My daily life with the original diva

Maintaining a serious demeanor, Hiroshi Kimura said very earnestly, "It's like this: because Akina-san's performance of 'Nanpasen' was outstanding, I saw some people say that Akina-san is more suited to singing sad love songs. I don't think that's the case, so I created this cheerful single to give her a try. As a result, Akina-san's performance made me very satisfied."

"Is that so? As expected, you're the one who understands Akina-san the most, knowing what kind of songs she's suited to sing," Furudate said thoughtfully.

"Hey, Furudate, what nonsense are you talking about? But you two are definitely the most familiar people!" Yoshimura Mari chimed in from the side.

Knowing that this was for the sake of the show, and especially since Yoshimura Mari was one of Nakamori Akina's friends, Kimura Hiroshi and Nakamori Akina weren't angry. Instead, they smiled, seemingly embarrassed.

"So, did screenwriter Kimura-san write 'My Wild Girlfriend' because he knew Akina-san well enough to create such a script? Ah, of course, that's my personal question. Kimura-san can talk to me about it privately later," Furudate said at this moment.

Although they were talking in private, the microphone was pointed at him. Kimura Hiroshi was quite cooperative at this moment, pretending to be very careful as he glanced at Nakamori Akina, as if he didn't dare to say it.

"What do you mean by looking at me, Kimura-san? Just tell me yourself. How this script was written has nothing to do with me." Nakamori Akina said, somewhat embarrassed and annoyed by the cautious look in his eyes.

“Yes, it has nothing to do with Akina-san, right? What do you think, Kimura-san?” Yoshimura Mari immediately followed up with a question.

Pretending to be conflicted, Hiroshi Kimura finally spoke up, "Ah, if I really have to say, it has a lot to do with Akina-san, she is my savage girlfriend."

"What? What nonsense are you writing, Kimura-san? You idiot!" Upon hearing Kimura Hiroshi call her a savage girlfriend, Nakamori Akina laughed and angrily punched Kimura Hiroshi on the shoulder.

This action only further confirmed her status as a savage girlfriend. Furudate pretended to be very surprised and said, "She really is a savage girlfriend. Alright, next, please welcome Akina-san to sing 'Not Just Loneliness'."

The program's intended effect had been achieved, and Furudate, knowing his limits, didn't continue. He quickly had Akina Nakamori begin her performance, thus ending the interview segment.

Akina Nakamori, who originally wanted to ask Hiroshi Kimura a few more questions, heard that the performance was about to start and Hiroshi Kimura had stepped down with the host. She could only go over and prepare to start her own performance. This was a live broadcast, and she couldn't mess around and cause any performance accidents.

She seemed a little angry just now, but when it was time to start the performance, Nakamori Akina immediately got into character. Moreover, it seemed that she wasn't really angry at Kimura Hiroshi's teasing. During the performance, both the guests present and the audience watching the show could feel that Nakamori Akina's desire to perform was even higher today, and the show's effect on stage was also better.

Back in the guest seats, Hiroshi Kimura watched Akina Nakamori's performance intently. She was wearing a rather form-fitting long dress for her performance, which was unusual for her today. Although she had a good figure, Hiroshi Kimura noticed that she seemed to have lost weight. This was not a good sign. Being thinner is nice, but being too thin is not good for your health.

Compared to the previous two guest performers who only sang half a song before leaving the stage, Akina Nakamori was able to sing the entire song. This is determined by her status, position, and popularity. Performing on a Japanese television station can be considered an unspoken rule.

However, a song only lasts a short time, and a few minutes later, Akina Nakamori's performance ended. However, she did not go directly to the guest seats, but went backstage to change clothes. After changing clothes, she returned to the guest seats and naturally sat next to Hiroshi Kimura.

She immediately slapped Kimura Hiroshi's thigh while the camera was focused on the performers on stage, and then said angrily, "What nonsense were you writing just now, Hiroshi? What do you mean I'm a savage girlfriend? Aren't I gentle enough usually?"

