By: Sweiled

This year I applied for the trip with Gekka and we were assigned to the second group. Our flight was at 11 a.m., but we were supposed to be there by about 8. When we reached the airport, there were already quite a few Dears around. We went to the counter and took our tickets, neckpiece and other stuff for the trip and then headed off to the group check-in counter. After that, we went to the waiting room reserved for us and collected our "omiyage" (souvenir) for the trip. This year's was a cool blanket with the Yasoukai logo on the corner. *-*

The plane took off on schedule and I slept most of the journey away. The trip was pretty smooth this year and there were no major delays in getting to the hotel once we reached Paris. Our group was divided into two buses and we were on bus 2. There must have been at least 30-40 people on each bus, so imagine the number of Dears that were on our flight!! After Gekka and I got our bags, we went out and headed straight to the buses. Then it was off to the hotel!

It was a one-hour journey to the hotel. They played the message from Gackt on the bus as usual. This year's was really long!! ^^ And it was so much better than last year's because last year's was some Gundam-related theme and I don't watch Gundam so I didn't get most of the jokes. >.>; But this year, there was Gackt with his normal voice greeting us. :D He talked a little about his previous visits to Paris and then he called the rest of the GacktJob members to check what they were doing. XD That was really funny. Too bad Ju-ken and You didn't pick up their phones!

By the time the message ended, we had reached the city itself. :D They took us around to the Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower. We dropped off a couple of Dears at one of the hotels and then they took the rest of us to the hotel where we were staying. They did a few things quite differently from last year. There was no orientation or explanation of the tour/itinerary. They just handed us our keys on the bus and we were told to check our schedules for all the events ourselves. They didn't even tell us where the concert was supposed to be!

It was already quite late by the time we settled into our rooms (about 6-7 pm?), so we thought we would just walk around a little bit and see if there was any good place to have dinner. Our hotel was at the outskirts and rather far away from all the other places. It was quite a deserted area (in my opinion), and apart from the mini mall near the hotel, there wasn't really anything else. The nearest grocery store was also about 10-15 minutes walk away. >.>; We ended up eating at the hotel. XD;;

PHOTOSHOOT

Luckily our photoshoot was at 10:50 am, so we had plenty of time the next morning. I still remember the horrors of having to get ready by 6 am last year. @_@ We went down to eat the "American-style breakfast buffet" (as written in the Dears pamphlet). We took, like, 15 minutes to finish our breakfast. XD After that we went back to our rooms to change, put on make-up and do our hair.

We went down to the tour desk counter once we were ready. We pretty much stuck to the pillar every time we had to meet downstairs for an event and tried to blend in. XD It was interesting as always to see the Dears in all their finery~ I think there were more fancy dresses last year. Or it could be because there were more young fans in our group this year. We noticed that it's usually those who are in their 30s - 40s who dress up nicely. The younger fans don't seem to bother much, and neither do the older ones. XD Gekka and I didn't bring our coats as we weren't sure if there was a place to put them during the photoshoot. They change the rules/procedures a lot every year after all. -__- A lot of the Dears didn't have their coats on either, and we were all freezing. XD We ran to the bus and headed off to the hotel where the photoshoot was going to be. Turned out to be the hotel where the rest of the Dears were staying!

The staff took us to the waiting area and explained the procedures to us. They would call us in in groups of 10 and take us to the top floor (24th or 25th floor, I can't quite remember). After we had finished taking our photo with Gackt, we were supposed to come back down to the lobby to another room to collect our photos and choose our seats for the acoustic concert.

They called our names one by one, and that was supposed to be the order in which we took the photo. We were the first group to take the picture with Gackt that day. :D For some reason, I always end up being in the first group. XD; They called the people on the first bus from our hotel first and that cleared about half the room. I was hoping that our names wouldn’t be called first. ^^; I could already imagine their reaction when our names were called! And true enough, the minute the guy called out our names, whooosh~! everybody's head turned around to look at me. >.> It's really quite funny once you have gotten used to it. XD According to Gekka, the other Dears looked at her too when they called her name after mine.

