Having to work or not, Hannah wakes up on Saturday around seven without any alarm waking her up. You can’t break your routines that easily. It is still more sleep than what she usually gets, so Hannah rolls out of bed without any regrets and surprisingly excited for what she can do on her day off.

They are filming the reality show Life of Pieces today and Hannah has to text Alexander who she is meeting up for lunch if he is alright with a camera coming along. Hannah is relaxed today, though all the things being said on the internet about her and lack of sleep and her voice still hoarse and sore throat, and she is in a good mood when waking up. She starts her morning by feeding the puppies and takes them out on a walk with Julia and Manager Lim, the camera crew following, and Hannah can hear what her member and manager will be doing today.

Yesterday it was raining all day, but today it seems to have cleared up as the sun is peeking out behind light gray clouds in the sky. It is a nice day, helping Hannah to be in a good mood. Hannah explains for her manager about the text messages during the walk, not saying just how serious it is with over 500 texts and how bad the content has been, but serious enough for her manager to say he will get her a new number.

As an idol it isn’t unusual to change number frequently, as fans and antis are surprisingly terrific detectives and for that reason Hannah never remembers her phone number, she sees it as bad luck; once she remembers it she begins receiving calls or texts from strangers. One of the many jobs being their manager is to take care of fixing a new number, which is why Manager Lim is the one she tells about it. Later in the day if she meet her manager, she will receive the new cell phone number.

Hannah isn’t really sure of what to do until lunch. She is restless sitting at home. She can’t relax enough to sit down and write something, she tries to practice for 5 Pieces’ new Japanese single [Knockout] that they will perform tomorrow in Japan but she is done in fifteen minutes, she plays with the puppies but they are only interested in Carolina who is in the kitchen making ramen for breakfast. Julia left shortly after the walk, Manager Lim went with her and Carolina just woke up, cooking an unhealthy breakfast. Carolina’s schedule begins a little later today while Hannah is just so restless to do something. She is not used to not have a schedule to follow for a full day.

She is wearing a zip-front skull print t-shirt in white to a pair of black skinny jeans, and in the hall she has prepared the faux-leather zip-up jacket that she actually found in her wardrobe today when going through what to wear (she had completely forgotten she own something that cool) and the shoes she has chosen is a pair of black lace-up platform ankle boots, and Hannah surprises herself by choosing 9,5cm heels when she wears high heels every day lately for her drama shooting; but these pair were given by a Chinese fan and she hasn’t gotten the chance to try them on yet. On her left wrist she is wearing the nice red watch she got for her birthday and on her right wrist she wears a mix of two metal studded bracelets. She is satisfied with the whole outfit, thinking it is good to have some time to get dressed because she actually checks the mirror to see what fits.

“It’s your day off?” Carolina sounds shocked when Hannah is wandering around the kitchen where Carolina has sat down to eat, cameras filming them.

Hannah nods. “Yeah…”

“Why aren’t you asleep then?” Carolina is shocked. Carolina is working today, but she slept longer than Hannah; sleep is important to the group’s mascot.

“I am restless,” Hannah mutters with a pout, taking a seat opposite from Carolina around the kitchen table. “I’m going on lunch with Alexander later.”

“Oh! It was long since I saw him, can’t I come along too?” Carolina smiles brightly, happily chewing her food. But since she has to go work Hannah doesn’t know what good it is to ask to come along. Hannah grimaces. She wants to go now… She looks forward to meet Alexander; they haven’t met in such a long time. Carolina puts in a big bite of ramen in , looking up at Hannah. “So you won’t go to Maria’s music video filming today?”

The question surprises Hannah, who is just spacing out at first. “Of course I’m going. Aren’t you?”

“I’ll try to see if I can, or I’ll go when my schedule ends.”

Maria is filming the first music video for her first track in her solo album coming out this September, and this music video she is filming today and tomorrow will come out at the first week of September, which is in two weeks. Everyone is excited for it; the first taste of Maria’s comeback. Hannah hasn’t gotten the time to talk to Maria because last night when Maria came home they didn’t say much before going to sleep as they both prioritised that in the moment and this morning Maria had already left when Hannah woke up. No one has talked about visiting Maria on the set it is just something basic you do (if you have time, go support).

“Chanyeol is there today too,” Carolina comments, “and according to Suho, all members of EXO will go.”

“Aren’t they on Music Core today?” Hannah distantly wonders while checking the text message she just received from Alexander, and she is confused by what he writes. Alexander is confusing when he writes in Korean, so she quickly responses that she doesn’t understand what he means. She guesses she is the same as her Korean isn’t all that good when writing.

“Right… But after that then, I suppose? I’m not sure how it all works,” Carolina answers, shrugging her shoulders and focusing on her food instead. Hannah is grimacing again, not understanding how her friend can eat that for breakfast.

All of a sudden she flies up from her chair as her cell phone is ringing, and since she knows who is calling she is answering on the way out of the kitchen. No camera follows hers. “Oppa!” Hannah greets with a laugh, stumbling over Ace who is lying flat in the middle of the floor in the living-room.

