Fans are crowding and lining up outside the arena, waiting to come inside. During the day they are playing music, dancing and singing to different songs by 5 Pieces, meeting new friends or old friends, mostly fans from Japan but there are fans from other countries out there as well and fans have dressed up in different concept that 5 Pieces has used over the years or they are wearing tour merchandises. Puzzle is excited. They are smiling. It’s been raining on and off during the day, but it doesn’t stop the cheerful mood outside. And the mood is similar indoors. But there is a lot of nervousness going on as well, stress to get ready in time and people have been running around since early morning. Just seeing a few staff members bring equipment through the corridor, having a list of things they need to get done within the next few hours, Hannah turns around with a hand to her chest to make sure her heart won’t jump out. Hannah walks inside the dressing-room, to a table so she can pick up a stuffed dog. It is in the perfect huggable size and she hugs on to it while spacing out at a staff member who is putting out some bags of chips on the snack table. Maria had asked for it. “Is there any dried fruit?” Emelia asks the staff member in Japanese, leaning towards the table. Hannah doesn’t even hear them, though she is looking at them. She is thinking of the fans outside. If they will be tired once they come inside because of the rain, if their expectations of the concert will be met, if she remembers everything they will do, scared over how many mistakes she will make on stage… It is a mess in her head. Emelia tells Julia in English that there are two sorts of dried fruits, asking which she wants. Emelia comes off as calm and collected, not the least nervous as she goes around talking to everyone as if they are not about to have their first concert in over a year. Even Julia is nervous, quietly singing to herself to not mess up the lyrics, especially to the new songs. Maria goes to the bathroom, constantly, saying she isn’t feeling good because she is too nervous. For Carolina, she is surprisingly quiet. Too quiet. She is the lady who always loves to in if anyone else is singing, but Julia has been singing on and off for the past twenty minutes and Carolina hasn’t opened once. For someone who isn’t used to them, it might not look strange. Besides from Hannah, who openly is spacing out and looking quite terrified with all these worries in her head, as usual. For people who knows the ladies, they are all acting strangely. Nervous for the concert. While Hannah is walking around backstage, she is hugging on to the stuffed dog and she walks by some comments without even hearing they are talking to her. What if her voice breaks when they start the concert or if she keeps bumping into the other ladies or the backup dancers? She can hear her name being said, it’s like when hearing something in the distance that comes closer and closer. “You are completely out of it.” SNSD’s Taeyeon shows up in front of Hannah with a wide smile. Hannah stares at her for a second before reacting and Taeyeon laughs when they hug each other. “What’s going on with you?” “I’m nervous,” Hannah answers with a whine, and laughs embarrassedly when seeing Taeyeon’s manager, Jonghyun and a staff member. With Jonghyun holding on to her hand, Hannah brings them to the dressing-room for Taeyeon to greet the other ladies too. Somehow, Hannah is calming down when talking to them. To have faces that aren’t part of the concert, it’s easier to get her mind off it. Taeyeon talks to her and a stylist about pets, mostly about dogs. How the topic comes up is unknown but they are talking about their dogs for a while.   Half an hour later, Hannah is out on a search together with Julia. Hannah is looking for her husband and Julia is looking for a distraction to not mix up the lyrics she has been practicing. Hannah bounces down the corridor, moving her hands in a choreography as she is longing to be on the stage. “Do you think Maria is puking in there?” Julia asks in a low voice, using Swedish. Hannah stops bouncing and gapes at her friend. “What? Why? Is she sick?” “Nerves, of course. She keeps running back and forth. Haven’t you noticed?” “I thought she was… pooping, you know, that’s what she said,” Hannah says with a frown, looking worried. “Do you think she is sick?” Julia is about to answer when Hannah looks behind them, and Julia turns around as well. Both of them smiles when seeing it is a camera-man, capturing them from behind. Hopefully, he did not catch what they were saying. The two ladies make a complete turn. Going from worried