If I remember correctly, we were in the 9th row or so, which meant that we were the 85th (and 86th person) to take the picture with Gackt that day. :D The wait wasn't as long as last year's either. Perhaps that's because Gekka was with me this year. ^^ We made friends with another fan as well, who was sitting on Gekka's other side. She was there alone, so she was an easy "victim". XD I never feel comfortable around Dears and I definitely do not like approaching Dears when they are in their little groups. So I usually go for the ones who are on the trip alone and try to make friends with them

We chatted a little bit~ and then the next group came in. It was my friend's group. ^^ We were on the same group at last year's fanclub trip and I am glad that we managed to see each other even if we weren't on the same group this year! We watched as the next group was called into the waiting room one by one. It was like watching a beauty pageant live. XD I like looking at dresses, so that was a good way to pass away the time. :D Soon, another staff came and told us that Gackt is ready and that the photoshoot will be starting soon. He called out the first 30 Dears and they left the room. Gekka and I were getting really nervous by this time. We regretted not going to the restroom when we had the chance to. XD

Finally it was our turn, and they took us to the elevator. Up we went to the top floor. It was very quiet because we weren't allowed to talk. They also told us to take off our neckpieces. They had a coat hanger on the other side of the corridor for those who had coats on. We formed a line in front of the room where Gackt was and just whispered amongst each other while waiting for our turn. There was a guy standing at the door, checking our names against the list and he would send one of us in as soon as one comes out. I think there were only about 5 Dears inside the room at any one time. One girl came out crying... @_@ And then there was another girl who gave a half-scream, half-squeak when she came out and saw her friend. ^^; I was starting to find it a little hard to breathe.

I went into the room first. They had black curtains around the walls, with candles, I think, all over the floor. In the center of the room, the "waiting area", there was this black decoration thing. I couldn't really figure out what it was, not that I was in the mood to examine it closely. XD Gekka came in shortly after and I pointed out the table where she could put her purse. There were two staff holding the curtains to the next room where Gackt is and the light from the room would blind me every time they opened it to let a Dears in or out of the room. XD I managed to catch a glimpse of his white pointy shoes when the girl in front of me went in.

At least this time I knew where the lights were and managed to avoid looking at it as I walked into the room. There he was. Sitting on the sofa, all in white. I remember looking straight into his eyes and I think I might have smiled. He looked so kind and gentle. His expressions were so soft, friendly and caring. The staff told me to sit down and they took the picture. He didn't hold me this year though. ;;___;; I think it was because I sat in a rather weird position. ._.;; I was sort of leaning towards him and my right arm actually went behind him. (I swear I wasn't touching him!! At least I don't think so! XD) Anyways, usually people would sit straight, facing the camera with both hands on their laps, but my hands were kind of behind... The only thing I remembered was putting my hands on the sofa behind him and kind of between us. So, he didn't put his arms around me this time. T_T

There were also a lot of equipments behind the lights and camera. Computers and stuff. There must have been more than 5 staff in that room! Once they had taken the shot, I got up, turned around and looked at him. Then I put my right hand out because there was no way I was going to miss my handshake this year! XD He took it, we shook hands and he said, "Tanoshindene," and I said, "Merci!" Then he smiled. Oh my god, he gave me that glorious smile and I kind of lost memory of what happened for the next one minute. No, I am serious, I don't remember what happened after that. XD We were still holding each other's hands as we said all that, and I can't remember who let whose hands go first, but I guess I must have walked out eventually, literally in a daze. XD

For that one minute, I even forgot that Gekka existed. XD (Sorry, Gekka!!) I didn't even look at her as I grabbed my stuff from the desk and walked out. That was really weird, because I would have, you know, at least give her an excited grin or show some sort of reaction, but no, I totally forgot all about her and walked out. It was only after I walked out of the room, into the corridor that I remembered where I was. In fact, I didn't even remember that I forgot about her until a few hours later when I was replaying the scene in my bed at night. ^^; All I can say was that was one powerful and deadly smile. XD

I remembered him more clearly than I did last year. His eyes were so blue. Oh gawd, sooo blue and so clear. His hair looked gorgeous, his white clothes suited him perfectly and everything about him is just... perfect. He looked so real. Well, of course he IS real, but it's hard to absorb the fact that he is really there sitting beside you, waiting for you. He had that firm, gentle look with just the slightest hint of a smile. ^^ I didn't really see his face during the photoshoot last year, and the only thing I could remember was his hands. But one thing didn't change though. He still glowed. It's as if he emits this white bright glow. It's amazing. I still get shivers remembering how he looked sitting on the sofa, looking up at me as we shook hands.

