My daily life with the original diva

In second place is Akina Nakamori's new single, "Forbidden Zone," which was released two weeks ago. It sold 100,000 copies in the first week and 120,000 copies in the second week. The second week's sales were only 4,000 copies less than Seiko Matsuda's new single. This means that "Forbidden Zone" is likely to take the top spot next week, since Seiko Matsuda's single has been released for more than a month and its sales have inevitably begun to decline.

The sales of the restricted area far exceeded the estimates of Yan Yin and Warner Pioneer. Their expected goal was to exceed 400,000 copies to be considered a success, but now it seems that even 600,000 copies will not be enough.

With sales suddenly surging, Ken-On naturally wanted to find out the reason, as it could potentially help with the release of subsequent records, since selling even one more copy was always a profit.

This kind of survey wasn't too difficult. By collecting data from record stores and distributing some questionnaires, Ken-On received feedback within a few days: the number of women buying Akina Nakamori's records, especially young women who had just started working, had skyrocketed.

The survey questionnaires collected from record stores showed that many young working women had read the widely publicized scandal. According to the reports, they were convinced that Nakamori Akina was a girl who dared to resist harassment from her seniors. They liked this kind of girl and had a great liking for her. Many people became fans and started buying Nakamori Akina's records.

Ken-On never expected things to turn out this way. Johnny's Entertainment wanted to promote Masahiko Kondo, but instead, Kondo seems to be getting less and less popular because of the hype. The direct evidence is that the sales of his new single released in July have almost halved in the past two weeks.

Akina Nakamori gained a lot of popularity because she portrayed an independent and rebellious girl, especially young women who had just entered the workforce. Since they were new to the male-dominated workplace and were often harassed by male seniors, they had a huge liking for this kind of girl who dared to rebel against her seniors.

After determining the reason for the surge in sales, President Hanami Hutton was caught in a dilemma because Johnny's Entertainment had called him the day before, hoping that Akina Nakamori and Masahiko Kondo would star in a movie.

The two sides had just had a falling out, and now they were going to collaborate on a movie. Hanami Hyuk naturally knew what Johnny's was up to, but Johnny's had also offered enough benefits, namely that they would try to use artists under Ken-On as much as possible. In this way, many unknown actors under Ken-On would have the opportunity to appear on screen.

Currently, Ken-On only has Nakamori Akina and Kimura Hiroshi as their main talents, but both of them are not very obedient and disregard the interests of the agency. As the president, Hanami Hyuk naturally felt the danger and wanted to launch more artists to resist the potential risks. Johnny's move can be said to have hit Hanami Hyuk's sweet spot.

He was inclined to cooperate, but with the surge in sales of Akina Nakamori's new single due to previous rumors, he suddenly became undecided.

What would fans feel if they saw Akina Nakamori, who had previously resisted, going on to make a movie with her senior, Masahiko Kondo? Especially if the two were to play a couple in the movie, many fans would probably not be able to accept it, and might even stop supporting her altogether. This would be absolutely fatal to Akina Nakamori's future career.

As the only two cash cows he currently controls, he has to be careful. If something goes wrong, his position as president might be in jeopardy. After all, the real big boss of Ken-On is the conglomerate behind it, and the conglomerate only cares about profits.

"I think we should refuse, President. Currently, the development of Nakama-san and Kimura-san is far beyond our expectations. Even publicity has become much easier. There is no need for us to take risks," Terabayashi Akira said after thinking for a while after being called to the meeting.

Yoshizawa Akiyuki, who was in charge of Akina Nakamori, nodded in agreement. "Akina-san's image is very well-established now, and we don't need to ruin it. President, I don't think it's necessary to make this movie. The benefits we would get would be very limited."

In Japan, although filmmaking is a prestigious profession, the income of film actors is, to put it mildly, pitifully low. Even if the agency receives the majority of the compensation, it's still not very high, and it's really insignificant compared to releasing records.

Leaning back in his chair, Hanami Kaku tapped the table and looked at Akira Yoshizawa, asking, "How far have things progressed between Akina-san and Kimura-san?"

This question is quite profound. Akiyuki Yoshizawa knew what the president meant and replied, "They should still be just friends, just very close. If the president wants, I can talk to Akina-san and tell her not to date."

