Love & K-Pop / Shine / Shine

Chapter One One
Head up, legs crossed. Tummy tucked, shoulders back. Smile like the whole world is your best friend. I repeat the mantra in my head as the camera pans across my face. The corners of my lips turn up in a perfectly sweet "don't you want to tell me all your secrets" pink-glossed smile.

But you probably shouldn't. You know how they say three can keep a secret if two of them are dead? Well, that couldn't be truer for my world, where everyone is always watching and your secrets can actually kill you. Or, at least, they can kill your chance to shine.

"You girls must be thrilled!" The interviewer is a middle-aged man with oily, slicked-back hair and fair skin. He might have been handsome if his garish hot-pink satin tie and red shirt combo weren't so distracting. He leans forward eagerly, his eyes gleaming at the nine girls seated before him, a sea of perfectly tousled beach waves and unblemished faces glowing from years of skin-brightening face masks, choreographed down to the angle of our sleekly crossed legs and the descending order of our pastel rainbow-hued stilettos. "Hitting number one at all the music shows, and with your debut music video no less! You're one chart away from an All-Kill! How do you feel?"

"We couldn't be more excited." Mina jumps in eagerly, flashing her perfect teeth in a beaming smile. My face muscles ache as I stretch to match her.

"It's a dream come true," Eunji agrees before loudly popping her gum and blowing a huge strawberry-scented bubble.

"We're so grateful for the opportunity to do this together," Lizzie chimes in, her eyes practically glowing under layers of silvery eye shadow.

The interviewer's eyes light up, and he leans in conspiratorially. "So you all get along? I mean, nine incredibly beautiful girls in one group. That can't always be easy."

Sumin gives a soft, effortless laugh, pursing her flawlessly lined bright-red lips. "Nothing is ever 'always easy,'?" she says. "But we're family.

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.

"Shine is a lush, heart-filled story with a core of whip-smart satire. In Rachel, Jung has created a protagonist both sympathetic and believable, a girl dreaming big in a brutal industry. Prepare to laugh, cry, and devour this all in one sitting." -Marie Lu, New York Times bestselling author of the Warcross Series