My daily life with the original diva

"Akina, Noriko, what are you chatting about so happily? May I join in?" Kimura Hiroshi naturally chimed in as he entered the group, wanting to join their cheerful conversation.

However, his request was immediately rejected by Akina Nakamori, who said, "No, we're talking about a secret, Hiro-kun, you can't listen."

"Secret? What secret? Ms. Noriko, can you tell me? If you won't tell me, Ms. Michiko, you can tell me, since you're my assistant." Kimura Hiroshi looked at Michiko and Ms. Noriko.

But his words clearly put people in a difficult position, leaving his two assistants at a loss as to whether to tell Kimura Hiroshi or not, creating an awkward situation.

"Hmph, that wicked Hiro-kun, using his position to blackmail them, how mean! Fine, I'll tell you, and we'll talk later. Just now, Hiro-kun was so imposing in front of the coach, acting like Mr. Nagayama wasn't the coach and Hiro-kun was the coach, acting all high and mighty." Seemingly not wanting Kimura Hiro to make things difficult for his two assistants, Nakamori Akina took the initiative to tell Kimura Hiro the so-called secret.

But to laugh so happily over something so trivial? Kimura Hiroshi was somewhat skeptical, because there was really nothing funny about it. He glanced at everyone present and said, "Really? You're laughing so happily over something like this?"

Everyone nodded quickly, but they looked so guilty that Kimura Hiroshi didn't believe what they were saying. However, he didn't press further and said, "Is that so? Then I am indeed quite impressive."

After saying that, he struck a very impressive pose, which made everyone laugh.

After chatting for a short while, Kozo Nagayama called for filming to resume, ending the casual conversation. Hiroshi Kimura and Akina Nakamori headed towards the filming location to begin a new round of shooting.

There was no one else on the way, and Kimura Hiroshi couldn't help but whisper to Nakamori Akina, "You guys were definitely talking bad about me just now, right? That's why you didn't want me to know. Hmph, Akina, I caught you red-handed, didn't I?"

He just wanted to provoke Akina Nakamori and see what they were talking about. Unexpectedly, when Akina Nakamori heard what Hiro Kimura said, her expression changed. She stuck out her tongue at Hiro Kimura and said, "Ah, Hiro-kun, you know? I'm sorry, I just thought what they were saying was funny, that's why I laughed. I didn't mean to say anything bad about you."

This stunned Kimura Hiroshi. Good heavens, you women are actually talking badly about him? This is outrageous! Kimura Hiroshi couldn't stand it and asked, "You're actually talking badly about me? Tell me, what did you say?"

Knowing that Akina Nakamori would never say anything bad about him and was probably just joking, Hiroshi Kimura was genuinely curious about what these women would say about him when they got together.

Knowing that it was impossible to keep it a secret any longer, Nakamori Akina stammered, "They...they said that this 'Tokyo Love Story' was written by Hiroki based on his own experiences, like Nagao Kanji, a young man from the countryside, falling in love with Akana Rika, a lively and cheerful girl from the big city. They said it was about you and me. And then they said that in order to please the audience, Hiroki actually wrote himself as so weak and hesitant, making himself look bad."

Goodness, so that's what they were talking about. Kimura Hiroshi thought for a moment and realized that the TV drama version of "Tokyo Love Story" was actually quite similar to what Nakamori Akina said. Kimura Hiroshi was from Saitama Prefecture, which has always been looked down upon or discriminated against by people from the Tokyo metropolitan area. They thought it was a rural area with nothing, which matched Nagao Kanji's situation.

As for Akina Nakamori, who plays Kiyoseto in Tokyo, well, her on-screen performance is quite lively and fiery, somewhat similar to Rika Akana. No wonder these guys who have read part of the script think that he wrote the script based on his own experiences; it seems to make a lot of sense.

They had arrived at the filming area and everyone was getting ready. Seeing that Kimura Hiro was still deep in thought, Nakamori Akina wondered if he was overthinking things and said, "Hiro-kun, don't be angry. They were just joking. I shouldn't have said that to them and upset you."

