"So... what's your favourite song?" Kris asked when she walked in.

you mumbled something about jerks getting in the way of your peace of mind before answering him, "Chasing the Seconds,"

"Chasing the Seconds as in Chasing the Seconds by Silent Yesterday? That's your favourite?!" Kris grinned cynically.

"As a matter of fact it is," you rolled her eyes expressively, "Surprised you know of them,"

"You'd be surprised a lot more when you get to know me," Kris winked.

"Ew..ert," you headed for the door.

There was a quick cresendo from the keys being stepped on. 

"Wait!"

She stopped and turned around.

"Why do you even like that song? It doesn't sound like something you'd like," 

"What would you know about me?" the girl folded her arms.

Kris was a little taken aback by her hostility, "Its beat is too soft and the chorus too slow."

It was you's turn to be surprised. "Didn't expect that from you," she almost scoffed, "But, yeah you're right. It is a weird piece... but maybe that's exactly why I like it; because it's so different. The lyrics. That's what really drew me in. The sentimental words and the croak of desperation in the lead singer's voice. The way the bassist isn't keeping in time with the drummer. How the lead guitarist is almost trying to outdo the singer with its metal strings springing in melancholy." she paused for a moment, "That's the thing, everything is wrong about the song, which makes it so right."

That was the most complicated way of describing and simpliest analysis of a song Kris had ever heard; it made him that much more compelled to listen to the horrible song once again, listening more carefully this time.

So that night, after Kris got home and flung his bag on the couch, ignoring his sister's protests of him messing the house up, he found the song and threw on some headphones so he could hear all the highs, mids, lows and bass of the song; drinking in every note and word uttered. The once annoying intro much too messy and out of sync for Kris's taste now sounded pleasant, the mismatched rhythm of the bass and the drums made sense; the drum was the dying heartbeat while the bass guitar was was fighting the actual heartbeat, wanting to somehow revive itself. The whiny voice of the vocalist turned out to be crooning well and the chorus was slowed to string the phrases together light holiday lights. The lyrics were deeper than he thought, not at all pretty; a man with some kind of terminal disease realising the damage inflicted on his once best friend was too late to save her; she had already jumped, giving up on life; he was chasing the seconds, to live, to save her.

Kris felt like he was another step closer to her. Somehow, through a song he once deemed a piece of crap, he learnt the nooks and crannies of her soul, the confused heart and the way she overthought things. And that was the moment Kris realised he was interested. Could it be love?

When Kris got to school the next morning, he saw the track and field team doing laps around the oval and he found his eyes automatically searching for a certain someone. It was hard to distinguish her between all the students who were wearing the exact same thing but his eyes eventually found you.

"Hey man! Why do you have such a dumb smile plastered on your face? I've never seen such an expression, much less from someone like you...who rarely cracks a smile," Minho chuckled as he clapped his friend's shoulder heavily. "Oooohhh a girrrlll, perhaps."

"No." Kris went red.

"You at lying, you know that right?" 

"Yeah. But I mean, I don't even know if I like her. I've barely uttered more than a sentence to her. I find her actions amusing and her character interesting... but I really don't know what I feel... I've never experienced this.. this desperation to get to know someone more... this weird feeling in my chest... this-"

"I, Dr. Choi, diagnose you in love." 

"In... love?"

"Well.. the first stages anyway. Each and every one of her actions changes your mood from serious tough guy to sentimental soft guy? Check. Interested? Two ticks. Newbie at this love game? Check. Desperation? Too much. Erratic beating of your heart? Cha-ching! So who is this girl anyway?"