RIGHT NOW, FROM NOW ON, FOREVER
(Girls' Generation)

“Once again, thank you so, so much for your constant support. Um, I don’t think I’d be able to stand here and talk to all of you guys if not…” Her voice trails off in a shaky tone as she bites her bottom lip, her brows knitting as she tries hard to keep her tears in. It doesn’t help, because the tears keep falling like she has absolutely no control over them at all.

“Don’t cry!” A female voice sounds from the crowd all of a sudden and then chants of ‘don’t cry’s follow immediately. Instead of stopping those tears, her face scrunches up even worse than before as she lowers her head, not wanting to show anyone that dreadful expression she has on her face right now.

“Sica is a crybaby!” It is a male voice this time.

Her head springs up in surprise before she looks in the direction of the sea of people. Gently, she laughs even with the visible tearstain on her face. “Who said that?” she asks, smiling, her voice still shaky but it’s a bit lighter than before. The crowd laughs with her and the smile stays on her face for a little longer.

Then, she takes a deep breath, and she continues where she left off before, “You guys just…love making me cry. And then you call me a crybaby. You guys are mean.” She fakes a glare that causes another echo of laughter among the crowd. The laughter slowly dies off as people give her the full attention that she deserves. Her eyes sweep across the crowd from left to right. She hopes to remember every single one of these people who have been there for her all this while. “Thank you,” she says yet again. Tears wander dangerously in her eyes, but she doesn’t let them fall this time. “It’s been…three long years. We built this— We built Blanc & Eclare together. You guys are what kept me going. I don’t— I won’t ask you to keep going with me, but each day you are with me, and each day that you were with me, thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you for being here with me today, thank you for loving Jessica Jung and I’ll thank each of you personally during the fansign which is happening in a while. Like, after I stop crying.” She ends the speech with a gentle laugh.

She finally exits the stage as her makeup artist rushes over to touch up on her makeup, even though the ruined makeup doesn’t take away any of that natural beauty hidden underneath. She spots her manager who is passing by and she grabs him by the arm.

“Yes?” he asks, as if he is worried. She doesn’t know why he always looks so worried around her. Does she worry him so much? Did she worry them so— No, not thinking about them today. Not on Blanc & Eclare’s third birthday.

“Uh.” She blinks a couple of times, forgetting for a second why she called him. “Oh yeah, where’s Krystal?”

“Oh shucks, kinda slipped my mind. She called me just now. Seems like she’s caught in a jam, but I think she will be here before the event ends.”

“Ah…” she acknowledges. “Okay thanks. Go get busy then! And stop looking so worried the whole time.” Her sentence brings a smile to the man’s face before he leaves.

The fansign starts not too long after.

“Your name?” she asks with a smile.

“Younghee!” the fan replies excitedly.

“Younghee…” she mutters under her breath as she scribbles the name.

She keeps asking. Fans keep talking. She keeps signing. Fans keep encouraging. Ten, twenty, a hundred, and finally two hundred.

“Thank you so much!” she speaks to the last fan enthusiastically.

She lets out a tired sigh before she leans backwards onto her chair. Absent-mindedly, she opens the bottle on the table and takes more than just a few gulps of water. She closes her eyes and cracks her neck, before she rubs her slightly stiff neck. She stands up from her seat and is about to turn to go when a commotion catches her attention. She furrows her eyebrows as she notices a new crowd that has formed not too far away from her. She barely takes a step forward when her manager runs past her with his phone pinned to his ear.

“—that happen?!” is all she catches from her manager.

Her eyes follow her manager as he approaches the crowd. Suddenly, the crowd parts. Her eyes widen when a path appears, together with Krystal.

“What the—” She doesn’t get to finish her words when she notices that Krystal isn’t alone. Krystal approaches her from possibly thirty meters away, clad in Blanc & Eclare sunglasses that she will recognize anywhere. She stares as she makes out the identities of the other eight people whom Krystal is leading. She swallows her saliva as she notices the sunglasses that each person is wearing – Blanc & Eclare. She keeps staring with agape.

“It’s Girls’ Generation!” someone shouts. As if she doesn’t know.

She clenches her fists unknowingly until the eight girls and Krystal appear before her.

“You… You—” She is almost unable to speak.

“Jessi,” Krystal greets as she eyes her older sister worriedly. “I hope you’re not gonna get mad at me for… Well, for this.”

Jessica is unable to control her tears once more as they fall seamlessly. She doesn’t know what to say, or do. What are they doing here? Why did Krystal bring them? What do they want? Why are they wearing Blanc & Eclare? Why—

“Hey, stupid.” Tiffany is the first one to speak up out of