Shaking his head, Hanami knew this was an absolutely bad idea, because their contract with Nakamori Akina didn't include a clause prohibiting dating. Adding it now would probably make Nakamori Akina furious, since she hated the agency interfering with her private life.

Moreover, even if they don't date, given their current relationship, they will support each other if something happens. Unless a way is found to distance them, such as having them find their own boyfriends or girlfriends, then given Nakamori Akina's personality, she will inevitably distance herself from Kimura Hiroshi.

At this moment, Hanami He felt a little amused. Other agencies would use the strictest methods to restrict their idols from dating, but he actually wanted his idols to find boyfriends and girlfriends as soon as possible, as long as the two of them were not together.

"Then I'll trouble Akiyuki to inform Akina-san that the agency has asked her to film this movie." Hanami Kaku decided to conduct a test to see if Akina Nakamori would succumb to pressure. As for filming the movie, that was fine, but the male lead couldn't be Masahiko Kondo. He needed to communicate with Johnny & Associates again.

Of course, this was also an attempt, and perhaps Akina Nakamori was willing to accept it. However, when Yoshizawa Akiyuki received the order, he immediately looked distressed because he knew it was simply impossible. Who was Akina Nakamori? She was the kind of person who would dare to fight with him over business matters.

However, he still had to obey the president's orders. After the meeting, Akiyuki Yoshizawa immediately went to the TV station where Nakamori Akina was participating in a program.

During this time, Akina Nakamori has been in a good mood. Not only is her new single very popular, but she also has had the opportunity to spend time with friends like Kyoko Koizumi and Hiroshi Kimura, which gives her a sense of companionship and prevents her from feeling lonely.

After finishing the show, while removing his makeup in the dressing room, he heard the news brought by Akiyuki Yoshizawa, and his face, which was originally full of smiles and humming a tune, immediately fell.

“I won’t go, Mr. Akiyuki. You know about the previous scandal, yet you still want me to film a movie with him. I can’t understand what kind of arrangement this is!” Nakamori Akina said angrily.

When it comes to work, Akina Nakamori is not so gentle. She knows what the consequences would be if she made a movie with Masahiko Kondo, and she would never obey the agency's arrangements.

"This is the firm's requirement, and it relates to the expansion of our work, so please follow our arrangements, Akina-san." Akio Yoshizawa also pretended to be assertive.

But getting Akina Nakamori to submit wasn't something that could be done with mere pretense. She sat back down and said coldly, "Then let Mr. Akiyuki act it out. I will absolutely not go, absolutely not."

Chapter Forty-Five: People from Hong Kong

As the album promotion entered its later stages, Hiroshi Kimura began to take a break, unlike other idol singers who would release a single or album every three or four months and frequently participate in various programs during those three or four months to seek high exposure and increase their record sales, only to continue this cycle when the next album was released.

It was different with Hiroshi Kimura. His large-scale promotions would only last for about a month, after which he would rarely be seen on television. Instead, he would go to the radio station twice a week and occasionally give magazine interviews. Compared to those idols, his workload was much lighter, which was incredibly enjoyable.

However, he didn't have much free time today. In the morning, he received vocal training and practiced playing the piano. After lunch, he and his agent got into Ms. Michiko's car and headed to Warner Pioneer to discuss the sale of the copyright.

Unlike other idols, Hiroshi Kimura writes most of his own songs, so he owns the copyrights. If someone wants to buy his songs, they can only do so through Warner Music.

"Mr. Tomioka, who are you from that wants to buy the copyright to 'What You Name'?" Kimura Hiroshi asked with some curiosity.

This song, brimming with youthful energy, became a huge hit in Japan, so it's normal that it caught people's attention. Generally speaking, there are only two places that would come to Japan to buy the copyright, both of which are his home countries.

"Ah, it's Capital Artists from Hong Kong. They want to buy the adaptation rights to 'What You Name.' Yesterday, they bought the rights to 'Forbidden Zone' from Warner Music, and the payment was very generous," said Yukio Tomioka while flipping through the contract he was about to sign.

