The week’s schedule is not easy. On Tuesday we film the jacket shoot for the Japanese single, the ladies gathered and I take that time to practice for the weekends Seoul concerts too – I’m nervous about the concerts – and on Wednesday I do two pre-recordings for next week’s The Show and Show Champion as I will be abroad next week, I also had a live performance for Show Champion in between the pre-recordings. The same day, Carolina went to London to film for our world tour teaser. She was excited to go to London, but she said she wished she could be with me at my Seoul concert this weekend. I wish she could too, but she won’t be there, instead I have Maria constantly promising me to give me her best support. It’s now Thursday. At midnight I do a photo shoot with a pyjama concept for High Cut magazine, my mind focused on the concert as it is D-2, and as soon as the photo shoot ends I head to KBS to pre-record for next week’s Music Bank at half past seven. I don’t keep track of time or where I’m going, I am following the lead of Manager Lee when he tells me “we have to go now” and only when we’re close to the next location do I know what’s next. My cold has gotten better but on Tuesday to Thursday I have a slimy cough that annoys me and no matter how much water I drink it doesn’t seem to ease up. After finishing the pre-recording for next week’s Music Bank I change clothes, rehearse for tonight’s M Countdown and prepare for a fan-signing we will do after lunch. It is a few hours in between though, the most free time I have had for a few days so while I know I should be sleeping or practicing, we go out to eat lunch and nearby where the fan-signing will take place we actually go shopping. No, I wouldn’t say we go shopping; Manager Lee and I enter a bookstore because I saw it from the restaurant and I really love bookstores. Turns out it isn’t just a bookstore but a bookstore that even has its own bakery. It’s a large bookstore of two flows; the first floor is open with windows to the streets, seats if you want to read books or eat, there is art decorating the place and there are a few spaces for books while the actual bookstore is downstairs. Downstairs it is wonderful; the place feel closed and small because there are as many bookshelves and books as possible pressed in there. I look through the store one time pretty fast jus to see where my favourite sections could be before I look around closer. The way I look through bookstores is the way my friends look through clothing stores. I can easily spend an hour in a bookstore while I usually last five minutes when looking for clothes. I don’t have patience unless it is for books and movies. For the fan-signing I am wearing a pair of black block heel lace-up platform boots, my legs are bare under the sheer tights to a dark skirt, slightly hidden under a t-shirt and to suit the chic pumps I wear a dark grey linen blend coat. The coat is long and loose, very simple and straight, so I would say what stands out with the outfit is the pumps; my legs look pretty in them and the key to the look is to be comfortable since it is just a fan-signing. I am relaxed at the bookstore, looking through the books and wondering if I should buy one. I find an interesting book that I think Kyungho would like, and I look through some more books with the thought of Kyungho – if there is any more I think he would like. “Omo…” The low voice at the stairs makes me turn around, seeing a high school student turn around to walk back up but her friend is there so she turns back, she meets my eyes and with embarrassment she turns another direction and faces the wall. I think she recognized me based on the way she looked at me. Maybe she didn’t expect to see me because she turned away. I look back at the book in my hand. Manager Lee has sat down by a table a bit away, tired of being in the bookstore so I think he is resting a bit, but I know he is aware of that the students have come downstairs. I put back the book and let my eye read the titles next to it before I squat down to look at the shelf below. Giggles are heard from the students, muffled by their own hands and I wonder if they are going to take pictures or film me. The relaxing time at the bookstore might be over. But as I focus on the book I have my back against the students so I don’t even turn around to confirm what they are doing, I hear them talk about some books so think they are here for a reason; without having me distract too much. I haven’t been reading many books lately, for the past few months I have read some with Kyungho when he has gone to bed, just a little, though I usually have a book with me when travelling I haven’t had one this year, I have some unread books at home but … I don’t know, I want to get something new and interesting to read. Manager Lee walks up to me when the students have gotten a bit closer. They are looking at the health section while I am two shelves away from them. “Oppa, what do you think of this one?” I ask my manager and show him the book. “I don’t know…” I grimace at his lack of interest in books but I put the book back. “I have a lot of fantasy books already… What about this one?” Manager Lee turns around to see me cross the room to reach for a simple nail art book, nail art you can do yourself. He turns away as soon as he sees what book it is and I sigh as I look around at the books about art and nails. In the end I just buy that one book for Kyungho, not finding a good one for myself, and we head to the