With one day left before the concert, 5 Pieces spends the day rehearsing at Osaka Hall. They are running around on the stage, going through the songs over and over, changing the volume in the microphones and all that. And the Japanese staff helps the girls with their Japanese too; Carolina is asking for some fun Osaka gags that she can use at the concert. None of the other girls likes it though. They say that Carolina’s gags never ends up fun, no matter how fun the actual joke is – it’s something with how Carolina says it that makes it not fun.

Hannah is sitting on the stage. The staff said they have to go through something, so the girls are waiting to get back to the rehearsal. Maria is singing in the microphone without any music, and Hannah says ‘go, go, go!’ in the beat of the song, smiling from where she is sitting on the stage and looking at their leader running around and singing one of their own songs. Julia is seen giving a laugh too at the leader whose voice cracks because she is running around too much. Some of the dancers are having fun too.

Emelia helps Hannah up on her feet when the staff says the music will start to play within a minute, so everyone should take their positions.

The rehearsal ends in time for dinner. At first they had thought of eating at a restaurant, but for some reason they ends up deciding to eat together backstage with the staff. Emelia and Maria heads out with some of the others to go get the food, while the rest are waiting inside. Just some minutes after leaving, Hannah gives Emelia a call after talking to the others and they decide to buy some more things. Hannah is restless while waiting for the dinner, and she is happily fooling around with Julia; the two of them are walking around backstage and they greet the staff they walk by at the same time as they are talking to each other.

Emelia sends a text to Hannah to announce they have come back, and Julia and Hannah heads back to where all the noise is. Carolina and Emelia are all looking through two of the white bags while Maria is handing out food to the staff. Hannah joins Maria while hearing Emelia say next to her that they should go out with the white bags before eating.

“Otherwise they might leave,” Maria jokes. “EM did actually very good. When we came outside, she was really friendly talking to the fans in Japanese. I only understood a few words, but the fans were impressed. Are you ready?”

The five members of 5 Pieces heads out with the two white plastic bags filled with snacks. They have guards with them, of course, since they are not left going alone without some big guys being around to protect in case something would happen. Outside the Osaka Hall where the concert will take place tomorrow, fans have been waiting the whole day. Fans that will come for the concert tomorrow and fans that didn’t get any tickets, everyone who are there are waiting just like the fans in Korea to catch a glimpse of 5 Pieces. When Emelia and Maria went out to buy food, the two members had stopped to have a little chat with the fans. Hannah and the other members inside the building have also been aware of the fans waiting outside, so they decided to buy some snacks for the fans that have waited for so long and its dinner time.

When 5 Pieces come out the building, not wearing any particular make up and their casual clothes, the fans are all gathering closer to the fence that has been put up for tomorrow to see or hear what the girls have come out for. Maria nudges Hannah on the side, telling her to ask the fans if they are hungry. Since it’s not very cold outside, it’s no point in asking if they are cold. It’s actually warm weather in Osaka compared to Seoul.

“Have you eaten?” Hannah asks the fans in Japanese and those closest say they haven’t. “We have bought some snacks for you. Would you like some?”

The cheer is a good sign and the girls are personally handing out the snacks for their fans that have waited hours to meet them. Maria stays close to Hannah, so Hannah can help her talk to the Japanese fans. Hannah is smiling, since many of the fans have brought gifts for the girls – snacks are included there too. The fans who have brought snacks to 5 Pieces happily exchanges, and the fans are all thanking the girls.

“I stayed up all the night to get a ticket, but I still didn’t get one,” a fan says to Hannah when getting a snack. “I still came all the way from Yamagata to meet you. I am very happy I came.”

“Yamagata?” Hannah wonders, seeing the map of Japan in her mind, but she doesn’t know Yamagata.

“Ah, it’s near the mountain Zao,” the fan says and thinks a little more. “A little above Fukushima.”

“Oh, really? You came all the way from there?” Hannah looks surprised and the fan happily nods. Hannah has filmed in Fukushima once when she was filming her Japanese drama, so she knows where that is.

“But it’s worth it. I can tell everyone at home that 5 Pieces personally gave me snacks,” the fan says happily and Hannah smiles back. “It’s very kind of you…”

“I should say the same back,” Hannah says, “for you to come all the way here. It makes me almost feel bad.”

