Dinner break is long. Hannah wakes up from slumbering in the sofa, crying because her mind had started to drift off, imagining 5 Pieces being on the stage in front of 16.000 Swedish fans and in the song when Hannah started to sing, it became all black. No one made a sound, no purple ocean was shining, and her family was seen below the stage, looking disappointed at her. She can’t even remember their faces yet she knows who they were, and she wakes up by the tears, hiding herself under the blanket.

Sweden is supposed to be her home, she is the most familiar to the Swedish nature and environment, the whole place just screams out that it is her home. But there is no other place that terrifies her more. She can’t put a finger on it other than the fear that she is so close to her family by being in this country, knowing that they might pop up around the corner and that media is all aware of that she is not on good terms with them, the fear that she will be taken back in an interview and just break apart with one question. And she is terrified to fail; fail on the stage, fail her fans, fail her members and friends, to fail her self, which will lead to that her mother and family was right about her all along.

She looks at the time before she washes up her face a bit, trying to not think of her family and sits back down to stare at the food that by now is cold, then glances at her laptop. She looks through the mail her agent had sent, confirming again that everything is as it should with her London schedule. Hannah pouts thinking she should really get some days off from work; her head could use it. But Hannah’s problem is that whenever she does get a day off, she can’t relax. Workaholic.

Lying down again, her eyes automatically closes and she sighs, hugging the blanket tighter around her. It’s still freezing for her, her body cold from top to toe and she is shaking from it, wondering if it is because she hasn’t eaten all day or just what her head tells her. Either way it’s annoying her.

Eventually, the door to the room is opened. Yong Hyun comes in first, hushing those after him when spotting Hannah lying in the sofa, even if he sees her turn off the music on the laptop. He walks right over to the other side of the room to the make-up table, in a low voice talking to Emelia and Julia who are following him inside. All of them take notice of Hannah, only Emelia takes notice of the untouched food. A camera-man follows them inside, taking the chance to sneak in with them and catch a glimpse of Hannah in the sofa.

Hannah blinks, trying to keep her eyes open long enough to see what her friends are doing, hearing them talk in low voices as if they won’t want to disturb her. Emelia doesn’t whisper though, her voice is low enough in her normal tone and she sits down on the table in the middle of the room, her back facing Hannah at first but turns a little around to look at the youngest.

“Hey Hannah, you want me to warm up that plate for you?” she asks in Korean, just because she knows the camera-man doesn’t understand.

“No…” she mumbles and puts her arm to hide her face from them all, not sure if they can see she cried a few minutes ago.

“Mom keeps talking about you,” Emelia keeps talking in Korean, their stylist commenting in the back that her mother is a tough woman. “She said she saw you on a big poster in a bookstore.”

“She told me yesterday that she has read the copy I sent her,” Hannah mumbles under her arm, peeking out to look at Emelia but hiding her face from the camera.

“Mhm, both my parents read it,” Emelia answers and turns her head to look at Julia who leans over the table to mention that her mother hasn’t read it.

“She doesn’t read a lot of books,” Julia tells them with a smile before turning her attention back to Yong Hyun who is fixing something for her.

Hannah’s eyes close again. She really doesn’t have any energy left in her body; and the rehearsals aren’t done yet. The seconds become a minute, she is slowly wondering if she should try to eat something while hearing movements in the room. Someone comes and leaves and they talk about that and then comments on this and Hannah is hearing all of it, she just doesn’t register the conversations or reacting on who are talking. Her mind is just as dull as her body, and Hannah wonders if she even will have the energy to eat something.

“Hannah.” Emelia pats her on the leg, the blonde girl just grunts in response but on the inside she almost jumped in surprise to have someone touch her. “You want something else to eat? I’ll get something else if you don’t want me to warm that for you.”

She groans in complaint before she sits up, muttering that she’ll warm it herself and picking up the stroganoff plate and follows Emelia out the room to find the microwave. Emelia walks with her, not saying much but she gets very talkative when they reach the long table in the wide corridor where everyone have been eating, where her family and a lot of the others still are sitting – she talks to them, while Hannah walks inside a room next too that is a simple cafeteria kitchen. With no door in between the kitchen and where everyone is sitting, Hannah hear them talk and she can shortly answer their questions when they show interest in her; no talk about Hannah leaving yesterday, just random conversations that they all can join in on. Hannah doesn’t say much when she sits down to eat around the long table, not being forced to join them but just quietly doing it.

