My daily life with the original diva

So that's how it happened. Kimura Hiroshi really didn't expect it. After all, he hadn't paid any attention to the record awards during this period, and he hadn't even contacted his friends in the association. He didn't expect the controversy during the selection process to be so big.

According to Hibari Misora, even if he didn't compete, he would still have a good chance of winning the Recording Award in the final vote. Since that's the case, Hibari Misora ​​felt there was no need to continue competing. This would preserve their friendship and ease the conflict between the pop and enka factions, making it a win-win situation.

"Is that so? I really didn't know I could get so much support within the selection committee. But even so, it's all thanks to Hibari-san's help that this result came about. Thank you very much." Kimura Hiro said sincerely. He actually wanted Misora ​​Hibari to win the grand prize, because he knew this was Misora ​​Hibari's last chance.

But he didn't know how to bring it up. Could he say, "You won't live past next year?" Saying that would probably break their friendship on the spot.

"No need, Kimura-san. If it weren't for your song 'The Flowing River,' I wouldn't have been able to win the Grand Prize at the Song Festival. If we're talking about gratitude, I should thank you. Without you, I might never have been able to win such a prestigious music award again." In reality, Hibari Misora ​​was more grateful to Hiroshi Kimura.

If the two of them continued to thank each other like this, it would never end. Kimura Hiroshi wisely ended the topic. Misora ​​Hibari chatted with him for a while, but seemed to be running out of energy. She found her assistant, and accompanied by them, she said goodbye to Kimura Hiroshi and left the backstage area.

Watching Hibari Misora ​​leave, Hiroshi Kimura sighed, his mind in turmoil, unsure of what he was thinking or what he could possibly be thinking.

His confusion didn't last long, because Ms. Akina Nakamori, who had finished her performance, came out of her dressing room. As soon as she saw him, she walked towards him happily, smiling at Hiroshi Kimura. Her silly, happy look was quite amusing.

He walked over and pinched Nakamori Akira's face. His baby-faced cheeks, no longer chubby, didn't feel the same as before, and Kimura Hiroshi felt a little disappointed.

"You're laughing like a silly little fool. What if someone saw you like that?"

"I'm not acting like a silly little thing at all. Congratulations, Hiro-kun, on winning the record award! That's something to be very happy about. Shall we celebrate tonight?" Nakamori Akina said in a cheerful tone.

"Let's celebrate!" Kimura Hiro quickly guessed what this girl meant. It was already the first day of the new year, and his record award win certainly deserved a celebration. So Kimura Hiro replied, "I know what you're thinking, Akina. You want to drink again, right? Well, it's the first day of the new year, and you've won the record award, so it's good to celebrate. Let's have a few more drinks tonight. You don't have any New Year's plans for tomorrow morning, do you?"

"Great! Let's have a few more drinks. There are no New Year's programs tomorrow morning. I asked Mr. Akiyuki to cancel his New Year's program this year because I'm going to Kasukabe with Kimura-san this afternoon." Nakamori Akina was overjoyed to get the answer she wanted.

Chapter 526 Public Opinion Trend

After the Red and White Song Battle, Hiroshi Kimura and Akina Nakamori attended a celebratory dinner together. However, the dinner almost turned into a personal celebration for Hiroshi Kimura, with all the guests congratulating him. As a result, Hiroshi Kimura had very few opportunities to speak to Akina Nakamori throughout the entire dinner.

Akina Nakamori wasn't upset at all; on the contrary, she was quite happy to watch Hiroshi Kimura accept everyone's congratulations. In her heart, she hoped that Hiroshi Kimura's excellence would be recognized by everyone. While watching, she secretly drank quite a bit of wine, but this time she didn't drink too much.

The reason is quite simple: she needs to go back and rest. She'll be going back to Kasukabe with Kimura Hiroshi this afternoon. If she drinks too much, is in a bad mental state, or smells of alcohol, that would be terrible. No matter how happy she is, she has to maintain a good image in front of Kimura Hiroshi's family.

The banquet was supposed to last until dawn, but Hiroshi Kimura and Akina Nakamori had no intention of staying until then. They left around 2 a.m. They had been so busy today that they hadn't had any time to rest. Now they just wanted to go back and get some rest so they would have the energy to go back to Kasukabe in the afternoon.

