Juhyun: Umm Rachel, your line is amazing!! I’m literally bragging to everyone at Lotte right now that I’m friends with the designer.

Hyeri: Seriously! I just stepped out during my lunch break. I can’t choose one bag… I need all of them in my life!

My Instagram post is getting so many likes and comments per second that I can barely keep up. An article praises my bags for being “fresh and functional” while another celebrates “the unique point of view.” I start reading one of the articles posted by NYLON:

RACHEL K. is the first fashion line launched by a K-pop idol. As expected, the Girls Forever (Korea’s number-one girl group—read our feature on their meteoric rise here) star’s line is drawing in fans from all around the globe, but it’s clear already that the appeal of RACHEL K. stretches far beyond lovers of K-pop. At this rate, Ms. Kim should expect an influx of new fans, not just for her music, but for her dynamic debut as an up-and-coming fashion designer.

I feel like I’m dreaming. I was hoping the line would not be a complete flop, but this is beyond anything I could have ever expected. Still, just because critics are praising the bags, it doesn’t mean that customers are buying them.

If it was surreal seeing the press coverage of my bags, it’s even more surreal seeing them for sale in actual stores. Inside Lotte Department Store, I watch from the swimwear section as a handful of shoppers pick up my bags and try them on in front of a full-length mirror. Once they’re gone, I walk over to check things out myself. Seeing my designs lit up under store lights, alongside designers like Prada and Fendi, I feel a flutter of excitement and adrenaline. I can’t believe this is really happening.

They’ve created this gorgeous hot-air balloon display, except instead of wicker baskets, each balloon holds a handbag at its base. The balloons themselves are crafted out of shimmering crystal, suspended in the air against a gold-sequined backdrop. I quickly snap a picture of it to send to Alex.

“Oh my god, it’s Rachel!”

At the sound of my name, I turn to find a small crowd has gathered here in the accessories department.

My bodyguard steps forward to keep the crowds back as more and more fans start screaming and waving in my direction. “Hi, Rachel! Hi! We love your bags!”

I wave back with both hands, smiling so big that my cheeks hurt. “Thank you so much for the support, everyone!”