My daily life with the original diva

On the other end, Yoko Hanano replied, "Oh, the apartment that Akina-san left behind? I still have the key. Akina-san asked me to have someone clean it regularly. Is there something you need, Hiroshi Kimura?"

"Of course, I'll come to your place in a couple of days and give you the key. Remember not to tell Akina-san, understand?" Kimura Hiroshi instructed.

“Okay, no problem, Kimura-san,” Hanano Yoko replied.

With the key in hand, things would be much easier. Kimura Hiro smiled and said softly, "Thank goodness, the key is still with Hanano Yoko. I don't need to steal it from Akina's apartment. Now I just have to wait for Kayo-chan's news. I hope she can bring me good news."

While Kimura Hiroshi was waiting for news, Sato Kayo, who had received an important mission, acted very quickly. That evening, after returning to her apartment, she saw that it was almost 9 p.m., picked up the phone, and dialed the number of Nakamori Akina's apartment. Kimura Hiroshi had told her that Nakamori Akina was currently living in his apartment.

In the past, Akina Nakamori might not have had the time or been in her apartment, but now her work is quite easy. She can usually get back to her apartment around 8 pm and get a good night's sleep. She can even go to Hiroshi Kimura's apartment for breakfast.

So the call was answered quickly. When Nakamori Akina heard Sato Kayo's voice, she was overjoyed and said, "It's Kayo-chan! How did you know I was in my apartment?"

"Ah, Kimura-san told me. I just called him and he said it. Hehe, I thought you two had a fight, but it turns out Kimura-san said you're getting married, right?" Sato Kayo said mysteriously, as if she knew some huge news.

This kind of thing can't be kept secret for long, not to mention that Sato Kayo is their good friend. She found out. Nakamori Akina didn't seem to mind, but said shyly, "You know? But, it's not certain whether we'll get married or not. That guy hasn't even proposed to me yet."

"Is that so? Haha, but I know that even if Kimura-san just takes out an engagement ring and proposes simply, Akina-chan, you would still agree, right? So, Akina-chan is probably about to become a real president's wife, and about to call me Sato-er," Sato Kayo said jokingly.

The way she was addressed seemed quite amusing, as Akina Nakamori laughed incessantly on the phone, chuckling as she said, "Sato, Sato, go make me a cup of coffee right now."

"Okay, Mrs. President, is there anything else you need?" Sato Kayo said with a smile, cooperating with Nakamori Akina, and the two women joked around on the phone.

After a while, the two of them returned to normal. Nakamori Akina said, "I don't want to be a president's wife. Kimura's wife is more interesting."

“Is that so? Since Akina-chan is getting married, then I’ll have to give you some advice. Do you have time this Saturday? If so, how about we go shopping together and see what we need to prepare for the wedding?” Sato Kayo suggested.

This suggestion immediately appealed to Akina Nakamori, who eagerly replied, "Great, great! Saturday, right? Let me check my work schedule. I have a night of HIT on Friday night, so I'm free on Saturday. Let's go shopping together then. We'll meet at our usual spot at 10 a.m.!"

Hearing that Akina Nakamori had time, Kayo Sato breathed a sigh of relief. The first part of the mission went quite smoothly. If she hadn't been able to get Akina Nakamori to agree to meet, she would have had to try to get information out of her over the phone, but that would have led to many oversights. It was better to talk to her in person.

After working for two more days, it was Saturday, a day off. Most employees at Hegemony were allowed to rest; they didn't have the habit of working overtime on weekends.

"Kayo-chan, I'm here." On Saturday morning, Sato Kayo got up early as usual and took the subway to the usual place she had arranged to meet Nakamori Akina. There was no way around it; this Saturday was essentially working overtime as she helped President Kimura Hiroshi with some personal matters.

Looking at Nakamori Akina, who was dressed casually and wearing sunglasses, and thinking that her good friend was about to become someone else's wife, she felt a little sad for no reason. Once she got married, her status would change, and she wondered if she would still be able to easily go out with her like this.

Sato Kayo quickly stepped forward and circled around Nakamori Akina, scrutinizing her closely as if she didn't recognize her.

This left Akina Nakamori somewhat bewildered. She asked, "What's wrong, Kayo-chan? Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something wrong with me today?"

“Hmm, something’s not right. Akina-chan is about to become Kimura-san’s wife, so her status has changed. I need to take a closer look to see if there’s anything different,” Sato Kayo said seriously.

Knowing that Sato Kayo was joking with her, Nakamori Akina laughed and hugged Sato Kayo, saying, "Even if I become an old lady, it won't make any difference. You're joking with me."