While the two were sleeping in the apartment, with the arrival of the first day of 1989, almost all entertainment media were reporting that Hiroshi Kimura had won the Grand Prix Recording Award the previous night.

"Incredible! Hiroshi Kimura wins the Grand Prix!"

"A stunning turn of events! Hiroshi Kimura wins the Grand Prix!"

"Shocking inside story of the Record Awards backstage voting: Enka judges suddenly changed their minds and voted for Hiroshi Kimura!"

"Unveiling the inside story of Hiroshi Kimura winning the record award!"

On the first day of the new year, entertainment media outlets were operating at full capacity. After all, the new year is a holiday, and people have more free time to read entertainment gossip that they might not normally pay attention to. So, entertainment media naturally wouldn't miss the opportunity to increase sales, putting the most explosive news on their front page.

Although there was no definite news beforehand about who would win the Grand Prix, both the media and the public felt that Hibari Misora ​​had a good chance of winning the award, because the Enka school had finally released such a hit single, and the Enka school would definitely try their best to win it.

As for the hot favorite Hiroshi Kimura, everyone knows that he is the most qualified to win the record award. After all, he was the only artist to achieve million-selling singles last year, and in recent years, both his record sales and the quality of his songs have been extremely outstanding.

However, this guy didn't seem to care much about any major awards, and given his falling out with many media outlets, everyone felt that even if he was qualified, he couldn't possibly win the record award, since many media outlets reported the same thing.

Unexpectedly, the awards ceremony at last night's Record Awards took a dramatic turn, with the Grand Prize ultimately going to Hiroshi Kimura. It seems that the decision was made during the final on-site voting stage, a first in many years, which naturally attracted the attention of many idle people.

Naturally, there are no secrets in such a selection process with so many participants. Japanese entertainment reporters are faster than Hong Kong reporters, and they dug up almost all the inside stories of what happened last night by this morning.

However, instead of reporting the facts truthfully, they embellished the story, making the voting process of last night's record awards seem thrilling. They described how the pop music judges and the media judges were arguing so fiercely that they were almost fighting, and how the media judges were so sure that they were sure to vote for Hibari Misora, and that the enka music judges must be their friends.

In the end, during the final vote, the enka judges turned against Kimura Hiroshi and cast all their votes for him, leaving the media and judges present speechless. They then angrily denounced the enka judges for betrayal and so on. In short, the entire selection process was turned into a legendary story.

The reality is definitely not like that. In fact, the judges had already handed in their votes when it was time to vote. It was just that the judges who were media reporters were surprised when the final vote count was determined. But that was it. There was basically no betrayal or quarrels.

But people who enjoy gossip don't like such mundane things. They love reading the back-and-forth, dramatic stories written by the media, and they think that's the real story. After all, most people's lives are too mundane, and they like to read exciting and unpredictable stories.

Such extensive coverage naturally generated considerable public discussion, and the news quickly reached Kimura Hiroshi.

Kimura Hiroshi, who originally wanted to sleep until the afternoon, was woken up by a phone call around noon. It was Tomioka Yukio calling him, telling him about the current situation outside and asking if he wanted to make any explanations.

Awakened, Hiroshi Kimura simply asked, "Have the Composers' Association and TBS TV done anything?"

The Composers Association and TBS Television, as the producers of the Recording Awards, should be the most sensitive parties to this matter. Although Hiroshi Kimura appears to be at the center of public opinion, he is actually not passive in the public discourse because he did nothing and his achievement of winning the Grand Prize is excellent enough. Even those media outlets that have a bad relationship with him cannot say anything to refute his claim.

"No, there's been no news from them. It's like they don't even know about it. When I called, they just said they'd communicate, but that's all," Yukio Tomioka replied truthfully.

Without any reaction, Kimura Hiroshi pondered for a moment and then roughly understood what the Composers Association and TBS Television were thinking. Although the media reports had exposed some of the internal disputes within the Composers Association, these were relatively normal disputes. In Japan, factional disputes have never been absent from people's lives since ancient times.

So they felt that since it had been exposed, there was no need to say anything more. In any case, apart from this, there wasn't much that would damage the image and interests of the Composers Association and TBS television in this wave of public opinion.

On the contrary, such a large-scale discussion has drawn more attention to the record awards, which is actually good news. People are surprised to find that voting for the record awards is so tense and exciting. So, the ratings might surge next year. You know, the competition for ratings among various TV stations and programs has become fierce, and they will not let go of any opportunity to increase ratings.