“Hello Hannah, what part of my text do you not understand?” Alexander is laughing on the line, speaking in such adorable fluent English that you can not stop smiling back.

“Your sister wanted to come along? I’m just confused,” Hannah giggles, her head in the clouds by how happy she gets to hear his bright voice. She head inside the office room she shares with Carolina to keep the conversation private, shutting the door after her. “Repeat it for me, please.”

“Gina wants to come alone – G.NA. I said I’ll ask you first; is it alright with you?”

“Yes, of course…” Hannah is nodding for herself. She doesn’t mind it at all; Hannah isn’t all that close with soloist G.NA but whenever they meet at music programs it is a mess of Korean-English language that is really fun actually is the reason they are talking to each other to begin with.

They decide to meet up earlier because both Hannah and Alexander are bored, and Hannah then gives a call to Manager Lim in hope to get a ride. A personal driver will come pick her up; they say it is a driver for Hannah while it in fact is a bodyguard.

 

In the car on the way to the café Hannah puts her hair in a side-braid hanging down her right shoulder. She really is not used to have free-time; she needs a schedule to follow, things to do. Yet her mind is more at ease today than what it has been for weeks. Her mind is relaxing, trying to enjoy her day off, but her body is used to constantly be on the way to somewhere. Emelia has texted her, asking if she wanted anything with the call in the middle of the night, and to let her friend continue working in Japan without worries, Hannah said she was just bored and wanted to talk at the moment.

The man driving her is in his late thirties and very typical Korean in Hannah’s eyes with the business hair and blue shirt tugged in the pants. He has the smallest, thinnest moustache Hannah has ever seen and it makes her think he has just started to grow it out but she doesn’t dare to ask about it. When introducing himself he said ‘Taehwan’, and that is what he wants her to call him. At first glance he seemed strict, but during the ride he makes Hannah smile. Taehwan sings along to the music on the radio, the ones in English and the ones in Korean, and though he doesn’t sing well he seems to really enjoy it. His first question to Hannah during the ride was to ask if it is alright with her for him to sing – Hannah lives with singing birds, she is okay with people singing along to the radio – and his excuse to be singing is that whenever he hears a song he knows he can’t help but to sing. She can understand what he means. He is funny and doesn’t mind talking though he for most of the ride is just quiet, though he has his moments where he sings. He seems like any driver she has met; maybe someone who has worked as a taxi driver before. Again, she doesn’t ask that.

Arriving at the café where Hannah knows through a text message that Alexander just arrived to, Taehwan exchanges phone number with Hannah and says he will sit by the door at the café in case she wants anything – protection or a quick ride. She is still unaware of that he is a bodyguard and not just a driver.

Wearing her high heels, the faux-leather hanging on her arm because of the nice weather, sunglasses for the sun and carrying the black belted quilted satchel over her shoulder, Hannah walks inside the café more gracefully from all those hours on set portraying a graceful young woman. Heads turn when she enters and Hannah hurries straight through the place to a little outdoor part, both private for its lack of people sitting there and that there is glass and paintings hiding them from the street outside. Hannah smiles widely when seeing Alexander sit by one of the white long tables and she puts her sunglasses in her bag before reaching up to the tall and handsome young gentleman standing up for her – he shows more awareness to the cameras filming than Hannah, as she is used to them.

“It’s good to see you,” Alexander greets when hugging her with both arms. Hannah can’t stop smiling at how good he looks, all healthy and shining with his smile.

“It’s good to see you too,” Hannah responses, taking a seat with the bag and jacket put on the chair next to her. “Did you call G.NA so she is coming earlier too?”

“Yeah, yes, I did,” Alexander answers, and then he laughs. “The English just comes out naturally when I’m with you. It’s so weird.”

Hannah giggles, agreeing completely with him. After five years in Korea there is nothing unnatural to speak Korean for her, she even thinks in Korean (mixed with English) but whenever she is around someone who speaks English and who she usually converse with in English, it just comes out more natural than any other language. Alexander says that G.NA is on her way but suggested them to order for her too in case they were hungry. Before ordering food they exchange some quick soft subjects about the café (Hannah has never been there before but Alexander has been there with some friends and his sister) and briefly about that they haven’t met in a while (she says Alexander has been abroad a lot, but Alexander laughs and says she is always abroad). After ordering food, Hannah is just smiling at Alexander who smiles back at her; the cameras around them make it awkward, they both sense it.

“Have you lost even more weight?” Alexander then asks in English, his voice kind of concentrated and Hannah smiles, glancing at the camera.

“You can’t mention that now,” she jokes with him.

“No! You have? You look really skinny,” Alexander doesn’t drop it and his voice is just really what Hannah needs to hear. It feels like she has met up with an old friend to talk about the difficulties in life. Alexander seems to notice the secret behind her smile when he puts his elbow on the table and rests his head on his hand. “Tell me what’s going on with you.”