“It’s yummy, right?” Emelia smiles when Hannah has taken a small taste of the stroganoff.

“Mm,” she quietly answers with a nod, mostly just picking in the food.

After just a few minutes, Emelia’s mother comes to sit next to Hannah, asking her how her book promotions have been like and also thanking for the copy they had gotten. Hannah sent her book to Emelia’s parents because they last year said both had read the first book so she sent it to them this year (in English) with a message to them too, thanking them for everything.

Like always, her members’ families are wonderful. They don’t expect much, they don’t ask too much, they don’t stare or judge, they just show appreciation and hope and thoughtfulness. Hannah only takes a bite of her food, thinking no one notices as everyone gathered there are talking brightly with each other, walking back and forth from their seats. Maria’s sister share stories, how work is going and everyone joins in to continue telling one story after another, and it is just like yesterday’s family dinner; no one expects you to behave in a certain way, you just are.

The last rehearsal is mostly to just prepare for an extra encore and go through certain things. Hannah got to borrow their manager’s cardigan, walking around with a blanket on top of that too because she can not stop feeling so cold. Even her fingers are cold; which is very rare for Hannah, who only is cold of her fingers when she is sick. Now it’s probably something mentally.

Maria gives a pout when stepping up in front of Hannah; the youngest has a blank face.

“This day has been super long,” the leader whispers, her shoulders sinks lower and she yawns before she steps forward to put her wrists over Hannah’s shoulders, looking like Hannah is holding her up. “It feels like tomorrow’s concert will never come.”

“Rehearsals end soon though,” Carolina comments to the leader’s words and takes a step closer to them. Hannah just quietly looks from one member to the other, not even opening in a try to say something.

Music blasts on, them trying to figure out which song to have as the very last song for the extra encore. Hannah think they will never choose it in this pace, and she wants to go back to the hotel and sleep so she can forget how she is feeling and wake up in the morning, refreshed and awake and ready for their Swedish concert. Emelia and Julia even lie down on the stage, looking tired but giggling and messing around. When Maria steps away from Hannah, the youngest squats down with a pout, her stomach getting all weird again; she has to use the bathroom once they are done here.

The music stops and is changed, and the director and managers waves for the ladies to practice how it goes with that.

Two hours later, 5 Pieces leaves the venue, tiredly gets on the bus to head to the hotel. Hannah is in jacket and blanket to try staying warm (Manager Lim has gotten his cardigan back) and she is sitting with her head resting on Maria’s shoulder. Maria’s headache has been going back and forth all day; she says she is more jetlagged than worried about tomorrow because she is tired as well, which you get when you are jetlagged. Their families had already gone to the hotel; not having to stay up as long as the ladies, and also to not have to stand the craziness that occurs around the ladies.

When the bus stops outside the hotel, there are fans gathering around the bus to catch a glimpse of the tired idols and also to shout and show the signboards they have made. Even in the middle of the night, fans are crowding outside the hotel; these fans had stayed as they knew 5 Pieces had not returned from their rehearsals. But 5 Pieces are told to head straight inside, and for two of the ladies, it is their only goal. Hannah and Maria can only think of going to bed so they can be 100% determined for tomorrow when they wake up, so when getting out of the bus, Maria gets out first, keeping her head low while a big man covers in front of her and she waits for Hannah to come out too so they can go to the hotel-doors with their arms warmly around each other. Hannah kept trying to have the blanket tighter around her when she was getting out the bus, but the grip of it still loosens when Maria wraps an arm around her. Fans are screaming, happy to either see them or to see them being so close, maybe both or for more reasons as well. But the ladies all hurry inside the hotel without taking a glance at the fans, and though they know they will be called rude and be given hateful comments for that, idols are not allowed to give their fans attention when they are outside hotels like this. The agency is always lecturing the ladies about that, saying that fans will not wait outside the hotel if they will be given the cold shoulder, but since 5 Pieces really like their fans, they can’t help it at times.

