My daily life with the original diva

Chapter 604 Debut Delayed Again

Although the destination wedding photoshoot is about to begin, the work that needs to be done in the next few days still needs to continue. Kimura Hiroshi's main job is to cooperate in promoting "Triangle," and the rest is company business.

Now that the manga and film production departments of Wit Studio have been separated, all that remains is to build a new structure for the two companies and to implement the shareholding plan proposed by Hiroshi Kimura. However, these specific tasks are being carried out by Takaaki Matsumoto. He only needs to listen to the progress of each task and make some decisions, which is not a difficult task.

Aside from all that, there's the matter of the two new artists Stardust Media signed debuting. Last year, he managed to suppress the idea of ​​Maki Ohguro and Sachiko Kamachi debuting. Now that it's 1990, it's definitely impossible to suppress their debut again.

Therefore, Yoshiro Hosono had been urging him to go to Stardust Media to finalize the plans for the debut of two newcomers he had selected. Hiroshi Kimura hadn't had much time before, but now he had to go.

So after setting a time, Kimura Hiroshi went to Stardust Communications Agency. This was not a private meeting, but a real conference.

When Kimura Hiroshi arrived at the conference room, it was already full of people, including Hosono Yoshiro, Ohguro Maki, all the members of ZARD, the band that Kamachi Sachiko belonged to, as well as Warner record producers and others.

"Ah, Kimura-san has arrived. Please take a seat. Next, we will discuss the debut of our two heavyweight newcomers, Stardust." Seeing Kimura Hiroshi arrive, Hosono Yoshiro quickly asked him to sit down and then immediately began discussing the debut meeting, showing how eager he was to get started.

Kimura Hiroshi, on the other hand, remained calm and unhurried. He found a seat next to Kamachi Sachiko and sat down, then smiled and nodded to her in return, receiving a smile in return.

Yoshiro Hosono started talking non-stop, mainly introducing the current market situation, then the two newcomers and bands who were about to debut, and then confirming the debut songs, date, and promotional plans, all of which were decided in advance.

"First is Ms. Moji. She has confirmed that she will write and release her own single, titled 'STOP MOTION.' The promotion and release are expected to begin in mid-March. I have already booked four TV programs for her to promote the song, as well as some music magazine appearances and offline promotional events."

First, they talked about Maki Ohguro's debut plan. Upon hearing this plan, Hiroshi Kimura frowned slightly but did not say anything.

"Then there's the ZARD band, led by Sachiko. She has decided to debut under the stage name Izumi Sakai. Her debut song is 'Good bye My Loneliness,' composed by Kimura. Her debut is in mid-April. Her promotional plans mainly involve magazine and television programs. Of course, since Sachiko already has a considerable fan base, the number of television programs she appears on will be reduced."

Next up was the ZARD band, but when he heard what Yoshiro Hosono said, Hiroshi Kimura's brow furrowed even more, and he raised his hand to indicate that he wanted to speak.

Seeing Kimura Hiroshi raise his hand, Hosono Yoshiro naturally gestured for him to speak, as Kimura Hiroshi had a very high degree of influence at Stardust Communications meetings.

"I have many questions to ask, but the first one is that the debut time is wrong. It must be postponed to after May, or at least until mid-May to begin preliminary promotions." Kimura Hiroshi directly overturned Hosono Yoshiro's confirmed debut time.

This immediately drew the attention of everyone in the conference room. Hosono Yoshiro's expression also turned sour. He asked incredulously, "Kimura-san, is there something wrong with the debut date I set?"

"Yes, Mr. Kimura, we've been waiting for so long. Why does the debut date have to be postponed again and again, even until after May?" Maki Ohguro also expressed her dissatisfaction. It was really hard to accept that their debut date had been delayed again and again.

When people had doubts, Kimura Hiroshi naturally wouldn't pretend to be profound and remain silent. He explained, "Hosono-san, Maki-san, please listen to me. The reason we're moving the debut date to May is because there's a big event going to happen in the entertainment industry in April, you should know that, right?"

As soon as Kimura Hiroshi said that, Hosono Yoshiro was the first to realize what big thing was going to happen in April. It was none other than the fact that the top celebrity in front of him was going to get married to another top female celebrity in the entertainment industry. This was indeed a big deal.

"Um, Kimura-san, even if you get married, it won't affect our agency's ability to launch new talents, right?" Hosono Yoshiro said directly.