He is so casual, so natural with the way he just brings it up. Hannah knows what he means, and again she thinks of what Jaejoong told her yesterday to confess everything on the reality show. She can’t remember if she ever told Alexander about her family in the past, but she hasn’t talked to him at all about what has happened this summer. The difference with Alexander and Honggi is that Alexander is more like an older brother, someone you can meet up and lean against in silence or open up your heart to because you know he will just try to make you feel better while Honggi is a friend who speak his mind. Both of them are held dear for Hannah, though she isn’t sure they know it. she is still confused with how Honggi contacted her yesterday of all days, and now when Alexander wants to know what is going on she thinks that he will be the third person she talks to in two days about what is happening, while her own members are still busy with their own things. Tomorrow, she thinks, I will talk to the ladies.

“My sister called me last month,” Hannah answers in a low voice, looking down at her hands resting on the table where she is fiddling on her nails that are still in nice manicure from yesterday’s filming. Alexander nods for her to continue. “I had been in Sweden for a music festival the week before, just over the day so it was a super short trip, but when she called she thought I still was in Sweden. Last time I spoke to her was like … three years ago or something.”

“She didn’t come to the music festival?” Alexander quietly asks and Hannah shakes her head. The hometown of 5 Pieces holds a yearly music festival with artists coming to perform; 5 Pieces had been invited and performed several of songs for the first time in Sweden. It was a different experience. They had seen old classmates sing along to their music, and five years ago these exact same people were laughing at them for listening to Korean music. Family for the other members had not just come to the music festival but they had spent time with the girls after the performance too.

“She apologized for it on the phone, saying she was planning on going but didn’t. No one in my family did,” Hannah answers. She likes how he mixes English with some Korean words, just the same as they do in 5 Pieces from time to time, and she finds herself doing the same. It is just a word here and there in Korean. Hannah keeps on her nails while talking to him. it is different compared to when she spoke to Honggi last night; it’s not awkwardness from the cameras, it is more of a comfortable feeling that Alexander wants to know. “And then she asked for money… And that is where it just went down.”

“So your sister asked for money… but you said no,” Alexander nods. He hasn’t missed all the articles about this. He has actually texted Hannah a few times during all of this, asking if she is alright and saying he thinks about her. It has felt good to know that at times.

“I couldn’t give her money when I knew she has an income and … and since no one else in our family wanted to give her money, I wasn’t sure what she was going to use it for,” Hannah voice is going lighter but stays low, and she can feel her blood just rushing faster in her veins talking about this, frustration to why she has such a family. “And then she went to the media and lied about my name and that thing about my family; I didn’t know what to do about it.”

“What did your family say then? Didn’t your mother try to fix it?”

Hannah pouts when shaking her head. “My mom called me the same day we were having the first concert for BLACK & WHITE. She kept cursing and calling me names that I just lost it,” Hannah whispers, and with her eyes focused on her fingers she can see Alexander laying down his arm across the table, in case she wants to hold his hand or something. “I have tried to explain to her that I am not dropping out of 5 Pieces.”

“Of course you aren’t,” Alexander agrees in a dark voice, frowning by those words.

“But she doesn’t understand it,” Hannah whines quietly, “Oh, and we went to New York recently, you know what happened? My sister had tried to get in touch with me, and she called when we were heading home. She didn’t care what I have been up to lately – saying that if I perform in front of a small audience now and then I should still take care of my family.”

“She said that?!” he is just as surprised as Hannah and she is nodding at him, looking up and opening her hands. She doesn’t understand why her family is behaving like this.

“And that’s not all; she said that my family has supported me in all the things I have done but I have just been rude back.”

“No way! I have never heard of that before!”

“Me neither! Emelia told me to just throw away my cell phone and forget about it,” Hannah answers, calming down a little to not be too crazy over the conversation. “But I need to explain myself to my fans…”

“How will you do that?” Alexander is frowning. “Are the ladies helping you?”

“I haven’t really gotten the chance to tell them about that,” Hannah answers with a cute pout. He asks about the ladies too. “We have been so busy with solo promotions lately that it hasn’t been possible… But I will. I’m just searching for the moment we are all together, you know.”

“Maria always has great ideas, she will surely come up with something,” Alexander smiles. His smile is contagious, making Hannah smile too. “But you can’t forget to eat, Hannah,” he points a finger at her. She grimaces at him, laughing when he makes a face back at her and seconds later, a bright voice joins them asking if they are playing some grimace-game. G.NA is smiling when hugging them both, taking a seat next to Hannah who removes her bag and jacket.

“Is it the girls side there or something?” Alexander jokes, noticing clearly that the girls sit next to each other. Dramatically he adds; “I will forever be alone…”

“I love those shoes! Where did you buy them?” G.NA takes no notice of him, making both Hannah and Alexander laugh because the moment G.NA took her seat she noticed Hannah’s high heels under the table and got distracted.