and curious to smiling and nervous, Julia puts her arm around Hannah’s arm and they slow down their pace for the camera-man to walk in front of them. In Japanese, Julia says that they are on a search. She doesn’t say what they are searching for and her whole try to be mysterious for the camera makes Hannah laugh. They start hearing noises in the room in front of them, a room between corridors. and the closer they get, the more curious the two friends are getting. They say who it sounds like and concludes that it sounds like they are playing a game in there. In the room, they see three people. One of the male dancers is standing with two umbrellas in hands and a third in his mouth, another dancer is standing with a long prop held up like a baseball bat and Jonghyun is standing there as well, holding out the stuffed dog Hannah has been walking around with during the day. The three of them are facing each other, and at first glance it looks like they are fighting, but the next second, they swing their “weapons” and makes the sounds like ‘swoosh’. Hannah bites her lip to not burst out laughing at the childish behaviour of grown-up men while Julia scoffs at the sight. “What are you doing?” Julia asks loudly in Japanese. They turn to look at them and, in a moment, Jonghyun steps over to protectively put his arm out in front of Hannah. “Step back or they will kidnap you,” he playfully says in Japanese. “No, the monster got her!” one of the dancers plays. Hannah and Julia laughs. Julia joins in, heading over to get something as a weapon as well and Hannah asks if Jonghyun is the monster. He shows her the stuffed dog he is holding up, saying that is the monster. Joining in, they only play for a few minutes (doing their swoosh sounds when dramatically and slowly fighting each other). They laugh at the play they did, and Julia straight out says how childish they are, though she childishly joined in as well. Then someone comes to call for the ladies, saying they have to go get dressed. It is time to get ready. 5 Pieces get dressed, fixes their hair and makeup. They warm up their bodies and voices, the concert director is going through a few things. It’s getting realer and realer for each minute. Hannah spaces out when looking around in the room, seeing how crowded it is and cameras are around, and everyone is getting ready for the first concert. The focus on their first outfit is red and stars. Because the tour has a To the Stars concept, they need the stars. Carolina’s shorts are black with big golden stars prints, a zip-up and to that she wears a red velvet shirt with puffy arms. She wears a collar necklace and a pair of platform boots are prepared for when they go on stage, though for now she is walking around in pink slippers. Hannah is also wearing a choker necklace, one in black with an ornament at the front. Her outfit is an oversized long-sleeve t-shirt in a dark green colour, red over-the-knee heels that they are currently putting on (a stylist and assistant helping each other). She looks badass, especially with her long hair-extensions hanging over her right shoulder in long curls and the dark-red lipstick. for Maria, she is wearing high-waist paints in soft material, fitting and with different small sized stars. Her outfit as well as Carolina’s are both from a famous brand. To the black pants, she wears a cropped fitted top and a red jacket with golden embroids and a black collar. She has done her eyebrows and lips herself, looking like a doll when standing by the table without moving a muscle. For Julia, she is in a cropped red sweater, a cropped black top underneath, high-waisted baggy jeans with a black and white belt. Lastly, Emelia has gone full-out with her own style. White baggy pants with patches sewn onto them, a cropped white top with spaghetti straps, she has a long red coat completely covered with patches and words and a matching red cap with GUCCI written on it, probably showing that her outfit is as expensive as the rest of her. She has written with red lipstick above her chest, close to her shoulder, that reads in Japanese signal, for one of their songs. All of them have their own style to the opening outfits. Their own type of charisma, but also matching. “Is she sleeping?” Jonghyun whispers behind Hannah and several heads turns to look over at the sofa, where Manager Kawayama is resting her head on Carolina. While the manager is looking down at her phone, Carolina’s head has fallen down, making it look like she is sleeping. Hannah chuckles at the sight and though Jonghyun just wanted to laugh a bit with them, Emelia walks up to the sofa and bends down to try see if she