My daily life with the original diva

Although she didn't know why Kimura Hiroshi was being so secretive, Nakamori Akina trusted him completely and didn't ask any further questions. Instead, Kimura Hiroshi's questions drew her attention.

"Hmph, some people used to come to my apartment whenever they had the chance, but lately they seem to be very busy and haven't been coming to my apartment anymore. They even sound listless when I call them, so I came over to check on them," Nakamori Akina said with a hint of resentment in her voice.

During this time, Kimura Hiroshi was extremely busy and naturally neglected some things, such as going to see Nakamori Akina. After realizing this, Kimura Hiroshi pretended to breathe a sigh of relief and said, "Oh, I see. Thank goodness. I thought Akina came for something else. I was so scared."

Of course, Nakamori Akina knew exactly what the other thing Kimura Hiro was talking about was, and she was the most anxious about it. She was actually quite impatient and wanted Kimura Hiro to propose as soon as possible, but when she thought about how many things would need to be taken care of before they got married, she held back and didn't urge him.

But now, Kimura Hiroshi is deliberately bringing up the very thing that's hard to talk about. Nakamori Akina can't stand it. She lies on his back, pinches one of Kimura Hiroshi's ears, and says, "Hiroshi-kun, are you doing this on purpose? It's already November. If Hiroshi-kun doesn't propose, I'll go to your company and propose to you. Let's see what you do then."

What would it look like if a woman proposed to a man? Kimura Hiroshi would certainly not allow such a thing to happen. Although Japan is much more open now, this kind of thing is still a bit strange. If the media knew about this, who knows what they would write? Nakamori Akina would probably be portrayed in a very embarrassing way.

"Ah, the engagement ring isn't ready yet, so it'll take some more time. Once the ring is ordered, I'll propose to Akina. I have so many things to take care of lately, sigh, I don't even have the energy to plan a proposal ceremony, really." Kimura Hiroshi quickly put Nakamori Akina on the sofa, looking very tired.

Seeing Kimura Hiro's tired expression, Nakamori Akina truly believed it. After all, Kimura Hiro's career had expanded so much, and there were still many things to be done. He wanted to marry her properly, but there were many things he needed to do.

Feeling a pang of sympathy, Nakamori Akina leaned on Kimura Hiroshi's shoulder and whispered, "Actually, there's no need for a proposal ceremony. Hiroshi-kun, just bring the ring over, and I'll put it on your finger, and that will be a proposal."

The requirements were frighteningly simple, but how could Kimura Hiroshi possibly do that? He might only get married once in his life, so naturally he wanted to make sure every step was done perfectly. He took Nakamori Akina's hand, looked at the engagement ring on her finger, and said, "Akina's hands shouldn't be too fat, right? You won't have trouble wearing the new ring, will you?"

Her fingers are long and slender, and she's got a new manicure. Hmm, her hands are quite pretty, but they're not very fleshy. I can't find that plump, smooth feeling she had when we first met.

Rolling her eyes, Nakamori Akina's heartache vanished completely. She said irritably, "I got fat because Hiro-kun made me eat. Now he's complaining about me being fat. What a fickle jerk."

"Hehe, not at all, it's better to be a little chubby. It feels more comfortable to touch if you have some meat on you," Kimura Hiroshi quickly said with a laugh.

Too lazy to argue with Kimura Hiroshi here, Nakamori Akina asked, "Have you had dinner? I prepared dinner for Hiroshi-kun. If you have, then you can eat again tomorrow."

"No, I haven't eaten yet. Besides, this was made by Akina, so of course I have to try it properly." Pretending not to have eaten, Kimura Hiro walked to the dining table and gestured for Nakamori Akina to come over so the two of them could enjoy dinner together.

Having already eaten dinner, Kimura Hiroshi was destined not to eat much. He could only pour himself and Nakamori Akina two cups of sake, drink some sake and eat some food, mainly to chat with Nakamori Akina and supervise her to eat dinner properly so that she could gain some weight, which would be good for her health, as Nakamori Akina was still a bit too thin.

After dinner, Akina Nakamori didn't let Hiroshi Kimura clean up the dishes; she did it all herself. After cleaning up, she didn't leave but stayed. Although she had moved most of her things back to her own apartment, she had left quite a few things at Hiroshi Kimura's apartment, so staying overnight wouldn't be a problem at all.

The next morning, Akina Nakamori went to work immediately. With the end of the year approaching, she still had to appear on various programs. This was her last serious work for Kenon. After marriage, no one knew what would happen. After all, Akina Nakamori's idea was to retire after marriage, so she cherished this last period of her working life very much.