“A Chinese fan gave them to me,” Hannah shines up by someone taking notice of them (not caring about Alexander either…). “They are hot, aren’t they?”

“I’m hot too,” Alexander continues to try get attention and both girls laugh with him.

G.NA came just in time for their lunch to arrive, and the rest of the lunch is filled with laughing and talking between the three of them. They have all so much to talk about, randomly bringing up story after story to make each other laugh and share things and it is a really nice lunch. Hannah’s cell phone keeps making noise though, receiving texts from unknown people and she has to turn the sound off. It seems like antis have put on a pact to annoy her to the limit today. But it isn’t even close to ruining her lunch.

 

After lunch with the two friends, Hannah gets a ride to the music video filming to see how it is going for Maria. She gracefully walks inside the building in her high heels, wearing the faux-leather zip-up jacket now; politely bowing to the people she passes by and then quietly walks in on the set where the music is playing loudly for Maria who is filming for her new music video as a solo artist. What you take notice of in this room is one person and one person only; Maria. 5 Pieces’ leader has her long straight hair coloured bright pink (which it was not this morning when she left home) and she was cut it 15cm so you can clearly see the straight cut; she is in killer high heels and black hot pants barely visible under the long black tank top and white t-shirt over that. She is rocking the style with her skinny model body.

The song she is filming for is called [A Better Day]; it is a mid-tempo ballad with EXO’s Chanyeol featuring for rapping. It is a really good song, very strong with the lyrics and Maria’s voice couldn’t sound better. Chanyeol did superb in the song too, his voice worked well with Maria’s. Though it is just a side-track for Maria’s album (like a tease for the album and main-track comes out), this song is so good it could just as well be the main-track.

Standing there in the back watching Maria professionally filming the music video, Hannah can’t wait to see the reaction of their fans when they see the result. Hannah is smiling when the music and filming stops and she sneaks up behind Maria who goes up to the music video director to see how it turned out this time on the small screen. Maria has sat down to look at it, and Hannah is just smiling behind her as Maria hasn’t noticed her but everyone else there has.

“Can I do it just one more time?” Maria suggests to the director when standing up, and the youngest sees this as a chance as the staff around them all is aware of Hannah’s presence and waiting for her to do something. The cameras for their reality show are filming too. Hannah puts her arms around M

aria from behind, whispering that Maria has coloured her hair, and of course, Maria screams in the lightest highest tone existing, just standing there with a scream, causing everyone on set to burst out laughing and clap their hands and Hannah backs away, laughing too. Maria turns around with enormous eyes, screaming and hitting Hannah for doing that. “I hate you! Oh my GOSH! Agh!”

She puts a hand on her chest, trying to breathe after freaking out.

“It’s not funny,” she complains and kicks her foot towards the stylist laughing next to them. Maria then squeals and hugs Hannah, her mood-change not easy to notice. “You came!”

“And you thought I wouldn’t?” Hannah smiles so wide seeing how happy Maria is to see her. “You look stunning by the way.”

“Oh, thank you,” Maria happily waves her bright pink hair around proudly, “I decided the colour myself. And you look good too! I said those heels would look great on you! And I love the hair…”

Hannah begins to laugh at the compliments, hugging Maria again before greeting the director for the first time and telling him she hope he will handle Maria well.

“Ah, don’t worry,” Maria tells Hannah and brushes her hand in the air as if it is no problem, “He is a genius. You will drop your jaw when you see the music video. He will make me more stunning than what I look like now. And look at my nails! Completely black and glittering, aren’t they gorgeous?”

Maria’s big hobby is nail art – she loves to pain fake nails in colours and figures and shapes and it always turns out great. She has a whole collection in her room. She has even made nails for the members in 5 Pieces that they from time to time wear on stage, all with different concepts to fit the clothes. Maria is great at it. Last year during her first solo single she made nail art for each performance; her nails took all the attention during that promotion.

By the time Maria is done shooting that part, there is a short break and Maria waves for Hannah to come over to where she is standing with the stylist. “I heard you are getting annoying texts?” Maria wants to know. She looks seriously at Hannah, not liking the idea that one of the members is getting attacked on her private cell phone.

“It’s nothing. Appa is already getting another number for me,” Hannah answers.

“You know, I had to get a new number last month too. This same guy keeps texting me randomly now and then, asking weird questions. It’s not offending or anything, it’s just creepy when he out of nowhere texts me ‘I saw you coming home late, sleep tight’. That’s creepy, you have to admit.”

“It is,” Hannah nods. Hannah usually doesn’t receive those kinds of texts, her are more like ‘why do you hate your family so much?’ and ‘and you are supposed to be someone to look up to…’. She pouts by the difference in their texts, knowing that her members at the moment are receiving a lot of love from fans while it feels that Hannah is the only one being disliked or hated and cursed at. Maria gives Hannah a soft smile, which Hannah responses with the best smile she can give.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Maria then wonders, but Hannah shakes her head.

