Loud music echoes in the arena where Seoul Music Awards is reaching its final performers and awards of the evening. The camera sweeps over the big crowd as the lights are shimmering in colours, the stage is dark with the spotlights blinking and music begins to play. An opening music, 5 Pieces’ third album hit song [Black & White], is played with Emelia’s dark voice speaking the chorus to the instrumental “I can’t take this anymore. I just want to run. Throw away all your troubles, all your identities,” she skips a part to say in an ending tone “because we see black and white”.

The crowd screams loudly to be heard over the music that is still playing as the spotlights and shimmering changes, the back of the stage has the screen move aside and the volume of the crowd goes louder as 5 Pieces are walking coolly out to the spotlights and cheers and music.

“This world is black,” Carolina says, walking in the centre of the group, her voice loud with the music, deep, “This world is white. Throw away all your troubles, all your identities. Tonight, we are free.”

5 Pieces makes a stop at the centre of the stage, their faces collected and charismatic and outfits matching black in a lace peplum top and different bottoms to cool boots on their feet. Carolina takes a pause in her talk, looking out over the crowd with the screaming fans and then closest to the stage are the other idols sitting around tables, all eyes on them. She takes a deep breath before finishing her part, doing it dramatically to the screaming;

“Because we see black and white”

[Black & White] stops and the same second the next song begins, 5 Pieces ultimate number one hit song so far; [Daze]. A roar fills the whole place (idols as much as fans cheering) when 5 Pieces gives out poses for the song.

*DAZZLE… STUN… DAZE…*

[Carolina] *5 Pieces!*

The pop track is crazy to dance to, yet Hannah feels like she is flying back and forth.

[Maria] *When I WAKE UP in the morning – See myself in the mirror

I can only see the faults in my face – The difference from me to you*

[Carolina] *People are living their lives in routines. I don’t judge, I just walk on m own*

[Hannah] *The eyes looking at me – When I walk down the street, the judging eyes

I get scared to stand out – To show that I am not like you*

[Carolina] *I hide in the shadows – Like most others, and I am about to burst*

It’s nice to perform without high heels on your feet; it feels like she has lost a lot of baggage when they start to dance. Hannah is wearing a pair of black mash-panel leggings, the air blows through the thin material when she is quickly moving from one position to the other, quickly dancing in synch with her members. Her hair that before laid perfectly for the award show has been loosened up a bit for the performance, and as soon as the performance starts she knows the reason; her hair isn’t still for more than a second at time. They move the whole time, no time to catch your breath for [Daze] and she can’t help but to smile at Carolina’s parts; Carolina is alive in this song, her voice fills it out perfectly and she expresses it with her dancing too. It looks so great, even from behind, but all of the ladies are making the song alive.

[5 Pieces] *Living in a world filled with love and hate, judgement of strangers

How to stand it? How to survive this?*

[CHORUS, Maria] *I’M IN A DAZE (da – da – da – da – da – da – da - daze)

I am beautiful, I am different; I am no one else but me (Da – da – da – da – da – da – da - daze)

This amazing person, like no one else, there is no one like me (Da – da – da – da – da – da – da - daze)

I’M IN A DAZE*

[Carolina] *I pass a LONELY BOY on the street

He might be seen as shy – He maybe isn’t like you*

[Julia] *But I know, to show that you – Aren’t like everyone else, you are different*

[Maria] *Endless judgement from strangers – From people around me and you*

[Hannah] *These words I have kept hearing, BREAKING and CRUSHING*

[Emelia] *DAZZLE… STUN… DAZE…

STOP for a second. Isn’t it dazzling?*

[Carolina] *Don’t listen, show me the confidence – This is who you are (SHOW ME)*

[5 Pieces] *Living in a world filled with love and hate, judgement of strangers

How to stand it? How to survive this?*

[CHORUS, Maria] *I’M IN A DAZE (da – da – da – da – da – da – da - daze)

I am beautiful, I am different; I am no one else but me (Da – da – da – da – da – da – da - daze)

This amazing person, like no one else, there is no one like me (Da – da – da – da – da – da – da - daze)

I’M IN A DAZE*

[Julia] *How come everyone is crying?