It’s no giggling or cuddling with each other tonight; 5 Pieces go straight to bed.

 

++ - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + -+ - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + -+ - + - ++

She breathes out slowly. Her hands are shaking. She doesn’t seem to realise it doesn’t help to hold on to them tightly. Her stomach has thousand of tiny butterflies, making her nervous. She has eaten today. Just enough, though. She couldn’t sleep well, none of them could. But in the end, 5 Pieces is excited for their Swedish concert. There are 16.000 fans waiting. The dancers are excited too. There are tons of noises going on backstage the final three hours. The interviews are weird. Everything is a blur. The whole day seem to pass by, interview and a press conference. To speak in Swedish and then Korean, somewhere they speak English. Media is everywhere. Families sit on the sides to not be in the way, but they seem to be around all day. Ladies, spacing out at each other, in amazement, put in a daze as they can hear throughout the whole day a cheering crowd of people outside the arena.

Their concert in Sweden, the hours will soon become minutes on the countdown.

“Do I seem nervous to you?” Maria asks when frowning at their stylist giving a light touch at her make-up. “With my behaviour, the way I can’t be still? I am completely going insane here, Unnie! Ya, Carolina, why are you not making a mess? Oh my gooooosh how nervous can I get!”

The leader is really going insane, shaking her legs, unable to be still and she can not take the mascot’s silence – the same person she gets annoyed at when Carolina is talking or making some noise – and she was so nervous during the press-conference though you couldn’t see it at all. All five of them managed to look relaxed, answering the questions and making some jokes, though on the inside they all were so nervous.

“It’s fascinating, isn’t it?” Julia comments when taking a seat on the table, something she has taken from Emelia. “All of us, here together, ready to freak out with our fans… You think they will know our songs? I mean, other than [Daze].”

“Why wouldn’t they know our songs?” Carolina frowns so much by the comment. “If they come to our concert, of course they know our songs…”

“Have you seen the people out there?” Julia gazes at the mascot. Carolina doesn’t get it though. “14-year-old Swedish boys and girls that probably only know us from [Daze] – would they even know we sing in Korean?”

“Come on, don’t be silly,” Carolina laughs and looks at Hannah to punch her on the arm, not seeing that all the other ladies have the exact same thoughts as Julia. They all have thought that. And most of the fans that 5 Pieces have seen seem to be fans that didn’t know of their existence a year ago, still those seem to scream and go the wildest when the ladies now appear on places. And it’s not easy to find their albums here in Sweden either, unless you buy it online from an Asian country.

Hannah doesn’t want to think about that; she tries to stay positive. She knows, just like the others, that there are fans coming to the concert that know all of their songs; fans that are K-Pop fans or just have taken more notice of the girl-group other than just their popular songs.

“What’s up with the attitude, ladies?” stylist Yong Hyun wonders while keeping a hand on his skinny waist. “Are you not going out there in an hour to put everyone in a dazzling daze? Sweden is so ready for you.”

“It’s just an hour left?!”

“We’re ready!”

Hannah pouts, sighing at the trainer who is helping to warm up her body. She wonders if tonight’s audience will just come to be able to tell their friends later that they went to the concert, maybe it is a status thing for today’s teenagers, as 5 Pieces have appeared a lot on the TV and radio and such this year. The concert could be a disaster.

“Hannah,” a staff member comes up to the door, speaking in Swedish when getting Hannah’s attention; “Your sister and cousins are here.”

Can her heart stop? She knows the attention of everyone in the room turns to her (those who understands the language, that is) and Hannah finds herself staring at Emelia. Is she even breathing? – Is her sister here? She wonders which one, hoping it is her twin sister because she would run away from this arena if it was her older sister. No, her older sister would never show up. Maria has gotten quiet by the announcement too, turning around in her chair to ask Hannah if she wants some company, but Hannah shakes her head, not even knowing that she has already started to walk towards the door.

Her arms are shaking and she tries to calm herself, following the staff member through the corridor. She is terrified, from top to toe when walking through the corridor, the corridor feels endless while she is busy trying to calm herself, breathing slowly. Manager Lim walks with her, though Hannah had no idea about that until she sees three people from her family.