Hearing this place name, Hiroshi Kimura wasn't surprised. In the 1980s and 90s, entertainment exchanges between Hong Kong and Japan were very frequent, and many famous Japanese songs were adapted into Cantonese songs, with Miyuki Nakajima being the most famous. She was said to have dominated half of the Cantonese music scene, although that's an exaggeration.

The main reason for this situation is that Hong Kong's entertainment industry has developed too fast. There are more and more singers, but songwriters cannot keep up. After all, Hong Kong's population is only over five million. Making movies, singing, and TV series, while also taking care of a huge amount of song creation, is simply impossible. The speed at which songwriters create cannot keep up with the speed at which singers need songs.

Many singers have no songs to sing, so what can they do but buy them? The Japanese pop music scene next door has a longer history, and a large number of songs are created every year. In addition, Hong Kong people have a high acceptance of Japanese music, so buying songs to adapt becomes an excellent choice.

"Hua Xing Records, what kind of company is that?" Kimura Hiroshi didn't really know much about Hong Kong record companies, but he did know a lot about singers and actors.

After putting down the contract in his hand, Yukio Tomioka thought for a moment before speaking, "It should be a new company. I've never heard of them before. They approached us because you and Akina-san are quite famous in Hong Kong, especially this 'What You Name' album, which is said to have sold over 50,000 copies."

This was beyond Kimura Hiroshi's expectations, since he had never gone to Hong Kong to promote his album before. He didn't expect the album sales to be so good. Could it be because of his overly handsome appearance?

"With such good sales, why didn't the agency ask us to do any promotion?" Kimura Hiroshi asked curiously.

“The market is too small, Kimura-san. It’s not worth our time to invest too much effort. Besides, they have many famous singers, like Sam Hui and Jack Chen. Ah, especially Jack Chen. His movies are very popular in Japan, and he also releases records there,” Yukio Tomioka explained.

That's true. The Japanese record market is huge now. Although the competition is fierce, top singers can make a fortune releasing records, so there's no need for them to invest too much energy in Hong Kong.

"Is that so? By the way, is this Jack Chen the kung fu superstar from Hong Kong?" The only person Kimura Hiroshi could think of with that name was Brother Long, but Brother Long had released an album in Japan, so how come he had no idea about that?

Nodding, Yukio Tomioka said, "Yes, it's Jack Chen. His kung fu movies are very popular, and his record sales are also good. Speaking of which, he's an idol singer, just like you. Ah, it would be great if you had the chance to act in one of his movies. That would definitely be a huge help to your future development."

Kimura Hiroshi was stunned. He knew that Brother Long could sing, but what the heck was an idol singer? Brother Long's muscular body and heroic face didn't match the image of an idol singer at all. This was truly a genius marketing strategy!

"Idol singer Jack Chen, I really have to meet him. Is he going to be on any shows lately? I want to see him." Kimura Hiroshi's curiosity had been completely aroused. He really wanted to see what idol singer Jack Chen was like.

When Kimura Hiroshi appeared on a TV program, Tomioka Yukio was overjoyed and immediately agreed, "Don't worry, I'll definitely find it for you. He recently released an album and should be on Yoru HIT's music show. I'll let you know when that happens."

The car quickly arrived at Warner, where someone was already waiting. Upon entering the meeting room, the people from Huaxing were already there. They were somewhat surprised to see the young and handsome Kimura Hiroshi. They said in Cantonese that Kimura Hiroshi in person seemed even more handsome than he appeared on TV and in photos, while Kimura Hiroshi, who understood, pretended not to know anything.

The sale of the copyright went smoothly because Huaxing offered a very generous price, buying the Cantonese adaptation rights to "What You Name" for 12 million yen. Kimura Hiroshi naturally wouldn't ask for an exorbitant price and signed the contract on the spot.

Once the contract was signed, the copyright was considered sold. The person in charge was a Ms. Chan Suk-yee. She stood up and shook hands with Hiroshi Kimura, saying in Cantonese, "Thank you very much, Mr. Kimura. If Mr. Kimura ever comes to Hong Kong for activities in the future, we at Capital Artists will definitely provide the greatest assistance."

Pretending not to understand, and waiting for the translator to relay the message, Kimura Hiroshi smiled and said, "Thank you very much. I will definitely go if I have the chance. I have a favor to ask. I would like to know which singer will be performing this song. I would like to hear it when the album is released."