“I’m here to support you, remember?” Hannah lightly jokes, telling Maria she is doing great on the filming today. Maria shines up and the subject changes right away to Maria’s music video filming. But when Maria is about to film again she asks Hannah if she really don’t need to talk about it, and Hannah says she will talk to the ladies all together tomorrow, and that is an answer the leader can accept.

Hannah stays to watch for a while. Julia and Manager Lim come as well, and Hannah receives her new cell phone number. She gets Julia’s help to fix it, to text those on her list that this is her newest number. For two hours she is there, and Hannah promises to come back later too, but now she has other plans. Taehwan is still her driver, following her around and he talked some to her manager too before he got in the car to drive her wherever she wants. For now, she wants to go to MBC’s building where they are filming Music Core. Hannah had gotten the idea first when she talked to Carolina in the kitchen this morning, but then Julia said that she had dropped by at MBC to appear at a radio show when she had gone to visit the members of EXO who are performing at today’s Music Core. Both Julia and Maria complained when Hannah said she had to leave; they didn’t complain that she wasn’t staying; they were complaining that it is her only day off all summer and Hannah spend it doing a lot of things. Hannah just smiled and waved goodbye, wishing Maria good luck for the rest of the music video filming before heading out.

She really can’t be still. Two hours at the set and all she wanted was to do something. She can’t just sit and watch; she wants to do something too! But since it is her day off, she tries to go around as much as possible and imagine herself being busy with that.

At Music Core, Taehwan follows her like a tail. He follows her to check the performers’ list, staying behind her to not be in the way but she just has a weird feeling of someone breathing behind her ear. The show has already started, but Hannah is there to show some support to EXO and according to the schedule they are very late to perform because their song is running up for first place. 5 Pieces have been so proud over their juniors that keep winning with the song [Growl] on the music programs; the hardworking and busy juniors called EXO are very popular now.

Her high heels are heard when she walks through the corridor backstage, passing by the dressing-rooms where mostly juniors are. After five years, most idols are juniors today. Those in the corridor bows politely to greet her and Hannah politely bows back, not forgetting who she is now when she is at a music program though she tries to avoid the surprised and impressed face-expression of the people seeing her. One woman working at MBC greets her friendly and Hannah greets happily back, even being told where EXO’s dressing-room is. Members of NU’EST stand up in a line outside their room to greet her with a deep bow and polite greeting while Hannah just awkwardly bows back to them, intimidated to be greeted like this. She is used to be at music programs with her members, hiding behind them or being rushed from the stage to some interview.

Hannah finds herself lost of what to do when a group of girls with neon green t-shirts and helmets hurries inside a room when seeing her. When Hannah has passed that room, the strange girls come out giggling and Hannah is just confused with what their problem is – they thought she didn’t see them? Hannah has no idea of who they are and they looked completely silly in that outfit… She is happy no cameras for Life of Pieces came with her here, to show how awkward she is at music programs.

“Finally,” she breathes out when she finds the dressing-room belonging to EXO and she cutely peeks inside.

She can’t stop smiling when seeing Tao posing for the cell phone in his hand, taking a selca. No one seems to notice her by the door, and Hannah wonders if they are too used to have people dropping by. At the café earlier today, everyone took notice of her. Everyone took notice of her at Maria’s music video filming too, beside from Maria who was busy filming. Or it is because she is hiding most of herself behind the door-frame.

“Hello boys,” Hannah kindly says and waves her hand. She breaks out in a wide smile when the EXO members are fast to greet her back; getting up on their feet to bow and in a messy way greet her politely. Twelve voices greets her loudly, a mix of politeness and friendliness in their greetings. “Are you preparing for your performance?”

Hannah walks inside the room, seeing Chanyeol gape at her feet but he doesn’t know she notices that. She is nodding when getting an answer from a few and she is smiling again when Tao asks her to join in for a picture on his cell phone. Baekhyun hurries up to stand on Hannah’s other side with his own phone, and while taking the picture asking if he can do it too. Hannah looks tousled by the attention, slightly uncomfortable to have two boys stand on each side of her with their personal cell phones up in the air to take a picture with her, but she automatically smiles and tilts her head just a little bit on the side for the picture taken by them both. The second Tao has taken his she looks at Baekhyun’s phone.

“Ha, I was looking at that thing,” Hannah giggles and points at some dot on Baekhyun’s cell phone.

“It turned out great either way,” he answers with a happy smile. “What makes you come here?”

Hannah looks surprised at him. “I’m here to show some support… Why? You don’t want me here?” she asks with a tiny pout, but smiles right away because Baekhyun looks surprised back at her for the question. He is two months older than her, but a four year younger junior, and it is the last one that seems to make a matter. Usually seniors go to visit their juniors and vice versa, the exact same reason to why Hannah goes to Maria’s music video filming; support. Maybe they just don’t expect her to come as they have been promoting for a few weeks. “Have you gone around greeting your seniors yet?”

“We did that this morning,” Baekhyun seriously nods, as if she is judging if they are doing well or not. She feels like the older senior now… not just a senior, but an old one. Hannah doesn’t like feeling old.