"No, no, okay, Akina-chan, I was wrong. I haven't had breakfast yet, and I can't take your attacks. Let's go have some coffee, eat something, chat, and then go shopping to see if there are any wedding supplies that Akina-chan likes." Although she was being held hostage by Nakamori Akina, Sato Kayo wasn't afraid at all and was still joking.

"Hmph, how dare you be rude to the president's wife! Today I'll show Sato what I'm capable of!" Nakamori Akina wasn't about to back down either, and the two started arguing again.

If we weren't afraid of making too much of a scene and attracting attention, who knows what kind of trouble they would have caused. Now, we had to stop. We found a coffee shop, ordered coffee and some snacks for breakfast.

The two ate and chatted, mainly about Nakamori Akina, since she was getting married, so the conversation inevitably focused on her.

"Kimura-san hasn't proposed yet, so what kind of proposal ceremony does Akina-chan want?" Sato Kayo asked, feigning curiosity.

Nakamori Akina wasn't really sure about this either. Holding her coffee cup, she thought for a while and said, "Actually, there's no need for a big ceremony. Marriage is between Hiro and me. As long as he takes out the wedding ring, I'll agree. If there are a lot of people present, I feel uncomfortable. I really liked Hiro's confession last time. Not many people knew about it, and it felt really good."

Speaking of this, Akina Nakamori's face was full of a happy smile.

Silently noting it down, Sato Kayo also knew that Nakamori Akina didn't really like too many people knowing about her private affairs, so she definitely wouldn't like a grand marriage proposal ceremony. However, a wedding was probably inevitable. As a top female celebrity, if her wedding was small, people would think that Kimura Hiroshi wasn't too willing.

"I see. Then I hope Kimura-san can prepare a surprise for Akina-chan. By the way, since you're planning to get married, have you prepared a wedding room?" Sato Kayo asked.

Nodding vigorously, Nakamori Akina said excitedly, "Yes, a high-end apartment. Hehe, Hiro-kun bought it for me back then. He asked me to sell it, but I didn't, so I kept it. Otherwise, he would probably be worried about this now. House prices are too expensive these days. Hiro-kun is the type who doesn't like to suffer losses. He would probably feel bad if he bought it."

She really was thinking about Kimura Hiroshi all the time. Sato Kayo couldn't stand it anymore, but when she thought about how Kimura Hiroshi had asked her to find out information so that he could create a surprise for Nakamori Akina, Sato Kayo felt that Kimura Hiroshi deserved Nakamori Akina's consideration.

"The wedding room is all prepared, so is it decorated yet? Akina-chan, do you have any ideas about your future home? Do you want me to give you some suggestions now, so you don't have to think about it at the last minute and end up with many shortcomings? Why don't you start thinking about how to decorate now?" Sato Kayo suggested.

This suggestion also caught Nakamori Akina's eye, and she thought it made a lot of sense. Thinking about how to decorate the wedding room in advance would allow her to add more furnishings at her own pace after the wedding, which was truly a great idea.

"Wow, Kayo-chan, you've thought of everything even better than me! Right, Hiro-kun and I are both quite busy. Even before the wedding, we'll probably have a lot to do. We won't have time to decorate the wedding room then, so we need to think about this in advance. Come on, Kayo-chan, let's go see how we should decorate the wedding room. I have a lot of things I want to put in there."

Speaking of this, Akina Nakamori was really interested and couldn't wait any longer; she couldn't even wait for Kayo Sato to finish her food.

Chapter 572 Madness Under the Bubble

"It's still early, and I have some things to do, so I'll drive there myself. Mr. Tomioka and Ms. Michiko can go back to the agency." After participating in a TV program promoting his new album, Hiroshi Kimura said in the underground parking lot of the TV station.

Without asking what Kimura Hiroshi was going to do, Tomioka Yukio simply nodded slightly and said, "Okay, then Kimura-san, be careful on the road. Michiko-san and I will head back to the office."

After parting ways in the parking lot, Kimura Hiroshi did not go anywhere else, but went to a real estate agency in Ginza. Although it was close to closing time, the real estate agency was still bustling with people and a large number of clients, which showed how hot and crazy the real estate market was at that time.

Adjusting his sunglasses to ensure he wouldn't be recognized, Kimura Hiroshi entered Hanano Yoko's office and found her subordinates chatting with clients, all beaming with smiles. It was clear how good their business was; after all, mid-level managers earned their income through transaction commissions and managing real estate for clients, so the large number of transactions naturally made them very happy.