I hear you complain – I keep hearing what’s wrong

[Carolina] All this useless complaining*

[RAP, Emelia] *It’s my life! Mind your own! I run away, I cry myself to sleep

Where am I going? I have no idea, I want to leave, I want to run

Where should I be? I don’t fit around here

These people keeps giving me judging glares, I can’t stand it

No one is perfect, there is no such thing as perfection*

[RAP, Hannah] *Broken glass can’t be fixed, the cracks will always be seen, never disappear

I don’t want to be here anymore*

[CHORUS, Maria] *YOU’RE IN A DAZE (da – da – da – da – da – da – da - daze)

You are beautiful, you are different; you are no one else but you (Da – da – da – da – da – da – da - daze)

This amazing person, like no one else, there is no one like you (Da – da – da – da – da – da – da - daze)

YOU’RE IN A DAZE*

([5 Pieces] *Living in a world filled with love and hate) [RAP, Emelia] I look at this world with new eyes,

(Judgement of strangers) Such beauty I never seen before

How to stand it? How to survive this?) Individuality is seen in wherever I meet

All the crowded streets, showing me their daze*

[CHORUS, 5 Pieces] *I’M IN A DAZE (da – da – da – da – da – da – da - daze)

([Maria] Can’t break me down~)

I am beautiful, I am different; I am no one else but me (Da – da – da – da – da – da – da - daze)

(~I am~)

This amazing person, like no one else, there is no one like me (Da – da – da – da – da – da – da - daze)*

[CHORUS, 5 Pieces] *YOU’RE IN A DAZE (da – da – da – da – da – da – da - daze)

([Hannah] Aaaaaah~)

You are beautiful, you are different; you are no one else but you (Da – da – da – da – da – da – da - daze)

This amazing person, like no one else, there is no one like you (Da – da – da – da – da – da – da - daze)

YOU’RE IN A DAZE*

[Carolina] *In my daze*

Breathing heavily they bow and hurries off the stage after Carolina’s ending. Hannah has open, sweating and breathing as if she has run a marathon, and Carolina is hugging on to her arm tightly while breathing the same way but laughing.

“So loud,” Carolina gets out of , swallowing dryly and as soon as they get off the stage she reaches for some water to drink.

“You’re going out right away,” the staff tells the ladies while stylists are being in a rush to help the ladies wipe the sweat and make their make-up look flawless again.

Hannah is shaking her arms, trying to calm down after the performance and she keeps her head still as the stylist touches up on her make-up. She shakes her head when Maria wants to hand her some water that has been passed through between some of the members. Julia and Carolina are not allowed to share as they still have symptoms of the cold; the performance still seemed to go well. Staff are taking off the microphone packs, so there are a lot of hands going back and forth, touching while the ladies tries to calm down. Hannah looks around when hearing Emelia ask the staff how their performance was, and even if the staff says it was the best tonight Hannah thinks of what they could have done better.

“The crowd was amazing,” Maria comments above their heads, “So freaking great.”

A hand holds on to Hannah’s when they start make their way to sit with the idols for the ending, and she is taking deep breaths and moving slowly to let the stylist fix her hair; they take turn to check their looks in a mirror that their stylist had brought along (they are used to his; get off the stage, hurry look fresh and head out again). It takes a few minutes before they head quietly out to take their seats, lowering their heads to the juniors that are fast to stand up with the ladies passing by. A few fans sitting closest to the idols are cheering at their entrance too, and it is Maria who is holding on to Hannah’s hand now again – the cameras are focusing on the stage, so Hannah just wishes the fans will stop screaming at the ladies trying to take their seats.

Emelia jokes at the front when EXO stands up at 5 Pieces approaching; the senior-junior relationship between them is closer than between others. Sitting around the other table is SHINee, and when Minho stands up to applause them for the performance, the other members sitting with their backs looks around to see who it is and they are smiling, not standing up like Minho though which is great.

“Perfect,” Jonghyun gives the thumbs up, trying to turn around in his chair as much as possible to look at them. It looks uncomfortable.

