungsoo’s most dreaded worry at the moment: the Kim family’s impending departure, which is creeping up in just a couple days’ time. Tonight’s jam session is held with just the four boys on the porch, and after the dinner conversation, the song choices are all melancholy.

“This is actually really sad, guys,” Jongin complains.

Chanyeol, who has been the primary instigator of today’s playlist, perks up and agrees, “Yeah! You are totally right. We should be celebrating our new friendship, not moping that the week is almost over!” And so they agree to play a couple upbeat, happier songs to end the night.

When they wind down, Baekhyun nudges Chanyeol and gives him a look, before they stand up in unison and excuse themselves to go wash up first. That leaves Jongin and Kyungsoo alone, sitting side by side on the top step of the porch in silence. Kyungsoo has a million thoughts flying around his brain at the moment, but only one thought is the most prominent: You have to tell him. Just as he is about to open his mouth to speak, though, Jongin beats him to the punch.

“I like you, hyung,” Jongin starts his confession with the straight forward admission, making the recipient blush to the point of near explosion. Kyungsoo so badly wants to interrupt the younger boy so badly wants to take the initiative as the hyung and speak first, but Jongin doesn’t even give him a chance to respond before he is talking again. “I didn’t know it was possible to feel so close to somebody you just met, but with you…I feel like I have known you for an eternity. Maybe it’s because of the game, or maybe it’s because we have been connected since a past life. All I know is that this week with you has been…cathartic. Every day I have felt so light, like I have finally found this piece of me that I didn’t even realize was missing. I believe there is a reason that my heart decided to bring Harvest Moon on this trip. I believe there is a reason that my D.O. resembles you so much. It’s like he was a little of piece of you saying, ‘I’m here, I’m waiting for you somewhere in this world, and you just need to come find the real me.’ I don’t generally believe in fate, but that moment when I saw you in the kitchen at lunch that first day, I thought to myself, ‘Ah, this must be what fate is. I finally found you.’”

Jongin pauses there to catch his breath, daring to sneak a peek at the other young man with whom he is sitting under the night sky. He has no expectations of the other boy’s acceptance nor shock nor rejection. His heart is fully open and willing to receive whatever it is that his companion will give him. Kyungsoo is looking at him head on, eyes wide and full of wonder; Jongin thinks he can see the twinkle of the stars reflected in them and he can’t bring himself to look away. Kyungsoo’s plush lips are slightly parted, and Jongin can slightly make out the white wisps that his breathing makes in the crisp, fall air. “Please tell me that you feel it too,” he whispers, his tone more desperate and pleading than he had intended.

Kyungsoo drops his gaze and Jongin feels the beginnings of cracks forming on his heart. Here it comes, Jongin thinks to himself, the rejection. Could I have read the signs wrong? Kyungsoo’s fingers fidget with the tab of his jacket zipper, neither of the boys filling the silence. Jongin continues to look at the boy who is looking away, and after several minutes of receiving nothing in return, he plants one foot on the porch step and moves to stand up. “I guess I really did read the signs wrong…I’m sorry if my confession has made you uncomfortable. My parents and I will be leaving in just a couple days’ time, so please bear with my presence just until then. I’ll try my best to stay out of your way the next days. And hyung,” Kyungsoo looks up at the direct address, “I really do appreciate you taking time to teach me this week—about the farm, but also so much more.” With that, he stands up fully and turns to go back inside the house.

Jongin almost makes it before he feels a gentle tug on the hem of his jeans. Surely, he knows where the movement is coming from, but he looks down to check nonetheless. Kyungsoo stands up quickly and grabs onto the taller boy’s bicep to make sure he doesn’t walk away. He stares at the juncture where their skin touches and comments, “You should wear more than just a t-shirt in this weather—you’ll catch a cold.” Then, he mentally kicks himself because that’s not what was supposed to come out.

A scoff escapes Jongin, like he can’t believe what he is hearing. He just poured his heart out in his confession to his hyung and the only words Kyungsoo has for him in return are nagging him about wearing a t-shirt? “I’ll wear a jacket next time. I won’t worry you again,” he replies curtly, trying to pull his arm out of the older boy’s grasp. Kyungsoo doesn’t let up, though, and keeps the boy in place with his strong grip.

“Hyung isn’t done saying what he needs to say, so listen well,” Kyungsoo scolds, causing Jongin to immediately cease his struggling. “You shouldn’t like me,” he says first, and Jongin’s heart drops. “You shouldn’t like me because I have nothing that I can offer you.”

The words make Jongin confused and angry. “What does that even mean?!” he asks, trying to keep his voice hushed, as the rest of the house’s residents are fast asleep inside. “I don’t need you to offer me anything!”