As for Hiroshi Kimura, he was so tired that he didn't get up until nine o'clock. After having breakfast, he didn't rush to work. Instead, he went to a well-known jewelry store near Ginza. He came there not for anything else, but to customize an engagement ring.

Although Hiroshi Kimura is quite uninterested in diamonds and the like, believing that the idea of ​​a diamond being forever is just marketing hype, there's no way to escape it once a certain marketing strategy becomes a social consensus. So, even custom-made wedding rings have to use diamonds, even though they're basically just a bunch of carbon atoms.

Kimura Hiroshi looked at the diamond rings on the jewelry store's display for a while, but none of them met his requirements. So he racked his brains and thought of some things he had seen on marketing accounts in his previous life. He asked the salesperson, "Do you have ten-carat diamond rings? I need to customize two wedding rings."

The reason I thought of the ten-carat unit is because Hiroshi Kimura saw in some marketing accounts that only ten-carat eggs can be called pigeon eggs.

The shop assistant, seeing the young Kimura Hiroshi wearing sunglasses, didn't recognize him. Upon hearing that he wanted to order two ten-carat diamond rings, she politely replied, "Sir, ten-carat diamond rings are very rare and require special customization. They are also very expensive. We have five-carat diamond rings here, which should be able to meet your needs."

Waving his hand, Kimura Hiroshi said with great certainty, "I want a ten-carat one. Price is not a problem. Just make it for me. If you're worried that I don't have the money to buy it, I can pay half of the deposit in advance. By the way, I saw that you have rubies here. I also need one to make a necklace."

These things all seem quite extravagant. In later generations, they might seem a bit too pretentious and tacky. But in this era of bubble economy, the Japanese don't think that way. They only see the superficial things, such as Seiko Matsuda's so-called 100 million yen wedding. The 100 million yen expense was clearly stated in the news reports.

Therefore, Kimura Hiroshi's purchase of these items is in line with historical trends, and large diamonds and rubies are quite valuable for collection. Even if diamonds and rubies are artificially synthesized in the future, it will not shake the value of large diamonds and gemstones.

Upon hearing Kimura Hiroshi's boastful words, the shop assistant immediately knew that this young man was a big customer. She couldn't possibly serve such a customer, so she could only say, "Please wait a moment, sir, while I ask our manager to come and discuss this with you."

Then he ran to the backstage area, and soon a middle-aged man came over. Seeing Kimura Hiroshi, he quickly bowed and greeted him, "Hello, sir. I am Tanaka, the manager of this jewelry store. I heard that you want to order two 10-carat diamond rings and a ruby ​​necklace, is that right?"

"Yes, I have a need, and I'm in a hurry. Ideally, it should be completed within five days. Is that possible?" Kimura Hiroshi said quite casually.

During the bubble era, Japanese people's consumption was quite extravagant, so their spending on things like diamonds and gemstones was actually quite high. The company would stock up on some in advance. Of course, ten-carat diamonds are considered very rare, so the manager said, "Five days is a bit tight, but if the customer has a need, we can expedite the process. However, the price of a ten-carat diamond will exceed the price of a regular diamond by a significant amount."

"The salesperson already told me that price is not a problem, we can just go by market price, and I can pay a deposit in advance." Kimura Hiroshi also knew that if he didn't buy such a large diamond after it was processed, then reselling it would be a big problem, especially if it was processed into the style he had ordered.

Hearing this, Manager Tanaka's smile widened, and he quickly said, "That's wonderful! Please come with me to the VIP room to talk. It would be unbecoming of a guest to talk here. Reiko, quickly go and pour some coffee. May I ask your name, sir?"

In terms of service, the Japanese are indeed very good. In front of guests, they will definitely treat them with the utmost courtesy, sometimes even to the point of being obsequious. Kimura Hiroshi accepts this without hesitation. Today, he is a big customer, so what's wrong with enjoying some service?

Upon arriving at the VIP room, Manager Tanaka finally recognized the person in front of him. He was completely stunned, but quickly recovered and began discussing the style and requirements of the diamond ring with Hiroshi Kimura, as well as the size of the ruby ​​and the style of the necklace. Manager Tanaka's expertise in jewelry was truly exceptional.

After spending about two hours, Kimura Hiroshi finalized the style of the diamond ring and the size of the ruby. They agreed on a pickup date five days later, signed a contract, and Kimura Hiroshi paid a deposit. Originally, after Tanaka learned Kimura Hiroshi's true identity, he didn't want to accept a deposit and even wanted to lower the price on the condition that Kimura Hiroshi would help them advertise their wedding. However, Kimura Hiroshi refused. Advertising for a wedding? He wasn't desperate for money.

