My daily life with the original diva

Kimura Hiroshi stayed at the Baquan Film Production Co., Ltd. until about three or four in the afternoon. He then arranged the work he had accumulated recently, as well as the work he had done during his honeymoon, to ensure that the company could still operate normally without him. Only then did he head to the manga company.

Compared to the film and television production department, which still relies on him, the situation at the comic book club is much better. It is already able to operate completely independently. This is not because the comic book club does a better job than the film and television production staff, but because the work at the comic book club is relatively simple and does not require too much involvement in interpersonal relationships.

Once the subject matter of the comic is determined, the artists start drawing the comic, promoting and publishing it. If sales are good, they continue drawing; if not, they revise it; if it still doesn't work, they cut it and change the subject. In short, there is no need to involve too many interests or social circles, which makes their work seem more pure and clean.

Seeing that the manga studio was operating normally, Kimura Hiroshi didn't give any more instructions. He just chatted with the artists, mainly asking about their recent work. After confirming that there were no problems, Kimura Hiroshi found Hirono Takashi and asked him a few questions.

"Recently, the situation at the manga publishing company has been relatively stable. Currently, our two manga magazines, following the Shueisha model, are divided into shonen manga and shojo manga. The shonen manga's sales have stabilized at over 2.5 million copies, and the shojo manga's sales have exceeded one million copies. If this situation continues to stabilize, our development should at least be fine," said Takashi Hirono, explaining the current state of the manga publishing company.

Kimura Hiroshi nodded with satisfaction. He had started the manga magazine simply because he didn't want the manga in his mind to go to waste and wanted to make some money from them. Now that the manga company was developing steadily and the revenue it generated each year was also very stable, Kimura Hiroshi was already very satisfied.

As for surpassing Shueisha to become Japan's largest manga magazine, Hiroshi Kimura didn't have that kind of ambition or thought. He just wanted his dominant manga to survive steadily, and then occasionally throw out a hit idea from his mind to boost the magazine's sales. That was enough for him.

"Yes, very good. President Hirono has done a great job. What we need to do now is stabilize the situation. We already have a lot of manga that can make money, so we shouldn't rush to expand. The economic situation is feeling a bit unstable, so we need to focus on stability."

The stock market has been volatile recently, and the real estate market has lost its previous frenzied surge. It's currently in a plateau phase. People who don't want to lose money are using their last assets to hold on. Their assets are all in the stock market and real estate. If the market falls, they will definitely be finished. So even though they know they will eventually be unable to hold on, these people will not let go, because letting go is waiting for death. Watching it now might still offer a chance for a turnaround.

Naturally, most people understand that in the current situation, there is no point in resisting. Hirono Takashi is also well aware of this, so he replied, "I understand, Chairman. Right now, we are prioritizing stability and will not do anything blindly."

"Okay, that's good. By the way, how's the 'Momoko Sakura' project, which we're collaborating on with Fuji Television, doing?" Kimura Hiroshi asked again.

The manga series "Momoko Sakura," planned by Baquan Manga Studio, has been selected by Fuji Television and is currently in production. However, Hiroshi Kimura is not entirely clear about the progress of the production due to his busy wedding preparations.

"As for 'Momoko Sakura,' it's already in the early stages of plot planning. We estimate that we won't be able to produce the first twelve episodes until July. But there's no rush. Fuji TV is confirmed to broadcast it in September, so we have plenty of time," Takashi Hirono replied.

"As long as there's enough time," Kimura Hiroshi said with satisfaction. "That's good. This IP is very important. President Hirono must take it seriously. Alright, I won't stay here any longer. Work hard this year. As long as the manga company is stable, even if the economic situation changes by the end of the year, the rewards will still be given in full."

This can be considered a promise. It should be noted that the year-end bonuses at Hegemony are extremely generous. Promising that the year-end bonuses will remain unchanged will be a great encouragement to the employees. After all, most employees come to work not for any ideals or to learn anything, but for the monthly salary they receive.