“Okay,” Hannah says with another small pout. She had hoped to follow them when they would go, so she can greet Big Bang’s Seungri, but since they have already done it she must go on her own. Hannah must have been living under a rock; other than EXO’s performances, she doesn’t really watch full music programs, and she had no idea of who is performing this week. She feels a little bad for going to EXO’s room before greeting her own senior, Seungri – Korean courtesy.

“Nuna,” Kai is standing two meters in front of her, his handsome self nodding to the door behind her with a smirk in his face. Hannah turns around, and she gets a surprise to see six guys with white shirts and green pants standing there. Remembering those weird girls with helmets from before she gets a slight surprise thinking that green is the dress-code for today’s Music Core. The six boys outside the room does a greeting the moment Hannah has spotted them and Hannah feels completely lost, expecting EXO to line up next to her and greet them back but she is stunned when one of the boys in front of her reaches out a paper and pen to Hannah.

“Could I please get your autograph?”

Who are these boys?

Hannah looks on her right side when Chanyeol is standing there; talking to the boys friendly and she really want to ask who this group is. She feels bad for not knowing who they are, but she accepts the paper and asks for name when signing. Signing her autograph is nothing new for her, so all she need is a name and she gets to sign for all six of them…. Hongbin, Ravi, Hyuk, Ken, Leo and N. N?

They are VIXX, but of course Hannah doesn’t know that until they have left and she sneaks up to EXO’s stylist to ask for help. She has met them a few times before this year – being greeted backstage at music programs – but Hannah still can’t recognize them. Now when she has her questions answered, she excuses herself from the EXO boys when knowing they aren’t performing yet in a while, and she leaves to go greet her own seniors. It seems like the rumour of her visit has spread because all of a sudden there is another boy-group greeting her outside in the corridor, saying a name she doesn’t hear among all the words and then asks for a picture and autograph from her. Taehwan following her doesn’t help either as he doesn’t know much about boy-groups. The moment that group has left, Hannah hurries back to EXO’s dressing-room.

“Is there anyone who wants to go with me?” she asks with a helpless face-expression, hoping someone really want to guide her through the difficulties of rookies.

“What’s wrong?” Chanyeol laughs and he laughs again over something Sehun says next to him.

“There are a lot of strangers coming up to me and I got no idea of who they are,” Hannah answers with her helpless face and a small whine, “and I just took a picture with them, without knowing who they are!”

Kai gets up from his seat, bringing Luhan with him in the arm when coolly saying they will help her through the tough idol-life. Though he is joking with her and probably everyone in the room is laughing at her, Hannah thanks them both sincerely. Taehwan walks behind them while Hannah is tense as they walk through the corridor, worrying if anyone will walk up to them. Kai and Luhan are kind, talking about their recent schedules and their excitement for some things they have gotten amazed by.

As if a secret signal is send out to say that she is terrified, another boy-group appears in front of them. Kai is fast to whisper in Hannah’s ear that they are History.

“What history?” Hannah is confused. Is she hearing it wrong? Maybe it is another Korean word or-

“Their name is ‘History’,” Kai explains quietly before walking to the side, smiling when seeing Hannah frowning at him and the handsome boy greets the boy-group History together with Luhan. Hannah automatically bows with them, confused. Why are there so many unknown people! She is so confused with everything. Whenever she comes on music programs she has to face new groups that she has never seen or heard about before. Maybe she really is living under a rock…

Luhan is just standing there, looking pretty, while Hannah gives them her autograph.

“We are big fan of yours,” one of them says with a big smile that Hannah doesn’t see since she is looking down to sign the paper. She isn’t as bright or professional that she usually is; it just can’t reach her outside with everything going on.

“Really?”

“Yeah. I’m super happy that I am born the same year as you, as 5 Pieces; I and my friends are always boasting around about it. It’s really weird,” he keeps talking and Hannah smiles for him (more to be kind than actually meaning it because she doesn’t really understand why you boast to be of the same age as someone else but he doesn’t seem to see that). Without noticing it, she is writing her autograph to someone that is not a member in History and when looking up she is confused with the outfit of this person before realising that it is another group smiling at her and hoping to get her autograph. And this group, she actually recognizes – NU’EST.

“Didn’t you greet me already?” Hannah quietly wonders when signing her autograph to Ren. She knows this group because they were on the same variety show last year, and she clearly remembers how Maria was upset over their young ages as she liked one of them who were three years younger than 5 Pieces.

“But we didn’t get your autograph,” Ren quietly and very charmingly answers with his girly face smiling at her. He bows and steps to the side when he has gotten his autograph, smiling widely because she did recognize them when they greeted her earlier on her way to EXO’s room, and the next member pushes himself forward with a t-shirt, which to Hannah’s big surprise is from 5 Pieces’ BLACK & WHITE concert; fans can buy it almost everywhere.

“Can you sign this?” he asks her and Hannah is gaping at him.