Without saying a word, Kimura Hiroshi touched his thigh and then gestured for her to look at it. The meaning was clear: slapping her like that right off the bat—is that what you call gentleness? It's typical behavior of a savage girlfriend, okay?

This silenced all of Nakamori Akina's rebuttals, and for a moment, she even began to doubt herself. Had she really become more and more barbaric? How could she hit someone so easily? Feeling a little guilty, she whispered in Kimura Hiroshi's ear, "I'm sorry, Hiroshi-kun. I'll definitely be more careful in the future and I will never hit someone again."

"Hmm, violence is not advisable, Akina. But Akina's strength in hitting me is getting weaker and weaker. It seems to be because she's getting thinner. Don't diet anymore, eat more. After the show, let's go out for a big meal, how about it?" Looking at the increasingly thin Nakamori Akina, Kimura Hiro decided to fatten her up a bit.

Having a girlfriend who is too thin is not a good thing. Not only will it affect her health, but more importantly, being too thin will ruin her original good figure. She will lose the curves in the right places, and then she won't feel good to hug. Kimura Hiroshi still prefers Nakamori Akina to be a little bit chubby.

Akina Nakamori was surprised that Hiroshi Kimura was not angry at her for becoming a bit violent, but also cared that she was too thin and wanted to take her out for a big meal. She was so touched that she secretly grabbed Hiroshi Kimura's hand and whispered, "Hiro-kun, you are so good to me."

"Of course, you're my girlfriend. If I'm not good to you, who am I good to? Cough cough, the camera's coming this way soon, so let go of my hand. After the show ends, you can grab me wherever you want." Kimura Hiroshi was quite satisfied with his performance, even a little smug, for making his girlfriend fall so deeply in love with him.

Chapter 465 Cooperation with the Big Players

By the time the live broadcast of the Night HIT program ended, it was already past 10 p.m. The female guests all had to remove their makeup and change clothes, but Kimura Hiroshi didn't need to. He directly told Akiyuki Yoshizawa which restaurant he would take Nakamori Akina to meet later, and that he would treat her to a meal.

They chose a high-end restaurant, and Kimura Hiroshi treated Nakamori Akina, their managers, and assistants to a good meal, as a way to treat everyone to something nice.

Seeing that Akina Nakamori seemed to be getting thinner and thinner, Hiroshi Kimura and Yoshizawa Akiyuki discussed it and asked the agency not to give Akina Nakamori too much work this year, so that she could have time to adjust her mind and body and rest properly. After all, health is the most important thing, and everything else is secondary to him.

Even if she says that, she'll have to wait a while to get some rest, because her work is all scheduled and she can't just shirk it. Besides, Akina Nakamori herself wouldn't agree to not doing what's scheduled, so she can only finish all the work that's been arranged first.

In order to have time to rest with Akina Nakamori later, Hiroshi Kimura naturally couldn't slack off during this period and started to work harder, trying to finish some things on his hands as soon as possible, such as the recording of the new single and music video, the post-production of "Rapid Chase", and the two singles he was preparing to sell.

"Mr. Tomioka, could you please contact Ms. Priscilla Chan's company in Hong Kong, and Ms. Hibari Misora's company? I have some singles that I'd like to collaborate with them on." Contacting other companies for collaborations was something Kimura Hiroshi didn't need to do; he could leave it to his manager.

"Okay, I'll take care of it right away." Yukio Tomioka naturally did his best to complete the task assigned by Hiroshi Kimura. He was also quite fast in doing things, and that afternoon he first contacted the two ladies' companies by phone.

Because we had previously collaborated with Ms. Priscilla Chan from Hong Kong, and they had purchased the cover rights to several of Hiroshi Kimura's singles, we had a direct way to contact them, making it relatively easy to get in touch.

Upon hearing that Hiroshi Kimura had recently composed a single and thought it would be perfect for Priscilla Chan to sing, they immediately expressed their willingness to collaborate. They will send someone over the next day to discuss the matter, which is very fast.

