Shadow’s POV 

            “Try and catch me!” Krystal turns her head to yell at Kyungsoo. Her shout is hindered by her laugh and she turns back around to keep running forward. I match her steps perfectly. Pick right foot up. Place down. Pick left foot up. Shift it forward. Place down.

            “Wait….wait….I’ll catch you soon enough!” I can tell Kyungsoo’s trying to keep his voice stable, but I can hear his laboured breathing as he stumbles to keep up with Krystal. I can hear Krystal stifle a laugh as she hears his struggle as well. We both know he won’t be able to stay true to his words.

            Krystal rushes to the bus stop and brushes the pole that supports the structure. “I win!” she yells, smiling in victory. “Lunch is on you.”

            Kyungsoo, realizing he has just lost, slows his run to a jog and advances to where we are. He scowls a little as he pulls out his wallet. I remember seeing a lot more money in it last week, but all these running bets have left him with a lot less than he started out with.

            “I’m going to be broke by the end of this month,” he mumbles. “I just know it.”

            I feel bad and I know Krystal does too. Instead of her usual laugh, she wavers a bit before saying, “It’s okay, I’m the winner. Let me pay.”

            Kyungsoo looks up at her with surprised eyes and then shakes his head. “No, I was just joking. It’s okay.”

            Half joking, Krystal and I think.

            “Really, Kyungsoo, I’ll pay this time,” she says softly. She puts her hand over his and gently pushes his wallet and his hand back to himself. And then her softness is gone and mischievousness replaces it.

            “After all, I can’t leave you with nothing now, can I? I’m not as mean as to take your victory and your money.”

            Kyungsoo’s reluctance is gone and defiance replaces it. “Fine. I better get my share of food.”

            Krystal laughs. I know why she said her previous statement. She just didn’t want Kyungsoo to feel bad about having her pay for the food. She’s a sly girl and when I look to her right, I think Kyungsoo’s realized that too. But instead of protesting once again, he just smiles and grabs her hand, looping it through his arm, making my forearm connect to the forearm of Kyungsoo’s shadow.

            “Let’s go into this restaurant,” Kyungsoo suggests and Krystal lifts her head up to look at the sign. She squints her eyes, trying to peer inside the windows and she catches a glimpse of chandeliers.

            “Um, Kyungsoo, I think just one order from this place will be as expensive as the other five times we ordered food at other restaurants.”

            “Well, now is your time to pay me back, isn’t it? In we go,” he says as he applies slight pressure to her back, pushing her inside.

            Krystal instantly regrets not resisting more as she squirms a little from embarrassment and I do too. Everyone sitting around the fancy tables in the restaurant is giving us judgemental looks as they look up and down at our jeans and hoodies while we look back at their fancy necklaces and dresses and tuxes.

            Suddenly a hand blocks Kyungsoo from going any further and a waiter looks expectantly at him, waiting for him to take the bag from his hand. Kyungsoo’s eyes seem to fill with a sort of understanding and recognition that both Krystal and I are confused by. Kyungsoo nods and smiles gratefully at the waiter before taking the bag and pulling out a smaller bag within it. He hands it to Krystal and says, “Change into this.”

            Krystal and I both look into the bag. A white dress is folded neatly within it. Now things are getting really suspicious.

            As I think it, Krystal speaks my thoughts, “What exactly are you planning, Kyungsoo?”

            He smiles and refuses to give an answer. “You’ll see.”

            Being too tired from the run to pry the answer out of him, Krystal decides the fastest way to find out is to do as he says. She heads into the bathroom and slips the dress on. It’s not overdone, but it’s formal enough for her not to get curious stares and critical looks from the other customers here.

            She heads out of the bathroom and twists her head around, trying to spot where Kyungsoo could be. The restaurant is fairly packed and it’s a while before she spots him waving to her from a booth in the corner. She catches a glimpse of his suit as he sits back down and waits for her to join him.

            Krystal and I maneuver our way through the crowds of waiters and discover that it’s not just him, but them. Sehun and Luna sit hidden in the seats shielded by the booth wall and wave cheerily. Krystal met them when Kyungsoo was trying to restore her memory and she managed to recall the memories that existed when I was Kyungsoo’s shadow and she was still in America. She smiles back at them. It’s a bright smile, but her eyes are also confused as she turns to Kyungsoo.

            “It’s a celebration party,” he finally explains. But it still isn’t an adequate explaination.

            “For what?” Krystal attempts to clarify the whole situation.

            “You guys got accepted into SM!” Sehun exclaims excitedly before clamping a hand over his mouth immediately. Kyungsoo glares at him and Sehun just looks like he wants to hide under the table at the moment.

            Kyungsoo sighs and says, “I was supposed to tell her.”

            Luna just rubs her temple and says, “You guys, it doesn’t matter who tells her. As long as she knows. I don’t understand while you’re all getting so worked up about who gets to tell her.”

            Meanwhile, Krystal and I just sit there, a muddle of shock and surprise and joy. When we finally regain our senses, Krystal jumps out of her seat and pumps a fist in the air as I follow.

            “YES!” she yells as loud as she can, not caring about the frightened looks on the faces of the people around us. I’m so happy myself I can’t possible care less about what they think of us. She gives everyone seated at our table a high-five, and sits back down, still giddy with excitement.

            “We start training in a month,” Kyungsoo says. He looks satisfied that he is able to relay this information to her without any interruptions from the other guests at the table.

            Krystal’s eyes twinkle, and it’s not just from the reflection of the crystal chandeliers in her eyes. Kyungsoo smiles at her evident excitement.