"Ah, no, I just thought that the script really is just like what they said, and it's somewhat similar to our experiences. But the problem is, I didn't think that way at all when I was writing the script. I'm wondering if the audience will think that way when it airs?" Kimura Hiroshi said with a hint of worry.

Based on their experience, there shouldn't be any problem. The problem is that the ending of this TV series is not a happy ending where lovers finally get together. Instead, it's a tragedy, and the male and female leads don't end up together. Nakamori Akina doesn't know what the ending of the TV series is either, because the script for the ending hasn't been sent to her yet. As for the manga, the ending of the manga is quite fantastical and completely different from the TV series.

Right now, these are just small discussions. If it airs and the media sees a breakup as the ending, they definitely won't miss it. It might cause a lot of hype and bring a lot of trouble. For example, some reporters might say that the future of the male and female leads in the drama is what Kimura Hiroshi wanted and Nakamori Akina's future, which is a breakup.

After hearing what Kimura Hiro said, Nakamori Akina also fell into deep thought. After a while, she said, "If what Hiro-kun said is true, it is very likely. That would be so annoying."

But then she thought about it again and said with a smile, "Actually, it's nothing. Lixiang and Wanzhi are a good couple. Thinking about us, it's nothing. It's just that I don't like Wanzhi's personality. He's always a bit timid, just like Hongjun back then. I have to point it out before he'll admit it. But Hongjun is much better than Wanzhi. He's not hesitant and doesn't get entangled with other women."

This brings up their past experiences. It was indeed Nakamori Akina who took the initiative and broke up their relationship, which led Kimura Hiroshi to confess his feelings. This is somewhat similar to certain plot points in the drama. Kimura Hiroshi was completely stunned. Fortunately, only the two of them knew about their private relationship. If others had found out, it would have been a disaster.

"Sigh, Akina's already making connections. That won't do. I'm not Kanji Nagao, and I didn't write the script based on my own experiences. I came to Tokyo alone, and I don't have any childhood friends," Hiroshi Kimura firmly denied.

But Nakamori Akina didn't seem to care at all, and instead said with a hint of joking, "Who knows? Aunt Akiko told me that Hiroki was very popular with girls at school, and who knows if he even has a childhood friend."

Kimura Hiroshi was utterly speechless, his face full of black lines. He realized that Nakamori Akina had been led astray by these women with wild imaginations, and had actually projected herself into the drama. Nakamori Akina was in for a rough time. Once filming progressed and she received the script with the ending, let's see what she does then.

"Kimura-san, Akina-san, is there something you haven't discussed yet? Filming is about to begin, please get ready." Over there, Nagayama Kozo, who was already prepared, saw the two still talking to each other and assumed they had some questions, so he asked.

"Ah, no, no, Akina-san and I were discussing some plot points, which caused a slight delay. I'm truly sorry. Okay, we're done talking. Let's start filming now." Kimura Hiroshi ended the chat and quickly went to continue filming.

Just before filming began, Hiroshi Kimura couldn't help but say to Akina Nakamori, "Akina, this is just a TV drama, not our real-life experience. Don't get too involved, or you'll feel terrible later. Oh, I forgot to tell you, Akina, this drama is a tragedy. Kanji and Reika didn't end up together; they broke up."

After hearing this, Akina Nakamori was stunned. The script was actually a tragedy, and the male and female protagonists did not end up together. She had thought from the previous scripts that the two of them had gone through some things and eventually got together, but in the end, they broke up.

"What the hell? Why did Hiroki write such a script? It's infuriating! He should change the ending." Muttering to herself, Nakamori Akina followed after him, thinking that she should finish today's filming first, and then she must make Kimura Hiroki change the ending of the script. She was very dissatisfied with the ending of Kanji and Reika, which ended with them breaking up. It had to be changed.