I stood outside waiting for Gekka, still in a daze. We started chattering excitedly the moment she came out, and didn't stop until we reached the waiting area. XD We drew our seats for the concert and it didn't seem promising. :x We happened to draw the same block, but my seat number was way higher than Gekka's. ^^; Then we sat down with the girl we met in the waiting room and planned our activities for the rest of the day while waiting for our photos to develop.

At last our photos came out and... hmm, all I can say is there are many things that I would like to change, especially the way I look in the photo XD, but I was satisfied with it. ^^ We compared the picture I took last year and this year and we realized that they did something to the photos this year. Everything was sharp last year, but this year they softened the edges and gave it a kind of glowy feel. :D But I felt that they didn't quite capture Gackt well and it was different from the way I remember him. He looked so much better and more vibrant and full of energy in real life. ^^ At least I will have that picture of him to remember the moment by. It's sad how fast these memories fade. ;;____;; I wish my brain works like a camera that can save and store these precious moments forever.

SECRET EVENT

We went back to our hotel after the photoshoot was over. There were a whole list of times, dates and notices for those who sign up for optional tours, but since we didn't sign up for any, we went straight up to change out of our fancy dresses. We did some sightseeing and by the time we finished, it was already quite late so we decided to head back to the hotel. We bought some food and took the train back.

We had a bit of time left before we were supposed to go down to the lobby and we ate our dinner. We came down just in time, as the staff were calling out names and organizing us into our groups. Everybody was dressed rather casually since Gackt wasn't going to be there. XD And it wasn't really a "secret" event, since they told us about it way before we came to Paris. >.> We had to sign an application form and everything. XD It was written as well that Gackt would not be participating, but we thought that since we came all the way to Paris, we might as well take part in the event. ^^ They put us in groups of about 8, usually in the same order as the photoshoot.

We got some very nice, friendly people, but Gekka ended up sitting with someone rather nasty. ^^; We were the last two from our group to enter the bus, so we ended up sitting separately, with the aisle between us. The rest of the team was very nice though. :D One even took the trouble of asking us again and again about the questions and trying to get us to participate. ^^

As it turns out, we were supposed to do a quiz ON the bus. -____- The questions were really difficult too! The whole secret event was supposed to be for us to enjoy the night illumination view of Paris, like a bus tour. I think we passed by some famous tourist sightseeing grounds too, but I don't think any of us really noticed the scenery. XD We were so caught up with trying to figure out the answers! [The questions are included below, at the end of the report.] We stopped at three places, in front of... some wide grounds, the Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower (which was giving off this very shiny glow XD) and a lot of Dears went down to take pictures, but I stayed in the bus because it was freezing outside. Gekka was bus-sick and had to go down though. ^^;

The quiz was fun in a way, because I like games and everything, but it was boring as well because we didn't know most of the answers. -__- At least in Universal Studios or in Canada, you can still look for the answers, but this year, it was all down to your knowledge of Gackt. Still, Gackt was the one reading out the question and he did different impressions, so that was really cool. XD If I remember correctly, I think our group got... 8 questions right :D

Overall, I didn't enjoy myself that much at the secret event. XD I mean, even though there were many regrets regarding last year's secret event, at least I had fun going around Universal Studios and going on the rides. The questions were so much easier too. XD But this year's was all about interacting with other Dears and brainstorming together to find the answers. Oh wells, at least it was a good experience!