“Sure… … Do you walk around with this all the time or was it a coincidence?” Hannah wonders, not understanding how he could have the t-shirt here just today. It is kind of freaky.

“He has it with him everywhere in hopes to meet 5 Pieces so you can sign it. Look here; Julia signed it earlier too,” another member of his group says.

“Oh…”

“But you are my favourite member,” he tells Hannah with big eyes, as if she got sad that he wants all the members autograph.

Hannah glances around asking for a pen as she had returned the pen to Ren, noticing that the members of History are still standing on the side looking at them. Taehwan has gotten closer and Kai is standing on her right side, observing what they say and do. Hannah gets the pen Ren was using and she walks over to the wall, getting help to hold the shirt up against the wall to sign it; everyone around her looks over her shoulder to see it. It truly is fascinating, right…?

After signing for the last member Hannah smiles at both groups History and NU’EST while pushing Luhan forward to get somewhere, saying they are going to greet someone as an excuse for leaving.

“You are very popular, senior,” Luhan mentions when they have walked a bit.

Hannah frowns. “That second group just now usually doesn’t ask for an autograph,” she mentions. She has met NU’EST many times at music programs, passing each other backstage and such, but beside from in the beginning when that group debuted she has never been asked for an autograph – she wonders why they wanted one now.

“If one gets an autograph, everyone else wants it too,” Kai read her mind. He hasn’t stopped smiling since they left the dressing-room, and Hannah knows he will tell SHINee’s Taemin so the two of them can for not daring to walk around backstage on her own.

“None of you ask for my autograph,” she comments as a joke, a smile grows in her face when seeing their face-expressions. “I’m just joking with you two.”

Eventually they reach Seungri’s dressing-room and the three of them are bowing politely, to not just Seungri but to his dancers as well. Seungri shines up in a happy surprise when seeing Hannah, even giving her a hug when friendly starting to talk to her. Hannah is awkward; she rarely meets Seungri and when these rare occasions to come by it is just a polite greeting and for her members he exchange more words with – Seungri is the strong baby of Big Bang while Hannah is the shy magnae of 5 Pieces. It doesn’t seem awkward at all for Seungri. He keeps talking, asking some questions and being his usual confident self, while Hannah just politely answers and tries her best to not be awkward. Seungri had complimented her too by asking if she is filming something (because she is dressed so nicely). Hannah is not good with compliments, and with a guy gives her a compliment like that, she just smiles at Seungri and says it is her day off.

Being done greeting the seniors, Hannah is back in EXO’s dressing room. Members of VIXX have come by to talk to the members of EXO by the door after their performance while EXO are still waiting for their turn. Hannah is unaware of them, too focused on the tablet that some of the members shove up in her face so she can look through their rehearsal earlier today and give them some good judgement; she is sitting in the sofa with Lay on her right and Chen leaning over in front of them to see the rehearsal video.

“I’m not really sure what you want me to do,” Hannah mentions to them, holding the tablet in her lap for them all to see.

“Judge us strictly,” Chen answers shortly and Hannah looks deeper at the rehearsal video. Kai come sup to sit on the armrest on her left side, his leg touches her shoulder when he puts up a foot at the edge of the seat she is sitting on. Being the senior is bad in a few ways. One of the things is that she has to give advice and more to her juniors, especially with EXO that always asks 5 Pieces to look at this and what and give them advice every time. Hannah can’t understand why, since their song is number one on music programs and the world loves the boy-group; and though 5 Pieces say that, EXO still ask for more advice and help.

Hannah smiles during Baekhyun and Kai’s part in the beginning of the song, and the boys are fast to ask what she smiles at. They really want her opinion about everything.

“I like that part,” Hannah quietly comments and lazily points from Kai sitting next to her to someone else in the room as she doesn’t really know where Baekhyun is standing though she can hear his voice very clearly.

When she is done watching, they continue talking about little this and that. she gets them to talk about their recent schedules, impressing Kai as she remembers what he and Luhan told her earlier; Chanyeol standing by the door calls out to be heard when saying how excited he is to work with Maria on the song they are filming the music video for today and Hannah sees how he is talking to some members of VIXX over there; those boys has kept glancing behind Chanyeol to see Hannah in the room and they tries to sneakily hear their conversations too.

“Hannah, for how long are you staying?” EXO’s manager wonders. “Are you going with us to the music video filming later?”

“Um… I’m staying to the end of the show, but then I have to go pick up my brother,” Hannah answers and she smiles right away when she is done talking because by the mention of her “brother” a few in the room suddenly got excited and started to talk about the little boy Kim Kyung Ho – Hannah’s Korean little brother. Related in no way possible, these two met for the first time at the hospital three years ago, and they have felt like siblings ever since.

“He has become a busy 9 year old,” Kai comments with a smirk. He is still sitting on the armrest of the sofa,

“Indeed he is,” Hannah happily agrees, “But he says he has a lot of fun; he has been requested to act in several dramas, like these tiny little roles, but since there are so many requests he isn’t even able to agree on 20% of them.”