is truly sleeping. “Her makeup will fall if she sleeps,” a stylist comments. Hannah looks back on her feet, still getting help with her over-the-knee heels. She glances back to the sofa. Emelia has a hand on the backrest and takes a deep breath before bursting out; “CARRO IT’S TIME!” Most people in the room laughs as Carolina jumps awake, while Carolina gets mad at Emelia and hits her on the arm, almost cussing for being woken up. “I couldn’t sleep last night, let me sleep!” she madly tells Emelia before crossing her arms over her chest and getting back in the sleeping position. Emelia mocks her, asking how she can sleep when the concert is going to start soon. Emelia is bouncing, patting the seat next to Carolina to disturb her. “Emelia,” Manager Lim says with a sigh, not wanting them to fight. Emelia stands up with hands in the air. “I’m not fighting.” “Let the girl be. She can sleep for a few minutes.” Though their manager says that, Emelia is extra loud and gives out sudden sounds for the next few minutes, just to annoy Carolina. Meanwhile, Hannah gets on her feet – shoes properly on – and she takes a look in the mirror. She is smiling seeing Jonghyun in the mirror-reflection, the two of them being around the same height. Carolina is waking up, staying sitting in the sofa with an upset face-expression (because Emelia kept disturbing her) and she looks up when hearing Maria talking to Taeyeon and Heechul. Kim Heechul as in Super Junior’s Heechul. Taeyeon had arrived a bit early before but went out again to go to a store with Heechul, and now they have both come back. Heechul is loud and his presence is extreme as always, though he loudly says he is not here to take the spotlight from the ladies. The room is getting more crowded and Maria is the first one to step outside, saying she can’t handle the crowded room. A manager and Heechul goes with her. Hannah is checking her lipstick, so nervous that her hands are shaking. Only the dark lipstick suits the outfit, that was the conclusion she and her stylist came to when deciding it. She turns her head to reach her tongue out at Jonghyun, who keeps commenting on that she looks like someone else with those lips. “It’s the height that makes her seem different,” the stylist jokingly tells him. Hannah burst out into a smile at the joke and hugs Jonghyun’s arm when saying she can give him a mark with this lipstick. Instead of filling out on the height joke, Jonghyun wraps his arms around Hannah to turn them around so he can playfully kiss her. The stylist panics right away, and the couple laughs at her reaction. No kiss, no smudged lipstick, only another joke. Eventually, it is time to go to the stage. Maria is already on her way there; Julia and Emelia are entertaining a camera on the way to the stage and Hannah is waiting for Carolina. The guests and visitors have already left to go take seats in the audience. Hannah is standing in the corridor; a smile grows on her face when Carolina is coming. Carolina is surprisingly serious, she still seems to be in a bad mood and that is why Hannah is waiting for her. Hannah holds out her hand to reach for Carolina’s arm and go together, hugging on to her friend since she knows Carolina likes it. “On a scale from 1 to 100, how nervous are you?” Hannah asks. She looks up at her friend while the seconds passes, seeing Carolina look more upset than before. “1000,” Carolina eventually answers, glaring ahead. “You do know you look like you want to stab someone right now?” Hannah asks in a low voice. She makes into a thin line and nods her head when Carolina glances at her. The youngest smiles brightly to see Carolina try to calm her face. “I’m nervous.” “Me too,” Hannah nods and breathes out. “And Emelia pissed me off.” To that, Hannah frowns. She can feel Carolina move her arm to hug back. “I need my sleep. Just like Maria says, it’s beauty sleep. But it’s also mood sleep. I’m too nervous and we have a bunch of fans we haven’t met in over a year and it’s freaking me out and that one just decides to annoy me when I try to calm down.” Hannah keeps nodding, not sure what to say while Carolina is rambling out how she feels. They walk for a while, staff members guiding them and when eventually coming closer to the stage, Hannah slows her pace. Her heart is racing, seeing how dark it is and fans are being heard. This is it, she starts to think. This is 5 Pieces’ comeback to the scene. Though they have performed on radio and TV in Japan to promote their single and album, this is the big stage, the concert and Puzzle and official 5 Pieces’ stage. The lady next to her gives out a sound before stepping up in front of