Summer wasn’t exactly the season people like Kim Jongin thoroughly enjoys. The heat makes him sweat beyond his expectations and burns his already tanned skin up to the part where he finds it hard to return to his natural skin color within a month or two, regardless of the damage that has been done. The obvious lines of sunburn around his arm sleeves make him standout like a sore thumb especially with people like Zhang Yixing and Oh Sehun around. Their skin never gets pass the color of pink no matter how long they stand under the sun compared to Jongin’s brownish-red burns.

 

His wake-up call never changes, also. If the added hour of sleep in a person’s body clock can be considered by most people as a change, it sure as hell doesn’t feel anything close to that to Kim Jongin. They just mock him for a load of work he has for the day, a reminder of the start of his summer job.

 

Having money throughout summer would probably be the only thing that has kept Jongin working at the beach resort Minseok’s family owns.

 

And the girls, and maybe the guys, too.

 

Jongin doesn’t really care. What looks good, looks good, and now Kris is looking exceptionally good in those Hawaiian inspired beach shorts and green sleeveless tee with an extra luggage on hand.

 

“Another summer vacation, I see.” He greets the taller with a practiced smile.

 

“Jongin,” Kris tucks his sunglasses in his tank’s neckline and smiles back. “Seems like I’ll be on your care once again this year.”

 

“It’ll be my pleasure. Now, allow me to show you to your room,” he takes the luggage from Kris and reaches for the keys as well. “You brought someone with you?”

 

Kris hums, “My cousin came along.”

 

 

 

 

The resort’s a pretty popular one for its crystal like sand and if people would allow, Jongin would dare say for his colleagues, too. Summer’s only greeting them not too long ago but almost all of the rooms have already been booked, making the amount of work double and running for errands here and there drenches their body to its last drop of sweat. In his irritation and worn-out body, Baekhyun had almost told one of their girl customers off when she demanded that he move the beach-umbrella all the while ordering him to get her a mango milk shake.

 

Kyungsoo saved their day.

 

“I demand to be placed as a lifeguard tomorrow Minseok hyung,” Baekhyun states, arms poised dangerously high on his waist. Jongin spares him a look from his locker.

 

Minseok sighs. “Is this about that girl again, Baek?”

 

“Not only because of her! Hyung imagine this, what if there’s a lot other es out there? Do you expect me to control myself in summer heat when that happens again?”

 

“Well,” Chanyeol interjects in between folding his soiled shirt and grinning at them from his seat, “Would you rather drown in the water than hold your temper at bay?”

 

Baekhyun huffs, allowing the gravity of exhaustion pull him on the bench, sitting atop soiled garments. Sehun shows his disgust in front of him but the latter barely notices them. “Then how do you expect me to control my boiling point in this kind of heat?”

 

“It’s only the first day Baek,” Yixing offers, throwing a pair of socks towards Tao.

 

“Has any of you ever seen me this frustrated on the first days?”

 

“Aren’t you always?” Jongin mumbles, sharing a laugh with Jongdae when the latter elbows him.

 

“Not funny.”

 

“He wasn’t trying to be.”

 

Jongdae dodges the flying shirt on his way. Baekhyun curses under his breath and tries for another one, with Chanyeol’s tube of sun block. He misses again but the cream leaves an unpleasant looking stain on the locker behind. Chanyeol sends him further on the bench with a punch and Baekhyun cries exaggeratedly for his dear life. Jongin stares at the mess beside his locker, a waste he could’ve saved and put on good use instead.

 

“You better pay for them, Baek, or you’ll never see your precious hand cream ever again.”

 

“You wouldn’t dare.”

 

“Oh I would, watch me.” Chanyeol puts his magnificent height and long limbs into use as he snatches the latter’s bag and keep them out of Baekhyun’s reach.

 

Everyone follows their movements.

 

Baekhyun tries to reach up but fails to do so and jumping up would be a huge humiliation in his rather big ego. “Come on dude, it’s only a sun block.”

 

Chanyeol snorts, “Do you hear yourself talking?”

 

They resort to staring contest with Chanyeol’s bulging eyes and Baekhyun’s squinting ones and, “Fine!” Tao rolls his eyes, resumes in packing his things. “I’ll buy you new one, now give me that.”

 

Chanyeol grins in success and hands the smaller his bag after getting his fingers on those precious cream. Baekhyun tried another protest but got shut off immediately by Kyungsoo’s glare. He pouts and drags his feet when they leave, kicking the pavement and cursing Chanyeol all the bloody murder and hell.