“Julia’s voice almost cracked three times,” Carolina points out at him, and like Hannah expected the ladies all take notice of the bad parts more than the good parts.

The ladies are slinking through the two tables where EXO and SHINee are sitting to reach their own seats, and Maria midway to take Chanyeol’s hand and exchange words with him as he (like his band-members) are praising 5 Pieces’ performance. Julia pushes from behind as the hosts are talking; the final awards about to be presented and Hannah whispers to Maria to hurry take her seat.

“Which award are they talking about?” Maria bluntly asks when they have taken their seats. Hannah is grabbing a bottle of water – an unopened – to drink directly from it as all the glasses have been used and she has no idea if hers is among them.

“Record of the year, the digital,” Minho answers next to them, but Hannah can hear Jonghyun and Key answer the same.

Hannah looks up at the stage, seeing a tall man and a tiny idol girl-group member presenting the award. She opens the bottle of water while listening to them talk, hearing Onew praising the ladies a little quickly for their good performance.

“[Daze] must be the most loved song of 2013,” Jonghyun adds with a chuckle, his hands already up to be ready to applause to the winner.

The youngest girl just smiles before taking a sip of the water, a part of her listening to the presenters as she takes another sip of the water. Maria is just about to ask if she can get the bottle after Hannah as she is also thirsty, waiting for Hannah to stop taking these tiny sips of it, when the girl-group member on the stage says;

“Ah, my own idols. The winner is 5 Pieces!”

Hannah leans forward, one hand covering where she almost coughs up the water and the other hand putting the bottle on the table. When glancing up, she can see a camera focusing right on the ladies and she is pulled up on her feet by Emelia who was sitting on her left next to Minho. Hannah turns away from everyone to cough up the water stuck in , giving it just a second before she rounds the table to the right where Maria, Carolina and Julia went, the other ladies happily cheering while Hannah is just trying to swallow the water correctly. It is the direction no one else is sitting, so the members of EXO are standing and applauding with hands above their heads (only getting to congratulate Emelia with high-fives and cheers) while SHINee are clapping their hands right in front of the ladies.

“You’re still sweating,” Taemin laughs at Hannah when he reaches over the table to give her a high-five.

She just smiles, hoping she didn’t spill water on her clothes, and she holds up a hand to get a high-five from Onew and Jonghyun too. Though Emelia had been fast to get up on her feet, she had to be congratulated by a much larger crowd, so Hannah and Emelia meet up on the other side of the table and Hannah is fast to grab Emelia’s arm to head up on the stage together after the other ladies. Super Junior’s Eunhyuk is the host, talking about how great [Daze] has done, not just digitally in Korea but in the whole world and so on.

Carolina receives the award and walks up to the two microphones set up first, smiling out over the audience still cheering on their win. Hannah and Emelia hurries to get next to her, Maria already standing by the other microphone while Carolina is saying;

“I sincerely want to thank Seoul Music Awards for this astonishingly great award and the Bonsang award earlier, and I also want to thank our fans, Puzzle, for making each day a new great experience for us. Thank you!”

The amount of people in the audience that started to cheer when Puzzle was mentioned really surprises the ladies. It sounds loud and wide, and they know there are a lot of idols present today they do definitely not expect so many of the fans present to scream when 5 Pieces mentions them. Do they have that many fans? Carolina doesn’t step aside but she do give the award to Maria, as if the one holding the award is allowed to talk, and Maria is seen swallowing as she has been working up her saliva as she still has not gotten enough water.

“We, 5 Pieces, have received a lot of love with [Daze] this past year. Really, we want to thank a lot of people so much and I know that I can stand here and mention people for a long time and still miss out a lot of important people for us. I just want to say … I am grateful, for this award and for all your love and support during our performance. It means a lot for us to attend such a grand event, and on top of that to receive an award … The Digital Award! Thank you so much. We would like to thank our agency, SM Entertainment and all its staff and crew who have helped shape the ladies standing in front of you. We have our managers and stylists, the amazingly talented Melissa Allen who produced [Daze] for us, and also Park Hyekyung and Pete. We have … um …” Maria glances on her side, where Emelia has walked up closer to help her out a bit. “Our dancers and the staff at KBS. I want to thank my ladies, who have worked so hard to come where we are today, and also to our families back home in Sweden – I love you. But most of all, the absolutely biggest piece of our puzzle, I want to thank those who has brought us here. Without all of our fans around the world there would not have been a name known as 5 Pieces. We thank you, as you are the ones we perform for, who we release songs and albums for. You made [Daze], you made 5 Pieces. Puzzle, thank you so much for this!”

