Love & K-Pop / Shine / Bright

Chapter One ONE
Smile, they say. You're living the dream countless girls would die for! Besides, you look so much prettier when you smile. Come on now. Softer. Sweeter. You don't want to be an Ice Queen, do you?

"Rachel! Over here!"

"Give us a smile!"

Cameras flash in my direction before my champagne-colored stilettos have even touched the ground. I subtly smooth down my outfit-a glittering wrap dress with a strapless sweetheart neckline-as I step onto the red carpet. Mina is close at my heels, and seven girls emerge from the limo behind us, lifting their hands in queenlike waves. Fans scream when they see us, clamoring to get closer through the wall of paparazzi.

"How about a group shot?" a photographer yells.

Like we've done a thousand times before, the girls assemble for the photo-each of us instinctively knowing where to stand so that our best features are shown off. We balance each other out, the tall girls and the shorter girls finding their spots in the formation so no one looks out of place. As we pose, the cameras start clicking in a frenzy, catching us from all angles. There's something about having all nine of us together that makes a certain kind of energy radiate. I once saw someone share a group photo of us on social media with the caption, This is what power looks like!! I think about that sometimes. Power. It's such a far cry from how I felt around these girls for so long, but a lot has changed in the past five and a half years.

The girls and I take our time walking down the carpet, pausing to pose, lips glossed, hands on hips, literally sparkling like the sun in brilliant rose-gold outfits. As we reach the glass doors of the Peninsula Hotel Shanghai, I look over my shoulder and wink at a camera flashing in my direction, giving them one last dazzling grin.

I've come a long way from the trainee girl who used to freeze like a deer in headlights at the first sign of a flash bulb. The cameras don't scare me anymore.

Now

Jessica Jung is a Korean American singer, actress, fashion designer, and international influencer. Born in San Francisco, Jessica grew up in South Korea where she trained as a K-pop singer, debuting as a member of the international sensation Girls Generation in 2007. After going solo in 2014, she launched the successful fashion line, Blanc & Eclare. Jessica has been featured on the covers of magazines worldwide, her brand now spanning platforms including film and television.

"A glitzy sequel filled with drama and self-discovery." Kirkus Reviews