After talking with Takashi Hirono, Hiroshi Kimura left. On his way back, he was still in a good mood. He had arranged almost all his work in just one workday. He was simply a work genius. The next two days were for preparing for the honeymoon. A long trip like this required a lot of preparation.

It wasn't rush hour when he left work, so the roads weren't too congested. Compared to the time it took to get there, the journey home was much easier, and Kimura Hiroshi arrived at his apartment building quickly.

After parking the car, Hiroshi Kimura hummed a song as he went upstairs. Opening the door, he called out, "I'm home!"

Then came the sound of footsteps from inside the house, and Nakamori Akina, dressed in her pajamas, appeared at the entrance, smiling at Kimura Hiroshi, and said, "You're back, Hiroshi-kun. You must be tired from work. Here, let me get your bag."

Without makeup, wearing glasses and casual clothes, Akina Nakamori greeted Hiroshi Kimura like a typical housewife. She even took his briefcase for him. Seeing her like this, Hiroshi couldn't help but ask, "Akina, didn't you go out today? You've been home all day?"

After hanging up Hiroshi Kimura's briefcase, Akina Nakamori answered without turning her head, "Yes, I didn't go out today. After Hiroshi left, I spent the whole morning cleaning the house and doing laundry. I cooked myself some noodles for lunch, and then I watched TV at home because there was a good comedy show. Ah, I watched it all afternoon. It was really good."

Somewhat speechless, this day really felt like a housewife's day: cleaning, washing clothes, and watching TV if there was time. Kimura Hiroshi was a little confused. He never expected that Nakamori Akina would be so natural about her change of identity. Just a few days ago, she was a top female celebrity, and now she was really settling down to be a housewife.

"Um, Akina, did you feel bored after staying at home all day?" Kimura Hiroshi asked tentatively. Although Nakamori Akina had previously expressed her anticipation of becoming a housewife, Kimura Hiroshi still found it hard to believe and wanted to ask if Nakamori Akina really thought so.

Seemingly sensing Kimura Hiro's worries—Kimura Hiro had asked about it many times before—Nakamori Akina walked over somewhat helplessly, put her arm around Kimura Hiro's waist, and sighed, "Why do you always worry about this, Hiro-kun? Do you think I can't adapt to the change in my identity, from a popular idol to a housewife? Hehe, if I really couldn't handle this change, I wouldn't be in such a hurry to get married. So Hiro-kun's worries are unnecessary."

After confirming several times that Nakamori Akina was indeed not having any problems, Kimura Hiroshi was truly relieved. He patted Nakamori Akina's back and said, "Well, it seems my worries were a bit unnecessary. So, as a housewife, Akina, what should our family do now? We should be going to buy groceries for dinner, right? We haven't had dinner yet."

Speaking of this, Akina Nakamori was full of energy and immediately let go of Hiroshi Kimura's waist, saying, "That's right, we haven't prepared the ingredients for dinner yet. Hiro-kun told me this morning to go together tonight, so I didn't go to buy them. Now, let's go together."

Then she hurriedly ran to her room, quickly took out her wallet, and changed her clothes. Kimura Hiroshi, on the other hand, didn't need to change because he was wearing a suit.

After changing her clothes, Akina Nakamori, holding a bamboo basket, put her arm around Hiroshi Kimura's arm and said, "Alright, let's go now, Hiro-kun."

Seeing her simple attire, Kimura Hiroshi asked with some concern, "Sigh, if Akina goes out with me like this, won't people recognize her?"

Faced with Kimura Hiroshi's question, Nakamori Akina confidently replied, "Hehe, Hiroshi-kun, you don't need to worry. My usual image in front of the audience is that of a city girl. Right now, I don't have that feeling at all, so there's no need to worry about me being recognized. It's Hiroshi-kun who, well, needs to put on some disguise."

After saying that, she put down the basket in her hand, found a pair of sunglasses in the cabinet in the living room, put them on Kimura Hiroshi, and after confirming that there was no problem, Nakamori Akina said with a smile, "Okay, this way we shouldn't be recognized. Let's go now, Hiroshi-kun, to the nearby supermarket. It's almost evening, and the supermarket should have discounts on the ingredients, so we can buy cheap ingredients."