It’s her twin sister, Jen, and just to see her sister’s face, Hannah remembers why they haven’t talked much to each other. Last time they talked, Jen told Hannah that she had taken Hannah’s money that were sent for a storage room where Hannah’s things were held to use them for herself; Jen had moved out, bought an apartment and bought a sofa, for Hannah’s money. A month later, Hannah went to Sweden to sell all her things left behind as she could not find a way to pay the storage room since her family used all those money. The fury inside her of that memory heats up, and Hannah isn’t terrified anymore. How could her own family use her money and only tell her afterwards that she need to either pay even more or get rid of her things? Her younger cousins, the two girls, have grown so much in a year that the oldest is almost just as tall as Hannah, Hannah not a single bit angry at them.

“Hi,” Jen awkwardly says with a smile, while the youngest cousin hurries up to give Hannah a hug.

“Hello, hi,” Hannah awkwardly says back, only able to smile when she looks down at her cute cousin. She isn’t sure how to feel that they are there, she had maybe wondered if anyone would show up but thought that they wouldn’t and actually hoped they wouldn’t because it could be a bigger distraction for her. Or if she didn’t know they were there, would she spend the evening look over the crowd in hope to see them?

“It’s just the three of us,” the 13-year-old cousin says, maybe 160cm tall already. The 9-year-old in Hannah’s arms is much smaller, but they are both adorable.

“No one else could come, they wanted to,” Jen says, the only one not stepping up to give Hannah a hug. While greeting her cousins, Hannah is too aware of her twin-sister checking out how she looks. The black lace-up front lace tank top and black lace-hem cropped pants to the high heels; Hannah knows she looks good in this outfit, just like the other members. She still wished she had put on a jacket or something, suddenly feeling exposed showing herself dressed as 5 Pieces in front of her sister. Jen has never seen her like this; never seen her wear these kinds of clothes, wear this kind of make-up or shoes, never seen Hannah in the environment that Hannah feel is more home than in the presence of her own sister.

Awkwardly the twins end up giving each other a hug, Jen quietly commenting that Hannah looks good. Hannah just nods, taking a step back from her sister, knowing Manager Lim is standing next to her so she turns around to make sure he is there, and to make sure she is not in a nightmare, and she introduces them to each other. ‘This is Chunho, he works with us,’ she says, not wanting to say ‘manager’. Manager Lim smiles and reaches out his hand to Jen, saying it is nice to meet her in Swedish, and Jen is just speechless. Could this get more awkward?

“I have never been at a concert here,” the cousin isn’t awkward at all.

“Me neither,” Hannah smiles at her, “If you had come a little earlier I could have showed you around.”

Jen looks to be guilty at those words, standing with her hands on the youngest cousin’s shoulders. “It’s my fault, actually, I … I came straight from the train, as I had to work yesterday… The others wanted to come too, but mom is working and … well, you know how it is.”

“You don’t have to lie to me, Jen,” Hannah quietly tells her, “We are far beyond that by now.” She then smiles at her cousins. “I’m happy you two came, at least. It’s bigger than last year’s concert, isn’t it?”

Her cousins and aunt came to the concert they had in their hometown last year, just for a minute coming backstage but not wanting to meet anyone before they went to take their seats. Hannah was nervous last year because of that, but at least they had showed up. Now, they don’t say much to each other at all, the cousins the only talkative ones when Hannah asks how school goes for them and such. They take a picture too; with all of their cell phones, letting Manager Lim and some staff take it. Hannah stands next to her sister, and though she is in high heels, her sister is of the same height wearing sneakers.

It’s nothing more than that. Hannah waves when they part ways, but Jen tells the cousins to keep walking when stepping back to Hannah; to talk without the cousins there.

“Hannah, listen, I’m really sorry for what has happened. I am. Mom is too, all of us are,” Jen says, not knowing Hannah as good to see that Hannah is just emotionally shut down. Manager Lim sees it though, as he glances at them both. “It’s just the way we are, you know… And they did want to come, they just couldn’t come because of the travelling fee with train and hotel over night and all that. You understand, don’t you?”