"Since the Composers' Association and TBS haven't taken any action, then we don't need to either. Let them hype it up; we don't need to care. Yeah, that's it. I need to rest; I'm just too tired." After saying that, Hiroshi Kimura hung up the phone. He hadn't slept well all day, and that feeling wasn't good.

But when he hung up the phone, he saw that Nakamori Akina had already gotten up and was standing at the door of the room, looking thoughtful.

"Why are you up, Akina? Sleep a little longer," Kimura Hiroshi said to Nakamori Akina as he got up.

"I woke up when the phone rang, and then I heard Hiroki talking to Mr. Tomioka on the phone. I couldn't fall back asleep at all. What's wrong? Did something happen with the record awards?" Akina Nakamori asked with a hint of worry.

Walking up to Akina Nakamori, Kimura Hiroshi touched her face and said casually, "Nothing happened. Everyone outside is talking about the inside story of last night's record awards, saying why I won the grand prize. Apparently, the enka judges all voted for me. But it's not a big deal. The Composers Association and TBS TV didn't say anything, so there's nothing to worry about. There's no need to worry too much."

Since the incident involving Johnny's that caused Akina Nakamori so much worry, Hiroshi Kimura stopped hiding too much from her and started telling her everything he needed to. This time, the media was reporting on it everywhere, so even if Hiroshi Kimura didn't say anything, Akina Nakamori would soon be able to find out the relevant information.

"Ah, I see. But Hiro-kun's performance was good enough to win the record award. What are they trying to say? It's really annoying. Those media outlets always like to report things randomly. It's so irritating." Nakamori Akina was a little angry when she heard that it was the outside media reporting things randomly again.

Because she herself is often bothered by the media, although things have improved in recent years, her dislike for the media has become a fixed idea; in short, these media outlets are always up to no good.

Seeing her huffing and puffing, Kimura Hiroshi quickly comforted her, "Okay, okay, don't be angry. Getting angry for them will only make you feel bad. Let's go back to sleep and then head back to Kasukabe to enjoy our New Year's holiday."

But after checking the time, Akina Nakamori shook her head and said, "You can't sleep anymore, Hiro-kun. It's already noon. We need to make some preparations to get back to Kasukabe. If you keep sleeping, we won't have enough time. So Hiro-kun, you can't sleep either. Come with me to buy some gifts, okay?"

"No need, Akina has already been there and given a gift last time, so there's no need to give another one now, right?" Kimura Hiroshi felt that there was no need to be so polite.

"The gift I gave you last time is the same one I gave you last time. I need to give you one this time too, but it's just a small gift. I've been so busy these past few days that I haven't had time to prepare anything. Come with me soon, please, please." Nakamori Akina said in a slightly coquettish tone.

Since his girlfriend had said that, what could Kimura Hiroshi say? He could only quickly wash up and then accompany Nakamori Akina to pick out a gift. However, this time Kimura Hiroshi also disagreed with Nakamori Akina choosing an expensive gift, opting instead for some simple presents.

Women take a long time to choose things, and by the time they had finished selecting their items it was already two or three in the afternoon. The two of them hurriedly returned to their apartment and drove back to Kasukabe.

However, there is one advantage to returning to Kasukabe in the afternoon: there are not many cars on the road. Most of those who wanted to go back to their hometowns have already done so, and most of those who wanted to go out for fun had already set off in the morning. Therefore, there is not much traffic on the highway in the afternoon.

In just over half an hour, Kimura Hiroshi and Nakamori Akina returned to their old home in Kasukabe. This time, the whole family was there, and Kimura Hiroshi saw his adoptive parents and older sister waiting for them at the door.

When they saw him drive back with Akina Nakamori, the whole family was overjoyed. They told him to park the car in the yard and pulled Akina Nakamori, who had just gotten out of the car, towards the living room. They were incredibly enthusiastic, leaving poor Hiroshi Kimura behind.

This scene prompted Kimura Hiroshi to sigh, and he said softly, "Anyone who didn't know better would think that Akina was the family's daughter, and I was just the adopted son they picked up..."

"Slap!" He had barely finished speaking when he was slapped on the head. It was obvious that it was his adoptive father, Nobushi Kimura, who had hit him from behind.