"Alright, let's set off now," Kimura Hiroya said, echoing Nakamori Akina's words.

The two walked hand in hand toward the nearby supermarket. There was a large supermarket near their apartment, so they didn't need to drive there; they could walk. They chose to walk slowly, chatting as they went, which was quite pleasant. Of course, in the summer, they would need to drive, because walking in the sun in that weather wouldn't be a good choice.

Soon, the two of them arrived at the supermarket. The supermarket was quite crowded, mostly with women. It was easy to guess that these women were mostly housewives who were preparing dinner before their husbands returned home. So, it wasn't too late for them to come out to buy groceries. Once they had bought the ingredients, they could go back and cook dinner immediately.

They arrived at just the right time, as it was close to nightfall. After nightfall, many of the ingredients in the supermarket are either discarded or sold to smaller supermarkets in the surrounding area, so the prices are discounted at this time. Compared to other times, the prices are much cheaper. Of course, since it is in an affluent area, the prices are not actually that much cheaper.

For dinner, Nakamori Akina wanted to eat seafood, so their main shopping focus was seafood. The supermarket had all kinds of seafood, and as they looked around, several large creatures soon caught their attention: king crabs kept in tanks.

However, its price is not so attractive. It costs 4,000 yen per kilogram, and if it is larger, the price is even higher, at 5,000 yen. If two people want to eat well, they need at least 4 kilograms.

"Ah, that's too expensive. Let's eat this kind of hairy crab instead. Wow, we can get 500 grams for only 600 yen." Seeing the price of king crab, Akina Nakamori thought that eating Japanese hairy crab was also an option.

But what's so good about hairy crabs? They're tiny and troublesome to eat. Kimura Hiroshi looked at the king crabs, one of which seemed to be dying. Suddenly, he had an idea. He found a supermarket employee and asked, "What's the price of a dead king crab?"

"Ah, dead? If it just died, we'll sell it at 30% off. If it's been dead for more than two hours and hasn't been sold, we'll throw it away." The staff member didn't expect anyone to ask this question, but he answered honestly.

Akina Nakamori, who was standing next to him, also didn't understand why Hiroki Kimura would ask such a question. She asked, "Why does Hiroki-kun ask how much a dead king crab costs?"

Seeing Akina Nakamori's inquisitive expression, Hiroshi Kimura whispered in her ear, "Akina, have you seen that king crab? It's almost dead. Crabs are edible if they've just died, and the taste shouldn't be too different. If we wait until it dies, we'll make a huge profit!"

Nakamori Akira's eyes widened in disbelief that Kimura Hiroshi had such an idea. She adjusted her glasses and looked at the king crabs in the tank. Sure enough, one of them was no longer very active and was kicking its legs. She was overjoyed and said, "Ah, Hiroshi, you are so clever! How did you come up with this idea?"

"Hehe, because your Hiro-kun is exceptionally smart. Okay, let's not stay here for now. Let's go buy something else. When we come back, it might be dead. We can just tell the staff and buy it." Kimura Hiro said proudly.

Understanding Kimura Hiroshi's meaning, Nakamori Akina quickly pulled him away to buy other things, but her eyes remained fixed on the dying king crab, unwilling to look away for even a moment, as if afraid that someone else would discover it and steal the benefits they had found.

After buying everything else, Nakamori Akina couldn't wait to return to the seafood section to examine the king crab. Sure enough, it was no longer moving. Nakamori Akina was overjoyed and said to Kimura Hiroshi, "Hiroshi-kun, Hiroshi-kun, it's not moving anymore. It must be dead."

"Ah, it seems we're back on time. Hello, there's a dead king crab here. Could you please take it out? We'd like to buy it," Kimura Hiroshi said generously.

Upon hearing that a king crab had died, the staff immediately came over to check. It turned out to be the same person Kimura Hiroshi had just questioned. He immediately recognized Kimura Hiroshi as the person who had asked the question earlier. Now, seeing that he was the first to discover the dead king crab and come to buy it, he was a little confused. How could such a thing happen?