 

“Hey!”

 

They all stopped on their tracks merely minutes after exiting the lobby and turned around. Jongin’s got himself pretty comfortable on Tao’s side, leaning his tired body and holding for support. The breeze of summer night is cool against his burning skin, making it a lot more impossible for him to recognize the person in his sleep deprived eyes.

 

“Leaving already?” Kris jogs up to them, pulling someone behind.

 

“Yeah.” Chanyeol smiles, scratching his arm, “Baek’s being a the whole day it tires us some time.”

 

“Excuse me, but I am not Mr. Park.”

 

Kris laughs, glancing at the sleeping boy. “Well, I originally wanted to hang with you guys but it looks like a bad timing. So for now, meet my cousin, Luhan.”

 

An exchange chorus of hi and hey were said before they get to leave with Tao carrying more weight than the others.

 

 

 

 

“Why are you mixing drinks instead of running like a maniac yesterday?” Sehun sits on the chair in front of the bar, Jongin following behind him.

 

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes and turns around, pretending that he did not just see Baekhyun’s smile lighting up a whole community. “Because my dear Sehunnie, I can.”

 

“Why am I friends with you?” Jongin suddenly asks, he props his elbow on top of the counter and supports his head in his palm and stares at Baekhyun with mild interest.

 

Baekhyun turns at him, a confused look etching his face. “You mean, why are you so blessed to be my friend?”

 

“No. I mean, why do I make ugly friends?”

 

“ you.”

 

“Ew, no. I wouldn’t want my arse be in any kind of contact with you. Besides, I’d rather have taller people dominate me than be forced to squeeze myself just to accommodate your size.”

 

The laughter comes from someone behind Sehun. Jongin breaks the glaring contest with Baekhyun and forces himself to turn around. He blushes at the stranger and mumbles an apology, turning back as quickly as possible. Kyungsoo gives him a look but he looks back with a pout. The stranger was only clad in board shorts and he’s standing where the sun can shine above him, rendering Jongin jealous at the skin color he will never achieve. Not unless he’s too desperate and swallows a whole bottle of whitening pills.

 

“I think I just heard something interesting.”

 

“What are you doing here Luhan hyung?” Sehun asks.

 

“I was looking for some help but it looks like you guys made yourself pretty comfortable to serve your customers.”

 

Jongin’s back straightens automatically and Sehun stands from his seat, that overly sweet smile plastered in his face. “Sorry for the inconvenience, sir.”

 

Another round of laughter brings Jongin scrambling in his feet and facing the said customer with an equal smile.

 

“You guys look funny.”

 

“We’re trying.” Jongin looks down; Sehun always befriends the cute ones.

 

“But it looks weird. Anyways, I think I’ll just have some fruit shake. The sun’s way up high.”

 

“You were standing right under it.”

 

Luhan ignores the comment and instead goes straight to the stool right next to Jongin’s. He smiles at the latter but Jongin is too preoccupied to digest that Baekhyun was more than pleased to obey, and that Kyungsoo had gone somewhere with a tray full of banana splits, and Sehun left without any words at all, because sweet watermelons, Luhan doesn’t have any single trace of sun burn.

 

 

 

 

Another thing that might have cause Jongin to dislike summer despite its marvelous offer of free nights is when people decide to ruin the said night. He really hates them. Not only does Chanyeol have unceremoniously sprawled his body in the couch but Sehun had also ransacked their fridge. He looks at Tao, silently asking for explanations because God forbid, Jongin is so close to committing murder and Jongdae would be the first victim.

 

Tao only shrugs at him and swats Chanyeol’s feet off the couch. Jongin watches in horror as he turns the television on at the sound of their doorbell ringing. “I can’t believe you invited more people.”

 

“I did not invite anyone.”

 

“We invited ourselves.”

 

He turns towards the entry door, Baekhyun was there, grinning mischievously, with Minseok and Yixing and if Jongin is correct, the one removing his shoes would be Luhan. The guy who stands under the sun in his almighty fair skin and board shorts and orders fruit shake but doesn’t have any sun burn. Unlike him, whose been putting loads and loads of sun block just to maintain what skin color he has but miserably and obviously fails, he doesn’t even need to sit next to Tao to confirm that he is by far, darker than him now.

 

Jongin definitely hates them.

 

“We’re just showing Luhan around, didn’t know you already have guests.”

 

“Did you bring food?” Sehun asks, sitting himself comfortably on the floor.