Hannah. Hannah smiles when Carolina hugs her. “We’re going on stage soon,” Hannah giggles and pats Carolina on the back. They are both shaking, laughing in each other’s arms as the nervousness is becoming excitement. The next five minutes are chaotic. They get microphone checks, they take a bunch of pictures with someone just telling them where to look, they are checking hair and makeup and their clothes, talking about the songs and some directives and calling out in excitement. Hannah hears Carolina start singing something and the others joins in before Maria raises her hand in the air to call for their dancers to come over. Everyone gathers for a circle, spending a few more minutes to share their excitement with each other and Hannah can feel her cheeks hurt from smiling too much. “With all the practice we have gone through, even if we had been on a five-year break, we’d still make it. So if anyone messes up more than five times, you’re kicked from the team,” Emelia reminds everyone. Maria grimaces at her, saying that makes no sense. “We need all of you to get through this tour, so don’t get hurt. And don’t listen to the devil,” Maria changes it, waving her hand for them to not listen to Emelia. “And don’t cry until the end of the concert,” Emelia is quick to add with a nod to Hannah. Hannah gasps while the others cry. “I won’t cry!” “Mokoto will cry first,” a dancer jokes and they laugh more. “Either way, listen up!” Maria gives a jump to catch everyone’s attention, hearing a staff member tell them to wrap it up. “Let’s give our best for Puzzle tonight! It’s our opening concert here in Osaka, so let’s do well and have fun and show what we’ve prepared for everyone. Tonight, determines the rest of the show so I’m giving all of my faith to you all. Um… no crying. You’re all amazing and talented and it’s an honour to work together for TO THE STARS tour. I’m asking you; WHO ARE WE!?” “5 Pieces!” “Not with those voices, you’re not. WHO ARE WE?!” “5 PIECES!” “YEEEAH!” Maria roars out and there is cheering and screaming in response while hands are up in the air. It’s starting again. 5 Pieces’ time on the stage. The mood has changed after the cheer, just like they remember it usually does. The ladies stand together, waiting to get up on stage while the opening video is presenting the concert. Hannah turns around, not sure what sort of happy expression she has on her face. She shows a V-sign with her hand to the camera filming and Maria turns around to see who she is interacting with. Maria gives the camera a cool smile, posing for it. “Are you ready?!” a staff member asks from the side. “YEAH!” Maria loudly answers and nudges Hannah for her to answer too. “Yeah!” Hannah answers with a laugh. “Love you, ladies!” Maria cheers as they start moving. “Now let’s show Puzzle some love too!” Emelia turns around from the front, the camera capturing her expression that is making fun of Maria’s excitement. Julia is laughing at it, saying to herself that they all seem to have missed Puzzle. The next three minutes, Hannah has no idea of what happens. She is looking at the back of Carolina’s head and suddenly she is facing 50,000 people. Spotlights on the stage makes it hard to see but she is certain it is a purple ocean they are performing to. It is surprisingly quiet, the Japanese crowd, but the light from their light-sticks is far from low. It’s clear once the ladies have adjusted to the stage light. 50,000 people in front of them. 5 Pieces’ 3rd Japan Tour, has officially started. It has started, Hannah thinks while heading out during her part. The stage feels large though they have practiced on it. It feels completely different from rehearsals, to have the crowd in front of them, and the ladies next to her. It’s comforting to have them there. It makes her feel confident and raise her head. This is our home, she thinks. When the second song begins, another dance track, male dancers joins the ladies for the party pop track. Hannah is already starting to get out of breath, though she barely notices it since she is enchanted by performing and she is screaming out when the song begins, asking Osaka if they are ready to dance. It feels powerful to perform. It is a new song they perform called [To Be Number 1]. Emelia raps, Carolina raps, Julia and Maria take turns with the chorus and Hannah takes some verses. Fans screamed when Emelia started the song with her deep voice. They dance close to the male dancers before the chorus, and Hannah locks eyes with her dancer when singing her part. She smiles and touches his chest in the choreography before he steps away, dancing a bit next to her. It’s fun, very