When Yoshiro Hosono said that, everyone present knew that something big was going to happen in April. But what was Kimura Hiroshi's decision to postpone the debut of his agency's newest member because he was getting married?

With a slight smile, Hiroshi Kimura said, "What I'm about to say might be seen as self-praise, but I'll still say it anyway."

As you all know, the hottest topic in the entertainment media lately is my upcoming marriage to Akina Nakamori. Every time new information comes out, it sparks heated discussions and makes headlines in numerous entertainment media outlets. Even when our company's employees get into trouble for drinking, they end up getting entangled with me, continuously making headlines. Isn't that right?

Everyone in the entertainment industry knows these things all too well. The most attractive thing in the entertainment industry recently is that this guy is getting married, and it has been making headlines in entertainment media. The media is happy to hype this up because it's really popular and has received a lot of attention.

“That’s right. As popular celebrities in the entertainment industry, it’s natural that Kimura-san and Akina-san’s marriage will attract a lot of media and public attention. That’s normal,” Hosono Yoshiro said, picking up where Kimura Hiroshi left off.

Kimura Hiroshi gently tapped the table and said, "That's the problem. I'll be getting married in mid-April. There will be a lot of work to do then. The media and the public will be drawn to this event and lose most of their attention. You know, people's energy is limited. When they focus too much attention on one thing, they will inevitably neglect another."

Debuting at this time isn't necessarily wrong, but I estimate the promotional effect will be very poor, at least much worse than before. Of course, you can think I'm just bragging, but at least I'm against it.

It was a wake-up call. Many of those present were longtime veterans of the entertainment industry and naturally understood this principle. If other circumstances were to affect a newcomer's debut, the seasoned professionals present would certainly think that was impossible. However, if Hiroshi Kimura and Akina Nakamori were to get married, it really might be possible.

The most direct example is the day the two announced their marriage. The most noteworthy events that day were the Red and White Song Festival and the National Record Awards. However, as soon as the news of their marriage came out, these events that should have been the focus of attention were immediately washed away. They disappeared from television programs and print media. Everyone was talking about the two of them getting married.

This is just an announcement of their marriage. Once they are actually getting married, many media outlets will be constantly monitoring their wedding. At that point, people's attention will definitely be drawn away, and who will care about whether there are any new members debuting? It would be best to wait until the hype surrounding this event has died down and everyone's attention has shifted before they debut.

"Yes, Kimura-san's consideration is quite thorough. He's right. If we debut in March or April, it will definitely be affected by this matter, and not just a little bit. Promotion will probably be much less effective. So it's best to stagger the timing." The Warner staff member agreed with Kimura Hiroshi's opinion.

The others nodded in agreement, and even Yoshiro Hosono said, "Kimura-san is right. I didn't take this into account and made some minor oversights in my work. In that case, it would be better to debut in May. How about this, Ms. Maki will debut and promote in mid-May, and Ms. Sachiko in June."

Everyone knew that Hiroshi Kimura's words made sense. Although Maki Ohguro was a little unhappy, she still agreed. However, she felt very depressed. They were supposed to debut next month, but it was postponed to May again. She felt that Hiroshi Kimura was doing it on purpose, deliberately delaying their debut.

That's a bit unfair. Kimura Hiroshi did deliberately delay their debut last year, but he has no intention of doing so this year. Besides, who would use marriage to delay the debut of newcomers?

After reconfirming the debut date, Hiroshi Kimura sat down and asked Sachiko Kamachi next to him, "Is it okay to debut a little later?"

"Yes, no problem. It's fine as long as Kimura-san decides. It's good to debut later, so I can properly attend Kimura-san's wedding without missing it because of debut promotions." Sachiko Kamachi thought that postponing the debut was a good decision.

Since that was the case, Kimura Hiroshi was relieved, but his questions were not over yet. He continued, "Ms. Maki, I promised you before that I would provide you with some resources to increase your popularity, such as singing theme songs for anime, but it seems that this option is not in your debut plan today. Why is that?"

Resources are something that newcomers crave. Maki Ohguro was clearly happy to accept them at the time, so why did he give them up when it came time to debut?

In response, Maki Ohguro paused for a moment before speaking, "I am naturally grateful to Kimura-san for giving me this support, but I still want to try it myself and see if I can succeed with a normal debut."