Hannah just looks at her, wondering if she should talk back or just walk away. Being emotionally shut down when you are face to face, it’s hard. She swallows as her sister just smiles, trying to brush it off. “I paid for it,” Hannah answers, seeing the smile in her sister’s face fade away; her voice is dry. “I am the one paying for the train, the hotel, the food, even taxi if you needed it. I got the tickets for you too. All I asked, was for you to give me a few hours of your lives to see the reality that I live in.”

She is about to walk away, but turns back to her sister.

“Thank you for coming, I really mean that, and I’m sorry for troubling for you to travel about 200 miles for free to see the concert while I travelled about 4400 miles longer to come here, not even sure I would meet you. I am sorry. I hope your time is worth it, sister.”

And she walks away, her head held high and teeth biting together when holding back the tears. Yes, she had looked at the distance because she was annoyed on the flight thinking of her family for a bit. Manager Lim puts a hand on her back, either to help her find the right room or to comfort her. She is about to cry, about to break down completely. She wants to throw something, shout and just scream and let everything out. She doesn’t feel bad for what she said, she had copied her sister’s way of talking, so angry that her sister lied right up in her face as if Hannah doesn’t know her family good enough: it was an excuse, saying they wanted to come but because of money couldn’t. It’s an excuse that always is used. Hannah had made sure to cover up that excuse, pay for everything. She really just wanted them to come and see her on the stage.

“Hannah,” Manager Lim says. He has repeated her name four times before she reacts to it, looking up as if she didn’t even know he was there, and Manager Lim hushes her suddenly, stopping their steps to give her a hug. Hannah breaks out from it though, waving her hands for him to not hug her again.

“I can’t do that,” she tells him, still on the verge of crying. “I just need to… walk if off.”

She is hugged too much. Hannah can’t take it. She can’t keep being comforted in that way, it just lets her cry more. She walks back inside the room, noticing not all ladies are there but Maria asks how it went, and Hannah just shrugs her shoulders, starting to jump and shake her body. She needs to relax, she need to focus on the concert; not on her family. This is a good time, with the concert in Sweden and all this attention they are getting.

Getting in other thoughts get easier when the ladies all gathers, warming up bodies and voices by stretching and singing. They go through things, practice their Swedish and Hannah keeps staying distracted, more determined than ever to just give her all and focus on the concert. She can not be distracted; the minutes are counting down the opening. They get their microphones, do a cheer and head to the side of the stage, meeting their dancers and decides to do another cheer – this cheer is bigger with their choreographer there too, the dancers gets to say some things too and they say their final cheer like that – and by that time, Hannah is in a better mood. She is still filled with emotions that she plans to get rid of during the concert, do run around, dance and sing it all off. The worries if their audience tonight will even know their Korean songs worries them all, and the cameras filming them captures 5 Pieces’ nervous face-expressions when waiting to take their positions.

“Let’s go, Pieces!” Carolina cheers loudly, patting Julia and Hannah on the when they hurry to their positions, making them laugh and let out some of the nervousness. It’s now the nervousness turns into excitement – they are about to perform.

Wearing their black lace-outfits, wearing a long white boxing robe over, 5 Pieces’ concert in Sweden takes on when the opening video starts. The opening video is charismatic and cool, and the audience cheers at each member’s introduction. Towards the end of the video, smoke starts appearing on the main stage, and the background turns white for 5 Pieces’ appearance. In the middle of all the smoke with the white spotlights in the back it shows off the silhouettes of five girls standing with hands on their hips, they look charismatic and professional while the ladies on the insides all are worrying how this concert will turn out like. Without music, Carolina standing in the middle with one hand on her hip and the other hand holding the microphone by her lips, starts off the singing with a ballad high highlight of the [Black & White] chorus;

*Toni~ght. We are free~~*

The roar from the crowd, 16.000 people holding up purple lightsticks and screaming at her artistic voice, going crazy at the opening and they starts jumping when the music starts to play and the spotlights go on, letting you see 5 Pieces more clearly when the begin to perform the English version of [Black & White].