“Ah, no, don’t feel bad. It was my decision. I have really wanted to go to your concert, so I am a little disappointed that I won’t get to see it since I have heard so great things… But I am still happy because I can talk to you now,” the fan explains and she looks really happy at the end. Hannah says that they will work hard to have more chances to have a concert in Japan. It’s actually fun to hand out the snacks, since the fans are really kind and even if not everyone can talk fluently with each other, 5 Pieces is doing their best. Carolina even tries one of her gags, just to ask their fans if it is good.

“I love Japan!” Maria calls out when the girls comes back inside. She quickly takes some food. “They are so careful and kind and loving and careful and they love me and they are careful…”

Hannah stops to listen since she knows Maria will soon shout out that she loves Japan again – which is true. Their manager asks if they are looking forward to the concert tomorrow and all girls – mouths filled with food – shouts that they can’t wait. Hannah laughs. She is really happy, eating like pigs with her members and the staff and all of them happily chatting.

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It’s the day of the concert, the last hours before it starts. The girls have been in a good mood since morning, fooling around nonstop. They are having the last rehearsal, and today f(x) is there too. Since it is the final rehearsal, everything has to be done well.

“It’s the D-day,” Emelia says to the Swedish camera when they are backstage. “We are at … Osaka Hall, in Osaka, Japan, for our 1st Concert Tour ‘Moon Child’. Since we are in Japan, we are going to talk in Japanese to the fans. During our earlier activities in Japan, Hannah has been the one talking. Now, I feel I am prepared to show our fans my own skills, so I will impress our fans tonight.”

Emelia puts her hands behind her back when seeing Hannah coming to walk by. Hannah takes her hand in Emelia’s when seeing her put her hands back like that. Hannah smiles at the camera when looking out behind Emelia, asking what they are talking about.

“Are you nervous?” Emelia asks her. Hannah simply nods, not saying anything. She is still quiet in front of the Swedish cameras. Hannah then looks away, hearing Carolina calls for her help with translation and Hannah hurries off.

Not long after, the rehearsal goes on. Fans that have gotten VIP tickets gets to watch some of the rehearsal, so when the fans comes inside the concert hall to stand in front of the stage, 5 Pieces walks up to stand next to each other and in their prepared Japanese they greet the fans. Emelia is coolly telling the fans through the microphones to enjoy the rehearsal and not take it too seriously. Its twenty fans that is lucky to come and watch the rehearsal, just like it was at the Seoul concert and how it will be at the other concerts too. Twenty fans who are dreaming away while watching 5 Pieces rehearse.

While waiting for the rehearsal to go on, Hannah sits down by the side of the stage in front of the fans and with the microphone in her hands, put on her legs, she asks the fans in Japanese where they are from (what city, since they are all Japanese) – having a small conversation with them. She is also curious of how they came to like 5 Pieces and she is actually happily having conversations with the fans. A fan also asks Hannah if they are all taking care of their health, since it lately looks like they are all dropping in weight.

“You think?” Hannah gives a chuckle. “You should see how we eat backstage; not even pigs can compete with us.”

The fans laugh over the joke and Hannah is cutely smiling.

“Baby!” a voice calls out in the speakers. Hannah leans back, asking ‘yes?’ before she laughs and awkwardly puts the microphone to to repeat the question. “We’re starting.” Hannah excuses herself for the fans and gets up to head over to the main stage to start rehearsing with her members again. Maria punches Hannah on the arm when she comes over to them and Hannah leans over to punch her back and after punching she jumps away with a laugh. Emelia then hits Hannah on the other side, telling her to take her position. Hannah pouts and takes her position, apologizing for delaying.

The rehearsal goes well, and at the parts where f(x) features is also fun. The VIP fans don’t watch the whole rehearsal, so when their time is up, the rehearsal is taking a pause for 5 Pieces to give the fans autographs and exchange some last words. All of the fans thanks so much and 5 Pieces hopes they will have fun at the actual concert later before they parts for them to finish the rehearsal.

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5 Pieces is standing next to each other at the beginning of the press conference for the concert. They are standing to take pictures for the press, the flashes seem unstoppable and in Japanese they can hear people say ‘look here’, ‘look over here’. After taking a seat in their cool pirate outfits, they are asked to greet everyone – they have already introduced themselves. Hannah, as the member with the most knowledge of the language, is the one who speaks in Japanese.

“Though we haven’t had as many activities in Japan yet and just recently made our Japanese debut, we are very honoured to be able to have a concert at Osaka Hall. We have practiced a lot to be able to show varies of sides of ourselves at the concert, and all members have worked hard to improve our language skills so we can be able to communicate with all our fans who will come,” Hannah is saying. “We have been very happy to see the response from Japan over our concert, and we hope to stand up to the anticipations of our fans for tonight’s concert.”