The reason for this attitude is that Hiroshi Kimura is so popular in East Asia. His movies and singles are all very popular. He truly deserves the title of "heartthrob". Moreover, Priscilla Chan's previous covers of Hiroshi Kimura's singles were all hits. Now that she heard that Hiroshi Kimura specially wrote music for her, she was naturally very anxious and afraid of missing out.

Contacting Hong Kong was quick, but contacting Hibari Misora, who was also in Japan, was not so convenient. Although they knew Hiroshi Kimura, they were very suspicious that a pop singer would write enka songs. They didn't know what Hiroshi Kimura was up to.

Faced with this situation, Yukio Tomioka naturally informed Hiroshi Kimura, and Kimura's response was quite simple: "Then record a demo of the single, and Mr. Tomioka can take it to them to discuss it. After listening to the demo, I think they will know what this enka single I wrote is like."

The next day, people from Hong Kong arrived. Kimura Hiroshi met with them personally and then took out the sheet music for his Chinese cover of the song, "A Thousand Songs," which he had written. The Japanese version of the song was called "Yusho no Uta," meaning "Song of the Setting Sun."

This song was originally supposed to be sung by the guy he tricked into making a short film, but now he doesn't have that opportunity. He doesn't know if the song's composer will ever create it again. Kimura Hiroshi doesn't want such a classic song to be ruined by this troublemaker and disappear from the world, so he took out the sheet music.

However, this song has no market in the current Japanese market because it is too somber. Kimura Hiroshi felt that even if he sang it himself, the sales probably wouldn't be very good. In that case, he might as well hand it over to the Chinese music scene, which is more receptive to it, and let Hong Kong diva Priscilla Chan be the original singer.

However, he only provided the sheet music for the single; the lyrics still needed to be written by a lyricist from Hong Kong. But Kimura Hiroshi wouldn't skimp on his share. Unlike before, he didn't ask for a lump sum to buy out the entire project; he asked for a percentage of the profits. However, he didn't make excessive demands, which was only three percent, a percentage that senior Japanese composers usually receive.

"I believe that Priscilla Chan can make this song a huge hit in the Chinese music scene, so I need royalties. If I were to buy it outright, I would be losing out." Hiroya Kimura stated his reason for wanting royalties on the spot.

Those from Hong Kong who came to discuss the matter couldn't help but laugh, but it was all a good-natured smile. From Kimura Hiroshi's words, they could hear his confidence in his piece and his recognition of Priscilla Chan, which made them quite happy. So, without much hesitation, after the professional musicians they brought confirmed that the piece was of excellent quality, they quickly agreed to Kimura Hiroshi's request.

Kimura Hiroshi was overjoyed that the matter was settled. He knew the status of "A Thousand Songs" in the Chinese music scene. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a classic of the era. Now that he could receive royalties, it would definitely be a large income, and it would continue to come in the future. Just relying on this song, his life wouldn't be too bad in the future.

After the matter was settled, Kimura Hiroshi invited the people who came to negotiate to have a meal together and had a few drinks. However, the communication was not very smooth, mainly because Kimura Hiroshi only had a superficial understanding of Cantonese and could not understand much of it.

After finalizing the deal for the single in Hong Kong, Hibari Misora ​​quickly responded as well. Upon hearing that Hiroki Kimura, who had recently been making waves in the Japanese entertainment industry, was interested in collaborating with her, Hibari became very curious. Without receiving a demo of the single, she decided to meet with Hiroki Kimura to see what kind of song he would be putting forward.

The two sides quickly agreed to meet at a coffee shop in Roppongi to have a proper talk. Hibari Misora ​​would go in person, and naturally Hiroshi Kimura would also be there.

On the day of the agreed meeting, Kimura Hiroki was not as casual as usual. Instead, he wore a formal suit and even tidied his hair to make sure there was nothing impolite before setting off with Tomioka Yukio and the others.

