My daily life with the original diva

She reached for the juice bottle next to her, but before she could pick it up, Kimura Hiroshi took it first, smelled it at the opening, and then handed it to Nakamori Akina, which made Nakamori Akina furious. Was he suspecting that she had put alcohol in the juice bottle? This was outrageous!

"Haha, you two are really interesting. I didn't expect Kimura-san to know the importance of controlling your drinking at such a young age. Akina-chan, you listen to Kimura-san quite a bit too. It seems that Kimura-san really is the one who can tame you." Seeing this scene, Akira Yoshizawa laughed particularly happily, because Nakamori Akina was really hard to manage. It was rare to see her listen to another person like this.

"No, I just... I just drank a little too much and don't want to drink anymore," Nakamori Akina retorted, refusing to admit that she was being controlled by Kimura Hiroshi.

"Yes, I didn't interfere with Akina. She just felt she had drunk too much and wanted some juice. I was just reminding her," Kimura Hiroya chimed in.

This made Akina Nakamori very proud. She raised her chin high and told Yoshizawa Akiyuki that she was telling the truth.

But at this moment, Ms. Noriko said inappropriately, "Oh, is that so? Then why does Kimura-san smell the juice every time he drinks it? Is it to smell the juice or the wine?"

"Hahaha..." Akiyuki Yoshizawa couldn't help but burst out laughing. For the first time, he felt that his subordinate was really too capable. This left Kimura Hiroshi and Nakamori Akina speechless.

Kimura Hiroshi and Nakamori Akina were truly speechless in response, as it was simply too difficult to refute.

Eating and chatting was a very comfortable thing. Kimura Hiroshi asked about Nakamori Akina's upcoming schedule. She still had a performance in Osaka, and then she went to Sapporo for her next tour. In short, she would not be able to return to Tokyo for the next few days, leaving Kimura Hiroshi alone in his Tokyo apartment.

It was already midnight when the late-night snack ended. Akira Yoshizawa and Ms. Noriko were very considerate and said goodbye after the snack, leaving the rest of the time for Kimura Hiroshi and Nakamori Akina, instead of staying to be a third wheel.

Osaka was still bustling at midnight, with crowds everywhere on the streets, especially young people, who were the main force of those staying up late, either working the night shift or sleeping during the day because they didn't have to work.

Wearing sunglasses, Hiroshi Kimura and Akina Nakamori mingled among the crowd. Unlike in Tokyo, where they might be recognized by paparazzi while strolling around, there weren't as many entertainment reporters in Osaka, so the chances of being recognized were much lower. This allowed Hiroshi Kimura and Akina Nakamori to stroll around the streets like ordinary people and experience what it's like to shop in Japan.

The streets were lined with stalls selling all sorts of snacks and small commodities, some of which were quite interesting. Kimura Hiroshi and Nakamori Akina strolled around and looked at the items, but hardly bought anything; their main activity was simply browsing.

Looking left and right, they realized it was almost time, so the two headed towards the hotel, occasionally encountering other young couples of similar age along the way.

“Osaka is much more lively than it was a few years ago, and there are even more people at night,” Akina Nakamori said with a smile. This was the second time the two of them had gone out to Osaka at night. The first time was when they were promoting “Léon: The Professional,” which was several years ago. The next few times they came to Osaka, it was all for TV shows, and they hadn’t gone out to explore.

"Yes, there are a lot more people now, probably because of the booming economy," Kimura Hiroshi said thoughtfully. This bustling atmosphere will probably return to normal within the next year or two.

His tone was slightly heavy, and Nakamori Akina, who was next to him, seemed to sense it. She looked up at Kimura Hiroshi, wondering why he sounded so serious when he said those words. Suddenly, she saw a trash can not far away, and then, in a flash of inspiration, she ran quickly toward it.

"Hiro-kun, how about we kick this trash can?" Akina Nakamori said with a smile.

At this moment, Hiroshi Kimura was completely confused, not knowing what Akina Nakamori meant. Just as he was still thinking, Akina Nakamori raised her foot and slammed it hard against the trash can with a "bang!"

With a loud crack, the sound could be heard all around. After that, Nakamori Akina turned around, grabbed Kimura Hiroshi, and ran away into the distance. After doing something bad, they had to escape the scene immediately.

Kimura Hiroshi seemed to have seen this scene before. He quickly remembered that it was a scene from "Tokyo Love Story," which he starred in with Nakamori Akina. The female lead, Akana Rika, saw that the male lead, Kanji, was unhappy because of his relationship, so she led him to do something naughty. This naughty thing was kicking the trash can, making noise, and then quickly leaving the scene to make him forget his unhappy things.