She is ambitious and proud, or perhaps she is expressing her dissatisfaction with Kimura Hiroshi by refusing the resources he provides. However, directly refusing the company's arrangements is obviously taboo. In a mature agency, such a thing would never happen. Only Stardust Media, which is not very mature, would allow her to do this.

However, Kimura Hiroshi didn't say anything, but nodded and said, "I see. That's fine. Since Ms. Maki has this idea, then let's do as you say. But I will still give you what I asked for."

"Ah, then I thank you for your support, Kimura-san." To her surprise, Kimura Hiroshi wasn't angry and was willing to continue providing her with resources.

After addressing Maki Ohguro's question, Hiroshi Kimura then inquired about ZARD. Once he confirmed that everything was in order, he didn't ask any further questions. Next, he asked Yoshiro Hosono to continue explaining his debut plans. The conversation lasted for nearly two hours before they were finished.

However, even if we finish talking about it, the plan will not be implemented until May. Right now, the meeting has reached this point, and we have no choice but to continue.

After the meeting ended, Hiroshi Kimura went to Yoshiro Hosono's office and asked with displeasure, "Hosono-san, Ms. Maki refused the resources arranged by the agency. Why did you agree to it? You should know that artists have no reason to refuse the company's plans, even if the request is excessive."

This made Hosono Yoshiro feel a little guilty. He naturally knew all this, and now that Kimura Hiroshi was coming to question him, he explained, "Um, Kimura-san, Ms. Maki is someone you value, so I think it's okay for her to make some reasonable requests, just like with Sachiko-chan."

Shaking his head, Hiroshi Kimura said, "Even if it's someone I value, Hosono-san shouldn't agree to it unless I personally propose it. It's the same with Sachiko-chan. The agency has its own system, and all artists have to follow the agency's arrangements. Of course, they won't be shortchanged on anything they're entitled to. Even if they have some kind of relationship with me, it's the same. The system can't be changed easily, otherwise how will Hosono-san manage the agency in the future?"

"Um, I've remembered what Kimura-san said. I was in charge of the unit this time. So, shall I go and talk to Ms. Maki again and change the plan back?" Hosono Yoshiro asked tentatively.

Slightly speechless, Kimura Hiroshi didn't know if Hosono Yoshiro was pretending to be stupid or what. They had already agreed on something, so if he changed it, wouldn't that be breaking his promise and going back on his word?

Noticing Kimura Hiroshi's expression, Hosono Yoshiro quickly said, "The meeting has been going on for too long, and I'm getting a little dizzy. Since things have already been decided, they can't be changed easily. Ms. Maki's matter will proceed as planned. Her opinions will be taken into consideration by the agency in the future, but she has no right to modify the decisions made by the agency. Of course, the same applies to other artists."

Since Yoshiro Hosono understood, Hiroshi Kimura didn't say anything more, since he wasn't involved in the management of the agency.

Chapter 605 Wedding Trip Plans Changed

Although they agreed to resume work with their agency, both Hiroshi Kimura and Akina Nakamori have significantly reduced their workload compared to before. They no longer need to promote new singles or albums; their main job is shooting programs and magazines, which is quite relaxing.

She's certainly busy, as Akina Nakamori will be launching her concert tour in March. This will be her last concert tour before her marriage, and it may also be her last in the entertainment industry. So you can imagine how hot the ticket sales will be.

The tour will visit a total of twelve cities, and all the tickets for the twelve shows have already sold out in advance. This has made Ken-On feel a bit upset, not for any other reason than that Akina Nakamori chose to get married when she was so popular. This is a huge loss of revenue, and any agency would feel very upset about it.

February was a relatively free month with not much work, which allowed Hiroshi Kimura and Akina Nakamori to take time off and complete their travel wedding photoshoot.

"Sigh, does Kimura-san and Akina-chan mean you're going to take another two weeks off to travel and shoot wedding photos? The plan is to go to America, Hawaii, and Barcelona in Europe first?"

Hanami He looked at the two top-tier celebrities under his management in the office. Somewhat incredulously, he asked, "These two have only been back at work for a few days, and they're already asking for another two weeks to do some kind of travel wedding photoshoot? Are celebrities really that leisurely? Isn't that a bit too much?"

