My daily life with the original diva

Saburo Suzuki is almost certain that Hiroshi Kimura's compositions were ghostwritten, but this requires evidence. Kimura has only been in Tokyo for about half a year, so as long as it is confirmed that he did not study music composition when he was in his hometown, it can basically be confirmed that he had someone else write his compositions.

He's become so popular in just six months since his debut. If a huge scandal were to bring him down, it would be very interesting, at least that's what Suzuki Saburo thinks.

"Let's investigate together then. Ah, I really didn't expect such a handsome young man to be a big liar. If we find out anything, I wonder how many girls will be heartbroken." Higashima Eri was clearly very interested in this matter.

The two hit it off immediately, and there were no problems. They reported the matter to the editor-in-chief and applied for time and funding to go to Saitama Prefecture to investigate. The next morning, the two set off for Saitama to find evidence to bring down a popular male idol.

Chapter 53 What did you see him do?

With the peak of promotions and record sales in October over, November finally brought a bit of leisure for Akina Nakamori, as she no longer had to participate in various television programs so frequently. Unfortunately, she didn't have much time to rest and was immediately pulled back to filming a movie.

There was no other way, because in December, as the year draws to a close, she will have to participate in various New Year's programs and events, and she will be busy again. In order not to delay the filming of the movie too long, she has to rush to finish in November.

Today we have five scenes to film. The first scene is a very intense one. The female lead's father was caught hiding drugs that were being investigated, which resulted in the murder of her entire family. The female lead was rescued by the male lead while she was out. Afterwards, she went back to retrieve the money she had secretly hidden and found out who her enemy was. She then wanted to use the money to hire the male lead to kill her enemy.

But the male protagonist refused because the other party was an inspector, and it was too dangerous to do so. He also wouldn't let the female protagonist go, believing that killing someone would change the trajectory of her life, and she would never be able to sleep peacefully again.

But the rebellious teenage girl wouldn't listen. She took out a revolver, loaded it, and asked the male lead, "What would you do if a bullet went through my head?"

The only response I received was a cold, indifferent "Not very good."

"I hope you're not lying, Fujino-san. If you truly have no love for me at all, because even a tiny bit of love would make you regret not saying anything to me."

She spoke slowly, her voice trembling with tears, while the male protagonist just stared at her with red eyes. The female protagonist raised her revolver, pointed it at her head, and pulled the trigger. At that last moment, the male protagonist opened the gun, and the bullet hit the wall.

"I won, Fujino-san, you have me in your heart!" the female protagonist said, crying.

"Cut! That was fantastic! That was amazing! Ms. Nakamori, you really impressed me. Kimura-san, you did great too. This will definitely be a memorable scene in film history." Takeshi Kitano couldn't help but praise the two who had given such impeccable performances.

After these days of filming, both actors have greatly improved their acting skills and no longer make Takeshi Kitano lose his temper and yell at people so easily.

Upon hearing Takeshi Kitano yell "Cut!", Hiroshi Kimura quickly snapped out of his daze, but Akina Nakamori was a different story. Tears continued to fall. She could get into character in a few seconds, but it was difficult for her to detach herself from the role. She felt a strong empathy for such a sensitive yet strong character.

Fortunately, the scene ended and the crew was preparing for the next shot, so they could take a short break. Kimura Hiro walked over to Nakamori Akina, who was trying to compose herself, patted her on the shoulder, and gave her a piece of chocolate.

"After filming a crying scene, it's best to eat a piece of sweet chocolate. The bitterness is mixed with sweetness, which can help you recover quickly," Hiroshi Kimura said philosophically.

This is actually because high sugar intake can bring people a sense of pleasure; after all, human physiology doesn't lie.

Taking the chocolate, Akina Nakamori smiled and said, "Thank you, Kimura-san."

Eating the chocolate did indeed improve her mood considerably. Suddenly, Nakamori Akina seemed to remember something, and frowned again, looking Kimura Hiroshi up and down as if trying to figure something out.

"Why are you looking at me like that? It's very impolite, Akina-san." Kimura Hiroshi pretended to be angry and stared back at Nakamori Akina.

"Ah, I just reread Kimura-san's novel Love Letter yesterday, and I noticed that Kimura-san killed off the male protagonist in both scripts. Why is that, Kimura-san? Do you have some kind of twisted psychology and dislike those male protagonists?" Nakamori Akina asked curiously.

What is meant by a twisted mentality? It's just a coincidence. But Hiroshi Kimura wouldn't say that. He said, "That's because neither of the two male protagonists can be considered good people. If they were alive, the emotional tension in the movie wouldn't be enough. Only when they are dead can people tolerate the wrong things they did."

This was said in a very professional way, and Nakamori Akina, who had absolutely no knowledge in this area, thought it made a lot of sense. She said with some admiration, "I see, Kimura-san, you are really amazing."