Chapter 568 Media Making Unfounded Speculation

In the following days, Akina Nakamori practically chased after Hiroshi Kimura, trying to get him to change the ending of the script. However, Hiroshi Kimura remained unmoved, even when Akina Nakamori tried to coax him. Hiroshi Kimura was like a meditating monk, refusing to make any changes.

As a classic urban romance drama, the reason why "Tokyo Love Story" is a classic is because of its ending. The male and female protagonists did not break through everything to finally be together. This is the most common type of urban romance, which is why it is remembered by so many people and is often reminisced about.

If the ending is changed, then many things in the beginning will need to be changed. Otherwise, it will be impossible to explain how the male and female leads ended up together. Moreover, changing it like this could easily turn it into a melodramatic urban romance drama. Kimura Hiroshi is unwilling to let what might be his last starring role become a so-called bad ending. He wants to leave behind a classic.

Finally, Akina Nakamori knew that it was impossible to get Hiroshi Kimura to change the script. She was furious for two days and barely spoke to him on set. But she also knew that she was just throwing a tantrum. The drama had already started filming, so how could she change the script at this time? So, after only two days, she took the initiative to make up with Hiroshi Kimura.

Kimura Hiroshi could only marvel at his good fortune in having such a sensible girlfriend who was a little temperamental. He was so lucky to have met such a wonderful person in the Japanese entertainment industry, someone who hadn't caused him too much trouble.

Filming proceeded quickly, mainly because Akina Nakamori had a very free schedule. This was the only time since she became an entertainer that she was able to work so easily, appearing on shows to promote her latest album and filming dramas. Unless there were night shoots, she could even meet up with Kayo Sato to go shopping and grab a bite to eat after get off work.

"Is Akina Nakamori's sudden halt to numerous promotional activities a sign that she's about to be sidelined?"

"Contract renewal negotiations fail, forcing Akina Nakamori to halt numerous activities!"

The once top-tier celebrity, who was extremely busy, suddenly had many of his activities come to a halt. Naturally, this did not escape the notice of the media with their keen sense of smell, and they jumped out to start their fabrications and wild speculations.

This year is indeed the year for Akina Nakamori and Ken-On to renew their contracts. However, in May, Akina Nakamori had already completed a one-year contract renewal with Ken-On, so it was not a contract renewal issue at all. It's just that Ken-On did not announce this matter, which led to unnecessary speculation by many media outlets.

Faced with this situation, Ken-On naturally had to communicate with Hiroshi Kimura. They didn't want to ruin their agency's reputation because of the issues between Hiroshi Kimura and Akina Nakamori. If they had to put a top-tier artist, whom they had personally cultivated, on hiatus just because of contract renewal problems, what would other artists think if they joined Ken-On in the future?

"These Japanese media outlets really love to make things up and fabricate stories. They're even more annoying than some Hong Kong media outlets," said Hiroshi Kimura, looking at the media reports in Ken-On's office, with a hint of anger.

He just wanted to get married to Akina Nakamori in a peaceful way and hoped that there would be no complications before announcing their marriage. However, Akina Nakamori's work schedule changes immediately attracted a lot of wild speculation from the media, and it was even more serious than before. Hiroshi Kimura clearly felt that the media's malice towards Akina Nakamori seemed to be increasing.

“It’s really annoying, but what can we do? There are too many entertainment media outlets in Japan. It’s just that you, Kimura Hiroshi, have a relatively good relationship with some of them, so there are fewer strange rumors. If you still have a bad relationship with all the media like you did a few years ago, then as soon as there’s the slightest disturbance, a whole bunch of rumors will be waiting for you.” Hanami Kaku also said with a lot of helplessness.

The Japanese media, well, they have very low standards. Fabricating stories is commonplace for them. After all, there are no penalties, and they can still boost sales, so why not?

"It seems that the president was right to make me back down from the media a few years ago. I really have to thank you," Kimura Hiroshi said with deep emotion.