She holds up the award and gives a light bow, speaking clearly and simple and following the red thread that makes it go so fast. Hannah is nodding, standing next to Julia.

Emelia is up by the microphone, cheerfully calling out; “Thank you for putting us in a daze! Thank you!”

The staff are waving for them to keep on and Maria waves for the final two to say something. Hannah pushes Julia forward, walking with her to the same microphone but letting Julia speak.

“Thanks for the award, it’s really great, thank you,” Julia quickly finishes off and turns around, bumping in to Hannah when trying to push the youngest forward.

“Thank you everyone! To our families and fans, our managers and also to our seniors and juniors here today,” Hannah says with a quick hand-motion to the idols where SNSD most of all start to cheer. The audience is loud, constantly cheering at everything the ladies say. “Please continue to support 5 Pieces, thank you!”

“Thank you,” the ladies repeat together before bowing, finally done.

They hurry off the stage, taking the long round back to the table with the crowd cheering loudly and the idols all standing up to congratulate them with applause. When reaching their corner, Tiffany is jumping and clapping her hands towards them, looking just as happy as the five ladies. Hannah makes a sudden turn, putting her arms briefly around Maria in a hug, all of a sudden really moved by today. She has no idea of why she suddenly got teary; is it the idols standing up to them, that they received the great award, that they just performed so she is still really high up in the air or simply said the fact that there are fans in the audience chanting their name so loudly that the live award show must catch it too.

For the past months (years’ maybe) she has worked constantly, constantly wanting to please others and receiving hate for everything she does. They have received the best awards in 2013; they got the award at KBS Music Festival around New Year where they really received the best award possible… And though they receive so much love and support, having proof with these awards, it can’t seem to sink in because as soon as they receive that award they rush off to the next thing on their schedule.

The hug is quick, and Hannah hurries to take her seat, putting her thumbs by her eyes to not let any tears fall once she is sitting.

“Are you crying?” Maria notices as she takes the seat next to Hannah, sounding moved by the youngest patting her eyes with her thumbs. Maria hugs Hannah before the youngest can answer. “I know, baby, at times it just comes.”

It makes her laugh, at the leader comforting her. It’s not really crying either, Hannah just got a little teary and the leader happened to capture that.

“Oh, right, water,” Maria says and let go of Hannah, grabbing a bottle of water when taking a glance at the youngest. “Okay?”

Hannah nods, smiling at her shyly, really loving this. Her back isn’t hurting, their performance had fans singing along throughout and they just received the best award for that song.

Well, the best award is the last award; Daesang Award (Artist of the Year). The ladies seem to have calmed down a little by then, waiting for the winner to be announced.

“EXO!”

“WOOOAH!” Maria and Hannah are quickly up on their feet, sounding loudly when turning to their left to congratulate the boys. Being too far away to hug them all, the two ladies are jumping and giving thumbs up to each member looking their way and then screaming to imitate the fan-girls when the EXO members bows towards them.

Even when sitting down again Hannah finds herself still clapping her hands soundlessly, smiling widely up on the stage.

“Are we going to run up?” Maria asks the boy-group sitting around the table with them. None of them has time to answer before they all cheer when Suho suddenly mentions their names in the speech, and the question is forgotten.

Hannah keeps clapping her hands, knowing Jonghyun points it out from across the table but she keeps doing it anyway.

For the encore of EXO performing [Growl], the SM artists all stands up and start to fool around to the song. None of them does it great, they just do certain moves extra much, and it looks hilarious. The song passes by quickly and Hannah claps her hands loudly this time, grabbing the award 5 Pieces got that the other ladies seem to have forgotten when they start heading backstage.