"What nonsense are you spouting, you brat? Your mother and sister are good to Akina, but isn't it all for your sake? She's just your girlfriend now. Your mother and sister are helping you make Akina your wife as soon as possible. You ungrateful brat, you foster son, I think you deserve a beating." Father Kimura Nobushi said angrily, and seemed to want to slap him.

But if a sneak attack succeeds once, it's impossible to hit again. Kimura Hiroshi dodged it in a flash, and then said with a grin, "I was just joking, Dad, don't be angry. Besides, have confidence in your son's charm. Akina will definitely be willing to marry me. Of course, I'm also happy that you treat her well."

"It's good that you know, but Ahong, you're also very good. Winning the record award shows that you've achieved a lot in music. I especially think the song 'Non-stop Flow' that you wrote for Hibari Misora ​​is great. It's a classic song. Write more singles like that in the future. It's very meaningful. Don't write those weird and nonsensical songs anymore."

There were praises and criticisms; he really did resemble a qualified strict father. However, it seemed that his songwriting standards were determined according to his own preferences, which left Kimura Hiroshi somewhat speechless. This was a bit like a patriarch; no matter how well he wrote enka songs, they wouldn't sell for much money. To make money, he had to rely on those nonsensical singles.

Despite thinking this, what Kimura Hiroshi actually said was, "I understand, Dad. I will definitely pay attention to the content of the songs I write in the future and write more meaningful songs."

"Hmm, very good. Alright, let's go inside quickly. It's cold outside. The food is ready. Have something to eat first. Your mother has prepared a very sumptuous meal for you and Akina. I don't usually get this kind of treatment at home or when I entertain guests. If anyone should be jealous, it should be me." Nobushi Kimura said, mimicking Hiroshi Kimura's tone.

"This old man is really interesting," Kimura Hiroshi shook his head and followed him into the living room.

Chapter 527 Bankruptcy Still Exist

Having already become familiar with Hiroshi Kimura's family, Akina Nakamori was no longer as reserved as she had been on her first visit. She got along exceptionally well with them, and the women chatted and laughed, even planning where to go for their two-day vacation, determined not to bring the men in their families, wanting to enjoy the happiness that women should have.

Kimura Hiroshi was naturally pleased with this, as the continuous busyness at the end of the year had left him feeling physically and mentally exhausted. Now he just wanted to rest for a couple of days, and he had absolutely no desire to go out and have fun.

Then, during the next two days of his annual leave, Kimura Hiroshi spent almost all of his time lying at home, while Nakamori Akina and the two women in the family went out to play. Obviously, the three of them had a lot of fun and didn't come back until late at night. Even though they had played all day, the three of them were still full of energy and didn't look tired at all.

However, this holiday only lasts for two days before Nakamori Akina has to leave. As a top singer, her work schedule is very tight, and she will be busy with work at the beginning of the year, so there is no long holiday to enjoy.

With reluctance, Kimura Hiro drove Nakamori Akina away from her hometown in Kasukabe City. However, they did not return to Tokyo but headed towards Kiyose. After all, Nakamori Akina had not gone home to visit during the New Year and was about to start her busy work again, so she naturally wanted to go home to visit.

"Mommy, Mommy, I'm back! Ah, Kenta, you're so cute! Don't lick me, don't lick me, you're really naughty, haha." As soon as she entered the yard, Nakamori Akina called out to her mother, Chieko. But the first one to come out wasn't Chieko, but Kenta, the little dog she had bought to keep her mother company.

Kenta is no longer the little puppy who only hid in his own little den. He has grown into a big dog, a bit bigger than Hiroshi Kimura's slippers. When he came towards her, Akina Nakamori happily picked him up. The fluffy little thing turned into a licking dog and started licking Akina Nakamori.

"Hey, hey, you little lapdog, show some respect! Her boyfriend's right here, and you still dare to fawn over him? Give it to me, and I'll teach it a lesson. I'll confiscate all the premium canned food I bought for you later," Kimura Hiroshi threatened as he hugged Kenta.

Kenta had no idea what Kimura Hiro meant by his threat. When Kimura Hiro hugged and shook him, he thought he was going to play with him and was overjoyed. He even tried to lick Kimura Hiro. This furry ball really was irresistible to both men and women. Unfortunately, Kimura Hiro rejected him and carried him far away.

