EXO is between promotions, so Chanyeol has a bit more free time in his hands, and so far he has spent all this free time trying to get to know Miss Music Snob from the secret hipster pub inside a bubble tea shop.

He drops by almost every night after practice, telling the other members that he has to “work out”. If anyone is suspicious they don’t bring it up – not because the other members are understanding of Chanyeol’s personal affairs, but because almost every night as well, Jongin stays behind at the dance studio for some “extra practice” with Kyungsoo, and almost every night Sehun locks himself inside the computer room at the dorm, doing “research for school”. Sometimes, Luhan would join him to “help him out with his homework”.

SM Entertainment Idols have been trained to near perfection in the fine art of discretion. Or at least in keeping one’s mouth shut about questionable behavior from fellow members.

So nearly every night Chanyeol has a change of clothes in his practice bag, outfits carefully curated by Kris with occasional input from Zitao (why Chanyeol brings fancy clothes instead of gym attire to exercise, Kris and Tao do not question, mainly because Chanyeol has been very supportive of the duo’s “private rap sessions”). He makes sure to drop by the pub well past midnight, and nearly every time he finds her standing behind the DJ booth, headphones on, a look of concentration on her face as she fumbles with her computer and mixer. She plays all these obscure English tracks that Chanyeol doesn’t recognize (the Seoul art crowd have a lot of expat friends so the pub is always at least hall full with foreigners), but he loves them anyway, because they sound different from all the music he encounters within the Kpop bubble he lives in.

Chanyeol always hangs around the pub casually at first, sitting by the bar and getting himself a drink, basking in the anonymity he rarely gets to experience.  In the few nights he’s been to the pub, no one has yet to recognize him, much to his delight.

More importantly, Miss Music Snob doesn’t seem to have any idea who he is, and only seems to regard him as the freakishly tall kid with large hipster glasses who’s been coming to the pub way more often than any other customer has. If he wasn’t mildly adorable, she would find his frequent visits a little disturbing. Mostly though he seems harmless, staying until she finishes her set, and only comes to say hi while she’s packing up her DJ gear, his towering frame offset by the dorkiest (most dazzling, really, if she was being honest with herself) smile she’s ever seen in her life.   

It takes Chanyeol four full nights before he finally asks her out.

He comes off a little too eager, with a hint of desperation in his voice that surprises even Chanyeol himself. He didn’t realize he liked her so much. He’s met far prettier girls, and they were girls who were definitely more interested in him. Miss Music Snob, on the other hand, seems at best not completely averse towards his obvious infatuation, in a “as long as you’re not too creepy” kind of way. He doesn’t know why he’s attracted to her. Maybe it’s because she’s making him work for it. Maybe it’s because there isn’t anyone like her among the plastics he meets on a regular basis in his line of work. Maybe it’s because of her obscure taste in music.   

So it surprises him when she agrees to go out on a date, and Chanyeol tries his very best to downplay his excitement. His smile is even wider, if that’s even possible. He’s smiling so much that his right eye twitches. As if it isn’t enough to just smile, he has to jump on the balls of his feet a little.

He tries his best to downplay his excitement. Really.

Miss Music Snob suggests that they spend their date at the pub. It’s closed on Mondays, so they will have the place to themselves. She asks that he bring food, and that she’ll take care of the drinks and the music.

“I’ll play you my favorite songs,” she tells him, and for the first time, much to Chanyeol's delighted surprise, she mirrors his mega-watt smile.

As if he needs more reasons to fall for her.