Hmph, you little brat, fooling a young girl like you is a piece of cake.

"Does Fujino-san love Chiyoko? He doesn't seem to have mentioned it before," Nakamori Akina asked curiously. The two were the Japanese names that Kimura Hiroshi gave to the male and female protagonists of the novel "Léon: The Professional."

Sitting next to Akina Nakamori, Hiroshi Kimura sighed, "Are all women like this? Do you always need a clear answer? Fujino gave his life to avenge Chiyoko, how could he not love her?"

Before meeting Chiyoko, he was merely a cold-blooded assassin; after meeting Chiyoko, he became a complete person and experienced the joy of being human.

Seeing that Akina Nakamori seemed thoughtful, Hiroshi Kimura continued, "It's the same in real life. You can't judge a man by what he says, but by what he does. It's easy to say something, but it's not so easy to do it."

His words, spoken like a senior giving advice to a junior, immediately made Akina Nakamori giggle. "A young junior, yet you're speaking like a senior, spouting advice that gives people a headache. You're getting too into character, aren't you? That beard is fake. You're even younger than me, Kimura-sensei."

He brought up that strange nickname he'd given me a few days ago again. Kimura Hiroshi glared at him. "What a waste of my breath. Alright, we're about to start filming again. I'll go get ready."

After saying that, she got up to leave, but Nakamori Akina suddenly spoke up and said, "I know, Kimura-san. Just like Kimura-san, you didn't say anything, but I know what you did. Thank you, Kimura-san. You are so kind and reliable. It's so good to have you by my side."

Kimura Hiroshi took two steps and his legs went weak, almost causing him to fall. Why did those words sound so much like a confession? He wasn't ready for it, let alone the fact that the other person was a future ever-changing diva.

"Haha, scared you, Kimura-san? Don't be so gentle with other girls in the future, or you'll have no shortage of scandalous news." Nakamori Akina clapped her hands and laughed when she saw Kimura Hiroshi almost fall over in fright, as if it were a prank.

He turned around and glared at Akina Nakamori, then gave her the middle finger. "You really don't know how to be grateful. You're trying to scare me at a time like this."

"Hmph, seniors have such privileges. As a younger man, you should enjoy it." After saying that, he turned his face away arrogantly.

Their playfulness came to an end there, because the scene had already been set up and the next scene was about to be filmed, so there wasn't much time for them to play.

Although Akina Nakamori had more free time and filming progressed much faster, the schedule was still quite limited. It seemed unlikely that filming would be finished this year, and they would have to film for another two months next year. This made Takeshi Kitano, who was anxious, unwilling to waste even a little bit of time.

Chapter 54 Problems Facing Style Change

With his new single about to be released, Hiroshi Kimura had to take a break from filming and devote more time to promoting the new single. After all, his main income still comes from record sales, and film production was just a spur-of-the-moment decision.

Moreover, Ken-On and Warner Music value records the most. This movie invested in by Kimura Hiroshi only provides a stage for Ken-On's unknown artists. Perhaps they will bring surprises in the future, but Kimura Hiroshi's record sales are related to the current income of Ken-On and Warner Music. Immediate interests are the most important.

The promotion proceeded as methodically as ever, starting with extensive coverage of the upcoming single release in magazines, followed by radio promotions and television appearances to generate buzz for the album's sales.

This song, Gaining Through Losing, is quite different in style from Hiroshi Kimura's previous two songs. It has a sad tone, but the melody is uplifting, just like its lyrics, which say that you can find something to gain in loss. The sunshine after the rain is the most beautiful, and I will always stand with you.

Not only that, this song completely eliminates the strong rhythm of rock music and goes for a completely pop style. This has been interpreted as a declaration of war against the media and the rock scene that claimed he had rock masters writing for him, telling them that he can do more than just rock.

Fans and listeners were still surprised by Hiroshi Kimura's sudden change in style and hadn't reacted for a while, but the song caused a huge uproar in the music composition circle because of its beautiful melody, profound lyrics, and fusion of Japanese and Western musical styles, making it a masterpiece.

In Japan, hit songs hold a very special status. A composer who can write a hit song may not necessarily be able to write a hit song. Once you have a hit song, your status in the entertainment industry will rise sharply, making you a big shot, and people in the industry will give you a lot of respect.

"Was this really written by a seventeen-year-old boy? Although his previous songs were not bad, they were somewhat opportunistic, relying on the strong rhythm of rock. This song, however, relies entirely on the melody to win. It's really hard to imagine."

Yosui Inoue, a big name in songwriting, was listening to Hiroshi Kimura's new single and couldn't help but sigh to his friend Koji Tamaki, who was about to debut as a band.

