!Shine A Light Photobook Pages 272~353 (End)

it’s finally the day of the concert. Jiyong doesn’t even look nervous, just chilling out…so why is it that I’m shaking?
I will announce today’s weather.
For the first time in ages, it’s a cold wave.
It’s just so cold today. I went outside the concert hall for a while and came straight back in because of the cold, but I saw fangirls lining up 2, 3 hours before the start of the concert.
Maybe they forgot the cold because of anticipation for the concert. They were all smiling brightly.
Sure enough, Jiyong is worried about his fans waiting outside.
“Why is it so cold today………. They’ll freeze to death waiting. Seriously.”
Taeyang reassures the worrying Jiyong.
The waiting room is filled with joy and delight, like a huge family that’s gathered together for New Year’s Day or Thanksgiving..
Everyone’s checking Jiyong’s condition, making sure he hasn’t missed a meal or anything, how he’s feeling, and the room buzzes with the sound of all the continuous questions and answers.
On one side of the room, Jiyong is posing cutely in front of the camera.
I’m soooo nervous for him. But Jiyong, how can you be so relaxed?
But I’m sure Jiyong’s shaking on the inside too. You’re just acting like you’re not, right Jiyong?

Due to Jiyong’s request, Gaho is brought to the waiting room on the day of the concert!

“Gaho not coming to my concert, are you freaking serious??”
Out of the people entering the waiting room, there were even occasionally a few who went straight to Gaho before Jiyong.
But Gaho would just glance at them once before looking away with that distinct chic expression of his. He’s pretty much as popular as Jiyong himself.
In that noisy concert hall, I repeated the pattern of eating and sleeping while occasionally silently watching Jiyong perform. Though the occasional firecrackers scared the hell out of me, I got used to it after a while and they didn’t bother me in the slightest after that.
You could really tell how much Jiyong loved Gaho; Even though he was outrageously busy, he would take the time to pat him, hold him and hug him, and even give him snacks.
Can you imagine how much he cares for him?
I’m suddenly…..jealous……of a dog……….
They say envy is the greatest form of defeat.. Argh…….

 

I see Taeyang, who will perform with Jiyong in the concert. He worked really hard to prepare for this, and he was never once late to practice.

People call Taeyang a ‘model student’.
During the preparations of this concert, the way Taeyang kept checking the formation and chereo until the very last rehearsal made it seem like he was doing it for his own concert.
“As a person who’s close to him, what kind of person is Jiyong?”
“He’s a total child. He seems really immature at times, but you can’t help smiling when you see him act childish. What can I say, he’s sort of an unstoppable trouble maker? Since I have such a person by my side, it’s impossible to get bored.”
“Then what about G-Dragon the artist, not Jiyong?”
“Hmm……….In my opinion, he’s a stylish and extravagant kid who really stands out to people? I think he’s a bold person who’s always willing to experiment or challenge something.”

It’s Teddy, who always came even to choreo practices to check the floor plan and formation, and never hesitated to give Jiyong sincere advice and feedback.
Sure enough, he arrived early on the day and after finishing preparing for the last rehearsal, he goes to the waiting room and jokes around with Jiyong who I’m sure is very nervous…right?!
“As someone who’s worked with him, what kind of person is G-Dragon?”
“G-Dragon’s always really daring and his momentary focus is just amazing. And he can pull off various genres of music, not to mention fashion, without losing the hip hop…..”
“Then how’s Jiyong as a dongsaeng?”
“I think Jiyong’s always looking for something new; he’s passionate in every moment. He never let’s a single moment just pass by just like that. And he’s very emotional and tender-hearted…….”

 

Even in the waiting room, Jiyong matches parts of the choreo with others, or rechecks the order of things on the cue sheet, or checks every single outfit and prop.

A lot of people have come found him to cheer him on, and every time that happens he smiles brightly as he thanks them.
Maybe Jiyong is a little nervous after all.
He keeps checking the time.

 

Instructor Hwang calls Jiyong over in the middle of preparations. He suddenly turns the waiting room into a fitness centre.

Jiyong does a short simple exercise with equipment that the Instructor has brought in advance, and a chair.
Instructor Hwang, who brought exercise equipment for Jiyong to work on his fitness with even just before his concert.
Jiyong, who follows through and exercises without a word of complaint.
Both of them are just incredible.
“As his Instructor, what do you think of Jiyong and the preparations of his concert?”
“In short, G-Dragon showed me the meaning of ‘perfect detail’.”

 

As the concert time approaches, everyone gets busier.

On one end, Taeyang’s fixing his lines. He’s crossing out and rewriting stuff over and over and again, and at a glance he looks like a boy entering an essay contest or something.
The stylist altering his clothes at the speed of light, H.O.D’s doing his hair and make up, managers hectic because of the continuously incoming phone calls, food teams repeatedly checking and rechecking the prepared food in case it runs out.
Eventually, someone even starts running.
Even I’m this anxious and I’m only a spectator, I wonder how nervous Jiyong is?

 

It’s 15 minutes before the beginning of the concert.

I see Jiyong calmly collecting himself, even amongst all the frenzy.
The staff surrounding him are all cheering him on.
So are the others who participated.
Jiyong, who’s probably the most nervous at the moment, just waits and prays silently until the moment when he has to go up on stage.

 

It’s a cold wave today. But strangely, the concert hall is heated with all the excitement and fever.

The concert hasn’t even started yet, but the hall radiates with all the screams. They’re cheering Jiyong on, anticipation etched on all their faces.
I bet Jiyong’s hearing those cheers as he gets ready for the opening somewhere in the hall.
The screams get louder. It seems the concert’s gonna start soon.
Not more, not less, just show them exactly how you’ve practised until now.
I hope you can really show all your worries and efforts in the days leading up to this moment, Jiyong!

 

“Jiyong’s like an empty piece of paper.
A piece of paper that means something no matter what you draw on it, one that has to potential and possibility to do absolutely anything…
When it’s Jiyong, I always want to try different things, I want to make something new.
He’s the piece of paper that has allowed me to fulfil everything I’ve ever wanted to try, and more.”
-Stylist Ji Eun

“Tell us about the concert outfits.”
“While planning the entire concept for the concert and stuff, the most important thing was variety. I wanted to show how many different styles one artist could show. Not just in music though, I wanted it to be a perfect match with the outfits, hair and make up too.
He does have quite a hold on stage so rather than playing up his stage presence, we tried to make the flow of the outfits exciting and to make each outfit more dramatic. I personally liked the Rider outfits and the big ribbon suit, which was really a bit of ambitious work. As soon as this concert ends, I’ll be looking forward to the next one. There’s just so much that I want to do.”

 

YG Engineer Kyung Joon probably did the most work for this concert.
He even made the mic used for the concert.

“Kyungjoon, what do you think of Jiyong?”
“I’ve known him for a while but he executes everything so amazingly that even though he’s younger than me, I have a lot to learn from him.
I don’t think anyone can beat his passion for music, seriously.”

 

“Jiyong’s like a loveable, innocent child like ‘The Little Prince’. And the Jiyong I know is someone who is impossible to express with just one colour, or one language. He’s someone who can express pure colours in themselves without having to explain whether it’s dark, light, murky or clear.”
-Hair Artist Kim Tae Hyun

 

“An artist who considers everything in the world his toy. Even when he’s just woken up and his hair is soaring towards the heavens, under that hair his eyes are always full of curiosity ^^ I think he’ll stay the same even when he becomes an old grandpa. Don’t you?”
-Make Up Artist Lim Hae Kyung

cr: jenpai@ibb