"What nonsense are you talking about, Hiro-kun? You always say weird things. Kenta, be good, the canned food is all for you." Nakamori Akina said, patting Kenta.

Just as the two were playing with the dog, the door opened, and Chieko poked her head out. Seeing Kimura Hiroshi and Nakamori Akina, she was overjoyed and said, "Ah, Akina, Kimura, you've arrived! Come in quickly, it's cold outside."

"Mom, I'm home!" Nakamori Akina was overjoyed to see her mother, Chieko, and rushed over to give her a hug. Kimura Hiro, carrying Kenta, followed behind and greeted her as well.

The three of them went inside, and it was indeed much warmer. The temperature in Tokyo in January was still quite low, and it was much warmer inside the house, especially with the kotatsu (heated table) on it, which raised the temperature inside the house considerably.

"Aunt Chieko, these are gifts I bought. Most of them are to help you recover, and some are canned food for Kenta. They're supposedly imported from Europe, but he shouldn't eat too much of it. Just give him one can every two days." Kimura Hiroshi presented the gifts as he entered the house.

"You two always buy so much stuff every time you come. I really can't say anything to you two. You still have so much at home that you can't possibly finish it all. It's such a waste." Looking at all the things Kimura Hiroshi bought, Chieko didn't know what to say.

Almost every time Akina Nakamori came back to her family, she would buy her something, and Hiroshi Kimura would do the same every time he came over. As a result, the family accumulated a lot of supplements, which she could not finish eating at all. She gave some of them to her daughters. If she was not afraid of upsetting Akina Nakamori, she would have even wanted to give most of them away.

"If we can't finish them, we can give them to the older sisters. Maybe they'll need them?" Kimura Hiroshi suggested. He was only responsible for being polite, and he had no opinion on who Chieko should give the gifts to.

Akina Nakamori, who was standing next to her, nodded in agreement and said, "Yes, if Mom really can't finish it, she should give it to her older sisters. They probably need some too."

"Alright, that's the only way." With their permission, Chieko breathed a sigh of relief; she could finally give away the things that had been sitting in her house for so long.

After saying that, Chieko continued, "Akina, Kimura, there's something I need to tell you. At the end of the year, the family bar went bankrupt and closed down. Sigh, I'm sick. I don't know how Akina's father and brother managed to run it. The business was so good, how could they still lose money?"

Upon hearing this news, Kimura Hiroshi was taken aback for a moment, but he didn't show much emotion. He had long known that even if Nakamori Akina's father and brother had a great business, they would still go bankrupt. These two were simply not qualified business owners.

Nakamori Akina, on the other hand, was completely stunned when she heard the news. She could hardly believe it. She had always heard from Akira Yoshizawa that the bar was doing very well. Last year, after her mother got sick, she stopped paying attention to it. But how long had it been? The bar had gone bankrupt due to losses. This was too fast.

For a moment, she didn't know what to say. You see, she used to give her father a fixed amount of money every year. Even though they had completely fallen out, there was no reason why the bar would go bankrupt with the money she gave him and the profits it should have made.

"This is really bad news, but Auntie, you're not fully recovered yet, so don't worry about these things. Besides, I believe your uncles will definitely be able to run other businesses. What you need to do now is rest and recuperate; your health is the most important thing," Kimura Hiroshi comforted her, though he himself didn't believe what he said.

“Yes, Mom, your health is important. This is their own doing, so let them handle it.” Nakamori Akina continued Kimura Hiro’s words. In her heart, the most important family member was her mother, Chieko. As for her father, Nakamori Akio, she didn’t actually have much affection for him. Giving him money was more of a family responsibility.

Chapter 528 New Year's Record Plans

After having lunch and chatting for a while, Kimura Hiro drove Nakamori Akina back to Tokyo because she was starting to record a program the next day and couldn't stay overnight in Kiyose, and she didn't seem to have any intention of staying overnight either.

While driving, Kimura Hiroshi noticed that Nakamori Akina, sitting in the passenger seat, was unusually quiet, completely different from when she came to Kiyose, where she was quite talkative and never stopped talking. He probably knew why Nakamori Akina was like this.

"Should we find Uncle Kimura another job, or maybe let him go back to his old trade and open a butcher shop? He should be able to run it well, after all, he has experience in this business," Kimura Hiroshi suggested.