A sad smile graces Kyungsoo’s face as he shakes his head and reiterates, “You shouldn’t like me. You should like someone who will go to college like you, has big dreams like you…someone who lives in the city like you.” Jongin shakes his head vehemently, but Kyungsoo keeps going. “I’m older than you, but I won’t ever have a college degree like you will. You want to be a star, to join Korea National Ballet; I want to live a simple, quiet life on a farm, living off the plants and the animals that I raise. You can’t chase your dreams while also leaving part of your heart behind, here, with me. So please, don’t like me—go chase your dreams.”

Jongin knows that Kyungsoo is trying to reject him, but all he can process is, Hyung likes me enough to push me away if it means I can succeed. With a cheesy smile on his face, he pulls the shorter boy into a tight embrace around the shoulders with his free arm. Out of shock, Kyungsoo releases the arm he was holding, allowing Jongin to wrap that arm around the smaller boy as well. Kyungsoo tries his best to escape, but quickly realizes he is no match for the dancer/athlete and gives up. The moment he stops struggling, his heart feels settled. “You’re not hugging me back,” Jongin complains into the bed of fluffy hair beneath his chin.

“I—I’m not going to hug you back when I’m telling you that you shouldn’t like me!” Kyungsoo protests, as the younger boy tries multiple times to force one of the older boy’s arms to wrap around his waist; but Kyungsoo wills his arm to go limp, dropping lamely back to his side each time.

He doesn’t find the situation particularly amusing, but the broad chest before him rumbles with laughter. “You know,” Jongin tells him slyly, “it would be much better for you if you would just hug me back…as it is, you just keep petting my .” For good measure and demonstrative purposes, he picks up Kyungsoo’s arm and drops it again.

Kyungsoo is thankful that his face isn’t visible, because he just knows that the younger boy would pinch his cheeks if he could see him now. “I get it, I get it, just stop,” he mumbles, drawing out the process of reciprocating the embrace he has been offered.

The action draws a contented sigh out of Jongin, who hums in approval and tightens his hold on his captive hyung. “Now, never let me go.” The words melt Kyungsoo’s heart, who still can’t comprehend why handsome, talented, stardom-bound Jongin would want to pursue a relationship with someone so boring, plain, ordinary. The pair stand there for what seems like forever before Kyungsoo breaks the comfortable silence by saying, “It’s getting late, we should go to sleep.”

Pulling away enough to be able to lock eyes, Jongin complains, “But you never said it back, though.”

“I didn’t say what back?” Kyungsoo asks.

Jongin’s pout and furrowed brows reappear, and he positively whines, “I told you that I like you and the only thing you said back to me is that I shouldn’t like you…don’t you have anything else to tell me?” He puts his best efforts into making his eyes droop into the most pitiful look he can manage.

Kyungsoo scuffs the toe of his shoe into the ground and grumbles, “I don’t think there’s anything I can say in words that you don’t already know.”

“I need to hear it, though, hyung,” Jongin whispers. “I’m going to go crazy if I leave this place not knowing for sure that you’ll be waiting for me to come back.”

“What else would I possibly do besides wait?” Kyungsoo asks instead of providing a proper response.

The older boy’s riddles and unwillingness to be upfront about his feelings makes Jongin’s head hurt. “Hyung,” he pleads one last time, “please…”

Finally, finally, Kyungsoo gazes up at Jongin through thick lashes, and shyly admits, “I like you too, Jonginnie. Too much.” Jongin’s face lights up like a sun in the middle of the night and seals the older boy’s confession with a kiss.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Jongin’s last days on the farm progress the same as all the others, except now he is always greeted at the breakfast table by a hand carded through his hair, and at night he falls asleep with the comfort of having his crush’s warm body by his side.

During after-lunch cleanup duties with Grandma Kim, the elderly woman sidles up to her grandson and comments, “So you and little Soo finally got together, huh?”

“Grandma!” Jongin groans, “You make it like we did something naughty!”

Grandma Kim only laughs and says, “Ok, ok, I won’t put it like that! But you know, sweetie, it’s really about time you two worked it out. You have been dancing around each other all week and I swear if you two didn’t confess to each other by tonight, I was going to lock you in a room together because I want to see my handsome grandson get married before I die, and I’m not getting any younger—” she is cut off when Jongin whines again. This time she ignores him and continues, “So who confessed first? And when did this happen? Was it last night when you two stayed out to the porch thinking that nobody would notice what you were up to? Because you and Kyungsoo have been sneaking out together almost every night, if I recall correctly and—”

“Oh, do tell, we are curious as well!” Jongin’s mom and dad appear out of nowhere and take a seat at the kitchen table. “You know, eomeonim, I really like that young man, and Jongin has been so much happier this week than any other time we have brought him to the farm…I am going to take a gander and say that Kyungsoo is a major contributor to Jongin’s positive attitude this week,” his mom states. “Maybe our little Jonginnie will consider coming back to take over the farm now!” Mrs. Kim is only joking, she knows that Jongin would never choose the farm over a career in dance, but maybe if his *ahem* future husband ran the farm, perhaps her son would consider settling down there and only travel into the city for work.