[Emelia + Carolina] *Black and Black, White and White. B-B-Black and W-W-White*

[Maria] *Hide your feelings well, the mind-reader walks in. I can see through your transparent mask

[Emelia] Tell me what’s wrong. [Maria] Te- Te- Te- Tell me, Te- Tell me what*

Their insides are shaking by the response, hearing the large crowd inside the Globe singing along to their song. When Maria started to sing, the crowd cheered. When Emelia’s short part came, they cheered. When Julia starts to sing, they cheer. When Hannah sings, they cheer. For the chorus, they cheer and sing and even dance along. It is difficult for the ladies to see the audience with the bright spotlights focused on them, but they can hear them. The audience is loud for [Black & White]; the first song gets a great response to everything they do. Every movement, every kick, every highlight… Their audience goes over expectations on the first song.

Their first song goes very well, Hannah feels good like she always does on the stage, and she ends the song with her members by turning their backs towards the audience. The cheering gets louder, as if the audience wants to let 5 Pieces know of every single person out there, and out of nowhere, a whisper echoes in the arena through the speakers;

*DAZZLE…*

Close-ups on the audience, they are screaming and shaking their whole bodies to manage to scream crazier, some even pointing with huge eyes at 5 Pieces making a swift change in their positions to the beat of the word. The audience gets wilder, knowing precisely what song this is.

*STUN…* 5 Pieces make another swift change in their position, looking y, showing off their silhouettes with the background shining them up for the and the spotlights playing for effect. *DAZE* The ladies have turned around for the last one, the spotlights on them and for a few seconds they just stand there, looking fabulous and charismatic while the audience just screams their lungs out.

[Daze] is also sung in English, and though it is a remix, the crowd keeps up with it. Hannah keeps her face-expression professional, but like always, 5 Pieces’ professional face-expressions on the stage are the charismatic and playful side, so she does smile with her eyes at times.

The first two songs are never a question if the audience will know; it is more the third song now that 5 Pieces gets worried about. The first Korean song of the concert is called [Unforgettable], it is from their third album last year and it has gotten a lot of attention in Korea and among their fans because it kind of reflects on 5 Pieces’ journey. Hannah doesn’t think of it at first. [Daze] comes to an end, the stage goes black just for [Unforgettable] to start off right away, the music starting before the spotlights shines up, just for 5 Pieces to take their positions for the rap-pop song. It’s a song with fast rap, and wide dancing, no dancers on the stage. 5 Pieces starts off, Carolina starts rapping, acting cool.

[RAP, Carolina] *WE’RE READY. I kept hearing the voices, repeat the impossibilities in my head

Count them out for me, I will make my pick and choose what I want. Your voice sounds so insecure,

But keep count them out for me. As if you expect me to break down and fail*

[RAP, Emelia] *I told me and my friends, we are going to do this. We will do the impossible; we will one day be unforgettable*

[RAP, Carolina] *The dream of five ladies get thrown at you like a BOMB. Running to an endless dream, we are coming right, ready now*

[CHORUS, Maria] *I will never forget where I come from

I will never forget who I grew up to be

[Hannah] because we will somehow reach the top

TO BE UNFORGETTABLE

[Maria] I will never forget where I come from

I will never forget who I grew up to be

[Hannah] because we will somehow reach the top

TO BE UNFORGETTABLE*

As if it gets to you only when you are performing the song in front of a large audience with all the things going on at once, Hannah reads the lyrics her members are rapping and they are singing. It’s in Korean, beside from some words, but somehow this song has never meant more to them than in this moment. She bites her lip when following her members out from the main stage, Emelia rapping while they all act cool during their way out to the extra stage.

[RAP, Emelia] *Since the beginning we were told we would fail and fall. We broke out in tears as we fought harder

Even if it was tougher and felt further away, we kept on. we fought and battled with ourselves*

[Julia] *Remember the faces of my family I leave behind. All sweat and tears we go through together*

[RAP, Emelia] *No matter what anyone had to say, we fought our way. We became ONE and now we are ready to say (MOVE)*

[CHORUS, Maria] *I will never forget where I come from

I will never forget who I grew up to be

[Hannah] because we will somehow reach the top

TO BE UNFORGETTABLE

[Maria] I will never forget where I come from

I will never forget who I grew up to be

[Hannah] because we will somehow reach the top

TO BE UNFORGETTABLE*

[Julia] *Even if the deep sea tries to drown us. Even if we faces harder fight after fight. We will never loose, so just get up*