Kimura Hiroshi hadn't expected Nakamori Akina to actually pull such a stunt on him. Kimura Hiroshi wanted to laugh, but he knew that his tone had been a bit heavy when he spoke, and that Nakamori Akina had noticed it.

After running quite a distance, Kimura Hiroshi saw that they were close enough and quickly grabbed Nakamori Akina. The two looked at each other and couldn't help but burst out laughing.

After laughing, Kimura Hiroshi couldn't help but tap Nakamori Akina's forehead and said, "How can Akina take acting so seriously? At most, Rika and the others will only get fined and warned if they get caught, but if we get caught, it'll be tomorrow's entertainment headline."

"Hehe, this is the kind of exciting feeling I've been looking for. Those guys always say I'm a delinquent, so today I'll experience that feeling for myself. I didn't expect it to be so exciting! I really want to experience it again." Nakamori Akina seemed to be still not satisfied and actually wanted to continue.

Hiroshi Kimura wouldn't allow that. He grabbed her hand and said, "No, you can't do that even if I'm really in a bad mood. Actually, Akina has many ways to comfort me. How about we go back to the hotel and try it?"

Knowing perfectly well what Kimura Hiroshi was thinking, Nakamori Akina couldn't help but roll her eyes and say, "You're always up to no good, but I won't allow that."

Chapter 618 He's Too Insidious

"Breaking news! Triangle is breaking box office records in Europe and America, surpassing $20 million this week!"

"Record-breaking, America's favorite neon movie, the Western fantasy film 'Triangle,' directed by Hiroshi Kimura and starring Yasuko Sawaguchi."

"Unveiling why Triangle is so popular with Western movie fans!"

Previously, Toho had always adhered to the principle of moderate reporting on the overseas box office of "Triangle". However, this morning, reports about the overseas box office of "Triangle" exploded, spreading across entertainment newspapers and magazines, with reports about its box office record everywhere.

Given the Japanese people's admiration for the US, it's easy to foresee the uproar these reports will generate. The praise for Hiroshi Kimura and the acclaim for "Triangle" will be off the charts. Even the usually arrogant film critics will have to say a few good words at this time.

There's nothing you can do. Movies that American audiences love generate $20 million in box office revenue for "Triangle" in just one week. What can a Japanese film critic like you say? Can you make movies that American audiences like? Can you get recognition from America? This is a subtle red line in the minds of the Japanese people.

Japan's complete Westernization is less accurate than its complete Americanization. Its popular culture largely originates from America, and gaining their recognition and appreciation is quite special for the Japanese. As a result, discussions about "Triangle" have reached a new level, attracting even more people to go to the cinema to see the film.

However, few people noticed that amidst the extensive coverage of "Triangle," some media outlets reported that Akina Nakamori verbally reprimanded fans at her Osaka concert yesterday. This was considered a major scandal by the Japanese entertainment media, and their reports were quite ruthless, even containing fabrications and lies.

The media was already full of malice towards Akina Nakamori because she didn't like cooperating with media interviews, not to mention that she was now Hiroshi Kimura's fiancée, so the malice towards her was even more overwhelming. They would definitely seize this opportunity to report on it properly in order to get revenge on Hiroshi Kimura and Akina Nakamori.

They had worked hard all night, interviewing those who were present at the time and writing lengthy reports, but the next morning, reports about "Triangle" breaking box office records overseas were everywhere. This was another insurmountable height for the sluggish Japanese film industry, which shows how much attention it attracted.

As a result, the scandal they thought they had finally caught was instantly overshadowed by bigger and more attractive reports. Very few people saw their revelations, and even if they did, they didn't generate much discussion. This was partly because the media usually liked to speak ill of Akina Nakamori, so even if people saw it, they would instinctively think it was fake news and wouldn't pay any attention to it.

"Kimura Hiroshi, it must be this guy's doing. The box office figures for last week's America were actually released the day before yesterday, and some media reported on it yesterday, but the large-scale coverage today must be because Kimura Hiroshi sensed something and deliberately diverted public attention."

"Yes, it must be him. That cunning and treacherous guy always uses all sorts of methods to distract the public. He's really despicable. How can he always gain the upper hand? He's a truly terrifying enemy."

"I really want to bring him down, but why is this guy so clean-living? There's never been a single scandal dug up. It's just too abnormal."

The sudden large-scale promotion of "Triangle" and its overseas box office naturally alerted the media. Some journalists who had long been at odds with Hiroshi Kimura knew that this was definitely a message deliberately released by Kimura to distract attention.