fan-signing to meet my fans. On the way up the stairs my phone rings, and answering the call I smile hearing Taemin’s voice. He calls for one thing but we talk about several things during the ten minutes we’re on the phone. He wants to talk about my concert, ask how preparations are going and if it’s alright for him to come before the concert begins because he has some free time. I tell him I would gladly have him there earlier because I need his advice, though Taemin laughs and say he has no advice for me because he has never had a solo concert; I know he can point out great things about my performance for the concert. He has to go first; work calls for him, and a few minutes later I am getting ready to appear at the fan-signing. The fan-signing goes well. I meet fans who tell me they are coming to the concert this weekend, telling me to rest well and asking how my cold is, they are thoughtful and caring and I remind them all through the microphone to be careful in the rainy weather. A fan asks me about Kyungho, another asks me how 5 Pieces are doing, a lot of them say they look forward to my concerts and performances, tons of fans want me to take care of my health as they have noticed that my voice is strained during the performances lately and so on. It is fun hearing their words; I recognize some fans from other events too. A girl shows up in front of me. I take notice of her high school uniform at first even if she is wearing a raincoat, and I start signing my album for her. “I got this book for you,” the girl says and holds out the book next to the album. I look at the book when accepting it and I recognize the book, and I suddenly laugh. “That’s why you look familiar,” I laugh behind my hand when looking up at the girl. It is the high school student from the bookstore; she got me the nail art book. “You didn’t have to buy it though,” I tell her with a large smile. “I know… I got you this one too. I don’t know if you will like it but it looked like you were interested in it at your appearance on Roommate … so … I got it for you. I hope you like it.” The girl hands me another book, this one a bit thicker and it is about massaging that treats your body and mind, and I look impressed as I hadn’t even seen this one in the bookstore. I had given the members at Roommate a massage yesterday at the broadcast, that’s what she means. “Woah…” I say before I thank her. “That’s thoughtful of you. I hope you are just as smart in your studies as you are with gifts.” She blushes when she laughs and thanks me for the compliment, saying she will study harder after my words. The next person is a foreign young man. He is tall and blonde, standing out as much as if Maria had been standing in front of me. He is wearing a headband of animal ears, holding one more in his hands. “Hello,” I greet him in Korean. “Hello,” he greets me back in broken Korean. “May I put these on you?” I look at him again when hearing him speak Swedish. “Of course you may,” I answer in Swedish, laughing as I lean my arms on the table for him to put the ears on my head. “You’re from Sweden?” “Born and raised,” he answers proudly while putting the headband on me. “I’m from Uppsala, a huge fan of yours and I came all the way here to go on your concert.” I sit up straight when he has put on the headband and I check it with my hands to make sure it sits, smiling at him. “How does it look?” “Very y,” he answers while taking a deep breath, as if he is taking the sight of me in. I laugh at his answer and start focusing on signing his album. “I’m very thankful that you’ve come here to watch the concert,” I tell him while signing. I don’t think I show how moved I am, I don’t think I know how to show that. “I went to your concert in Sweden last time too, to see 5 Pieces. You’re my favourite though, very y.” My giggle is awkward and Manager Lee is motioning for me to move on so I tell him that I’ll see him at the concert and he starts leaving; forgetting the album I tried to hand to him so he looks super embarrassed stepping back to get it. There are a lot of foreigners present today, just as audience too as everyone here haven’t gotten the album to get signed. I see too many foreign faces, those that aren’t Asian. When the fan-signing is coming to an end and I say my final words in the microphone, I look around at those around me as I speak in English; “There are a lot of foreigners here today…” The cheer I receive tells me there are more than what I could see. “Thank you all for coming and I hope you are enjoying your time in Seoul,” I tell them before changing to Korean; “I heard a lot of you are coming to my concert this weekend. Let’s have fun together, not just at the concert but every day and at every meeting. I’ll do my best for you, Puzzle. Thank you for coming! See you again!” Waving I take my leave, I bow a bit too and then we are heading over to M Countdown for today’s performance. In a charcoal fit and flare mini dress, I get ready for my stage. The dress has a rounded neck and tree-quarter length sleeves, in a sheer crochet lace. It is pretty and works for the song, so after changing clothes I walk around backstage greeting both seniors and juniors. I get stuck with Amber and Luna a bit longer like always, we all exchange how our days have been like before we go back to work. It’s like coming and going, like my whole day has been like. I do my performance; I focus on singing well and doing the choreography and after all performances it is M Countdown’s ending. T