Holding on to the award tightly in both hands, Hannah looks up at the fans and starts waving the award for them before bowing. When standing up and turning to the side to follow the others she almost bumps into Taemin who had imitated her by waving to the fans, and they both laughs while Hannah tugs his arm lightly for him to walk after the others.

“Did you cry?” Taemin asks, pointing at Hannah when walking between the chairs. “Maria said you did.”

“I didn’t,” Hannah answers.

The two of them are looking down to not stumble on anything, and Taemin seem to be completely lost as he is heading backstage while everyone else is heading upstage. They both look up when hearing Jonghyun call on them and Hannah burst out laughing, grabbing on to Taemin’s jacket as she is behind him to pull him along up the stairs. She had followed him, not knowing where they went since her eyes were on the floor and she keeps laughing behind her hand when they hurry up the stage where all the idols are gathering. She follows the two white-silver dressed friends of hers through the crowd, holding on lightly to Jonghyun’s jacket when starting to search for her own members that somehow have disappeared in the crowd – that’s weird because they are Europeans among Asians, it should be easy to find them – but instead she catches Taemin walking up to Kai to congratulate him for the win and she decides to go with that.

It all happens so fast. One second she has Jonghyun keeping an eye on her while she congratulates Kai, Tao and Chanyeol, then she has Yoona talking to her, then Jonghyun is there again saying they are taking a picture and points over to where EXO are at the front squatting down for the camera and she feels Jonghyun’s hand on her back when guiding her there and then she is standing next to Taemin behind Kai for the picture and Emelia is wrapping her arms around the youngest to look excited with one hand wrapped around the award Hannah is holding.

As soon as he is done taking pictures, Hannah and Emelia bow down to the audience as the show has ended. Taemin makes fun of them, standing behind them and making grimaces, so when Hannah stands up and turns around she catches him and is so close to kick him or something but sees Kai come up to them and decides to congratulate him once again.

“Whose award is this?” Kai asks and looks at the award she is holding.

“5 Pieces…” she pouts, holding on to it tightly.

“Ah…”

“It’s not yours,” Taemin teases his friend, putting an arm around him proudly.

 

As soon as Hannah has come backstage she puts on a black cotton blend ruffled-hem sweatshirt, big and cosy in the chilly backstage. She has the stage outfits underneath, and with her arms getting warm, her hands hidden in the sleeves, she walks around a few dressing-rooms with a smile.

“Are you not changing clothes?” Jonghyun asks when coming up behind her. With no cameras around he puts his arms around her waist from behind, hugging her and putting his face in her hair to calmly breathe in through his nose.

“We are going to the practice-room, so we’ll change there,” Hannah answers, moving lightly back and forth.

“Can I come?” Jonghyun whispers in her hair.

“We’re going to practice…” Hannah giggles, hugging the arms he holds around her. “It won’t be fun.”

“As long as I can be around you,” Jonghyun answers. He seems tired. “It will take weeks until I get to be around you next time, all because of your abroad schedule…”

It is in fact two weeks she will be away in Europe and Japan, but before Hannah can tell him that, Super Junior’s Eunhyuk gets visible in the corridor, all ready to leave. “Oh, the lovely couple cuddling backstage,” he jokes when walking in their direction, looking like he is in a hurry to leave.

“Hyung, you’re leaving?” Jonghyun is fast to hold out a hand that Eunhyuk takes, the typical boy handshake they always do, and the senior slows down to say he has a schedule to attend. “Always busy, Hyung.”

“Thank you for your hard work,” Hannah lowers her head in a polite phrase to Eunhyuk who gives them a final wave before hurrying off.

Jonghyun turns back to Hannah, kissing her on the cheek before leading her to the dressing-room. “I’m coming to your practice.”

“Don’t blame me if you’re bored,” Hannah reminds him.

“What are you practicing for?” Jonghyun wonders, lightly lowers his head while Hannah bows to the junior group they walk by.

“Um… we have an event … a performance for KBS where we perform a few songs or something.” Hannah locks arm with Jonghyun to stop outside the dressing-room, “Don’t tell them you are coming; just show up later. Like that I won’t be scolded.”