exciting. A part of the song goes *jump, jump, jump* and everyone on the stage are jumping with a hand in the air, the light-sticks in the crowd are jumping along. During the song they use lifts and fireworks, making it more exciting. The third song is also a dance track. The ladies are breathing a bit heavy by now, but they perform without problem. Singing and dancing. They go through six songs in the first set, and a ment greeting. With three dance tracks, they do the greeting, perform a song that isn’t as much focused on choreography that lets them walk around all over the place to get more familiar with the fans, they perform the new song [Signal] and finishes the set with the cheerful [Let’s Go!]. Maria throws off her jacket for the last song and Emelia has constantly had her jacket down her shoulders, making fans go wild. With the first set done, the ladies stumbles down the stage while a video opens for the next set. Out of breath, Hannah needs to have someone hold on to her as she can’t walk in the heels. She waves her hand to get something to drink and hears someone say the ladies need to not give 120% the whole time, as they still have four more sets to do. Hannah smiles up at the staff, saying she realises now she has been smiling too much. For the opening song, [Pieces’ Invasion], they are supposed to ooze out charisma and be cool and tough, yet she was smiling quite a lot. She couldn’t help it and she laughs after she has changed clothes and is heading back out. Even the stressful change of clothes didn’t make her lose focus. It’s like when playing a game, you’re completely focused and though you go take a break, your heart, body and mind are still in the game. Emelia holds out her fist to Hannah when they go back to the stage, Hannah bumping her fist into hers in a way to say let’s keep going. On the stage, it’s magical. Each song, the way they perform, the audience reacts, how all the practice and rehearsal prove worth it since there aren’t many noted mistakes and it seems to go well. Once the end of the second set is coming to an end, Julia performing her solo, the others go to change for the next set. Hannah will be up first for the third set, to perform [Just Like Fire]. She is in a hurry to change, talking to those in the tent while changing clothes. A fan is held by her neck to cool off, one person in charge of that, while two others are helping her get out of the clothes to get on the next. They are talking about the next set, what to think of, reminding Hannah of getting the skirt off after the song and get the jacket on. The result of adding [Just Like Fire] in the setlist, despite the lack of time to practice and prepare, they let Hannah wear the white and diamond-filled outfit for the third set. All ladies wear the same fabric, white, glittery and with some parts see-through, whether it’s pants, shorts, skirts or whatever suits the ladies the best. Hannah’s look like a bodysuit, but they fixed it into two parts with shorts attached to the top, body-fitting and tight with see-through for the shoulders to make it look strapless. It’s gorgeous and expensive, and the ladies have white and black diamond-filled jackets to go along to it. Each jacket made unique, but it isn’t the jacket Hannah puts on once she has the rest of the outfit on her body. It is a skirt. It is long in layers that she ties around her waist, where the shorts and top are separated. It is soft white and flowy, and their stylists have by hand attached glitter on it to make it fit with the rest of the outfit. A perfect last-minute buy. Her black heeled boots don’t really suit for the skirt but for the stage, it will work. While a video opens for the next set, Hannah is quick to change her lipstick. she wipes her lips on her own and her stylist adds the new colour for her while an assistant is fixing other things and someone is touching the skirt to make it look alright. The other ladies aren’t here, as they have longer time to get ready. It makes it less crowded in the tents and puts the focus on priorities, who needs to get ready first and whatnot. Always when being backstage like this, Hannah has no idea of whose hand is touching her. It is a bit uncomfortable, but at the same time, they are doing things for her; Hannah basically keeps her head straight. Focus. Leaving the tent, she almost bumps into a camera-man. The lady gives a smile and rounds him, getting the microphone in hand and she breathes in deeply while looking for the staff member who will take her to her place. “Remember,” one of the dancers says when she comes over to them and a stylist is pulling in Hannah’s skirt to make sure it’s