“5 Pieces has received a lot of popularity in Japan, and even – as you said – you haven’t had many activities here, fans have been really looking forward to the concert. What have been 5 Pieces thoughts about Japan and do you intend to have more activities in the future?” a question is asked.

Again it is Hannah who answers. “Our thoughts about Japan has always been positive. Before visiting the country, all our members have been interested in the culture, music and dramas. Now when we have visited Japan a few times, we like it more and more. We really want to have more activities in Japan, and there are plans for us to have it too. At the moment, all we can do is to ask our fans in Japan to wait a little longer.”

“Did you expect to have such popularity in Japan?”

“I think all of us were pretty surprised when we heard how fast the big Osaka Hall was sold out for the concert, and when we yesterday had the rehearsal it made it hard to believe that we will be able to fill it,” Hannah answers, again being the one answering. “When seeing all the fans waiting to meet us, we want to thank everyone and we really hope to get more chances to meet up close in the future.”

Hannah glances at Julia with a smile when the next question is asked. Emelia might have improved her Japanese a lot, but she is still not really at the level where she can answer questions seriously without making error. That is why Hannah was asked to answer all the longer questions. The next question asks if Hannah has anticipated for the concert in Japan more than the other members because of her earlier activities. Hannah just wants to laugh at that, but she just smiles.

“All of us have looked forward to the concert just as much. Of course I am excited since I do know how to talk a little in Japanese and I feel like I can communicate with our fans, but all of us have worked really hard, so I think we are all anticipating for the concert to start,” Hannah answers and she smiles wider when the reporters gives a laugh when she mentions ‘talk a little Japanese’ since she is almost fluently talking now.

“This is a question for Hannah. You have had acting experience in Japan, and it was just now revealed that you will make a Korean acting debut as well. What made you decide to do so?”

“I learned a lot from when I acted in the Japanese drama and I had a lot of fun, so for a while I have been taking classes to learn more and I think I got captivated by the charm of acting that I want to do some more. I hope to get a lot of more chances in the future to show my improvement, even if my improvement isn’t so fast, and please look forward to the drama,” Hannah answers politely, knowing that the drama will air in Japan as well.

“Then for the other members, do you want to act in a drama in the future?”

This time, Emelia gets to answer. “Like Hannah, we are learning and maybe not soon, but in the future all of us want to get a chance to try on acting.”

“5 Pieces is known for being an international group. Not because of your foreign background but because of your language skills. Hannah is known to speak Japanese when 5 Pieces is in Japan, and I have heard when you went to Germany last year, it was Emelia and Julia who talked. How do you get time to learn so many different languages?”

“Julia and I have learned German in school back in Sweden since before we became singers,” Emelia starts to answer in Japanese. “When we started high school, the two of us started to take Chinese lessons as well. For Hannah, she has had activities in Japan and for that learned the language. Since we don’t have much time to learn new languages at the moment, we tend to take up our free time by studying and practicing.”

“It’s important for us to be able to communicate with our fans, so even if it is little we like to learn phrases in hope to be able to have conversations with fans from around the world,” Hannah fills in.

“Which member has the easiest and hardest to learn a new language?”

“Emelia has usually very easy to learn new phrases, so I think all of us agree on that she has the easiest to learn a new language,” Hannah answers with Emelia smiling proudly. Hannah then turns to her members, asking them the question so they can understand. Maria grabs Emelia’s microphone to answer without a second thought, simply saying ‘Hannah’ for the member who has the hardest to learn a new language.

“For Hannah, she learned Japanese very easy compared to other languages,” Emelia explains. “She has a lot of trouble learning other languages, so it is a big ... mystery, to us how she learned Japanese so well.”

Hannah laughs and the reporters do it too. It surely is a big mystery. The final question is for Emelia, about her solo debut in Japan and Emelia tells that she is working on some songs and that she by next month will make her official Japanese solo debut and also will have some activities in Japan on her own. She says that it will be her first time working without 5 Pieces in another country, and that the members have supported her and given her advice for it. The press conference ends with the reporters wishing 5 Pieces success for the concert and hoping they will see more of 5 Pieces in Japan soon.

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Headline 09th: Fans Waiting Outside Concert Hall To Catch A Glimpse Of 5 Pieces Gets A Surprise

Headline 09th: 5 Pieces Says [Switch] On M Countdown

Headline 09th: 5 Pieces Congratulates FT Island Over Twitter For Their M Countdown Win