The baseball team always seems to drive out to the countryside for training during the summer months.  Something about getting the fresh mountain air and something about cooler weather.  This summer it's an expansive training field in Guri, near the royal tombs.

"This is hardly the countryside" Jongdae retorts to Baekhyun's complaining.

It seems all the same to Baekhyun.  The sun, the fields, everything.

After a short bus ride, they arrive at the dorms which are located in an older building nestled in a grove of trees.  The air is surprisingly crisp and fresh, almost like a blast of pure oxygen to his lungs.  Baekhyun inhales deep, but grimaces at the look of the building they're to stay at for the next week.

"At least it's clean" Jongdae remarks.  "Look, even the lawn is manicured."

&

Minseok doesn't completely understand why baseball teams from all over Korea come to Guri to train.  It's not that far from Seoul.  It's the suburbs, not the countryside - despite what the city boys call it.

The day is mildly hot and Minseok, while helping to re-chalk the white foul lines on the baseball field, overhears a pair of boys complaining about the heat. 

"Cooler mountain air, my !" one boy shouts to another.  "It's just as hot here as it is in the city."

Minseok looks up, wiping a sheen of sweat on his forehead from the effort of manning the chalker.

There's a boy with a loud voice and floppy hair; they're not from around here by the sound of it.  Minseok gives the loud boy a glare.  The boy's eyes are slightly droopy at the edges, much like a puppy dog.  These eyes widen in surprise when they make eye contact with Minseok's.

&

Baekhyun's complaining about the unexpected heat wave in Guri when he meets eyes with the most alluring boy he's ever seen.  He tells as much to Jongdae in a hurried whisper once he finds his breath again.

"Present company excluded, right?" Jongdae quips with a grin.  Before Baekhyun can toss Jongdae a look, Jongdae whistles lowly.  "Whew, you're right.  That is one hot piece of-"

Jongdae's cut short by the gorgeous boy stomping closer to them, grimace marring his delicate features.

"Excuse me" says the y boy in tiny football shorts.

"D'uh" Baekhyun manages to say.

"Oh hello!"  Jongdae's quicker to recover, pasting on a business smile for the newcomer.

"The field is closed until the lines are done."  The boy's voice is cold and his gaze even icier. 

Baekhyun shivers unconsciously in a way that makes him gulp rather loudly.  The boy's face is shining with perspiration.  And normally, a boy his age sweating all over the face would disgust rather than excite Baekhyun, but this particular boy is positively glowing.  It's then that Baekhyun decides this boy isn't human, instead it's more likely that he's a-

"Fairy" Baekhyun breathes.

"What?"

"What?!" asks Jongdae, incredulous at Baekhyun's sudden outburst, seemingly an uncalled for insult of some kind.

The boy flushes a deep pink - the color washing over his pale cheeks like a drop of watercolor.

"Did you hear the other boys talking?" the boy demands.  He takes on step back, crossing his arms as if on the defensive.  "Because that nickname is just-"

"Sorry" Jongdae apologizes quickly, putting a hand on Baekhyun's shoulder.  "My friend here is just going through puberty.  I'm Kim Jongdae.  And this is my friend Byun Baekhyun.  We're sorry to have disturbed you.  We didn't know the field was closed."

The boy sniffs and purses his lips, as if considering Jongdae's statement.  Jongdae smiles, sweet and innocent like he does to the lunch ladies when he wants to get extra helpings of noodles.  The boy eventually lets out a little sigh.

"I'm Kim Minseok" the boy finally says.  "I'm a high student too, but I work part-time here for the summers."

"Really!?  You go to school around here?" Jongdae asks as Minseok nods.  "Are you on your school's baseball team too?"

Minseok shakes his head side to side.  "No, I'm on the soccer team."

They continue, Baekhyun letting Jongdae steer the conversation because he's still in shock.  He's more than dazed and it feels like he's been struck in the head except the pain isn't in his skull, it's in his chest.  He's finding the air a lot less easier to breathe now, but the air smells like fresh grass with a hint of lime.  The mysterious lime scent makes Baekhyun inhale a little deeper and he gasps when he finds the source is Minseok.

"OK, see you later Minseok!"  Jongdae calls out, tugging on Baekhyun's arm.  "Keep up the good work!"

Jongdae's pulling Baekhyun away  because the conversation, it seems, is over but Baekhyun's eyes are still on the boy called Minseok.  Minseok raises a hand in goodbye, tossing Baekhyun an odd look - though it's a lot less hostile than before.  Jongdae's scolding Baekhyun - something about him acting weird and being unsociable - and then, Jongdae's saying something about a group dinner tonight.  But in the distance, Minseok is taking off his shirt and under the sun, his pale skin glistens like a marble sculpture of some Greek god.

They're at the corner of the walkway, Jongdae pulling Baekhyun to scope out the rest of the grounds.  But just then, Minseok bends over to check his chalking machine. 

Baekhyun drools a little bit.

From that point on, Baekhyun's summer goal is no longer to get his batting average up, but rather...something else.