[Carolina] *See if you can break me down. Even if the doubts are against us

[Maria] I will fall in love and break up, the feeling of life. We will get up*

Think of the lyrics. Everything that 5 Pieces stands for, are proven with this song. In the lyrics, Maria sings they will never forget who they are or where they come from – they are back to their beginning in Sweden, performing a song that says that they went against everyone saying it was impossible and are now back to prove that they somehow have reached the top, and are reaching the goal to be unforgettable. The members all think the same when performing the song, their insides are crying because they actually are proud for what they have done, and their outsides are cool and charismatic, performing the song with confidence because this is exactly what they have done. Even when they were popular in Asia, where their hard work is actually noticed, Sweden didn’t even know of their existence. Then they came out with their first international single and visited Europe for fan-meetings, just two years ago. This song is meaningful because of its lyrics, because it reflects 5 Pieces like no other song can really do. [Unforgettable] is 5 Pieces. And though they  have so many emotions going on inside them when performing, there are hundreds of people crying in front of them, most of them knowing the meaning behind the song as they either have looked it up online or are so deeply involved in the Korean culture that they have learned the language.

Act 2 starts off with a video, then they perform their y and fighter remix of two Michael Jackson songs – their long boxing robes are taken off for that part – and they perform a remix of their Korean debut song [Moon Child] after that before the first talk starts. By then, the girls can just smile. Their chests are moving up and down when the song ends and the audience just keeps cheering.

“Pieces of one,” Carolina starts off in Korean and 5 Pieces greets together in their typical Korean way; “hello, we are 5 Pieces!”

They repeat it in Swedish too, smiling wider when hearing the screaming. Each member simply introduces herself in Swedish too, and Hannah is just smiling widely. Why?

“We see a lot of banners written in Korean out there…” Carolina comments and points out at the audience, and a lot of banners are suddenly held up and waved. Carolina shines up and waves to some of them, the fans screaming loudly in response that they even comment it. Hannah’s heart is beating so hard over the sight of fans in Sweden.

“Eeeeh, you thought we didn’t see it?” Maria laughs.

“I see one over there!” Hannah cutely says and points over at the side, awkward because of the language and when the audience cheers at her. “I love you too~”

The girls are in a great mood because the audience have sung along to the Korean songs too (though it has just been two), and they have shouted loudly a lot so far. “This is 5 Pieces’ second concert in Sweden and our first concert outside Asia for this tour…” Maria says in Swedish, giving a pause in between to let the audience cheer, the girls also cheering. “We are so excited! You all better be prepared to scream yourselves hoarse tonight, because we are determined to go wild with you guys. Aren’t you excited?!”

Hannah hurries to hold out her microphone to the audience answering, but Maria always have to tease their fans by grimacing and mutter to the ladies that they don’t even want to be there, which the audience just screams even more for to show they really want to be there.

 

It doesn’t matter what language they sing in. The audience sings along to every single song; solo songs, ballads, remixes, old and new songs, not caring about the language at all and their reaction is the craziest the ladies have ever seen. This is what music should do to you; you should go crazy, you don’t even have to know the language to enjoy it. The audience goes crazy during the encore when 5 Pieces performs Julia’s [I’m Sleepy] as well, and it is just amazingly crazy. Hannah’s emotions overload from before the concert is all let out, and she gets more energy from the audience that she never thought she would ever get when knowing her sister is sitting somewhere there too.

As an extra encore after the ending they do [Daze], the remix version they have been doing lately and as an extra encore after that they perform [Flying Free] as well. Jumping and cheering with their fans, 5 Pieces performs that song, a cheerful song that is a little silly but the audience knows it even if it isn’t part of this concert normally. Sweaty, filled with smiles, exhausted but filled with energy, touched and deeply moved to have performed a 3-hour concert in the Glove, Stockholm, Sweden. An arena filled with fans from all around Europe, just for them.