 

Yixing shows him the black plastic bag in his other hand and goes off to the kitchen. Jongin just stands there, witnessing the unfolding events in front of him. Baekhyun walks over to the same couch housing Chanyeol and Tao and sits in between them before curling his body against his flat mate, while Sehun and Jongdae battles out on what to watch. Minseok – their loaded friend – has disappeared inside Jongin’s room, most probably drying the battery of his laptop out and Luhan was there, sitting all pretty in his ripped jeans and graphic tee in Jongin’s favorite couch.

 

He pulls out his phone and dials for help (a.k.a Do Kyungsoo).

 

 

 

 

Jongin lets his eyes wander around the place. People in their summer outfits are walking here and there, braving the summer heat with just a pair of glasses to protect them from harm. He instinctively puts a hand around his arm when a lady in yellow bikini walked in front of him, the marks of tan lines visible in her back.

 

“We should probably stop using polo shirts and use tanks instead,” he turns around in his seat. “I mean us, not you.”

 

Baekhyun only smiles at him and says, “Nothing will change, Jongin-ah,” to spite him.

 

“You’re probably right,” Minseok drawls out, jabbing at Jongin’s side. He turns around and follows Minseok’s pointing finger. “Look how Chanyeol’s enjoying his job.”

 

Baekhyun snorts at the background and says something along the lines of giant show off. But Jongin wouldn’t hold it against Chanyeol; the lifeguard has all the rights to wear his muscled biceps in those loose fitting tanks. He also has the rights to sit at a high place all with those binoculars and a shield to protect him from the glaring sun while Jongin has to escape some duties to even have such privilege, and squint his eyes from the bar for some sightseeing.

 

“But I think Tao’s a lot muscled than he is,” Kyungsoo comments, bringing Jongin’s attention to agree right away.

 

“You need to see him when he wakes up,” Jongin sighs, turning back around. “After he finishes his morning exercise. Everything was just taut.”

 

“I hope it’s not the Southern part though.”

 

Jongin startles at the voice and lets out a curse when Luhan appears in front of him, smiling so cutely it leaves Jongin questioning his real age – Sehun should definitely need to learn this kind of smile. At least he’s wearing some shirt now, or Jongin thinks it is one because the milky body is still visible in his eyes and well, damn. all the pale people and their pink areolas.

 

“Last time I heard, you were talking about tall people dominating you. Are you referring to Tao?” Luhan sits next to Minseok and smiles at Baekhyun, “Hey, can we go back again to the diner later after your out?”

 

Minseok nods then he turns to Jongin, “Wanna come to Joonmyun’s tonight?” To the elder’s surprise, Jongin’s blushing hard, “You alright?”

 

“Y-yeah.” He stutters, he ing stuttered. Right in front of Byun Baekhyun. “I mean, yeah I’ll come and no, I wasn’t talking about Tao and his morning woods.”

 

He buries himself in his own grave when Luhan leaves and Baekhyun straight out laughs at his face. Jongin will never hear the end of it.

 

 

 

 

Joonmyun’s – the diner, named after Kim Joonmyun himself – was located nine minutes away from the resort, on foot. A local favorite by everyone and is now making its name popular with the tourists, serving home grown dishes. Jongin wasn’t a regular like Sehun, whom he could say, practically treats the place as his own kitchen and dining area – sometimes Joonmyun’s too good for his own. But he frequents the place especially on summers with Kris.

 

“Stop staring,” Jongin’s face gets pulled forcibly on his side and Tao’s hands were impossibly tight to hold him there. Jongin can feel his own lips puckered into a distorted circle.

 

It takes him a lot of strength just to free himself from those hands and opens his mouth into various stretching. “What are you on about?”

 

“Your crush on Luhan hyung,” Sehun states.

 

Jongin whips his head on the other side and mentally appreciates the fact that his two friends decided to open this topic while Luhan and the others were somewhere not in their table. “H-huh?”

 

Sehun sighs, looking naturally bored with his life. “Let’s just say that someone noticed and now we’re witnessing. You aren’t really subtle with these things Jongin.”

 

Jongin stares at him, brooding, before the fog gets cleared and a certain Byun Baekhyun appears in light, smiling oh so innocent like the er he is.

 

“Come on,” Tao says on the other side, sounding sympathetic. “Drink this and chill, and learn not to stare like you’re gonna eat someone.”

 

He groans.

 

 

 

 

“Why is it that you’re always here every single day?” Baekhyun complains even before Jongin can step foot in the threshold, with Jongdae this time.