CONCERT

We had half the day free before we had to meet at the lobby for the concert at about 6. The tour guide on the bus told us that the museums are free on first Sundays so we decided to go to the Louvre. I am glad I had Gekka with me or else I would’ve just been rolling around in bed, too lazy to get up and do sightseeing. XD

Gackt mentioned in the welcome message that they played on the bus on the first day that he liked the Water Bar, which was near the Louvre. Gekka looked it up online and we decided to try to find the place. We did manage to find it eventually but it was closed on Sundays so we didn't get to go in. ^^;

By the time we came out of the museum, it was already past 3 and we decided to head back to the hotel. Just in time too because we barely had enough time to get ready. XD The bus came on time and we reached our destination right on schedule. But Gackt was still rehearsing (as usual), so the concert was delayed. We weren't allowed to enter the hall either. We weren't sure what was going on most of the time because the tour guides and the bus driver were speaking in French. But they did let us use the restroom near the parking garage. The queue was terrible though. @@ It formed a line that went round and round the tiny space. The people behind even started queuing for the men's toilet too! XD It was crazy~

There were already a lot of buses parked outside by this time by the time we went back to our buses. We located our bus and not long after, they told us that we could go inside the hall. :D And there followed another mad rush as everybody moved to the hall. XD We had to climb up to the main floor and it was starting to rain by then, so the minute we got on the first floor everybody just ran for the doors. XD XD I imagine we made quite a scary sight, running in heels with our fancy clothes and gowns. XD A lot of people were staring at us. I think the building is also a mall, with a separate section for performances and so on. As we made our way down to the concert hall, people kept staring at us and I saw someone taking a video of us. Hahaha. XD

Everybody was queuing to get inside but we weren't sure which line was which because everything was all mixed up. ^^; There was a line for those who brought bags despite being told not to -__- and then there were a few lines for the bathroom. We finally managed to find the one that went to the hall and after being checked by security, we went in and tried to locate our seats. We were disappointed to see that our seats were quite high up. ^^;;; It turned out that Gekka and I weren't so far apart though. I think the concert started at either 7 or 8 and lasted for about 2.5 - 3 hours. ^^

Here's the set list:
No ni Saku Hana no you ni
Sakurasou
Tsuki no Uta
Kimi ni Aitakute
Peace
Missing
Award Ceremony
Mirror
Another World
Love Letter
Road
Dears

No ni saku has always been a special song to me and I am happy that he started the concert with that song. I almost cried. ^^; I love all the songs he performed that night, except perhaps Tsuki no Uta. Aha. I just don't feel like it belongs with the rest, like it's from a totally different genre. XD This year's concert did feel a little shorter than last year's though. I think it's because he talked more last year and there was more interaction with the fans.

During the MC after Tsuki no Uta, he said that he felt like singing a lot of songs that day. ^^ He was glad that there weren't any problems with the tour (so far) since there was no baggage trouble and all the planes flew this time. He said that someone must have been sending evil thoughts to those who were on previous trips. Maybe it was the family we left behind (who are missing us and hoping that the trip gets cancelled so that we won't be able to go XD) or those who were jealous of the Dears who made it to the trips. But there didn’t seem to be anyone like that around this year and he said that's why everything has been going smoothly. Except that he is sick, so maybe he is the one to whom everyone is channeling their evil thoughts this year. XD Apparently he had been sick even before he came to France. ^^;

He often looks at the audience when he is on the stage and takes note of what kind of fans there are in the hall. There is always something/one new to observe, but he said that this time there were none because he had already met us all! XD He said that he is the only person in this world to have actually taken a picture with all the fans who came to his concert. XD

After that he sang Kimi ni Aitakute~ He actually said a few lines and I think it was before the bridge. Sorry, I can't remember exactly when but I believe he said, "I looked at the letter you wrote me again. That's when I realized, kimi ni aitai (I want to see you)." It was so touching when he said "kimi ni aitai" *-* A very good performance! I think it's actually a different version from last year's acoustic concert too! This year Chacha joined him in most of the songs as background vocals. I like Chacha and everything, but to be honest, I prefer hearing Gackt singing alone. Sorry, Chacha!! XD;

Next came Peace and then Missing. ;;____;; Peace is another all-time favourite of mine and to hear him sing it live is pure bliss. And of course, Missing was a very pleasant surprise and another favourite of mine. In fact, I can't think of any faves of mine that he did not sing that day! XD Last Song is probably the only one. XD During the short MC before Missing, he said, "Even if one of us were to die first, we will still be by each other's side." ;;___;; Then he said, "Of course, not that I am going to die any time soon." XD XD

After that was the award ceremony~ Gackt asked Chacha to come up with some background melody that's suitable for the ceremony but he kept rejecting the tunes that Chacha came up with, saying that it's either too upbeat or too solemn. XD Gackt finally asked You to do it and You got it at first try. XD The top three winners were given medals this year. They were called up to the stage one by one and received a medal (and a handshake) from Gackt himself. The lady sitting beside me won the third prize so I managed to see the medal. :3 It was really adorable! The shape is like the usual round medal, but it had a picture of ChibiGackt with France in the background. Totally cute~ It comes in a little box too. The lady who won told me that it's the same medal (perhaps different picture?) they gave out on the ski trip.