Kimura Hiroshi's manager, Tomioka Yukio, was quite pleased with his formality and said, "Misora ​​Hibari is a super senior, and Kimura-san's formality is a sign of respect for her. However, you should also be careful after meeting her, and not be as casual as usual, understand?"

Nodding, Kimura Hiroshi said, "I understand, Mr. Tomioka. Even if Ms. Misora ​​Hibari were a senior, I would still respect her very much. Please rest assured."

When they arrived at the coffee shop, staff were already waiting for them at the door. Upon seeing them arrive, they immediately led them to a private room on the second floor of the coffee shop.

When the door to the private room opened, Hiroshi Kimura saw Hibari Misora, who holds an irreplaceable position in the history of Japanese music. At 51 years old, she had many signs of aging on her face, and coupled with her serious illness, she looked somewhat aged.

Even so, she still dressed herself meticulously, wearing a long emerald green dress, her hair in a bun, and light makeup, giving the impression that she was still full of energy.

"Ms. Misora, this is Hiroshi Kimura. Beside him is his manager, Yukio Tomioka, and his assistant," a staff member introduced the newcomers to Misora ​​Hibari.

Hearing the staff's introduction and looking at the young Hiroshi Kimura, Hibari Misora ​​smiled faintly and said, "You really are young and handsome, Mr. Kimura. No wonder so many young girls like you. If I were young, I would probably be captivated by your appearance as well."

Uh, at this moment, Kimura Hiroshi was a little confused. He didn't expect that when he met Misora ​​Hibari, the other party would not be very serious, but instead would joke with him.

"Ah, you flatter me, Ms. Misora. My appearance is a gift from my parents; I'm just lucky," Kimura Hiroshi said modestly.

Hibari Misora ​​nodded approvingly at Kimura Hiroshi's statement, saying, "Yes, looks are given by our parents. Just like me, I'm one of those lucky people. Alright, sit down, Mr. Kimura. We can't stand here talking. If you'd like something to drink, you can order it yourself."

After being greeted, Kimura Hiroshi naturally sat down, and Tomioka Yukio and Ms. Michiko, who had come with him, also sat down. However, both of them seemed rather nervous, while Kimura Hiroshi appeared more relaxed and even called over a waiter to order a cup of green tea.

"As far as I know, Mr. Kimura has always composed and sang pop songs. Why would he want to collaborate with me? Although enka has been moving towards pop songs in recent years, there are still big differences." Seeing that Kimura Hiroshi and the others were seated, Misora ​​Hibari spoke again.

Knowing full well that the other party would be curious as to why a pop singer would write enka, Hiroshi Kimura prepared his answer in advance. He pretended to be profound and said, "Enka is a unique music genre in Japan. When I was a child, I often went to listen to it with my father."

I recently went home for the New Year and saw how my hometown has changed over time, and how my father is getting older. It made me quite emotional. Everything seems to be changing so fast, like a great river, flowing endlessly. So I wanted to write a song about time, and I also wanted to give it to my father. Therefore, I decided to write it as an enka (Japanese ballad). My father's favorite singer is Hibari Misora, so I wanted to ask you to sing it.

Hearing Kimura Hiro's heartfelt sentiments, Misora ​​Hibari seemed to be moved as well, responding with great agreement, "Yes, time is like a great river, flowing endlessly, giving no one a chance to react. I remember when I was eight years old, my mother led me to sing at the community center and bathhouse near our home, and now I'm already over fifty. Time really flies."

As a renowned enka singer, Hibari Misora ​​was sent to sing by her mother when she was eight years old. This was out of necessity, as Hibari Misora's family was very poor and only ran a fish shop. With many siblings in the family, they feared that the family would have a hard time if they didn't find other ways to make money.

"I only have these feelings because I was seriously ill. I didn't expect you to have such insights at such a young age. It's really remarkable. Perhaps this is what makes young geniuses different from others. So, let me see the music you wrote. Let me see what kind of work you've created." Misora ​​Hibari was clearly very satisfied with Kimura Hiroshi after their meeting, so she wanted to see what he thought of his music. If she thought it was good, then there probably wouldn't be any major problems with the collaboration.