He nods, but still takes her inside to congratulate the ladies for the win and being congratulated himself for SHINee’s awards.

They aren’t backstage for long, as the ladies are heading to the agency to practice. They leave after saying goodbye to seniors and friends, and Jonghyun secretly tells Hannah he will come by later. The ladies get tired when they sit in the van, eyes half-open when talking about food, and when arriving outside the SM building they spot fans out there. Whose fans is unknown, but they do cheer when 5 Pieces steps out of the van, the ladies hurrying inside to get changed.

Maria says that Hannah is clever when they are starting their practice after changing clothes. Since the sweatshirt Hannah wears isn’t long enough for her personally to wear leggings, she had thought it through when packing her bag this morning to bring a skirt and over-the-knee socks instead, as she gets too hot wearing sweatpants when practicing and it isn’t weird because Emelia is wearing shorts and a sweater. They are all wearing clothes fit for practice, and the first thing they do is to go through which songs to perform for this special event performance. They will perform five songs; [I Want A Man] + [I’m Over You] + [Daze] + [Dream Prince] + [Face Me]. [Dream Prince] is a song they sung for Hannah’s drama last year, it is not a dance track at all but they have to practice the lyrics and how to perform it to not look like five vocalists just bluntly standing on the stage, and [Face Me] is their newest international song, but they will perform the Korean version for the first time which means practice too. The other three they are pretty used to, but still go through them several of times just in case.

After just half an hour of practice they haven’t even started with the actual rough practice, and it’s at that time Jonghyun comes.

The y boyfriend bows and greets the managers politely, asking if he is interrupting and if he can sit in the back and just watch. At Jonghyun’s entrance, the managers decide to take a break.

“Have you decided of what to eat yet?” Manager Lim asks the ladies.

“Chicken,” Emelia answers when sitting down on the floor as if waiting for food to arrive in front of her, “We decided to take chicken since it is the closest to get.”

“Fast food,” Maria nods in agreement, meaning that chicken will be the fastest food.

“Who is going with me then?” Manager Lee asks, walking towards the door and nods while Manager Lim tells him what to order. Hannah looks at Jonghyun, who is still standing near the door after entering, hearing Julia say she can go as she wants to take some fresh air.

“I’ll help out too,” Jonghyun suggests, waving for Hannah to come too. No one really says she is going everyone just knows that if Jonghyun goes, Hannah goes too.

Hannah and Jonghyun leaves the room first as Carolina keep wanting to add things for them to buy so Manager Lee keeps looking at Manager Lim for confirmation of what to actually get and Julia adds her own ‘yes’ or ‘no’ in answer. Hannah has put on a winter jacket, but Jonghyun’s eyes keep going down on her legs.

“You’re not going to get cold in that?” he asks.

She glances up at him, knowing she has this roll-your-eyes expression. “We’re not going far,” Hannah answers (she doesn’t have pants with her either).

“I know that, but just looking at you it looks-”

“Oppa,” Hannah warns him, her eyes more focused on him this time and it makes him smile widely, hold an arm around her shoulders.

“Alright, alright. Your clothes, your body,” Jonghyun mumbles before kissing her on the hair, then imitates the way she told to him earlier about coming to the practice; “Don’t blame me when you get cold.”

It makes her laugh, but hearing Julia and Manager Lee come up behind them she fasten her steps to not be as slow as an ant. Jonghyun’s arm falls down from her shoulders, instead taking her hand in his, more than happy that he had come in such a great minute to catch them for the break. Manager Lee sighs behind them, a mess whenever 5 Pieces wants to eat, he is tired too and right in front of him he can see Hannah and Jonghyun hold hands. He is about to tell them that they are going outside (as a reminder that there are fans out there) when someone else’s voice is heard first; Jonghyun’s manager telling him to come over.

“It will take a few minutes, and then you can go,” the manager says when seeing Jonghyun look at Hannah in hesitation if he should leave or stay, and Jonghyun agrees when Hannah says he can catch up with them later or just wait here for them to come back.

