Author's note: I thought I was going to write this story in two chapters. I'm up to the third chapter and it's still not done! But the next one will probably be the last, for real this time.

The title of this chapter is a song by MGMT which you should listen to. Katy Perry also did an acoustic version of it which also kicks .

But if there's one song I'd recommend out of all of the ones mentioned in this chapter, it'd be "Everyday is a Holiday with You" by Esthero, because it's all butterflies and rainbows and (healing) unicorns. Perfect if you need happy thoughts. :)

Also! Don't you just love how adorable Chanyeol is when he's playing the guitar? This clip of him playing "Live High" by Jason Mraz (featuring cute Baekhyun forgetting the lyrics! Haha) is so adorable. Chanyeol's got so much talent!

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Monday night doesn’t come fast enough, but when it finally arrives Chanyeol’s a bit of a nervous mess.

He has to hurry out of practice, buy some street food on the way (upon her request) and make a mad dash to the pub, guitar in tow. He quickly manages a cheerful wave and a bow to the hyung behind the cashier at Serendipitea, who is by now used to his frequent visits to the secret establishment inside his shop.

When Chanyeol finally enters the pub he finds her at her usual spot behind the DJ booth. She’s dressed in a more casual outfit tonight compared to all the other times he’s seen her – usually she’ll be wearing a brightly colored or printed blazer folder up to her elbows, crop top underneath with jeans or a skirt and stockings, funky boots to match. She’d have dramatic eyeliner on and red lipstick, her long dark hair styled to cascade down in effortless waves on her shoulders.

He’s not sure why, but Chanyeol quite likes the fact that she’s dressed down for their date. No pretentions, no best foot forward. He’s glad he’s done the same: hipster glasses, a plain shirt under a simple cardigan, his favorite worn out Chucks and his equally worn out jeans, a scarf in his bag just in case it gets too chilly.

Tonight she’s wearing a light pink knit sweater over skinny jeans, her hair in a loose ponytail over her right shoulder. She’s wearing hipster glasses too (“We match!” the twelve year-old girl inside Chanyeol squeaks delightedly) and barely has makeup on, but Chanyeol still notices her big bright eyes, outlined by incredibly long lashes. Briefly he wonders how it would feel like to have those lashes brush against his cheek, in the event that their faces are suddenly too close to each other’s, close enough for maybe a kiss…

To Chanyeol, she has never looked prettier.  

…except she’s wearing flip flops. And it’s almost winter.

When he points this out, shocked and a little worried for her, she just shrugs. “I’m from the tropics, I welcome the cold, and the snow, and the White Christmas. We don’t have those back home.”

Such a special snowflake, this one. Chanyeol makes a mental note to add another to the list of The Many Reasons Why He Fancies Her.

Their date starts casually enough, Chanyeol setting up the street food he bought by the bar while she blasts a mixtape she made through the speakers as they eat.  Chanyeol loves the way she gets excited at the start of nearly every song that plays from the mixtape. Her eyes light up and she gushes in delight (“I loooove this song!”), as if she hadn’t heard the song in years and had completely forgotten how much she loved it, as if she didn’t make the playlist herself, and every song playing is coming as a surprise to her.

Definitely a special snowflake. Chanyeol can’t help but grin while he chews on his tteokkbeokki.   

As the night progresses Chanyeol learns more about her through her favorite songs. He learns that she has a playlist of unconventional love songs that she wants to be the soundtrack to her wedding (“You and Me Song” by The Wannadies, “Extraordinary” by Better than Ezra, “Love You Madly” by Cake, “Stricken” by No Doubt, “Everyday is a Holiday with You” by Esthero).

He learns that she thinks MGMT’s “Electric Feel” is the iest song ever -

“I said ooh, girl, shock me like an electric eel / Baby girl, with your electric feel”

“Everyone says it’s a song about getting high on drugs,” she says in between mouthfuls of kimbap, “but I think it’s about . Really good .”

(Chanyeol makes sure to take special note of this, and reminds himself to download the song on iTunes as soon as he gets home).

He learns that there is no crappy song in The s’ self-titled debut album, but that “Love is Colder than Death” is “amazingly sweet and cute, and pure genius”.

He learns that she loves concerts. She loves that magical moment when you’re waiting for your favorite band to perform and they suddenly start playing your favorite song, and right at the first note you start hyperventilating and you want to cry, and everyone in the crowd seems to be feeling the same way, and you all get lost in the music together.

Once, she flew overnight to Hong Kong alone to catch Phoenix in concert, and she almost cried when they played “Rome”. She also almost cried at the Bloc Party concert when they played “Sunday”. And when The xx played “VCR”. And when she heard Snow Patrol play “Crack the Shutters” live with her best guy friend. They shared a moment (maybe even a kiss, much to Chanyeol’s disappointment, but she wouldn’t elaborate further), but the romance was short-lived, and she blames the song almost entirely for the pseudo-relationship, because without the song and the moment the romance wouldn’t have taken place to begin with.

After they eat she shows him how to DJ, and plays him some of her favorite remixes from RAC, The Twelves, and Classixx. At this point, Chanyeol is about ready to propose marriage to this strange girl, not entirely sure if he’s falling for her or her music, or both.

So this is what a fanboy feels like.

Surprisingly, even in the haze of infatuation, Chanyeol manages to play it cool, and also introduces her to some of his favorite artists – Dynamic Duo, Primary, Zion T, and she seems to like them, much to his relief. But she all but squeals in delight when Chanyeol tells her he loves Daft Punk and Jason Mraz – her eyes go wide and they have a sudden spark in them, as if she’s found her musical soulmate, the musical equivalent to the love of her life.

Chanyeol tries his very best not to just up and kiss her right then and there.

Instead, he grabs a hold of his guitar, sits on one of the couches, and gestures for her to sit beside him. Once they’re settled he starts playing the first notes to “Live High” by Jason Mraz. To his surprise, she starts singing along, and for a non-singer, her voice isn’t bad. In fact, it’s perfect.

For perhaps the thousandth time that night, Chanyeol tries his very best not to steal a kiss.