 

“To make your life miserable,” he scowls, taking the stool right in front of the older. “You .”

 

Baekhyun’s a smart guy and Jongin may have brought the wrong person with him. “Oh. Oh.” He nods, cleaning the counter top once again. “I see.”

 

“Don’t oh oh me, you . You don’t say what you see.”

 

Baekhyun stops, “, I did you a favor.”

 

“You did me nothing, er.”

 

“Listen, mother f–”

 

“Hold up, you two.” Jongdae crosses his arms over his chest and gives them a look, the look. Jongin groans inwardly, certainly, no escaping his predicament. Baekhyun smiles when he notices. “Now, spill the beans.”

 

“Jongin’s crushing on Luhan hyung.”

 

And it was all that Jongin needed before he’s up and climbing over the counter, shirt riding up in his haste and jutting in the air.

 

“Are you some kind of exhibitionist?”

 

He stops and blinks at Baekhyun, who looks just as lost as he is.

 

“Do you need something, Luhan hyung?”

 

Jongin can hear the innuendo in Jongdae’s voice and sags in defeat. He retreats back and watches the victorious smile spread across Baekhyun’s face. When he turns around, he asks the pale, “Why do you always appear on bad timings?”

 

 

 

 

Luhan catches him that afternoon. Jongin’s in the middle of giving his sore muscles some reward after a long day. He’s got his shirt off and trying to work the kinks in his shoulder blades when the locker room bursts open at the sound of his moan.

 

“. Sorry!”

 

The voice says before the door closes back again. It takes Jongin a few seconds and then the realization dawns on him at the familiar voice. He runs at the door at lightning speed and yanks them open. Luhan was still standing there, head hang low with a dust of pink in his cheeks.

 

“Hyung!” He panics, “It’s not what you’re thinking off! I was just massaging my shoulders. You know, tired and then relax.”

 

“So you’re not getting off?” Luhan looks at him tentatively, hints of embarrassment adorning his face.

 

“What? No! Of course not.”

 

The sound of bells was what Jongin heard rather of Luhan’s laughter when the older breaks into a fit. Luhan’s eyes were surrounded with wrinkles and his jaw opens uncharastically, but Jongin thinks he’s beautiful.

 

“I really have bad timing, huh?”

 

Doomsday must be coming, for summer hadn’t been this good to him.

 

 

 

 

He sees a lot of Luhan, at the bar, on the beach, at Joonmyun’s. He also often catches the older with Kris, but Jongin doesn’t mind. He’s certainly sure that the reason Kris’ always picks this resort for his summer vacation was Yixing. His friend must’ve been one hell of a massage therapist, or perhaps it was a little more of into a different situation. Kris is always with Yixing whenever the latter declines their nightly hang-out, which Jongin certainly objects too, also. He’s officially married with his bed and would rather spend time with it day in and out, thank you very much.

 

“Ask him out,” Kyungsoo says, distracting Jongin to further his speculations between Kris and Yixing. The rarity of Baekhyun missing in the bar is close to none and this is a first since he got changed in this position, Jongin already sees a bright day ahead of him. He’s also alone, Minseok was out of sight and Sehun was too busy flirting with some tall, dark, and handsome dude when he spotted him.

 

“Who?”

 

“Luhan hyung,” Kyungsoo walks away to the fridge and pulls some ice. He pushes a tall glass of lemonade to Jongin’s when he comes back. “Stop moping around and ask him out.”

 

“I’m not moping,” he revels on the cool surface of the glass and takes a sip.

 

Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow. “Oh so it’s just a habit of yours now to look at Luhan hyung like a kicked puppy from afar?”

 

“I do not look at him.”

 

“Sure, tell yourself that.”

 

“It’s true. He’s just always there in my line of sight.”

 

“That’s just weird.”

 

“Hyung,” he whines. Kyungsoo hisses when he slumps his face down on the counter top. “He’ll be leaving next week.”

 

“All the more reason to ask him out. Who knows if he’ll be back next year? At least you gave summer fling a chance.”

 

Jongin supports his head by his chin and looks up at Kyungsoo. He always saves the day.

 

 

 

 

He bumps to Luhan and at the end of his rumbling words and incoherent noises, he asks him out. They eat at Joonmyun’s and it’s weird with just the two of them and the suspiciously missing faces of his friends. But Luhan laughs when he jokes and it’s good. The older don’t judge how lame it was, neither how bizarre it was to finish off the soup first before slurping down the noodles in his ramyun. He flushes red when Tao punches his arm and laughs all the while hugging Jongin like a proud father.