Either way, the couple parts way and Hannah goes with Manager Lee and Julia out the building. They don’t talk other than Manager Lee making sure both ladies are with him and that the fans spotting them does not come too close, which is pretty impossible as the fans go completely jumpy by the sight of two ladies coming outside. Big eyes and a lot of questions, the fans can’t be quiet when hurrying after them, asking where they are going and congratulating for their awards at tonight’s show and so on.

“Did you come straight from the award shows? We saw you arrive in your stage outfits earlier…” a female fan asks, not waiting for an answer before adding; “You should take care of yourself. Get a lot of rest.”

“Could I get your autograph?” another fan shows up right in front of Hannah with a paper and pen, speaking in perfect English and at just one glance you can see it is a foreigner – at one sound, you can hear it is a foreigner too. Just because the female fan just asks, not really making Hannah stop but neither getting behind Hannah in the speed she walks so Hannah stops her steps to quickly write her autograph. “Thank you! I’m from Arizona, I came all the way here during the days off from work to try catch a glimpse of 5 Pieces.”

“Oh, thank you,” Hannah sounds impressed, also speaking English and though her English is really good, the fan’s English is completely fluent. “It’s a beautiful city so I hope you haven’t been standing outside the building this whole time.”

“No… I heard from someone that you were there, so I just arrived… Thank you, though, really… And congratulations! Your whole week, you win everywhere; congratulations.”

“Thank you,” Hannah says and looks over her shoulder to the fan who gets behind them since Manager Lee starts doing his job on this side instead of holding a protective around for Julia.

Their fans are very talkative, following across the road and then keeping a distance (most stay outside the SM building) and the few fans following all the way to the chicken restaurant, staying outside while trying to look through the windows.

It’s around midnight, the sky is black and the streets are shining brightly from lamps and neon signs and the air is chilly outside. It isn’t that long distance that Hannah gets really cold, but when getting inside the restaurant she can really feel her legs being cold. After a minute in there, Jonghyun gives her a call, saying he is leaving the building now and is on his way, and he stays with her on the phone for an extra three minutes before they hang up as he can see the restaurant from the street, soon coming. As soon as they hang up, Manager Lee turns to her.

“Do I need to remind you about the people we met on the way here?” he asks with a sigh. “As a manager, I am told to tell you to keep a low profile about your relationship with Jonghyun.”

“It’s not me you should talk to,” Hannah smiles at her manager, knowing very well that he can say whatever he wants to her but in the end she won’t say anything to Jonghyun when or if he wants to hold her hand or wrap an arm around her in public.

Julia doesn’t say anything as she is busy doing something on her cell phone, and even when Jonghyun comes she barely looks up to see he is there – maybe because she can hear him – and just waits for the food to come. Though Manager Lee seemed determined with Hannah, he stays quiet when Jonghyun has arrived; of course he joins their conversations but he does not mention what he told Hannah. Jonghyun had come with two staffs from the agency, the staff ordering food for those working this late.

It goes quick. Probably because there aren’t many customers at this hour so there is no line to get the food, and soon enough the four of them head back out on the street, leaving the staff behind as they have ordered quite a lot. Manager Lee holds two bags with the chicken, and Jonghyun is holding one (Hannah held it first because Jonghyun was looking at something on her phone but he was fast to take the bag in his free hand once they stepped outside). Jonghyun gives the phone back, mumbling to Hannah that it probably is good he doesn’t help out with Good Sister. They had talked about the filming and Jonghyun has been teasing the ladies all day about the bicycle they have gotten to Kyung Ho but haven’t had the time to put together, which will be a mission when they come home from Europe, and Jonghyun had now come with the suggestion that he can fix the bicycle; that’s what he mumbles about, that he probably would get too frustrated to finish it.

“My sister still wants to meet you,” Jonghyun brings up, seeing how she glances back when someone calls her name. Hannah is fast to look down, biting her lip as it seems like the fans have spotted them heading back.

“Mm… She texted me earlier,” Hannah tells Jonghyun. They are walking together, Manager Lee and Julia behind them and with Jonghyun walking next to Hannah; no holding hands or arms around, yet Hannah takes a small move closer to him after hearing her name being called.

“She did?”