Koji Tamaki, who is also famous for his compositions, was somewhat surprised. "It's really amazing. When I was seventeen, all I wrote was garbage, but this Kimura-san can already write such beautiful melodies. He is definitely a genius."

Japanese songs have always been known for their melodies, so being able to write a good melody is very important and is one of the necessary conditions for becoming a famous song.

At this moment, someone suddenly spoke up and said, "Wasn't there always a rumor that he had someone else write it? Maybe he didn't write it at all. Seventeen years old, how much creative experience does he have? Even a genius couldn't write a melody like this without seven or eight years of experience. Does that mean he could compose at the age of ten?"

That made sense, but he was met with cold stares from Inoue Yosui and Tamaki Koji. Inoue Yosui even retorted, "What nonsense are you talking about? Would someone who can write such a famous piece willingly have someone else write for them? You are insulting creators."

As a fellow songwriter, Inoue Yosui knew that someone who could write such a famous song would never ghostwrite for others for profit, because others couldn't offer that much profit.

Creators hold an extraordinary status in Japan, not only because they are wealthy, but also because they have fame and social standing, comparable to painters and novelists. They are all considered cultural creators, and Ken-On would probably have to sell himself to bribe them.

"I want to meet this kid, see what kind of genius he is, and talk to Ken-on to arrange a meeting." Inoue Yosui was very curious about Kimura Hiroshi and wanted to talk to him in person.

Of course, it wasn't just Inoue Yosui who was interested in him; many other creators were also curious about Kimura Hiroshi, such as Oda Kazumasa and Yoshida Takuro, all of whom wanted to meet Kimura Hiroshi and see what this young genius was really like.

Yanyin was truly flattered to receive so many requests for meetings from big shots. When did the little Yanyin become so sought after? These big shots are a valuable network. If they can cultivate good relationships with them, it will be easy to get a good song for a new artist in the future.

"These are all big names in the music industry, Kimura-san. So many people want to meet and chat with you. You're probably no longer just an idol singer, but a master songwriter now." Yukio Tomioka was also very excited to see so many invitations.

After all, many of them are big names in the music industry who have been in the spotlight for over a decade or two, with unapproachable status. If you can build good relationships with them, Kimura Hiroshi might be able to become one of them in the future, and his future status in the entertainment industry would be unimaginable.

Kimura Hiroshi, on the other hand, was not interested in meeting these big shots. Why bother meeting them? These guys might put on airs as seniors and lecture him or tell him some rules when they met, which wouldn't feel good.

No one wants to be surrounded by a group of senior figures they need to treat with utmost respect, so Hiroshi Kimura simply said, "We'll see. Let's talk about it after we're done with this busy period. By the way, how are the fans and listeners reacting? The style of this new single is quite different."

Compared to these veteran artists who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, Hiroshi Kimura was more concerned about the market response to his new single, because it directly affected his interests.

"So far, the response has been okay, but it's not as good as 'What You Name,' and it's lower than 'The Most Important Thing.' Yesterday, it rose to sixth place on the cable song request chart. Ordinary listeners feel that Kimura-san's style has changed too much and are a bit surprised, but the fans are very supportive," Yukio Tomioka said with a slight sense of disappointment.

This song clearly had a great impact on the songwriting community, but it didn't perform as well in the market as expected. It's possible that some people couldn't accept Hiroshi Kimura's sudden change in style, since his previous two songs were both very energetic and rhythmic.

This is a bit of a problem. Kimura Hiroshi frowned slightly. He knew that the Japanese were actually quite strange. It wasn't that if you were famous and sang good songs, they would buy everything. Many times, a good song was not enough to gain their approval. They had their own unique way of making choices.

Many very popular singers have a huge hit with one song, but their sales plummet immediately after the style of their next song changes. It's not a gradual change; it's an instant disaster. This makes many singers hesitant to change their style easily.

It's not that you can stay popular forever if you don't change. Over time, the audience will stop buying it, and it will decline quickly. After all, someone like Seiko Matsuda who has always been sweet and popular is a rare exception.

Therefore, it is best to have a variety of styles. Even if you encounter some setbacks, as long as you can get the audience and fans to accept the change, it will be of great benefit to the future. Kimura Hiroshi is currently in such a situation.

"The problem shouldn't be too serious. After all, it's ranked sixth on the song request chart, and it's only been on the radio for three days. If the fans can accept it, then it's fine. Even if the sales decline a bit, it's acceptable, since this is the first time I've changed my style." Kimura Hiroshi wasn't too nervous.

Yukio Tomioka nodded in agreement with Hiroshi Kimura's statement, "That should be the case. By the way, aren't you going to the Night HIT rehearsal this afternoon? Perfect timing, I heard that Jack Chen will be there too. Don't you want to see him? This should be a good opportunity."