Before leaving, Kimura Hiroshi added, "Please remember to keep this a secret, Mr. Tanaka. I don't want any rumors to leak out in the media before the marriage announcement, okay?"

"Okay, Mr. Kimura, please rest assured that our jewelry company is absolutely confidential about our clients' privacy, especially for a major client like you. If the news were to be leaked, you could report it to our head office. In that case, I would be out of a job as manager." Manager Tanaka said very solemnly.

"That's all right then," Kimura Hiroshi said, standing up, putting on his sunglasses, and then leaving the jewelry company.

As for Manager Tanaka, he escorted Kimura Hiroshi to the door before coming in, and couldn't help but mutter, "It's unbelievable that he's getting married to Nakamori Akina so soon. You know, he's so popular, and so is Nakamori Akina. Also, are popular celebrities this rich? Mr. Kimura bought two ten-carat diamonds and a twenty-carat ruby ​​so easily."

Little did he know that Hiroshi Kimura was more than just an entertainer, and his wealth was beyond his comprehension. Buying diamonds and gemstones was nothing to him.

Chapter 576 Program Cancellation Wave

As the year draws to a close, Japan is in a state of frivolous bubble. Land and stock prices, which have been growing rapidly for years, have become even more frenzied at the end of the year. The stock market is setting new records in Japan every day, and this frenzy is stimulating people to invest more money in the stock market.

Even many people around Hiroshi Kimura couldn't avoid it, including Yukio Tomioka and Michiko, who both invested money in the stock market. Watching the stock market rise every day, the two couldn't help but discuss in their spare time whether they should invest more money.

Faced with this situation, Hiroto Kimura simply smiled and remained silent, instead accelerating the pace of selling off his real estate. By mid-November, all of his properties had been completely sold off, with even his last shop in Ginza 2-chome fetching a high price of 120 million yen, demonstrating the frenzy in the Japanese real estate market at that time.

After selling all the properties and paying off bank loans and related taxes, Kimura Hiroshi now has a massive cash flow of approximately 316 billion yen. To prevent problems with such a large amount of cash, Kimura Hiroshi has deposited this money in ten different foreign banks instead of Japanese domestic banks. Who knows if these banks will default when the bubble bursts!

With such a large sum of wealth, Kimura Hiroshi will be able to live a life of financial freedom in the future, and he has achieved one of his life goals.

However, just as he achieved financial freedom, many things he was familiar with began to change dramatically. The first thing to be announced was that TBS's "The Best Ten" program would be canceled next year due to poor ratings.

It's worth noting that The Best Ten is a long-running, high-rated music show on TBS, and Hiroshi Kimura has participated in it many times. It used to be a top-rated music show, but its cancellation has caused a huge uproar in the entertainment industry.

However, this was just the beginning. Fuji Television also announced that it would reorganize the Night HIT program starting next year, cutting production costs and possibly even canceling it. The reason given was that the program's production costs were too high and the viewership ratings did not meet the profit requirements. Therefore, if the reorganization was unsuccessful, it would have to be canceled.

The announcements of potential cancellations by two major music programs have raised suspicions and the entire entertainment industry is discussing the matter.

"It's really strange. The ratings for The Best Ten have indeed been getting worse and worse in the last two years, even only reaching 11%. It's understandable that it was taken off the air. But Night Hit's ratings often exceed 25%. Why is it being taken off the air? It's strange, really strange." In the office, Yukio Tomioka felt something was wrong when he heard that Night Hit was going to be taken off the air.

Sitting at his desk, looking at the recent event schedule, Hiroshi Kimura stretched and said, "What's so strange about that? The stock market and land market are booming right now. I'm afraid the TV station's shareholders are also envious and want to withdraw more funds to invest. Any program that they feel is too costly or doesn't meet their profit requirements may be cut so that they can take the money to invest, just like Mr. Tomioka and Ms. Michiko."

"Oh, Kimura-san, this has nothing to do with me. I only invested a few hundred thousand yen, I didn't take much. I just wanted to earn more money that I could spend myself." Michiko didn't expect this matter to involve her, so she quickly explained.

Over there, Yukio Tomioka, upon hearing Hiroshi Kimura's words, seemed to suddenly realize something and said, "Kimura-san is absolutely right. It's very possible. These guys see how hot the stock and land markets are, and that's all money involved. They might actually invest their money. These guys don't care about the fate of those programs at all, just to make money for themselves."

After cursing the TV station's outdated ideas, Yukio Tomioka continued, "Although the shareholders of those TV stations are despicable, how can Kimura-san compare me to them? I'm just like Michiko-san, doing this for pocket money. Besides, Kimura-san should be making a fortune from the real estate he bought a few years ago, so let's not talk about us."