There was no booby prize this year. Instead they called out the last three groups to the stage and made them help out during the Mirror performance. I quite envy them. XD Gackt was so mean though! When he called out the winners, he was all polite and said, "Please come down to the stage," but when it came to calling the last three groups, he said things like, "Mae ni DETEKOI." XD No please and nice words; basically just ordering them to come up to the stage. XD XD He divided them into 3 groups for the Mirror performance and made them sit down on the stage in front of the band members. He had to keep telling them, "Don't look at US!! Look in front!" XD XD They were supposed to help us during the hand-clapping for Mirror and we were supposed to look at them if we were not sure of the rhythm. (Usually they have other staff members to do that.) Chacha was the leader of Group A, which were the people sitting on the right and You was the leader of C, those sitting on the left. I was lucky to get Gackt again this year who was directing those in the center. :3 He tends to push his group harder than the other groups, or maybe it's because we were just really lousy. XD

Our group was really terrible. We kept getting the beat wrong! The "role models" in front weren't of much help either. XDD We were so terrible that Gackt ended up giving the rhythm for Group A to us and he made a whole new beat for Group A. It was awesome to sit there and watch him come up with a new rhythm in seconds. *O* He was getting pissed off at us though because we couldn't get the rhythm at all. XD He kept "whispering" loudly to Chacha, "Kyou yabai yo (Tonight is terrible)," "Kyou dame kamo (It's not going to work out)." XD Group C was ignored most of the time though. In the end, he finally gave up and said to the audience, "Watch and follow us," and he said to the "role models", "Follow THEM *pointing to the audience*" XD XD

Next was something new - Another World! Who would have thought that we would be able to hear Another World in an acoustic concert!? XD This song also involved audience participation~ They gave us lyrics sheets and we were supposed to shout the last word of each line together with Gackt while pointing our fingers at him. XD And the lala part in the chorus was changed to Nya Nya. XD That was quite a fun song to do and I enjoyed it very much. Before we sang it, he asked us if we wanted to rehearse it over once. We said okay at first, but then he changed his mind and decided to go ahead and sing it without rehearsing. So of course, the Dears all groaned, moaned and complained XD but he said, "Don't worry. It's okay, you guys can do it. If you tell yourself you can do it, you will be able to do it. If you say you can't, you won't be able to. You guys can do it!" That pretty much shut us all up. XD I loved the way he pacified the crowd~ I thought it was very brilliant and very Gackt-ish to say something like that to convince us to do what he wants us to do.

After the performance he said that it's the first performance he ever did where NO ONE was looking at him. XD Everybody was so busy looking at the lyrics sheet that we were basically ignoring him. He said, "Rukku. Atto. Mi (Look at Me)!!" He asked us to keep the lyrics sheet and memorize the song for next year. XD

He performed Love Letter, Road and Dears after that and ended the concert. They were all very touching performances. I cannot pick a favourite performance from that nigh because all the songs he did were great and most of them are my favourites. It was an extremely satisfying concert. If I were to choose though, I must say that I was most pleased to hear him sing Road because it's a song that has a special meaning to both Gekka and me and I am glad that he sang it when we were both there. ^^ The best and most perfect ending to a great trip.

After they had finished Dears, the band members each gave a little speech and this is what they said. I can't remember their messages word for word, so I will just do a summary.

Toshi - Enjoy France and go visit more places!

Ju-ken - "I hope that you will all work hard this year so that when next year comes, you will be able to say proudly, 'We were awesome.' Let's meet again next year." He was so funny because he said something wrong halfway through his message and he repeated his entire message. XD

Chacha - He said that he saw all our pictures when they were waiting backstage and that we all looked nervous. Then he said that we should remember that we have overcome that fear/nervousness for the photoshoot and he hopes that (that will help us) work harder this year.