Kimura Hiroshi knocked on the door of Hanano Yoko's office, and heard her invite him in. He went in, and found Hanano Yoko busy on the phone. Kimura Hiroshi listened for a moment and knew she was discussing a real estate transaction with a client.

When she saw Kimura Hiroshi enter, she smiled and gestured, but did not hang up immediately. Instead, she talked for a while longer, seemingly confirming the deal, before finally hanging up.

"I'm really sorry, Kimura-san, I've been so busy lately that I haven't been able to entertain you properly. Please forgive me," Yoko Hanano said apologetically.

Kimura Hiroshi didn't seem to care. He leaned back on the sofa and said, "Miss Yoko's work is important. It's no problem for me to wait a little while. By the way, you must sell off all six of my last properties before the end of the year, understand?"

Although he was mainly there to collect the keys, he couldn't be careless in selling off his real estate. He now only had six properties left, and he had to sell them all off before the end of the year and get rid of them as soon as possible.

At this point, Yoko Hanano already thought that Hiroshi Kimura might have gone mad, because ever since Kimura started selling off his real estate, Tokyo's real estate market had been rising steadily. Now it was almost the end of the year, but neither the real estate nor the stock market showed any signs of decline; on the contrary, they were still rising continuously, with the stock market repeatedly setting new records. As a result, more and more people were joining in this frenzy.

Even so, Hiroshi Kimura still seemed to have no intention of staying, and continued to sell off his various properties with great determination. Now, all the apartments under his girlfriend Akina Nakamori's name have been sold off, leaving him with only six properties. Within a year, all the properties under their names will be completely gone.

"Please rest assured, Kimura-san, there are a lot of people who want to buy real estate these days. Even foreign capital has become somewhat frantic, so real estate is very easy to sell, not to mention the properties you own near Ginza. I'm afraid if I go out and make a few words now, those clients outside will immediately come to you with money to buy them," Yoko Hanano said with a playful tone.

With a slight smile, Hanano Yoko knew that he was somewhat blind to the economic situation. For a year, real estate prices had been rising steadily, while he had been constantly selling off his properties. At first, she might have thought he had a unique perspective, but after a year, real estate prices were still rising, so she could only think that Kimura Hiroshi had misjudged the situation.

Kimura Hiroshi naturally didn't offer any further explanation, only saying, "That's good. Sell it off as soon as possible. Oh, and give me the keys to Akina's apartment."

Seeing that Kimura Hiroshi didn't say anything more, Hanano Yoko didn't ask any more questions either. She rummaged in the drawer and took out two keys strung together, saying, "Here you go, Kimura-san. These are the two keys to the apartment. They're both here."

After taking the key, Kimura Hiroshi checked it to make sure there were no problems, then put it in his pocket. He then said to Hanano Yoko, "Very good, thank you for your trouble, Yoko-san. By the way, if Akina asks about the key, just tell her I took it. If she doesn't ask, don't say anything."

“I understand, Kimura-san. It’s perfect timing. Kimura-san is here today, and I have some collaborations I’d like to discuss with you. Is that alright?” Hanano Yoko suddenly said after handing over the keys.

Cooperation? Kimura Hiroshi asked with some doubt, "I don't know what kind of cooperation Ms. Yoko wants to discuss with me. If it's about me buying real estate, then forget it."

"No, no, Mr. Kimura, you've misunderstood. I know you're selling off real estate, how could I possibly let you buy more? It's like this, some of my major clients are investing in real estate, and as you know, sometimes it's difficult to get new loan authorizations from banks when you have too many loans, so they want to obtain some funds from other places. Mr. Kimura, you've sold so much real estate, you have enough cash on hand, so I thought..."

"Stop, don't say anymore. I understand what Ms. Yoko means. I'm sorry, but I have no interest in this at all, so please don't mention it again." Before Hanano Yoko could finish speaking, Kimura Hiroshi interrupted her, preventing her from continuing.

Unexpectedly, Kimura Hiroshi refused so easily. Hanano Yoko, still unwilling to give up, continued, "Kimura-san, these loans are secured by collateral. They own real estate, and the interest rate can be as high as nine percent per month..."

"I've already said stop talking, I'm not interested. Besides, you'd better not have any other ideas about the funds I use to sell real estate. Otherwise, I don't mind having my lawyer talk to you. Ms. Yoko should know that the lawyers at the firm can be very difficult to deal with." Kimura Hiroshi was unusually angry. He had already said he wasn't interested, but the other party was still talking.

What real estate mortgage? Who knows how many times the other party has mortgaged it? These investors have gone crazy. They don't care how many times they've leveraged their investments. They've borrowed from all the banks, so they're looking to private individuals, especially private individuals like Hiroshi Kimura who have large amounts of cash on hand.