This is no secret. Chan Suk-yee said directly, "It's a singer named Leslie Cheung. By the way, he will also be performing the adapted version of Akina Nakamori's song 'Forbidden Zone.' I hope Mr. Kimura will give me his guidance then."

Stunned, Kimura Hiroshi never expected to hear two names that would become legendary in later generations today: Leslie Cheung, the god of song in his heart. He never thought he would have any connection with him.

"Ah, I'll definitely listen. If I have the chance, I'd like to meet this singer. I imagine he's just as handsome as I am," Kimura Hiroshi said, feigning composure.

"We couldn't be happier! If Mr. Kimura would like, we will definitely arrange it." Chen Shuyi was overjoyed. She knew that the young man in front of her was not only a good singer, but also had extremely strong songwriting abilities. If they could build a good relationship, it would be much easier for them to get their hands on good songs in the future.

Chapter 46 We Make Our Own Movies

Having made a small fortune, it was only natural to treat everyone. Assistant Michiko suggested going to a karaoke bar to have some fun, a suggestion that was agreed upon by Yukio Tomioka.

As the birthplace of karaoke, many working professionals in Japan like to go to karaoke after get off work to let loose, especially when colleagues or friends get together. They can rent a private room, belt out a few lines, and vent their frustrations, which can make them feel much more relaxed.

"Ah, since we're going to karaoke, we absolutely have to invite Akina-san. If she finds out we went without her, she'll probably nag me about it for days." As a karaoke enthusiast, Nakamori Akina especially loves singing at karaoke, and she sings in a funny way. With her around, it's hard for the atmosphere not to be lively.

"If we don't bring Akina-san, is this even a karaoke party? Let's hurry back to the agency and see if Akina-san is back yet. She's on a show today, so she shouldn't be too late. Let's also bring Akio-san and Noriko-san along. It's more fun with more people." Tomioka Yukio, this middle-aged man, also really enjoyed these kinds of activities, and the more lively the better.

Once an agreement was reached, they took action, driving directly back to the office. They received news from the receptionist that Nakamori Akina had indeed returned and was probably in the conference room, but she had a sour face and seemed to be in a bad mood.

The meeting room door was open, and Kimura Hiroshi peeked inside. He saw that Akiyuki Yoshizawa had a gloomy face, Ms. Noriko was sitting timidly in the corner, and as for Nakamori Akina, she was sulking, truly sulking.

With puffed-out cheeks, he looked like a pufferfish that had been caught, and it was unclear who he was angry with.

"Excuse me, the atmosphere in the meeting room is a bit tense. I think I can sense some people are angry; their faces are puffed up with rage," Kimura Hiroshi said as he walked in, cracking a joke.

"Ah, I felt it too, Akiyuki-san, what's wrong? Did our lovely Nakamori-san offend you again?" Tomioka Yukio came in and teased his colleague.

Seeing Kimura Hiro enter, Nakamori Akina finally stopped being sullen. She seemed to care about her image in front of Kimura Hiro, smoothed her hair, smiled, and retorted, "No, it's just that I didn't get along very well with the president."

"Ha, that was really unpleasant. I almost got into a fight with the president. Seriously, which artist would dare to argue with the president? You're definitely the first one," Akiyuki Yoshizawa said, as if complaining.

If he hadn't stopped her, Nakamori Akina would have really started arguing with Hanami Kagami. Such an entertainer is probably unique in Japan.

Sensing that Akiyuki Yoshizawa had worked so hard, Nakamori Akina forgot about her anger and grabbed Akiyuki Yoshizawa's arm, saying in a coquettish tone, "Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Akiyuki. But the president's request is really too much. I will absolutely not act in this movie."

"A movie? What movie?" Hiroshi Kimura seemed to have grasped the point.

"Johnny's wanted to make a movie with Akina-chan, a youth romance film, with Mr. Kondo as the male lead. When the president saw that Akina-chan disagreed, he said that they changed the male lead to Mr. Tagen, but Akina-chan still disagreed, and the two sides almost got into a fight."