The music was with Yukio Tomioka. When he heard that Hibari Misora ​​wanted to see the music, he quickly stood up, took the sheet music out of his bag, handed it to Hibari Misora, and said, "Please take a look, Ms. Misora."

When Hibari Misora ​​reached for the sheet music, Hiroshi Kimura noticed that Hibari's hand seemed to be trembling uncontrollably. Clearly, her condition had not improved and was still very serious, but she seemed to be fine and calmly accepted the music.

"Let me take a look first, Mr. Kimura, please wait a moment." After saying that, Hibari Kusora began to seriously look at the music. Perhaps because of her illness, she looked at it very slowly, but the more she looked, the more surprised she became.

Finally, she looked up at Hiroshi Kimura and said in great surprise, "This is really a song you wrote, Mr. Kimura?"

“Yes, Ms. Misora, this is the song I composed. If you’re not sure, you can verify it,” Kimura Hiroshi replied.

Waving her hand to indicate that she didn't need it, Misora ​​Hibari looked at Kimura Hiro with even more admiration. She said, "This song is really special. When I read it, it felt like it was telling my life story. It really surprised me. It's like a long, narrow path, full of twists and turns, not even marked on a map. Life's circumstances are the same. Time is like the water of a great river, flowing endlessly. You wrote it very well, Mr. Kimura. I really like this single."

Hearing this answer, Hiroshi Kimura breathed a sigh of relief. This swan song, which originally belonged to Hibari Misora, has finally been returned to its rightful owner. In fact, this song not only describes Hibari Misora's life, but also reflects the lives of many people, which is why many people feel a deep sense of empathy when they listen to it.

“I’m very happy that Ms. Misora ​​likes it, so I’ll leave this song to you,” Kimura Hiroshi said, sounding pleased.

"Yes, I like it very much. Please rest assured, Mr. Kimura, I will sing this song well. It is like a depiction of my life, and I will definitely not let it be buried." Misora ​​Hibari said very solemnly.

Chapter 466 Young people shouldn't be too ostentatious about their relationships

After finalizing the collaboration with Hibari Misora ​​at the coffee shop, Hiroki Kimura originally thought that all that was left was to sign the contract, and for Hibari Misora's agency and record company to complete the arrangement, recording, and release, and that would be all he would have to do.

However, Hiroki Kimura clearly underestimated Hibari Misora's passion and attention to this song, "Non-stopping River." During the arrangement process, Hibari Misora ​​repeatedly invited Hiroki Kimura to her agency, Kobe Entertainment Co., Ltd.'s Tokyo branch, to discuss the arrangement-related matters.

In Hibari Misora's words, "As the creator of 'The Flowing River,' Mr. Kimura must have a complete understanding of the song's meaning. Without your full participation, the song would have deviated from its original meaning, which would have been a waste of the song."

There was no way Kimura Hiroshi could refuse the request of his senior, so whenever he had time, he would go there to discuss with Misora ​​Hibari and the arrangement team to finalize the arrangement.

Just over two months after the release of "My Sassy Girl," which raked in 5.6 billion yen at the box office and was expected to reach 6 billion yen, the film's theme song "Not Just Loneliness," sung and released by Akina Nakamori, also sold more than 500,000 copies in mid-April. After more than a month, almost two months of discussion, the final arrangement sample for "Never Stop Flowing" was finalized.

The final arrangement adopted a symphonic style, making the single sound rich and full of history, which perfectly matched the mood the song wanted to express. Misora ​​Hibari was very satisfied with the final arrangement.

Kimura Hiroya finally breathed a sigh of relief. Working with such a big name was really too much work. After the meeting to finalize the arrangement, Kimura Hiroya said to Misora ​​Hibari, "Hibari-san, I'm about to release a single and start promoting it, so I won't have much time to participate in the work from now on."