“Yes, that’s true. But Mr. Tomioka, all the properties under my name have been sold, I just didn’t tell you. Although they were very profitable, I didn’t get involved too much. Making too much money isn’t necessarily a good thing,” Kimura Hiroshi said meaningfully.

However, his words were not very convincing. Everyone present knew that Hiroshi Kimura liked money, so when he said this, everyone would just think he was joking and wouldn't take it seriously.

"You sold them? Kimura-san, you're really willing to part with them. By the way, since these two music shows are going to be canceled, will Kimura-san still participate in the year-end shows HIT and The Best Ten?" Yukio Tomioka asked.

There are many things to do at the end of the year, and Kimura Hiroshi's idea is to avoid participating if possible. However, he has participated in these two programs many times, and they are about to be canceled. It would be somewhat unreasonable to suddenly stop participating. Moreover, these are not the only music programs that will be canceled this year or next year.

"I'll participate, consider it a final farewell. I won't have the chance to participate again in the future. However, with these two shows canceled, many singers will lose a lot of opportunities to promote their music. I wonder what kind of impact this will have on the entertainment industry." Kimura Hiroshi decided to participate in the year-end program anyway.

However, the cancellation of these music shows has had a significant impact on the entertainment industry. First and foremost, it has affected idol singers who rely heavily on music shows for promotion. In particular, Yoru HIT is considered a stronghold for idol singers, as it provides top-notch sets that allow them to fully showcase their stage performances. Now that it has been cancelled, it is a heavy blow to the idol group, which is on the verge of decline. However, many people in the market have not yet felt the impact.

"If you participate in both, then the end of the year will be quite busy. Will Kimura-san's other plans be affected?" Tomioka Yukio couldn't help but ask. The other plans he was referring to were none other than his marriage proposal plan, but there were too many people in the office, so he didn't say it directly.

At this moment, Ms. Michiko spoke up, saying, "Yes, won't this affect Kimura-san's other plans?"

With a slight smile, Hiroshi Kimura said quite easily, "No, everything is almost ready. But even if it's ready, we still have to wait for Akina to come back from the Cable Awards. Right now, we still need to wait two more days."

The Cable Awards are held much earlier than other music festivals, starting in mid-November. As a heavyweight guest, Akina Nakamori naturally couldn't be absent, so she's been in Osaka these past few days attending the Cable Awards. It's just unknown what kind of award she'll receive.

However, his words inadvertently revealed his engagement date, immediately piquing the curiosity of Yukio Tomioka and Michiko. Yukio Tomioka asked directly, "Is it finally going to begin? I wonder what we should do..."

"Don't even think about it, Mr. Tomioka. Akina doesn't like having a lot of people around, so you'll have to wait for my good news. Oh, I almost forgot, I still need to pick up some things today." Thinking that his custom-made diamond ring and necklace should already be ready, Kimura Hiroshi immediately abandoned his year-end schedule and prepared to go pick up his things.

Seeing how anxious Kimura Hiroshi was, Tomioka Yukio couldn't help but whisper to Michiko beside him, "It seems that Kimura-san's good days are just around the corner. Sigh, I wonder if he will continue to be a singer after he gets married. I, as his manager, and you, as his assistant, are probably going to be out of a job for a while."

Michiko, however, was very optimistic. She said, "Kimura-san is so talented. I don't think he will retire from the music scene even if he gets married. He will continue to sing, but he may sing less than he does now, since Kimura-san is quite lazy."

"Well, that's true. Well, that's all we can hope for then," Yukio Tomioka said, sounding quite unsure.

Kimura Hiroshi, who had already left Ken-On, was unaware of his manager's and assistant's concerns. He went downstairs and drove directly to the jewelry store to pick up the items he had ordered.

At this time, Ginza was bustling with activity, and even the jewelry stores were packed with customers. The shop assistants didn't even notice that Kimura Hiroshi had arrived.

"I'm a customer who placed an order with your jewelry store a few days ago. My surname is Kimura. Your manager, Tanaka, should have told you about this, right?" Kimura Hiroshi found a phone and said directly.

When the sales clerk heard Kimura Hiroshi say that, he immediately knew what was going on. This was the big customer that their manager had mentioned. He had ordered a ten-carat diamond ring. Their jewelry store might only encounter one customer like this every few years, so they dared not neglect him.

He quickly led Kimura Hiroshi to the VIP room, and then called over Manager Tanaka. Upon seeing Kimura Hiroshi, Manager Tanaka greeted him with a big smile and exchanged pleasantries.