Although they knew this, they didn't have a good solution because the box office record was real and had attracted a lot of attention. What could they do? Nakamori Akina had only said a few words of reprimand at the concert; it wasn't a huge scandal. Could they completely fabricate the story? But if they did, they would definitely face legal trouble.

And so, a storm was quietly swept away by Hiroshi Kimura. There was no way around it; he now had a lot of resources at his disposal, and dealing with public opinion was a very easy thing for him. He could easily make any unfavorable opinions disappear without a trace; it all depended on whether he was willing to do it.

Such extensive coverage also significantly boosted the box office of "Triangle" in Japan, since it's a movie that Americans love, so how could they not go see it? However, whether they understood it or not is anyone's guess.

After a few days of hype surrounding the movie box office, the Japanese lost their attention, as it was all drawn to the stock market. In the first week after the new loan policy was announced, the stock market fluctuated but managed to hold up. However, as April approached, the stock market started to act strangely, exhibiting a wave-like surge.

If the market falls today and rises tomorrow, but the rise is not as large as the fall the previous day, the best solution is for more funds to flow in and push the stock market up. However, after the new loan policy is released, it will be impossible to continue to increase leverage, not to mention the terrible loan interest rates. If you don't have enough profits, your cash flow will be in trouble.

The previous year's frenzy saw countless people pouring their money into the stock market, as real estate prices had already skyrocketed, leaving many without even a chance to enter the market. The stock market, being much easier to access, led to even more people investing their money there. Now, with the stock market fluctuating, which affects the assets of many people, who wouldn't be paying attention?

At this time, the Japanese, who were still immersed in the bubble dream, began to tighten their consumption. The most obvious feature was that record sales suddenly saw a strange 90-degree increase compared to the previous week.

As a relatively inexpensive form of entertainment, records are usually relegated to the back of the shopping list when everyone is indulging in high-end consumption. But once money becomes tight, they will be pushed to the front. There's no way around it; when people have money, they either go drinking, to nightclubs, or even to karaoke to sing. Who would want to buy records?

This situation seems to be a good thing for singers, since more people buying records will lead to a significant increase in their income and allow more singers to appear in the public eye.

Faced with this situation, Yukio Tomioka, as his manager, immediately called Hiroshi Kimura over. The topic of conversation was naturally about getting Hiroshi Kimura to continue releasing records.

"Kimura-san, have you been keeping an eye on record sales lately?" As soon as Kimura Koichi returned to Ken-On, Tomioka Yukio immediately asked.

After taking a sip of the tea brewed by Ms. Michiko, Kimura Hiroshi shook his head and said, "I haven't paid much attention to it. As Mr. Tomioka knows, I haven't released any records recently, so naturally I don't pay much attention to record sales."

Lately, besides dealing with his own company affairs and preparing for his wedding, Hiroshi Kimura has had no time to care about the record market. Today, he was at the company discussing share distribution with the new shareholders who are about to receive company shares, which really made him a little dizzy.

These guys had a million ideas about the shares they were given, and each of them wanted a bigger share, which gave Kimura Hiroshi a real headache, especially Kitano Takeshi. He had originally planned to give him 4% of the shares in Hegemony Film Production Co., Ltd., but because of the fight, he temporarily withheld 3%.

This guy kept nagging in front of him, talking about his contributions to the company and the friendship between the two of them. Kimura Hiroshi really didn't expect Kitano Takeshi to be so talkative, and he was so annoyed by him that when Tomioka Yukio called, he came over immediately, even if it was just for a moment of peace and quiet.

"Ah, that's such a pity, Kimura-san. Last week, record sales increased by 20 percent. It's estimated that record sales will continue to rise. This is all thanks to the Ministry of Finance. The sudden increase in loan interest rates has caused ordinary people's desire to invest to plummet, and they don't even dare to spend as extravagantly as before," Yukio Tomioka said with a smile.

"Oh, that much?" Although he knew that when the bubble burst, Japanese people would tighten their consumption and record sales would rise, Kimura Hiroshi did not expect it to happen so quickly. After all, loan interest rates had only increased for two weeks, and they were already starting to feel the pinch.

However, upon reflection, it becomes clear that many people are not immediately disillusioned with the economy; they remain quite confident. Many will likely invest more money in the stock market or real estate rather than in consumption. The current situation is not a lack of money for consumption, but rather a need to invest. In two months, when the stock market continues its sharp decline, then there will truly be no money left for consumption.

“Yes, although everyone is still very confident in the economy, there will be a significant increase in record sales at least this year or next year. Don’t you have any ideas, Mr. Kimura? This is a great opportunity.” Yukio Tomioka said enticingly. He knew that Hiroshi Kimura loved money the most, and he would only work hard if there was a direct benefit.