Some wealthy people who seek stability but are also greedy are easily swayed by such loans. They are secured by collateral and offer high interest rates, which seem much safer than investing in real estate themselves. However, they don't realize how many parties have mortgaged these properties, nor do they know that the prices of those properties can plummet to one-third or even one-quarter of their original value in a very short time. This is for properties in popular areas; properties in less desirable areas could drop to one-tenth of their original value. Even if the properties are auctioned off, you won't be able to get your money back.

Therefore, Kimura Hiroshi naturally had no intention of getting involved in this matter, and didn't even want to know. Hanano Yoko had also gone a bit crazy, actually getting involved in this kind of thing. Before, he thought she was quite composed, but now it seems that the final madness of Bubble had made Hanano Yoko, who had been in it for a long time, irrational, and she was getting involved in everything.

"It seems I'll have to find someone else to manage the real estate in the future," Kimura Hiroshi thought to himself. Hanano Yoko's performance today had completely ruined his impression of her; she was no longer suitable to be the manager of Kimura Hiroshi's future real estate.

Unexpectedly, Kimura Hiroshi got angry. Hanano Yoko was a little taken aback, but she knew she had said something she shouldn't have. She quickly stood up and apologized, saying, "I'm sorry, Kimura-san, I shouldn't have said those things. Please forgive me. I will definitely not say them again in the future. Also, please rest assured about your real estate funds. There will be absolutely no problem."

Kimura Hiroshi is no ordinary person; he's her major client and a celebrity. If he were to say something, it would be a huge blow to Hanano Yoko's future career. She was also somewhat annoyed at the moment, realizing that she had been seeing too much money lately and had been blinded by it, with her mind only focused on various transactions and the money she could get her hands on.

She hadn't expected that Kimura Hiroshi would be so rational and resolute in such matters. Once he made up his mind, he would do it; if he didn't agree, no matter how great the potential reward, it wouldn't sway him. Such a person was both formidable and terrifying.

"This is a one-time exception, Ms. Yoko. We've known each other for so long, and we're practically friends. Let me give you some advice: some things, when they get too big, will eventually collapse. If you can't see through it, you'll collapse along with them. I hope you take care of yourself." With that, Kimura Hiroshi didn't linger and turned to leave.

As for whether Yoko Hanano listened to him or whether she would stop in time, he didn't care at all. This bubble had swept through a huge number of people, and countless respectable Japanese people had disappeared without a trace, vanishing from everyone's sight.

After getting the keys, Kimura Hiroshi didn't rush back. Instead, he went to the location of the apartment. This apartment wasn't near Ginza, but in Akasaka, Minato Ward, which is a wealthy area in Tokyo. Unlike shops, apartments are naturally chosen to be bought in wealthy areas. Kimura Hiroshi had bought six apartments for Nakamori Akina at once, and now only one was left.

This is a large apartment. When Kimura Hiroshi opened the door, he found that it was several times larger than where he was currently living. There were many rooms, and it was very clean. The decoration was already done, but there was no furniture or living facilities. Apartments in Japan are like this. They are handed over to customers already decorated. Of course, if you want to redecorate, there is no problem. You can just tear it down and renovate.

Because it's a new apartment, the decor isn't too old-fashioned, at least Kimura Hiroshi is satisfied, which relieved him. If the decor is fine, then things become much easier; he just needs to buy things to furnish the apartment, which is still in time.

"Even the most upscale apartments are just so-so. It's best to buy your own land and build a detached house, with its own entrance. That way you'll have enough privacy and can do exactly what you want." Looking at the large apartment in front of him, Kimura Hiroshi stroked his chin and thought.

A detached house is quite cheap in the suburbs or countryside and is a symbol of the common people. However, if you build a detached house in a wealthy area of ​​Tokyo, such as Matsutō in Shibuya, it is a symbol of status and identity. There are requirements for detached houses in Matsutō, such as the building area must not be less than 175 square meters and the height must not exceed a certain number of meters. Only the wealthy can afford to build one.

The price is too high now, so it's not worth buying. When the bubble bursts, who knows how many of those rich people will become poor? That will be the time for him to sell, and the price will be much cheaper.

After viewing the apartment, Kimura Hiroshi didn't linger and drove back to his small apartment. To be honest, after seeing the big apartment and then returning to his own small apartment, Kimura Hiroshi felt uncomfortable no matter where he looked. Big houses are so much better; at least they don't give people a cramped feeling.

After resting for a while, Kimura Hiroshi decided to cook something for himself. But before that, he called Nakamori Akina's apartment. It was already 9 p.m., so Nakamori Akina should have already returned. He knew that Nakamori Akina had gone shopping with Sato Kayo earlier that day.