Chapter 55 Meeting the Kung Fu Superstar

When Brother Long arrived, Hiroshi Kimura was still quite excited. After all, he had watched quite a few of his movies in his previous life, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him a movie fan. Unfortunately, he couldn't escape the trend later on and made a lot of bad movies to make money, as well as strange advertisements. One of his shampoo advertisements was even parodied into a meme video that supported a group of content creators.

However, in this era, he is undoubtedly an Asian superstar. Almost the entire Asian region watched his movies, making him the most famous kung fu superstar after Bruce Lee.

However, his identity in Japan is somewhat complicated. He is both a kung fu superstar and an idol singer. What Kimura Hiroshi is more curious about is how Brother Long became an idol singer. It is really inconsistent with his image, which makes people feel very amused.

He came to the backstage of Yoru HIT once again. This was his fourth time here. He would come to perform almost every month. This music show, which started airing in 1968, can definitely be called the strongest music show of the Showa era.

Its stage sets are lavish, and it often features outdoor scenes. During the bubble economy era, it went to places like the Eiffel Tower and English castles, burning through budgets like crazy. But it was worth the money, as its viewership ratings were consistently above 25%. Singers who could appear on the show were either currently very popular or had very powerful connections.

When he walked backstage, although he had only been in the industry for a little over half a year and was still considered a newcomer, his staff and other artists who came to the TV station would greet him and he enjoyed the treatment that only senior artists would receive.

"Kimura-san, it's nice to see you again." A pretty figure appeared in front of him; it was Kyoko Koizumi.

However, she no longer looked the same as the last time I saw her. Her fluffy bob was gone, replaced by short, ear-length hair, which accentuated her round face. In particular, her big eyes blinked, making her look very charming and mischievous.

"Ah, it's me again today, Zi-san. You've changed so much, you're even more beautiful now," Kimura Hiroshi exclaimed, feigning surprise.

He knew that Kyoko Koizumi was starting to change her image. Female idols were becoming increasingly homogenized. Although she had done well before, she hadn't broken through the competition, and her record sales had always hovered between 100,000 and 200,000 copies.

This sales figure isn't actually bad; it's top-tier among female idols. However, compared to her friend Akina Nakamori, the gap is quite large, and if things continue like this, she could easily become outdated.

So this girl bravely chose to transform herself, from someone similar to Seiko Matsuda to the mischievous and quirky female idol she became. This courageous attempt has paid off handsomely, and she is expected to have a major breakthrough next year, with each order exceeding 300,000 units sold.

However, her friend Akina Nakamori was just too strong, and with the addition of Seiko Matsuda, the two of them were fighting fiercely, completely overshadowing her, the third sister. This is similar to the fight between a certain Taobao and a certain Wangji in later years, in which the third sister and her partner were defeated.

Of course, Kyoko Koizumi hasn't faded into obscurity; she's still incredibly popular. However, most people are focused on who the leader is among the first two, and haven't paid much attention to her.

Hearing Kimura Hiroshi's praise, Koizumi Kyoko was very happy and smiled sweetly, saying, "Thank you, Kimura-san. Ah, just as Akina said, Kimura-san is a very kind person."

"Really? I didn't expect Akina-san to praise me in front of her friends. Could you tell me how she praised me today so I can experience it for myself?" Kimura Hiroshi said shamelessly.

When he asked that, Kyoko Koizumi really didn't know how to answer for a moment. She couldn't see that Hiroshi Kimura was deliberately being funny. If it were Akina Nakamori, she would definitely brag about how much she praised him.

"Haha, just kidding, Kyoko-san. By the way, I heard Jack Chen from Hong Kong is here. Why didn't I see him backstage?" Kimura Hiroshi quickly changed the subject, afraid that Koizumi Kyoko would be too embarrassed.

As expected, Hiroshi Kimura offered a way out, and Kyoko Koizumi quickly followed suit, changing the subject, "Jack Chen, he has his own dressing room. After all, he's an international star, and the TV station values ​​him highly."

"Oh, is that so? Can I go in and take a picture with him?" Kimura Hiroshi asked again.

But how could Kyoko Koizumi know this? She wasn't a TV station employee, so she could only shake her head blankly.

"I'm so sorry to have troubled you today. I'll go ask the staff at the TV station." Kimura Hiroshi knew he had asked a stupid question and quickly looked for an opportunity to slip away. He couldn't stay any longer after embarrassing everyone.

However, he really did run away to find Yukio Tomioka. He wanted to meet with Brother Long privately, but Yukio Tomioka still needed to ask the TV station staff for clarification. After all, it would be too impolite to just rush up to someone and ask to meet.

Given Kimura Hiroshi's current fame, the TV station staff wouldn't dare to treat him casually. Tomioka Yukio found the TV station staff, explained his purpose, and the staff immediately went to ask Brother Long. Brother Long quickly replied that they could meet.