What Yukio Tomioka didn't know was that Hiroshi Kimura was no longer swayed by such small gains. He already had enough money in his account to achieve financial freedom, and he really didn't care about the money from releasing records.

So Kimura Hiroshi said very calmly, "It is indeed a good opportunity, but Mr. Tomioka, I am getting married soon and I am not in the mood to release any records. So let's leave this opportunity to the newcomers. Even if we want to release a record, we should wait until the second half of the year. If I want to release it then, I will."

Now, Hiroshi Kimura releases albums purely based on his mood. He releases them when he feels like it, and he doesn't when he doesn't. This is a very comfortable state, and it's what Hiroshi Kimura wants. Of course, all of this is on the premise that you don't lack money.

Unexpectedly, Kimura Hiroshi refused so decisively, and Tomioka Yukio was immediately discouraged, saying, "It's clearly a good opportunity, why doesn't Kimura-san value it? You used to be very good at seizing opportunities like this."

"Haha, Mr. Tomioka is right. I would definitely have seized such an opportunity in the past, but that was in the past. Well then, I will release an album in the second half of the year, so Mr. Tomioka doesn't need to be too disappointed. In the first half of the year, apart from that TV drama theme song, I don't think I will release any new singles no matter how good the market is."

Not wanting to disappoint Yukio Tomioka too much, Hiroshi Kimura promised to release an album in the second half of the year, which would be the result of his hard work. Originally, he planned not to release any records this year, but seeing the state of Akina Nakamori's fans, Hiroshi Kimura felt that he should release an album so that his fans could hear his new songs. As for sales, that was not his concern.

"I see, that's fine then. We'll make plans after Kimura-san's wedding. Sigh, the market is recovering rapidly, but top stars like Kimura-san and Akina-san aren't releasing records much anymore. It's such a shame." Although he got an unexpected result, Yukio Tomioka still felt it was a pity.

With a slight nod, Hiroya Kimura said, "Yes, it's a bit of a pity. But there will be new singers in the new era, and maybe they will be even more amazing."

Choosing to retire at the height of his career at this time might be the right decision for Hiroshi Kimura. In a new era, new singers will definitely rise. The Japanese are known for their fickleness and tendency to tire of the old. Even if he and Akina Nakamori become popular again, they will probably fall out of favor in a year or two at most, and new people will become the top stars. Retiring at that time would not be graceful enough.

Right now, they're still at their peak, and no one is threatening their position. If they retire now, it will actually leave behind a wonderful legend and a beautiful impression in the hearts of fans and even ordinary people. When they release some good albums or records, it will be easier to attract their curiosity. This feeling should be very magical.

After confirming that he wouldn't be releasing more records, Hiroshi Kimura chatted with Yukio Tomioka for a while longer before leaving Ken-On. He would return to his company to continue handling matters, as his wedding was approaching and he and Akina Nakamori would be going through the wedding process together. At that time, he wouldn't have much time to deal with these matters.

Chapter 619 Wedding Preparations

After finishing her two tour shows in Sapporo, Akina Nakamori's tour for this year has come to an end. Amid the farewells of her fans and supporters, she returned to Tokyo. Now that it's the end of March, her wedding will be held on April 16th, so she will be focusing all her energy on the wedding from now on.

Originally, seeing how tired Nakamori Akina was after returning from her tour, Kimura Hiro wanted her to rest for a couple of days before preparing for the wedding. However, he didn't expect that after sleeping for one night, she would immediately become full of energy. She woke up earlier than Kimura Hiro the next day and immediately pulled him to discuss the wedding process that day. She was in an exceptionally excited state.

No one expected Nakamori Akina to be so energetic, so what could Kimura Hiro do but accompany her to familiarize herself with the wedding process, including the booked church, how to get around on the wedding day, the restaurant for the wedding banquet, and the thank-you ceremony, etc. They all needed to get acquainted with these things.

They called Mingzi, the mother of the couple. She had planned the entire wedding, knowing exactly where to go and who to contact. Mingzi knew far more about the wedding than the couple did. The couple had no trouble at all and had plenty of time to take care of their own things.

More than an hour later, the group met in the parking lot downstairs at the apartment building. They got out of the car with a bag in their hands. The mother, Akiko, said to Kimura Hiroshi, "You brat, it's your turn to drive. I want to ride in your luxury car. It's more comfortable. I've been exhausted these past few days."

"Oh, okay, Mom, thank you for your hard work. If you're going to familiarize yourself with the process, let me drive." Kimura Hiro quickly said. His mother, Akiko, had been a great help in handling the wedding arrangements, so asking him to drive was no big deal.