But the phone rang for a long time without being answered. Kimura Hiroshi was a little confused and muttered, "She went out this morning and hasn't come back yet. My God, does this woman go out so wildly? Doesn't she get tired?"

After hanging up the phone, Kimura Hiroshi quickly made himself something to eat to fill his stomach. He was about to take a shower, watch a movie, and then go to bed when the phone rang. Kimura Hiroshi quickly answered it.

"Hehe, Hiro-kun called me earlier, right? He was worried about me, wasn't he? Now I'm telling you, your Akina is back at the apartment, everything is safe, and nothing bad happened." Nakamori Akina reported the day's events to Kimura Hiro as if she were giving a work report.

Kimura Hiroshi was quite speechless at this, and said, "I know, Akina is fine. By the way, you and Kayo-chan went out this morning and didn't come back until this time. You really have a lot of energy, Akina."

He was truly impressed. The two of them had planned to go shopping together today, but they ended up shopping for over ten hours. Are women really that talented in this area? If it were him, Kimura Hiroshi felt he definitely couldn't handle it. He still wanted his legs; he didn't want them to be ruined by walking.

"No, I was just looking at some interesting things, so I lost track of time. Ah, I didn't realize it at the time, but now that I'm back, my legs are so sore and I have no energy. Well, I won't say any more, I'm going to take a shower and go to bed. I have work tomorrow, so I need to recover so I won't be too tired tomorrow. I'm sorry, Hiro-kun, goodnight and sleep well." Nakamori Akina said quickly on the phone.

Seriously, she's getting more and more quirky. But Kimura Hiroshi could roughly guess that Nakamori Akina and Sato Kayo had gone to see something that interested them. In other words, Sato Kayo had completed her mission and gotten what he wanted. Kimura Hiroshi didn't want to keep Nakamori Akina from resting, so he quickly replied, "Then get some rest. Goodnight, Akina."

Chapter 573 The Proposal Plan Begins

After learning that Sato Kayo's intelligence-gathering work was going very smoothly, Kimura Hiroshi was eager to get the information from her. Unfortunately, the next day was Sunday, Sato Kayo's day off, and Kimura Hiroshi couldn't go to her alone for his own business and disturb her rest time, so he could only wait until the morning of Monday the third day.

However, he didn't waste Sunday. He spent the morning writing the theme song "Sudden Love" for "Tokyo Love Story," watched a movie in the afternoon, and went out with the members of the Checkers band in the evening. He didn't return to his apartment until after 10 p.m., and then talked on the phone with Akina Nakamori before going to sleep.

Then, early on the third day, Kimura Hiroshi went to his company to work, but his purpose was not to handle company business, but to get information.

When he arrived at the office door, Sato Kayo was already there. She was chatting with her colleagues and tidying up documents at her workstation. When she saw President Kimura Hiroshi coming over, the female employee greeted him and quickly ran back to her work area.

Watching the employee flee in disarray, Kimura Hiroshi couldn't help but touch his face and said, "Am I that scary? Why did you see me running so fast? If my fans and music lovers saw this, they would probably watch for a long time. This guy really doesn't know how to appreciate things."

Pfft, Sato Kayo couldn't help but laugh at Kimura Hiroshi's expression. She said, "Kimura-san is the president. The president is here to work. What kind of behavior is it for the employees to be chatting here? They're definitely going to run away. What does it have to do with the fans?"

“That makes sense, after all, we have different statuses. Alright, Kayo-chan, come to my office for a moment, I have something to ask you.” Kimura Hiroshi gestured.

Knowing perfectly well what Kimura Hiroshi was going to ask, Sato Kayo replied with a slightly mischievous grin, "Yes, President. I'll go in after I've finished organizing the documents. Would you like a cup of coffee, President?"

"I'd like a cup of black tea. I'm not really used to coffee. Hurry up, Kayo-chan." With that, Kimura Hiroshi went into his office, waiting for Sato Kayo to come in and report.

It didn't take long. Soon, Sato Kayo came in with a stack of documents and also made Kimura Hiroshi a cup of black tea, which she placed in front of him.

"President, here's your black tea and these documents. They were kept from last week and I need you to take a look. Two of them require your signature, so please remember to sign them." Sato Kayo started off by being businesslike and getting straight to the point.

Taking a sip of the slightly hot black tea, Kimura Hiroshi said, "I know, you can put it all aside. But Kayo-chan should know what I'm most concerned about right now, so please tell me quickly, what kind of information did you get from Akina?"