Kimura Hiroshi naturally chatted with him for a couple of minutes before getting down to business. He wasn't there to chat; he was there to pick up his order.

"Mr. Kimura, because your order is so valuable, the company won't store it here directly. Instead, the company will send someone to deliver it to you once you arrive. Please wait a moment. I've already called the company, and they should deliver it shortly," Manager Tanaka quickly explained.

After all, those are two finished 10-carat diamond rings and a 20-carat ruby. The company wouldn't feel comfortable leaving them in a jewelry store. They would have to wait until the customer arrived and send someone to deliver them to avoid any accidents, which would be a big problem.

Knowing that such valuable items require careful handling, Kimura Hiroshi naturally understood and didn't say much, saying that he would just wait there.

He didn't have to wait long. About half an hour later, three people carrying a briefcase entered the VIP room. Manager Tanaka quickly stood up and introduced them as people sent by their company to deliver something.

After a brief chat, the inspection process officially began. The three people opened the suitcase with three keys, revealing three small, exquisitely crafted boxes protected by a thick layer of foam.

Opening the small boxes one by one, two diamond rings made according to Kimura Hiroshi's requirements and a ruby ​​necklace appeared before Kimura Hiroshi's eyes.

Under the lights of the VIP room, both diamonds and rubies shone brightly, even dazzlingly. Even Kimura Hiroshi, who was not interested in such things at all, was attracted to them. No wonder women in later generations were so captivated by these things. They were indeed very attractive, at least in terms of their brilliance, which made it impossible to look away.

"Mr. Kimura, these are two diamond rings made by our company. One is 10.36 carats after processing, and the other is 10.27 carats, made according to your requirements. There is also this necklace with a 20.67 carat ruby, which is also of top clarity. You saw it when you made the selection. There are also certificates. Everything is here. Please take a look."

The delivery person was very professional. He not only introduced the weight, but also provided other items and certificates, all of which were prepared. Now, once Kimura Hiroshi confirms that there are no problems, the delivery can proceed.

He examined the two rings in front of him. He had seen the diamonds when they were raw, but now they had been processed into the style he wanted. Even though there were significant changes, Kimura Hiroshi could still tell at a glance that they were indeed the same two diamonds from before. At least some details matched. As for the rubies, that was even more true.

"Very good, your service is very professional, I am very satisfied. I like both the diamond ring and the ruby ​​very much. In that case, let's deliver the goods and pay the balance." Kimura Hiroshi said without saying much, very generously. Now that everything was confirmed to be fine, he could pay.

Seeing that Kimura Hiroshi confirmed there were no problems, the three deliverymen were very happy and said, "Okay, next we need to take photos for record-keeping. We would appreciate it if Mr. Kimura could witness this. In addition, Mr. Kimura also needs to sign the contract and proof of purchase."

Purchasing such valuable jewelry naturally involves a very complicated process to ensure everything goes smoothly and to avoid any potential problems in the future that could lead to disputes and unclear issues.

That was the procedure, and Kimura Hiroshi naturally didn't find it troublesome. He handled everything according to their instructions. Throughout the process, the diamond ring and the ruby ​​necklace remained in his sight, and he didn't even turn around.

Once all the formalities were completed and the final payment was made, everything was considered finished. Kimura Hiroshi left with the box containing the items. The jewelry store even sent two people to escort him to his car, and only then was the transaction truly over.

"Phew, finally finished. I should have known better than to go for something so big. A smaller one would have been more convenient. But now that I have the jewelry, I need to set up the proposal scene. Tsk, I'm still busy." Kimura Hiroshi thought to himself as he drove.

Chapter 577 Proposal (Part 1)

Nakamori Akina has attended the Cable Music Awards every year since her debut, but it seems that she is destined to miss out on one of Japan's three major music awards. Even though she has attended every year, she has never won the Grand Prize, even though she has won the other two awards, the Song Festival and the Record Awards, so many times she has won them.

This year's Cable Music Awards were no different. Akina Nakamori won the Cable Music Excellence Award, which is a decent award, but compared to the other music awards she has received, it's not much.

However, Akina Nakamori didn't seem to care about this. When the award was presented, she still went on stage with a smile to accept the award and then performed.

"Honestly, every year when I come to the Cable Awards, it's just these consolation prizes. It's so boring. I don't know what the awards association is thinking." After Akina Nakamori stepped down from the stage, Ms. Noriko couldn't help but complain, clearly quite dissatisfied with the Cable Awards.

Looking at the trophy in her hand, Akina Nakamori said nonchalantly, "Alright, alright, Ms. Noriko, this might be my last time participating in the record awards, so don't worry about it. It's good enough to have an award. I don't care about these things."