”It’s crazy.”

Hannah nods in agreement. Her little brother has become a busy boy, doing promotions here and there for the drama he is in and then he does commercials and he even has started to go abroad in China and Japan just over the day or so. He is getting so popular, and he is receiving even more attention now when it is known he is the little boy that 5 Pieces has mentioned many times over the past three years for being their “Korean little brother”. Hannah can still remember the sick and skinny pale boy she met at the hospital three years ago; he was always smiling and talking and he would read books to her (which she really enjoyed). He has gotten a colour on his skin now, he has gained some weight and he looks like any other pretty boy his age – maybe a little small for his age but still really lovable.

The ending of the show comes after the final performances and Hannah is with the mangers and stylists and Taehwan in EXO’s room backstage. They are watching the screen on the wall to watch Music Core; though Hannah is distracted by her cell phone where she is texting Kyung Ho to talk about when she will pick him up exactly. The girls with helmets and green t-shirts are on the stage too and even with their name written on the screen Hannah got no idea of who they are (for a while she was sure they were just weird fans for someone…). To her shock they must be popular for being up for this week’s number one song alongside EXO.

Not at all unexpected; EXO wins this week’s Music Core. Everyone in the room cheers and Hannah is happily clapping her hands, feeling slightly proud when hearing Suho’s clear speech. When EXO first won with [Wolf] at the beginning of the summer, they were so bad in one way to give the speech, forgetting this and that; but now, they have become professionals at it.

She is standing outside in the corridor when EXO is coming back to their room after the encore, and she gives them all a high five and clap on the back, congratulating them with a huge smile and trying to not be bothered by other idols peeking out from their rooms to look at them. A part of her admits the other idols are only interested to look out because of her. That is about everything Hannah do before leaving, but she doesn’t leave without congratulating them again and saying they might meet at the music video filming later.

Taehwan drives her to pick up Kyung Ho, driving them to a pizzeria before driving them home to 5 Pieces’ two-floor apartment.

“What do you want to watch?” Hannah wonders when going inside the living-room with the pizza and a white plastic bag with two canned sodas. Kyung Ho is slowly coming behind her, distracted by the two excited puppies by his feet.

“I want to watch Rise of the Guardians,” Kyung Ho answers with a laugh at the puppies jumping against his legs. “Nuna…”

Hannah puts down the pizza on the table and claps her hand on her leg, telling the puppies to come and since she has food, they come rushing to her side, and Kyung Ho is smiling widely like a child when seeing how she just points her finger and says ‘lie down’ and the two puppies obey her with their eyes focused on her. The white Japanese Spitz is 10 months old, his name is Ryo which is Japanese for brightness and the brown English Cocker Spaniel has turned 1 year old recently, his name is Michin from the Korean word for crazy.

“They want our dinner,” Kyung Ho giggle sand hurries to come sit down around the living-room table. “Did you have this table last time I was here…?”

“Probably not,” Hannah shrugs her shoulder. She is walking over to their DVD collection to sort out the child-movie that 5 Pieces love to watch and that Kyung Ho likes after he saw it with the ladies last time in China. He had never seen it before and Maria is on a mission to make him watch all the movies you just can’t miss to see – the movies in her opinion, that is.

Kyung Ho is just nine years old but he has a very grown-up way to see things. He is a real child some times; he loves to joke around and laugh and have a lot of fun, but since most of his life has been spent at the hospital he has seen the world differently than other children. Hannah was once told by him that a very old grandpa at the hospital had told the then six-year-old boy that he should have fun in his life and help others, giving him advice and telling his own life story. It had gotten stuck in Kyung Ho’s mind, and he really wants to do something important with his life. Almost two years ago, Hannah had visited him at the hospital when he told her he wants to be an actor like Lee Minho. “It looks like a joy to bring happiness to people through acting,” Kyung had told her, “acting is tough, but to see people of all ages enjoy it… Can I give that happiness to someone, some day?”

The blonde girl has always been amazed by this child. She tries to always contact him, to keep an eye on what he is doing. No one is as important for her than Kyung Ho, to make sure he is living the life he dreamed about at the hospital.

Sitting and eating an unhealthy dinner together now, Hannah and Kyung Ho watch the movie while catching up on everything with each other. Hannah wants to know everything going on in his life; about acting, his family, about fan letters, about everything – and Kyung Ho excitedly tells her all about it. After eating they will take a walk with the puppies and then head over to Maria’s music video filming. He is excited for that too.

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Headline 24th: Model Couple Maria & Hyunsuk Goes On A Date In ‘We Got Married’ Episode 40

Headline 24th: 5 pieces’ EM Performs [Private Business] In Front Of 4.000 People In Osaka

Headline 24th: Restless Idol Hannah Catches Up With Friends On Her Day Off

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X. devonalias

Thank you so much for commenting, wintertmm! Yes, all five members are Westerners ^^,