JAPAN EXPO SAT.7/7/2018

Throwback to 2010, at Japan Expo (Parc des Expositions)
Morning Musume. are guests of honour. I, Lucie, wasn't too familiar with Hello! Project yet. I couldn't see them.
Moving to 2012, Takahashi Ai & Niigaki Risa, former Morning Musume. members, come to Paris for a TV event. Once again, I cannot make it there.
Twice. It's the amount of times I missed my opportunity to see who has become my #2 singer of all time. Niigaki Risa.
Now moving to late June 2018.
Japan Expo announces it after a few teasers by 33 Degrees (managers for H!P related events in France). Niigaki Risa will come once again, to celebrate Hello! Project's 20th anniversary.
I'm on the bus when I hear about it. I truly want to cry at that exact moment. I look at my mother and tell her, "Mom, I'm going to Japan Expo this year." I'm filled with happiness. After around 8 years of being a Risa fan, I'm finally getting to meet her. I will not miss another opportunity. I never thought she'd come back.
As soon as it gets official (the first news was actually leaked, JE wasn't supposed to announce it yet), I bought my ticket. That's it. I'm meeting her. Finally.

It's 6am. My alarm rings.
Wakey wakey!
Today is the day I meet Gaki-san, after all those years!
I'm pumped with excitement and jump out of bed.
I'm on the train to the Parc des Expositions where Japan Expo takes place within the following hour.
I get there at 7:45 am. The doors open at 9.
I meet a couple of friends as soon as I get here and we agree to try to win tickets for her signing sessions as soon as we walk in.
We were 5, but only 2 of us, Tif and I, wanted those tickets, so the three other lend us their tickets in case we'd lose. But, surprise! Both my friend and I get our tickets on our first try!!
I simply can't believe it. It's all getting so real. And I honestly feel like crying already.
We then head to the Hello! Project booth, hosted by 4 fans and two professionnals. They had organized many activitites for the day. But first, it's time to buy goods!
In order to get one photo with Gaki, one has to spend 50€ on the booth.
I decide to buy 2 bags (one for a friend and one for myself), a figure stand of my favorite Morning Musume.'18 member, Erina Ikuta, Angerme's Nakenai Ze's necklace and a figure stand for my sister.
My photo ticket is in my hand. How? How is this all happening? The first photo session is at 1pm.
Tif and I sign up for the Let's sing and dance activity at the H!P booth. We sang Morning Musume.'s Suki na Senpai & Maji Desu Ka Suka! and I then sang Tsubaki Factory's I need you ~Yozora no Kanransha~ on my own. It's kind of a big deal for me as I'm an anxious person, and very shy.
As soon as the activity is over, it's time to head for the Yuzu stage where a H!P projection with Niigaki Risa will take place.
My stomach hurts so much. I'm freaking out, to be honest. What if she thinks I'm annoying ?
Anyway, it's 11:30am, time for the projection to start.
A staff member steps on stage, then she comes. She's so pretty. She looks like a doll. And here they come, the tears, the tears of joy. She's really here.
They show us a ~45 minutes movie with promotional videos for H!P's latest singles and some extracts from Morning Musume.'18's last live, Ogata Haruna's graduation live.
Then, Gaki and two staff members come back on stage. It's Q&A time!! And you won't believe who got to ask her question to her idol first!
Yes, I did!!! I was shaking.
I asked her to describe the current group in one sentence. She said that the group has changed a lot since she left 6 years ago, and that the major change it has known is how it is now based on dance formations and it's impressive.
She said to someone else that the one song she would've liked to sing is One•Two•Three which is kind of ironic since it's the first single MM. released after Gaki's departure. She also said the one member she admires the most in H!P's current formation is Erina Ikuta because she always comes to her and asks for advice, her wish to improve is amazing! But she added that each and every member is admirable in her own way, and seeing them grow in their groups is impressive.

Risa leaves the stage, and we leave the room. 30 minutes to go before the first photo session!!
I fix my make up, and head back to the H!P booth with my friends.
She shows up, very calm, barely noticeable.
I get in line and wait for my turn.
I want to make a heart pose with her, I'm ready.
So my turn comes, and we pose for the photo.
She's adorbale, her smile is heartwarming.
She signs my photo and I leave.
But! The people on the booth told us that once you got one photo with her, you only had to pay an extra 10€ to get another one! So I buy her photoset for 20€ and get two other tickets!!!
I keep one photo for her to sign during her signing event later and take the other one for her to sign now.
For the two other photos, we do the 20th anniversary pose (ref: this photo) in honour of H!P's 20th birthday, and a peace sign.
It's crazy. When coming to JE 2018, I thought I'd get one photo with her, but I ended up with 3 photos and many autographs!!!
At the end of the session, Tif and I take a H!P history quiz & a blind test and I won a Morning Musume.'18 photoset!!! Damn, it really was my lucky day.
After those tests, we head to the signing session. I had my photo ready. But the staff member with Gaki told us she only signed on official Japan Expo pieces of paper. What the hell? I bought this photo just for the occasion! Well, I will ask for her to sign it when she'll get back on H!P's booth.
I get my big autograph and tell her "You know, today is Eripon [Ikuta Erina]'s birthday. And, Eripon and Gaki-san are my favorite Morning Musume. members, so I'm happy." and she smiled widely and said "Aah merci!!"

My friends and I head back to H!P's booth to wait for Gaki to come back for her last photo/signing session at Japan Expo. She comes back in a different outfit, but just as stunning as she was in her kimono-like dress. I get my last photo signed and wait for the end of the event.
After everyone took their photos, the 4 girls who hosted the booth took a photo with her and a friend and I look at each other and say "Hey! She's taking a pic with the four of them! She could then take a photo with the remaining fans on the booth!" And my friend does what I didn't dare to do: she asks for the photo. The staff member goes "Yeah! That's a great idea!" and Gaki agreed.
That's how we got that amazing photo I placed at the very beginning of the article!
Can you find where I am on the photo ? Hint: I have uncommon hair.

She then high fives everyone and leaves.

That's it.

I saw my idol and she's leaving now.

It was perfect, more than I would've ever dared to dream.

After another blind test, my friend and I leave.
Japan Expo 2018 is over for us.

Thank you 33 Degrees, Amaitsuki, Japan Expo, and more than anything, thank you Niigaki Risa for coming.

See you around.