"But I always feel that the media seems a bit abnormal lately. They seem to be too keen on hyping up all kinds of news in the entertainment industry. A while ago, there were Kenji Sawada and Yuko Tanaka, as well as some members of Onyanko Club. Even though some of them have lost their popularity, the media still exposed their private affairs and caused some scandals," Hiroshi Kimura continued.

He always felt that something was wrong. It seemed that these media outlets were suddenly very enthusiastic about creating scandals and gossip in the entertainment industry, as if they wanted to dig up every scandal about every celebrity before they would stop.

For example, many members of Onyanko Club saw their popularity plummet after the club disbanded, and many disappeared from television programs. However, many media outlets are digging into their romantic relationships, and many of them are dating former staff members of Fuji Television.

This gave the media something to be proud of, and their reports were sensational, claiming that Fuji Television staff had been keeping an eye on the Onyanko Club when it was still around, and that the members were very happy to associate with these staff members.

This turned into a major scandal, because many members of Onyanko Club at the time were still high school students. High school students dating TV station staff who were already working, especially in a superior-subordinate relationship, was unacceptable. This successfully triggered a wave of public opinion against female idols. Even Yasushi Akimoto and Mako Takai were brought up again, with Akimoto being said to have started the scandal because he was dating former Onyanko Club member Mako Takai.

In short, the media's actions were all a bit off. Kimura Hiroshi didn't care what they wrote about others, but he didn't want the media to target Nakamori Akina. Although he and Nakamori Akina were both quite clean-living, the media's bottom line was so low, who knew what kind of nonsense these guys would fabricate.

Hanami Kaku was somewhat surprised by Kimura Hiroshi's perception and said, "Kimura-san, your perception is very sharp. I think even if you weren't an entertainer, you would probably achieve a lot in other fields. That's right, the media has been quite agitated lately because they are deliberately digging up gossip and scandals in the entertainment industry."

As the president of Ken-On, Hanami Kaku has many sources of information and pays more attention to media matters. As a result, he gets the news much faster than Kimura Hiroshi, because Kimura Hiroshi does not pay special attention to this aspect.

But after receiving a positive answer from Hanami Kagami, Kimura Hiroshi roughly guessed what it was. He said, "The media must have been instructed by the government to deliberately dig up these news stories, right? And they also want to dig up even bigger entertainment industry gossip, preferably the kind that can spark nationwide discussion, right?"

Hanami Kagami was completely bewildered. He didn't know how Kimura Hiroshi knew these inside stories. He had only learned about them by chance when he overheard Nozaki Toshio's phone call with the Sasakawa Group. And now Kimura Hiroshi actually knew these inside stories as well.

After thinking about it for a moment, Hanami Kagami understood and said, "It seems that Kimura-san is also well-informed. Who told you about this? Was it Toho, TV Asahi, or someone else?"

Kimura Hiroshi gave a smug smile and said, "President, you guessed wrong. I guessed it myself. It's almost October, and there are only two months left in the year. This year, Tenko passed away, and Hibari-san also passed away. The social atmosphere is somewhat somber. Now that the economy is so prosperous, the government doesn't want the social atmosphere to affect the economy, so they want to find news about the entertainment industry to distract everyone. They really have a good idea, but it's really unfair to those artists."

The tactic of using other people to distract oneself when there is a problem is something that has been used to perfection in later generations, but this technique actually existed long ago. For example, Kimura Hiroshi himself used it, and naturally, the Japanese also use it, and they have become very skilled at it.

However, if this is done, the other people who have already done something shameful are not entirely wronged. But those who are about to disappear from the public eye are quite innocent. It seems that their careers in the entertainment industry are already blocked, so there is nothing wrong with choosing to get married. Among them, TV station staff are excellent partner choices. Their jobs are stable, their salaries are not low, and they are very familiar with each other. Choosing them is not a problem. But when it comes to the media, it completely changes its meaning.

At this time, Kimura Hiroshi was also quite worried. He wondered if the media would write something out of line when he got married. He didn't want the media to deliberately disgust him when he got married. Even if he could retaliate, some things had already been written and couldn't be taken back, which would be too disgusting.