“Yes, President, we want to travel to various places around the world to take wedding photos before the wedding. It would be a very meaningful way to keep these photos as a memento for the future. What do you think?” Kimura Hiroshi said calmly, seemingly oblivious to Hanami Kagami’s tone.

Sitting next to him, Akina Nakamori chimed in, "Yes, it's such a memorable occasion, so please grant us a two-week vacation, President. Is that alright?"

Could he refuse to approve it? Obviously not. If he didn't approve it, he was sure that Kimura Hiroshi would just take Nakamori Akina away, and then he, the president, would be the one embarrassed. So although it was said to be a leave request, it was actually just to inform him of this matter.

Not daring to refuse at all, Hanami He forced a smile and said, "Ah, no problem. Half a month, right? Sure, how could I not let you go on such a good trip? Remember to take lots of pictures, and bring back the good ones for me to admire as well."

"Great! Thank you for your approval, President. Don't worry, I'll show you the best photos I take." Akina Nakamori said happily.

With the matter settled, Kimura Hiroshi asked Nakamori Akina to go out and speak with her manager, Akiyuki Yoshizawa, and her assistant, Ms. Noriko, while he remained in the office.

"Thank you for the president's approval, which allows Akina and me to travel and film with peace of mind." Kimura Hiroshi bowed his head in gratitude.

There were only him and Kimura Hiroshi in the office. Hanami Kaku didn't want to pretend to be polite anymore and said, "If I don't approve, will Kimura-san not go? I don't think so. What I say as the president doesn't really matter."

"Oh, how can you say that, President? You are the president of the agency, after all. We will listen to you." Kimura Hiroshi said with a smile, but his expression clearly did not reflect what he said.

Without dwelling on the matter further with Kimura Hiroshi, Hanami Kaku asked, "Is there something else you wanted to do by staying behind, Kimura-san?"

"Of course there are. As a member of the agency, I care a lot about its development. By the way, how's the search going with the president's suggestion to find talented singers and members?" Kimura Hiroshi stayed behind for this very reason.

When it came to serious matters, Hanami Kaku's expression became much more serious, and his tone was not so bad. He said, "We have found some talented singers, but poaching them directly would offend many agencies. Mr. Nozaki has not yet made up his mind to do so."

Ha, all talk and no action. No wonder Ken-On's development has been so slow. They need to learn from the Burning department. How do they poach talent without offending other agencies? In the end, they're just too cowardly. Trying to coexist peacefully with other agencies is hardly something they deserve.

"You haven't made up your mind yet? That's a bit difficult. Time waits for no one. President, you should communicate more with Mr. Nozaki. I can't say much more." Since the investors behind the scenes aren't interested, Kimura Hiroshi naturally won't say anything more, after all, Ken-On isn't his agency.

After confirming that things weren't progressing much, Kimura Hiroya left Hanami Kagami's office and went to Nakamori Akina's office. As soon as he was at the door, he heard cheerful conversation coming from inside.

When the people inside saw Hiroshi Kimura enter, they greeted him one by one. When he sat down next to Akina Nakamori, Ms. Noriko seemed unable to contain herself any longer and looked at him intently, asking, "Kimura-san, Akina-chan told me that you plan to travel around the world with her for a photo shoot, is that right?"

“Yes, that’s right. I had this idea when I went to America for a trip a while ago. But I was away for too long and wanted to come back and rest. Once I felt I had rested enough, I brought up this plan again. I think it would be very meaningful,” Kimura Hiroshi replied.

Ms. Noriko's eyes were already sparkling. She cupped her face in her hands and said exaggeratedly, "Yes, it's so meaningful and so romantic. Kimura-san is such a romantic man to come up with such a wonderful wedding photoshoot plan."

This left Kimura Hiroshi somewhat bewildered. He exchanged a glance with Nakamori Akina, trying to ascertain Ms. Noriko's mental state, but Nakamori Akina simply chuckled and didn't respond to his gaze.

"It's not that great, it's just a small project," Kimura Hiroshi said modestly.

“I also think it’s a great idea. Traveling around the world to shoot commemorative photos will create wonderful memories in the future. Of course, the prerequisite is that you have money and time, and Kimura-san obviously meets both of those conditions perfectly.” Akiyuki Yoshizawa chimed in, though his words seemed to carry a hint of bitterness.

At this moment, Akina Nakamori finally made a move. She grabbed Hiroshi Kimura's hand and said, "Yes, it's a very meaningful thing, so I'll be taking leave for the next two weeks."