“She said we can meet after my schedule has ended tomorrow; as she is used to meet you at three in the morning too,” Hannah answers, smiling without looking up as she can see from the corner of her eyes that Jonghyun smiles at her.

“I told you she wants to meet up. And she strictly told me to not come along, but I still want to know when you met up.”

“Why? So you can spy on us? Your sister will notice if you’re nearby,” Hannah teases him and Jonghyun laughs, agreeing with her completely.

Hannah hasn’t met Jonghyun’s sister alone that many times, but once in a while they have met for a small meal or just take a walk together. They talk about school and Jonghyun, about the culture differences in Korea and Sweden, and it seems like they both like each other. Jonghyun loves the fact that his sister and girlfriend get along, and he keeps smiling thinking about it.

The short walk suddenly becomes uncomfortable. Fans. They had been excited to see two members of 5 Pieces head out, following them a bit before going back to the agency’s building just to see Jonghyun come out a few minutes later being on the phone, just for them all to come back together. Not just that; the couple walks together, the celebrity couple – the hot topic – and though they don’t hold hand or are really that “couple” looking at the very moment, just the fact that everyone knows they are a couple makes the noise from the fans twice as loud. The friends heading back to the agency are just nearby when the crowd around them gets bigger; not crowded like at the airports but with the fans with an arm length from each other following around them, talking to them and commenting and asking and shoving cell phones and the most expensive cameras up in front of them to get the best pictures or videos.

Manager Lee is fast behind them, lightly touching Hannah’s arm when trying to keep a fan away from giving her something and he is protective over Julia too. Like always, you do not expect what will happen once you loosen the security. The last thing the ladies want is to walk around having five buff guys around them to keep people away; it’s in the middle of the night, Hannah expects people to be asleep by now. She wants to tell the fans to go home and sleep, but she just looks down on the asphalt, seeing hers and Jonghyun’s feet moving in synch.

Then it is not Manager Lee’s hand touching her arm. Hannah looks further down when Jonghyun puts his arm around her, and he keeps his head up to make sure they get forward without being stopped, the fans screams even louder at the skinship. Though it is seen as a protective thing for fans, Hannah knows by the way he moves that he is showing off; she can’t raise her head. It makes her shy to have someone hold his arm around her to proudly say we are together, whether you like it or not, without him being shy about it. It makes her feel loved.

People surrounding you everywhere are different. The closeness she has with Jonghyun, that connection, is when she feels loved on a personal level. What she has with 5 Pieces and their fans, that is different. She is loved as an idol, as someone they think she is. She love her fans, but all of a sudden, walking on the street with Julia behind her and Jonghyun next to her and fans around them going crazy, she is reminded of last summer when they came out with that they are in a relationship; she was told to break up with him or fans would leave, her own fans treated her like a product. There is nothing worse than feeling you have thousand of people going against something as natural as falling in love. Where are those people? Are they here? Have they gone to another fandom? She isn’t sure she wants to know, all she want is to head inside and practice to then go home and sleep.

“You okay?” Jonghyun asks sweetly towards her when they reach the building, standing by the door waiting for Manager Lee to get it to open. Jonghyun lets his arm fall down from her, looking at her so he can see the fans behind them standing with their phones held up.

Hannah nods, giving him a glance. “I’m hungry,” she tells him, suddenly smiling when he bursts out laughing.

“That’s good,” he laughs and leads her inside first before giving a wave behind him at the fans, not even looking at the fans but just waving his hand briefly for them to know he saw them.

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Headline 23rd: 5 Pieces Is Stunning Putting Everyone In A Daze At Seoul Music Awards + Takes Home The Digital Award

Headline 23rd: 5 Pieces Say They Only Pay Attention To Airport Fashion When They Go Abroad For Concerts

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5 Pieces Say They Only Pay Attention To Airport Fashion When They Go Abroad For Concerts, Maria says – “I wore an outfit we got from our fans when heading abroad once without the members, and I felt like I did great promoting us wearing that but ended up looking foolish as the outfit didn’t fit the airport. It only works when we do it together, so we stick to it when going abroad for concerts”

X. devonalias