The girls are holding their hands, bowing a final time while the audience keeps crying and shouting for another song, even giving examples of which songs to take. Julia holds on to Hannah’s hand so tightly that Hannah almost starts crying thinking of this concert with her members. They all have cried at the end, they have hugged and they have thanked their fans in Korean, in English, in Swedish – mixing up the languages. Some in the crowd says the same song, and the chanting begins to fill the arena.

“One more song then?” Emelia asks the crowd, the ladies glancing to the side to figure out if the staff is okay on that, and a roar fills the arena when the English song [One and Only] starts to play. Laughing, the girls sing the last song. It’s the very last song, the ladies sings with all their might, making sure to thank their audience for this night and wishing them all a safe trip home and a good night of sleep.

5 Pieces’ won’t get any sleep. They won’t need it either, as they have a long flight to Hong Kong waiting for them in the morning. None of them want it either; it’s their last night with their families. They won’t know when they will meet next time, and after the concert the ladies are cheering and jumping around, releasing loud sighs in relief that this has been an awesome concert, and they even starts crying when their families come backstage. Everyone cries, everyone is moved by the concert. In this moment, they are all one, sharing the same emotions and feelings.

Hannah’s sister and cousins don’t come backstage after the concert, and she is happy for that. All worries for the concert and her family are gone now, because in six hours she will be at the airport.

Still wearing the purple concert logo t-shirt and shorts, 5 Pieces leave the arena. Hannah is still wearing the knee-high socks from the last outfit as well, but she has changed the boots to her own sneakers, wearing a jacket when walking out of the arena to see fans standing further away, waving and screaming to thank 5 Pieces for the concert. Hannah feel much better than what she has felt during this time in Sweden, and she smiles and waves happily, thankful for the fans for coming to the concert. Emelia hurries up next to Hannah, her back facing the fans as she holds out her arms to show the flag she has used as a blanket around her; the Swedish flag that is jumping when she is, and the fans screams even louder. A fan had thrown it up on the stage during the encore, and when Emelia picked it up first, she didn’t let it go. When Maria comes out, her arm linked with her almost identical older sister, Maria shouts loudly to the fans to ask if they liked the concert – and she gives a cool thumbs-up when the fans gives a loud, positive answer.

5 Pieces keeps the bus and staff waiting, as they just can’t leave these fans without walking up to them. They write their autographs, take pictures and exchange words with the fans, noticing that a lot of them are actually from Sweden. A lot of fans are also from countries nearby, like Norway and Denmark. A lot of questions are asked, these typical cute questions that only real fans know; real fans are those that know 5 Pieces, they know the songs and who they are. It’s cold outside, so the ladies remind their fans to not stay out for too long, not wanting them to catch a cold.

They celebrate at the hotel, getting a room like last time to celebrate the concert and families. Only a few of them go to bed before three, others just want to use this rare time as a good opportunity to be around each other; like the ladies and their parents. Though still, around four in the morning, Carolina and Hannah go to another room where they film - something they were supposed to do during the day, and then right after the concert, and then as soon as they came to the hotel; but all day long they have forgotten about it. It’s nothing special, just the ladies in their encore outfits, covering SNSD’s [I Got A Boy] like Carolina had requested from Hannah. It’s really nothing special at all, but they re-do it four times until Carolina is satisfied. She takes her music corner very seriously.

A night without sleep, 5 Pieces is clearly awake when going to the airport where fans are waiting to say goodbye to them. They will sleep on the flight, mentally prepare for the next thing on their schedule; Mnet Asian Music Awards.

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Headline 19th: Sweden Completely Taken Over In 5 Pieces’ BLACK & WHITE Tour Concert

Headline 19th: 5 Pieces Get Emotional During Swedish Concert For The Fans Support

 

Headline 20th: 5 Pieces Thanks Fans For Coming To Their Swedish Concert With A Picture

Headline 20th: Swedish Media Covers 5 Pieces’ Concert From Rehearsals To Effects

Headline 20th: Europe Comments On 5 Pieces’ Concert In Sweden, “Never Seen Something Like It Before”

Headline 20th: Justin Timberlake Wants A Duet With 5 Pieces’ Maria!

 

Headline 21st: Hannah Updates Fans That 5 Pieces Has Arrived Safely In Hong Kong For Mnet Asian Music Awards

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X. devonalias