Ms. Noriko, who had been hiding in the corner, jumped out and spilled everything, which made Akira Yoshizawa glare at her fiercely. Although they were from the same company and were friends, why was she in such a hurry to spill all the information?

It's Johnny's again. Kimura Hiroshi frowned slightly. They really are persistent. If he could, he really wanted to get rid of Johnny's, but unfortunately he simply didn't have that ability.

As an agency that has committed so many evil deeds, yet continues to grow stronger, it indicates that the forces behind it are not simple. To take them down, unless you have an even stronger background, it will be very difficult. This applies everywhere in the world.

"Sigh, didn't we just have a bit of a falling out with Johnny's? Why does the president still want to make a movie with them? This isn't good for us, is it?" Yukio Tomioka was also very surprised to hear this news.

As a manager transferred from Warner Music, he didn't interfere much with Ken-On's affairs. He was mainly responsible for Hiroshi Kimura's record and image management, and hardly cared about anything else. After all, for Warner Music, Hiroshi Kimura was even more important than the entire Ken-On.

Speaking of this, Akiyuki Yoshizawa also felt helpless. Ken-On couldn't possibly only need two top idols. If it wanted to expand and gain more benefits, it had to develop in all aspects. Actors were an important part of that. If it could make movies and bring in other Ken-On artists, it would greatly help Ken-On's future development.

Clearly, this is a conflict between the artist's personal interests and the agency's interests. In Hanami Kaku's view, the movie can still be made after Kondo Masahiko is replaced, and it will not cause any harm to Nakamori Akina.

However, Akina Nakamori clearly harbors resentment towards Johnny's Entertainment. It's impossible for her to make a movie with Johnny's artists now. Akina Nakamori's strategy for dealing with something that has already hurt her is to stay as far away as possible.

"Is that so? Then why don't we just make our own movie?" Kimura Hiroshi said.

This is clearly Johnny's attempt to salvage the situation after their previous hype plan failed. The male lead has been changed to Toshihiko Tagen, but could Masahiko Kondo play the second male lead or a minor character, and then create an opportunity to take a couple of photos of Akina Nakamori and Masahiko Kondo meeting or other photos to generate a lot of hype?

Public opinion that was initially in favor of Akina Nakamori could instantly reverse. If people feel deceived, the backlash could be very strong. If this really happens, Akina Nakamori's career could suffer a severe blow.

If you want to distance yourself from Johnny's Entertainment while still meeting Hanami Hyuk's needs for developing Ken-On, the best solution is for Ken-On to make its own movies and use Ken-On's artists.

However, when Hiroshi Kimura raised this suggestion, Yoshizawa Akiyuki shook his head and said, "Kimura-san, making movies is not that simple. We have no supervisor, no producer, no script, and no experience in making movies. We simply cannot complete the film."

Ken-On is too small. Although it has been recruiting employees since the rise of Hiroshi Kimura and Akina Nakamori, it is impossible to expand into film and television. So the best way is to hitch a ride with others instead of wasting time and effort on its own.

Kimura Hiroshi wouldn't be directing the movie, but he could provide the script and find a producer, so it wasn't difficult. Kimura Hiroshi said, "Then let me give it a try. I'll provide the script, find a director, and the production agency will come and find one. They don't need to be too famous. What do you think?"

Everyone present was stunned, frozen in place. However, Nakamori Akina's eyes lit up, and she asked, "Kimura-san, are you planning to film Love Letter? Didn't you say that I'm not suitable to act in it right now?"

As soon as she finished speaking, everyone was even more surprised. It seemed that these two had some secret that they knew nothing about.

"Ah, it's definitely not about filming a love letter. I'll write a new script. Okay, this isn't something that can be decided in a short time. Let me talk to the president tomorrow. Today, let's go to karaoke, have some fun, and relax. What do you all say?"

The original intention was to invite people out for fun, but unexpectedly, they started talking about work, and the conversation became increasingly serious. How could they have fun later? So Kimura Hiroshi immediately changed the topic to going out for fun.

"Going to karaoke? That's great, Kimura-san. What are we waiting for? Let's get going! If we're late, we might not even be able to book a private room. Let's go, let's not stay in this depressing meeting room."

Upon hearing that there was something to do, Akina Nakamori's mood immediately improved, and she urged them to set off quickly.