After working together for more than a month, Hiroki Kimura and this enka master, who is over fifty years old, have become familiar with each other and no longer need to use honorifics when addressing each other. This is because Hibari Misora ​​is not as serious and difficult to get along with as she seems.

During the past month or so, Hiroshi Kimura witnessed the dedication of this enka artist who started singing at the age of eight. Although she is currently seriously ill and often experiences pain that sometimes prevents her from working and forces her to go to the rest room, she still insists on going to the agency every day to keep a close eye on the progress of the arrangement and complete her work.

On this point alone, Hiroshi Kimura admitted that he couldn't do it. He usually doesn't want to work when he has a headache or fever, let alone in such a serious condition. He would probably choose to lie down instead of insisting on completing this so-called work.

"Oh, really? But I've often heard that when Kimura-san releases a single, he doesn't have many promotional activities and his work is quite easy. I wonder if that's true?" Hibari Misora ​​said with a hint of teasing.

Uh, Kimura Hiroshi didn't expect that Misora ​​Hibari knew so much about his work situation, and he was a little embarrassed, but he still said, "Promoting the new single will increase the workload, so there will be much less free time."

“That’s true. Then I won’t trouble you any further, Kimura-san. I’ll discuss the song recording with my team. Once the sample is finished, I’ll have someone send it to Kimura-san to see if it matches the mood you had when you created the song. If it doesn’t, then I’ll ask you to come over and spend some time making revisions. What do you think?” Misora ​​Hibari didn’t want to make things difficult for Kimura Hiroshi and offered an idea that wouldn’t take up too much of his time.

"That's no problem," Kimura Hiroshi nodded in agreement, saying, "Yes, Hibari-san. I also believe in your abilities. A senior like you is more likely to understand the meaning of the song than a young person like me."

"Hahaha, Kimura-san really knows how to praise people... Ouch." Hearing Kimura Hiroshi's praise, Misora ​​Hibari couldn't help but burst into laughter, but this laughter seemed to trigger some kind of pain, causing her to take a deep breath.

Seeing that she was unwell, the staff nearby quickly came over to inquire. Kimura Hiroya stood up and asked, "Are you alright, Hibari-san?"

Supporting her necrotic thigh bone, Misora ​​Hibari freed one hand to indicate that she was alright, told the staff to sit back down, and then forced a smile, saying, "It's nothing, it's nothing. I was just having a good chat with Kimura-san, so I didn't pay attention to my health. It's fine. But Kimura-san, I really admire your way of handling things."

With your talent, you could have done so much better, gained more wealth and power, but you didn't. You only wanted what made you comfortable. If only I could be like you, I wouldn't have ruined my health like this. I can't even muster the passion I used to have for singing anymore. The pain has even robbed me of my love for singing.

She started singing at the age of eight and has been singing her whole life. Even when she was sick, she couldn't give up. This is not just about having wealth; it also requires a lot of passion. Hibari Misora ​​is clearly such a person.

Faced with her sentiments, Kimura Hiroshi didn't know how to comfort her, so he said in a slightly joking manner, "Hibari-san, actually I love money. If you're willing to give me more of the record sales, I wouldn't mind."

She had just praised him for not valuing wealth and power so much, but he came up with this. Misora ​​Hibari was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh and said, "You, Kimura-san, if it weren't for my health, I would definitely beat you up while laughing, and let you know how powerful the eldest sister of the Misora ​​family is."

As the eldest child of the Misora ​​family, Hibari Misora ​​transformed the family from a poor fish shop owner into a powerful clan in Yokohama. Her first brother was a high-ranking member of the famous Japanese Yakuza organization. It was because of her brother's connections in the Yakuza that her singing career suffered a great blow after being exposed by the media. At that time, the boycott against her was extremely strong, and her record sales plummeted.

Even so, Hibari Misora ​​did not retire. She persevered and remains a veteran figure in the Japanese music scene. This shows that although Hibari Misora ​​is easy to get along with, she is definitely a very capable woman. Otherwise, she would not have been able to achieve what she has today.