You - "Did you have fun? Did you have a memorable time?" We all laughed at his questions and Gackt asked him if he could really count on him to do the last message for the members. He said, "I always have to follow up (after your comments). That's a sign of love, you know. (lit: You are really loved, you know)" And he said, "Don't ignore me!!" since You didn't respond to any of the things he said. XD After that, You asked us to thank Gackt and to give him an applause. ^^

Gackt - "I saw the pictures too and it gave me great joy to see your smiling faces as you walked through the door (during the photoshoot). I feel saved by those smiles." He talked about our time in France and the memories we made and he said that his memories revolve around the park and the hotel because that's the only thing he did in France. XD He wakes up, goes to the park (for exercise), does the photoshoots, eats, rehearses, and then goes back to the hotel.

"If you are troubled with worries, email me. I am here. If you look back at this past year, can you say that you have really worked hard? I know I can. I have worked damn hard. So when you are tired or feel like giving up, remember that I am working hard too, even harder than you. I hope that you can become a better person over the next year so that you can treat the next fanclub trip as a gift to yourself for your hard work. Let's meet again next year."

And then they left the stage and the concert ended. Listening to his words made me cry. He comforts you in a way that makes you want to work harder; be a better person. Not just for him, but for myself. He makes me believe in myself. He gives me courage to pursue the things I want and gives me the conviction that it might come true, that it will come true if I work hard for it. Seeing his unwavering belief in himself makes me believe that I can do it too. And so I will continue to support him whatever he chooses to do, because he is one of those rare people who truly deserves the things he has. He makes me proud to be his fan. And I hope that I will be able to see him again next year and say loudly and proudly that I have worked hard this year and have moved one step closer to achieving my goals. ^^

Here are some of the questions: (Try doing them without checking the answer and see how many you can answer! XD Remember you only have 3-5 minutes for each question! XD)

1. In the 2000 "Mars ~sora kara no houmonsha~" concert, "dears" was the 11th song to be played. When was "dears" played in the 2002 live tour "Kagen no Tsuki"? State the tracklist number.

2. "dears" was made the theme song for the "GUNDAM THE RIDE" attraction in Fujikyuu highland. How much was the admission fee to the ride?

3. Which two months on 2008's B2 size wall-calendar showed pictures of Gackt in a cemetery?

4. In Platinum Box 8, Ju-ken lost the quiz in which they had to guess the price of the Asakusa Imahan (sukiyaki) and ended up doing the batsu-game. What price did he write?

5. One of the original trump cards that was inside Platinum Box 4 showed a picture of Gackt playing with a toy xylophone. Which suit (symbol) was it and what was the number?

6. How many arrows were there on the ground in the picture found in "Ryuu no keshin" photobook, page 98-99?

7. How many ipods does Gackt have?

8. Which single contains the coupling of "dears" Live ver.? That single was Gackt's how many-th single to be released?

9. How many candies was he buried under in one of the commercials for Uha-mikakuro ema nodoame?

10. How many hours on average does Gackt train every day?

11. Gackt drinks his original vegetable juice every day. How many vegetables and fruits are included in it?

12. The most number of wine bottles that he managed to empty in a day.

13. How many days does it take him to finish one bottle of Egoist Platinum (100 ml)?

14. How many times did the word "ame" appear in "dears"?

15.Gackt took on the role of Uesugi Kenshin in NHK taiga drama "Fuurin Kazan". In which episode did he make his first appearance and what was the title?

ANS:
1. 13th song
2. 1,000 yen
3. September - October
4. 17,500 yen
5. 3 of Hearts
6. 16 pieces
7. 12 ipods
8. 6th single, Saikai
9. 4,000
10. 4 hours
11. 11 types (carrots, paprika, green pepper, parsley, spinach, broccoli, mini tomatoes, asparagus, apple, kiwi, lemon) Gackt, my dear, what are you drinking? @@;
12. 30 bottles
13. 7 days
14. 4 times
15. 24th episode, Echigo no Ryuu

So yeah, those were the questions. -__- Remember, we were all on the bus IN PARIS, without any resources except for our own brains. XD The only ones I knew were 4 hours of training, the single with the dears coupling and that "ame" appeared 4 times. XD

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