"Half a month? That's a bit tight. Even if it's just America, Hawaii, and Barcelona. By the way, has Kimura-san prepared a filming team? That's very important. If we go to the local area to find them, we might not be able to find anyone, or the filming techniques might not be up to par. In that case, it will take even longer." When Akiyuki Yoshizawa heard that they would be gone for half a month, he felt that the time seemed a bit insufficient.

Upon hearing what Akiyuki Yoshizawa said, Kimura Hiroshi and Nakamori Akina exchanged a glance. They realized that in their excitement, they had forgotten something very important: the wedding photography team. Taking wedding photos is not something you can just do casually; it requires professional skills. If the skills are not up to par, the photos may not have the right feel, or the quality may be very poor.

"Oh, I really wasn't prepared for this. It was so careless. I'll contact them right away. It should still be in time," Kimura Hiroshi said with a hint of annoyance.

“Let’s use the studio’s photographers. They have so many professional photographers; taking wedding photos is no problem at all. Besides, they’re more reliable and won’t disclose your information to outsiders, thus avoiding unnecessary trouble,” Akiyuki Yoshizawa continued, sharing her thoughts.

As a large agency, Yan-Yin has a considerable number of professional photographers. Their professional skills are undoubtedly top-notch, making them arguably the best in the industry. Taking them on a shoot is definitely the best option.

Akina Nakamori seemed to agree that it was a good idea, and turned to Hiroshi Kimura, saying, "Hiro-kun, let's have the people from the agency go. We're quite familiar with them, so it won't be awkward if we go together. Plus, we can travel together during breaks in filming. If we go with strangers, the trip might be a bit awkward, and it might reveal our whereabouts. That's not a good feeling."

Indeed, as Akina Nakamori said, it would be best to bring people from the agency. However, this presents a problem. Hiroshi Kimura stroked his chin and said, "It would naturally be best to bring people from the agency, but the president must give permission first, since they are all staff members of the agency."

"Ha, if Kimura-san asks for people, I don't think the president would disagree, right?" Ms. Noriko said, her voice slightly louder.

As soon as she said those words, the expressions of everyone present became somewhat strange. Sensing the change in everyone's gaze and the atmosphere in the office, Ms. Noriko realized that she had said the wrong thing and quickly covered her mouth, not saying anything more.

"Then I'll go talk to the president again and see if it's feasible." Kimura Hiroshi said quickly, seeing that the atmosphere was a bit off, and then got up to discuss the matter of borrowing people with Hanami Kagami.

“I’ll go with you, Hiro-kun. This is something for the two of us, how can I not participate?” Nakamori Akina also got up with Kimura Hiro to go find Hanami Kagami.

Only Ms. Noriko and Akiyuki Yoshizawa remained in the office. After the office door was closed again, Akiyuki Yoshizawa spoke up, "Um, Ms. Noriko, although some things are true, it's best not to say them lightly. You've been working for so many years, you should know that some words can cause trouble if spoken."

“I understand, Mr. Akio. I was just having a bit too much fun talking, so I said some things I shouldn’t have. I definitely won’t do it again. I’ll be more careful,” Ms. Noriko quickly said.

Kimura Hiroshi and Nakamori Akina went back to Hanami Kagami's office after leaving. Seeing the two return, Hanami Kagami was taken aback and asked, "Why are you back again? Is there something else you want to tell me?"

"There are indeed some other matters, President. We'd like to borrow the agency's photography team to travel abroad with us for a wedding photoshoot. Don't worry, President, it's not like we're having them work for free. I can pay them and the agency a salary," Kimura Hiroshi said somewhat embarrassedly.

"Yes, President, please help us out. We're not too comfortable asking anyone else. It would be better if you could lend us the familiar camera team from the agency for now," Akina Nakamori pleaded.

At this moment, Hanamichi was a little confused. What was going on with these two people? As an artist of the agency, it wasn't enough that they could just take half a month off to go on a trip and take wedding photos. They even wanted to borrow the agency's photography team. Was this even reasonable? Instinctively, he wanted to refuse.

But he swallowed the words back and changed his mind, saying, "No problem, we can borrow some members of the camera crew to film you, but the price I'm asking for won't be low. I'll give the agency at least two million yen. In addition, you'll have to bear the cost of them going out with you."