Akina Nakamori was very considerate and immediately took the bag from her mother Akiko's hand, saying, "Let me take it, Aunt Akiko. You've worked so hard on the wedding arrangements. Thank you so much."

The way she treats her future daughter-in-law is completely different from how she treats her son. Mingzi said with a smile, "It's not too hard. It's just a little hard work so that you can call me 'Mom' as soon as possible."

These words made Nakamori Akina feel a little shy. In a few days, she would be handed over to Kimura Hiroshi, and then she would follow Kimura and become a member of the Kimura family. Indeed, she should change her address from Aunt to Mom.

"Alright, let's get in the car quickly. We still have a lot to do later, so we need to hurry or we might not be able to finish watching today." Kimura Hiroya knew that Nakamori Akina was a little shy, so he quickly said.

Knowing that there was a lot to do and it wasn't the time for idle chatter, everyone quickly got into the car. Kimura Hiroshi, as the driver, drove his mother and fiancée to go through the wedding procedures. The first thing they did was find the hotel where Nakamori Akina would stay when she got married. It wouldn't be convenient to start from Kiyose, as it was too far away. So they chose a five-star hotel near the church. Akiko, the mother, rented an entire floor, which was quite extravagant and generous.

There are only eight rooms on this floor, all of which are presidential suites. Mom Akiko took Kimura Hiroshi and Nakamori Akina up to take a look. It has to be said that the Japanese have a very good grasp of service. The hotel room was very clean and the furnishings were very satisfactory to them.

"I rented it for three whole days, which means the day before your wedding, the day after your wedding, and the day after. No one will be here then, so you can come and set things up in advance. You don't have to rush. After everything is settled, we can have someone come and help out." Mingzi, the mother, explained the details of the hotel she had rented.

Nakamori Akina was naturally very satisfied with this, and said with a hint of surprise, "Thank you, Aunt Akina. Your arrangements are excellent. Three days is plenty of time, allowing me to handle things at my own pace. I am truly grateful to you."

"Haha, as long as you're satisfied. Anyway, it's all this brat's money. Since he's so rich, it shouldn't be a problem for him to spend more on the wedding, right, Hiro?" His mother, Akiko, asked Kimura Hiro. Renting for three days is quite expensive, and it would be difficult without some financial strength. Of course, this was nothing to Kimura Hiro.

“Ah, yes, Mom, your arrangements are excellent, and I’m very satisfied. If Akina feels that there isn’t enough time, it’s fine to rent it for a few more days. We can arrange for my sister and brother-in-law to come and stay in advance, so that your wedding will be more lively.” Kimura Hiroshi naturally had no objections and even wanted to rent it for a couple more days.

Nakamori Akina quickly waved her hand and said, "No need, Hiro-kun. Three days is enough. It would be too wasteful for anyone to stay here any longer."

Now that Akina Nakamori has said so, the hotel rental is considered settled. They will go down to the hotel manager to discuss the wedding day preparations and whether it will cause any trouble for other guests.

The hotel manager was overjoyed to learn that Hiroshi Kimura and Akina Nakamori were using their hotel for their wedding. He repeatedly assured them there wouldn't be any problems. After all, if Hiroshi Kimura and Akina Nakamori took photos of their hotel on their wedding day, it would be free publicity. The hotel manager even said that their hotel would not be open to the public on the wedding day and that they would set up security on the presidential suite floor in advance to ensure that the wedding would not be disturbed.

This was an unexpected surprise. Kimura Hiroshi was a little embarrassed, but he accepted the manager's kindness. After all, who wouldn't want their wedding to go smoothly and without any problems?

After finalizing the hotel arrangements, Kimura Hiro drove them to their next destination: the wedding church. Tokyo only has a handful of cathedrals, so there wasn't much to choose from. Since Kimura Hiro and Nakamori Akina didn't have any particular religious beliefs, they simply toured the church, exchanged a few words with the priest, and that was it.

Then, you follow the priest around the church to determine where to enter on the wedding day, where to stand during the ceremony, and where to exit, etc. After all these are determined, the wedding is nearing its end, and then you need to go to a restaurant for a meal to express your gratitude.

"Hiro-kun, we seem to have told the abbot of Senso-ji Temple that we would go there to pray for blessings before the wedding. Now that we're getting married in a church, won't that upset Kannon?" Akina Nakamori said with a hint of worry as they left the church.

There was no way around it; they had promised the abbot of Senso-ji Temple, but now they were getting married in a Western-style cathedral. The two faiths were completely different, which inevitably made Akina Nakamori a little worried.