“He really is such a sweet boy, that Kyungsoo,” Grandma Kim agrees, “I would be thrilled to have him as a grandson-in-law, to leave the farm to him and Jongin when I am too old to take care of it. Baekhyun and Chanyeol have already told me they want to start up their own place instead of taking over this old plot of land, so Kyungsoo is my obvious next choice.”

The conversation is really becoming too much for the young man who is central to the discussion and he finally speaks up and complains, “Mom! Grandma! Can you not?? We’re just getting to know each other and you’re already talking about marriage and leaving the farm to us and we’re not even—you’re going to jinx us!” He pouts spectacularly and puts down the dish he was washing, refusing to do any more labor until they stop talking about him as if he isn’t there. He has fallen head of heels for the petite farmhand, and he’ll be darned if their relationship is doomed before it even starts just because his family can’t keep their musings to themselves.

“Aw, come on now,” his mom coos, standing up and wrapping her arms around his waist, planting a noisy smooch on his red cheeks. “You don’t need to be so sensitive, baby bear; we’ll stop teasing you if it really bothers you so much…we just want you to be happy, that’s all, and we can tell that meeting Kyungsoo has made you very happy indeed.”

Jongin blushes even harder and turns his attention back to washing the stack of dishes in the sink. Behind his back, the adults all share a knowing look and broad smiles.

Rather than going for his afternoon run, Jongin opts to stay inside to practice his university audition routine. He straps his phone to his upper arm and inserts his earbuds, letting himself be taken over by the melodies flowing through him. He leads himself through a warm up and stretches before locking eyes with his own reflection, ready to be on the lookout for the most minute details. When he was younger and would visit the farm more often than now, his grandfather had installed mirrors all along one wall of his designated bedroom so that he could practice dancing. On days like today, Jongin is thankful that his family have always supported his dreams in any way they could, even doing something as small as putting up mirrors so he wouldn’t have to go a single day without rehearsing. He mentally thanks his grandfather for his sacrifice back then.

He isn’t able to practice leaps and jumps in the space anymore, he is far too large to fit, but he takes this time to practice and analyze everything else: from the angle of his chin, to the elongation of his neck, the placement of each and every finger. He is so focused that he doesn’t realize how much time has passed. He doesn’t realize it until he looks up and sees all three of the farmhands in his doorway, watching him with impressed expressions. He is so startled that he steps backwards only to bump into the edge of the bed, tumbling down on top of it. All three of the boys ask him if he is alright, but it is Kyungsoo who rushes over to physically check. Baekhyun and Chanyeol, noticing this, stay where they are and try to stifle their snickering. Slowly, they back away to give the new couple some privacy.

Kyungsoo is hovering over Jongin, concern marring his face as he runs his hands through the younger boy’s hair, down his face, down his arms. When he reaches the end of Jongin’s hands, his hands are wrapped up in a warmth that doesn’t let him go. He looks up to see Jongin staring up at him fondly, a soft smile on his lips. “Hyung, stop,” he says quietly, “I’m fine...” Kyungsoo is half a second from up righting himself when Jongin continues, “But since you’re here…” He gives one tug and Kyungsoo’s arms collapse beneath him, pulling him flush with Jongin’s chest.

“Jongin!!” Kyungsoo complains, “You can’t just do whatever you want since I told you that I like you! Besides, you are sweaty and gross and—”

Paying no heed to the older boy’s words, Jongin tightens his hold and mumbles into Kyungsoo’s neck, “You’ll get used to it.” The heat creeps up Kyungsoo’s neck and he opts to remain silent instead of trying to say something else that will inevitably come out flustered. Jongin senses that Kyungsoo isn’t going to fight back, so in a moment of brazen confidence, he starts lightly running his hands up and down Kyungsoo’s back. “Is this ok?” he asks.

“…Like you won’t just do what you want anyway,” Kyungsoo huffs to himself.

Jongin immediately ceases his movements and starts to say, “If you aren’t comfortable with this yet, I’ll stop—,” but he is quietly cut off when the smaller boy shifts into a more comfortable position and acquiesces, “No, don’t.” And so Jongin resumes where he left off.

By Kyungsoo’s internal clock, they still have about 20 minutes before anyone will come to fetch them for dinner, and Jongin spends that time filling the older boy in the gossip-fest his parents and grandmother had after lunch. “It’s ridiculous, right? The way they are acting like a group of high school gossip queens,” Jongin chuckles, “You and I still haven’t fully wrapped our heads around where we stand and where we are going, and here they are planning our wedding and leaving the farm to us.”

Kyungsoo pushes himself up to prop his head on one elbow and address the younger seriously, “Jonginnie.”

Jongin an eyebrow in curiosity, “Yeah?”

“Promise me that when Grandma Kim transfers the deed to us, you’ll leave the farming to me?” Kyungsoo says, smirking. Jongin pushes Kyungsoo off of him and stomps downstairs to dinner.