 

Dude, you’re finally manning it up.

 

On their second date, Jongin brings him to an abandoned public swimming pool on the other side of town. He tells Luhan stories under the blanket of starry night sky and whispers of crickets. The darkness is unbelievably comforting and Luhan never let his eyes stray away from Jongin. Sehun opens his door for him and tirades him of questions, Tao only laughs at his misery, but Jongin thinks its fine to have his night ruined just so he could answer Sehun.

 

You better tell me everything, mother er.

 

The first time Jongin felt shivers running down his spine and feels at the edge of popping a in broad day light, was when Luhan spreads sun block on his back. They linger over his tan lines a couple too many times, too tempting, that the only thing stopping him from at the wonders done by those lithe fingers was Baekhyun and Jongdae sniggering at the corner. Chanyeol was behind them, approving of everything with a humongous smile he is yet to know he possesses.

 

I know, we’re a ing genius.

 

They stumbled with Kris and Yixing on their way to Joonmyun’s on a Thursday night and decidedly agreed to sit together on one table. Joonmyun gives them a look when he pays them a quick visit, Jongin doesn’t blame him though – even other people can feel the atmosphere around them. Luhan smiles at him when they left and bashfully reaches for his hand in the middle of a deserted highway. The smile never left his face even when he opens his room door and Minseok was there, sprawled in his bed with his collection of mangas.

 

It does sound like a double dinner date.

 

Luhan surprises him one sunny afternoon when he barges in the locker room and pushes Jongin against the wall and gives him a chaste kiss on his cheek. He stays rooted in place and stares at the closed door after the older had left. When everything finally made sense with him, he runs to the bar and blurts in front of all his friends.

 

, I’m in deep .

 

 

 

 

“Okay, why are you moping again?” Kyungsoo asks, unbelievably concerned over Jongin’s mood swings.

 

“Luhan hyung’s leaving today,” Sehun answers for him.

 

“Oh,” Kyungsoo stops and Jongin waits for him to save this day like any other days. “Well, it was good while it lasted, right?”

 

“And here I am thinking you’d enlighten me once again.” He groans and rolls his head on the other side before rolling them back again and back again and again, and then he stands up.

 

“Where are you going?” Sehun shouts after him.

 

“Kris hyung wants me.”

 

 

 

 

Jongin walks towards the hotel building and throws a practiced smile to anyone he passes by. Everything suddenly felt like they were back at one, back to where they are supposed to be, just another old summer for Jongin. He scratches at his nape and feels the heat formulating on it, he’s definitely darker and Sehun’s still paler. Same old, same old. He stops at the door he led Kris a few weeks back, noting that the older had stayed quite longer this time compared to last summer.

 

Kris was smiling in relief when he opens the door and ushers Jongin inside.

 

“You’re leaving today?” Jongin asks upon seeing the luggage in front.

 

“Yeah,” Kris makes a quick run in the bathroom and comes back seconds later with a bag of toiletries.

 

Jongin nods and scans the room, the other bed was unmade and there are clothes littering around. “You’re not leaving with your cousin?”

 

Kris shakes his head, “Luhan extended his stay for another week.”

 

Jongin does a double take but Kris is too busy doing last minute packing to spare him a glance. “Luhan hyung’s your cousin?”

 

The question gets Kris’ attention and finally looks at him after zipping his duffel bag. “Yeah, I told…never mind, you were sleeping when I introduced him.”

 

“Oh…kay,” he drawls and slowly connects the pieces. He looks back at the other bed and there’s a pair of board shorts that Jongin had seen a few days ago, the flimsy tank underneath the sheets also looked quite familiar. And there’s Luhan’s name printed on the other luggage in bold letters and well, damn if Jongin still hates summer.

 

“So what do you exactly need me here for?”

 

“Just look after him until he leaves,” Kris says, grabbing his wallet from the table between the two beds.

 

Jongin smiles, grins, brightens, any ing thing that could make one blind by a single mistake of looking at him. “I would do my utmost best to keep him satisfied, sir.”

 

Kris gives him a look, contemplating, but Jongin’s smile never falter and Kris sighs after, ruffling his hair. “Don’t worry buddy, I’m sure he’ll be the one dragging me back here next summer.”

 

Oh, Kim Jongin definitely couldn’t wait for the seasons to start changing. But for now, he’s got another whole week to get Luhan back from that chaste kiss. And maybe, finally get some goodnight’s sleep in his precious bed with Luhan on his side, he’s been dreaming about that lately.