"To be able to guess this, Mr. Kimura is indeed extraordinary. This is indeed a government requirement. If possible, Mr. Kimura, it would be best to postpone the wedding to avoid some media writing nonsense." Amazed by Kimura Hiroshi's perception, Hanami Kaku couldn't help but persuade Kimura Hiroshi to postpone the wedding, preferably to the second half of next year.

In this way, this inappropriate timing can be avoided, which is also very beneficial for Ken-On. At least it can allow Kimura Hiroshi and Nakamori Akina to maintain their popularity and help Ken-On earn money for another year.

However, postponing the wedding because of this is something Kimura Hiroshi would never do. He said with certainty, "President, postponing the wedding is impossible. Akina wouldn't agree either, so I can't do what you're thinking. As for the media, I'll think of something."

Having communicated with those media outlets for so long, Kimura Hiroshi roughly knew how to make a deal with them. These guys love big news, right? Then his marriage would be big news. He would make an appointment with them first, then call them over. When he announced the marriage, that would be the biggest news. The premise was that they couldn't write anything wrong. If they didn't write anything wrong, he could reveal some information to them about the wedding preparations and how the wedding would be held.

This way, they can get the latest news and the most traffic. At least during his wedding, these media outlets will definitely choose to cooperate. If they don't cooperate, then sorry, they won't reveal anything to you. At that time, you can only watch and write whatever you want, but you won't be as truthful and effective as those who have first-hand information.

"Kimura-san, you really are beyond words. Fine, if you're going to do this, you must be confident. So how are you going to deal with the recent situation? Should we resume Akina-san's recent activities?" Hanami Kake knew she couldn't persuade Kimura Hiroshi, so she could only let him do as he pleased. However, she had to find a way to deal with the recent media reports and couldn't ruin Ken-on's reputation.

Touching his chin, Hiroshi Kimura pondered for a moment and said, "In the current situation, it means that Nai's health is not very good. She needs to recuperate for the next two months, so she has reduced her activities. However, she is still continuing to promote her album and film her TV series. She then gives a few stills to some media outlets, and that's all she says."

It's common knowledge that Nakamori Akina isn't in good health. She's caught a bad cold countless times while appearing on shows, and her voice is so hoarse that she can't sing well. Now, after years of high-intensity work, her health problems have worsened, which is understandable. Besides, Nakamori Akina hasn't disappeared from the public eye. She's still promoting her new album and filming dramas. If she were to be sidelined, her agency wouldn't allow her to continue doing so much work.

Moreover, with Hiroshi Kimura around, there was no need to respond to the idea of ​​him being sidelined. Anyone with eyes could see that such a thing was impossible unless he and Akina Nakamori broke up. Thinking about this, Hiroshi Kimura was suddenly startled. Could it be that the media was actually planning to say that he was being sidelined first, and then that his relationship with Akina Nakamori had problems?

This is not impossible. Those media outlets have no bottom line. Kimura Hiroshi has seen it all. So it seems necessary to respond. It can also interrupt their next move in advance.

“Hmm, that’s a good idea. Let’s do as Kimura-san said. Akina-san has health problems, so she needs to suspend some activities. Once she’s better, she should announce the marriage. By the way, Kimura-san, have you proposed?” Hanami Kaku suddenly asked with great curiosity when the topic of marriage came up. He didn’t know if Kimura Hiroshi had proposed yet.

"It's time to prepare for the proposal." Kimura Hiroshi thought to himself, it's almost October, it's time to propose. After all, in a few months they should announce their engagement, so the proposal needs to be done quickly. Kimura Hiroshi decided to propose when the TV series finishes filming and he has the most free time.

Chapter 569 Sending Flowers Casually

The following day, several media outlets published statements from Ken-On Entertainment regarding the difficulties in renewing Nakamori Akina's contract. The head of the publicity department, Terabayashi Akira, stated that Nakamori Akina's contract had already been renewed in May of this year, and there was no such thing as a contract renewal issue leading to her being sidelined.

As for the recent decrease in Nakamori Akina's activities, it's mainly because she's been in the industry for eight years, and the high-intensity work over the years has taken a toll on her health. So her agency reduced her workload to allow her to recuperate. However, Nakamori Akina is still promoting her new album and filming a new drama series, so it's impossible for her to be sidelined.

This statement touched many of Akina Nakamori's fans, who felt that Ken-On was a really good agency. They felt that the agency reduced the workload when the artist was not in good health, which is a rare example of an agency that considers the artist's needs.

However, industry insiders, whether entertainment reporters or other agencies, could tell at a glance that Ken-On's statement was really fake. Which agency would reduce the workload of a popular artist because of their health problems, especially a top artist like Akina Nakamori? They would definitely take advantage of the fact that she might be in her last few years of popularity and exploit her ruthlessly. What does it matter if she is not in good health? As long as she is not really unable to move, she can still work.

Take Minamino Yoko as an example. She has health problems and has been hospitalized, but her agency still requires her to participate in necessary TV programs. After the program, she will go back to the hospital. This is because Minamino Yoko's popularity has reached its peak this year, and the agency will not let it go to waste. Who knows when their artist's popularity will plummet?

The seemingly serious statement from Yan Yin only fueled the curiosity of many entertainment reporters. They felt there was more to it than met the eye; otherwise, Yan Yin wouldn't have issued such a statement. Some reporters began to investigate.

However, some unfavorable rumors about Akina Nakamori have temporarily disappeared from the media, which has relieved Ken-On. Their reputation has been preserved and even improved, which can be considered an unexpected surprise.

Hiroshi Kimura, who was on set, breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the rumors subside, and was able to focus more on filming the drama.

By early October, filming for the TV series was finally coming to an end. In just over a month, this urban romance drama, which would become a classic in later generations, was about to wrap up.

"Call me if you think of me again later." Before parting, Kanji Nagao said to Reika, just like he and Reika had done when they first confirmed their feelings for each other.

Just like the first time she confirmed her feelings, Rika backed away to say goodbye, her face still beaming with that warm smile, and said, "Okay, Kanji, I've got it."

The two faced each other, walking backwards to say goodbye. Lixiang knew that if they said goodbye like this, they would never be able to leave each other again. She sighed and said, "Just like last time, let's count to three and then part ways."

“Okay, you count.” Kanji Nagao agreed.

"One, two... three." Raising her hand, Rika seemed to have used up all her courage to say three, then turned around, and Kanji turned around too.

After walking a few steps, Wanji couldn't help but turn around. He thought that, like last time, Lixiang would turn around and look at him, but she didn't. Lixiang was walking away quickly. He was disappointed and in pain, but he didn't call out to Lixiang. He turned around and continued walking.

But just then, he heard Reika calling, "Wanji, Wanji..."

Kanji turned around in surprise, only to see Rika smiling and waving at him, saying, "Goodbye, Kanji."

"Goodbye, Lixiang," Wanji said softly. He was very reluctant to part, but there was nothing he could do. He knew that Lixiang no longer belonged to him, and there was no possibility between them anymore, because he was already married.

With their backs turned, they walked further and further away, further and further away...

"Cut! That's great! Kimura-san, Akina-san, you did a fantastic job! You got this shot in one take, that's amazing!" Kozo Nagayama exclaimed excitedly. With this final shot completed, all the scenes for the drama were filmed, and the production was successfully wrapped. This was also his first drama as a director, so how could he not be excited?

"Alright, all the shots have been filmed, so I hereby announce that filming for 'Tokyo Love Story' has officially wrapped," Kozo Nagayama continued.

This immediately sparked cheers from both the staff and actors on set. Filming was over, which meant their work was coming to an end. Next up was the production of the TV series, which many of the people present did not need to participate in. In other words, they could take a few days off. The crew would not work continuously; even if they were very busy, they would need a few days to rest.