Chapter 642 So Many Things Happen

Crabs that have just died always taste slightly different from live ones. This is mainly because crabs have a high protein content, which causes them to decompose very quickly when they die. However, they are not unpalatable and still retain their delicious flavor. Considering the price when they die, they can be considered good value for money.

However, given Kimura Hiroshi and Nakamori Akina's status, if those nosy entertainment media outlets knew that these two former top celebrities actually spent a full half hour browsing in a supermarket for a dead king crab, they would probably write a lot about it, and might even create countless versions of rumors.

For example, there's the rumor that Hiroshi Kimura spent all his money on a lavish wedding and had to wait for a king crab to die before eating it; or that a top celebrity couple was so poor that they ate dead crabs to satisfy their cravings. All sorts of creative rumors can be fabricated about you.

Don't think that Hiroshi Kimura and Akina Nakamori have lost their popularity just because they are married. Not only is the buzz surrounding their wedding still going strong, but the two of them have also amassed a huge fan base. Their drama "Tokyo Love Story" is still airing and is a phenomenal hit.

Two days after the couple's wedding, the third episode of the drama aired, and the viewership rating still reached 41.2%, remaining stable above 40%. The ability to maintain such a viewership rating is not only due to the popularity of the two leads' wedding, but also to the quality of the drama and the actors' performances, which are able to attract so many viewers.

Along with the continued popularity of the TV series, the theme song "Sudden Love" sung by Hiroshi Kimura also continued to sell well. In the third week, it successfully broke through one million copies sold, reaching a staggering 1.16 million. This is also the fastest single by Hiroshi Kimura to break one million copies, and it also set a record for the first time since the beginning of the 1990s.

There's no way around it; Hiroshi Kimura was already incredibly popular. His singles were the first to recover to over a million copies sold since 88, demonstrating the market's recognition of him. This wasn't just due to his fans maintaining these sales figures; it must also be because he was loved by many ordinary people.

Although he is now married, Hiroshi Kimura shed his idol identity long ago. Although he debuted as an idol, most Japanese people no longer see him as an idol, but as an all-around entertainer. He is really too versatile. He can sing, write songs, act, write scripts, and direct. He is a very special existence in the entertainment industry.

His sustained high level of popularity makes it difficult for many people to accept that he will retire after getting married. Ken-on was the first to find it unacceptable, because Hanami Kagami couldn't persuade him. Nozaki Shuno even called him personally to ask what conditions he would need to return to normal work.

However, Kimura Hiroshi firmly refused. He would release records in the future, but it was impossible for him to return to normal entertainment work. He didn't want to work so hard. As for Nakamori Akina, she could have if she wanted to, but Nakamori Akina also firmly refused.

Seemingly sensing that his relationship with his agency had become less close after his marriage, several agencies somehow obtained his phone number and inquired about his plans to transfer agencies. They offered incredibly generous terms, which annoyed Kimura Hiroshi, and he firmly rejected them one by one.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Suzuki, I have no intention of continuing my career as an entertainer. Yes, I'm absolutely certain of that. I also have no plans to transfer agencies. Yes, I'm sorry. If I have any thoughts, I'll send someone to let you know. Yes, that's all then." After once again declining an invitation from the president of an agency, Hiroshi Kimura leaned back on the sofa with a hint of helplessness.

Seeing Kimura Hiroshi like this, Nakamori Akina, who was watching a TV series nearby, felt sorry for him but also amused. She said, "Hiroshi-kun seems to be very popular. All these company presidents are looking for you non-stop. Our wedding was only five days ago, and they keep calling you."

"Yes, sometimes being too outstanding can be a problem. But Akina, you must have received quite a few invitations, right? You're a top female celebrity, not bad compared to me." Kimura Hirokazu has received several such calls at home.

Akina Nakamori also expressed her frustration, saying, "Yes, I've already said I have no interest, but they still call me. It's really annoying. It doesn't feel good to always reject people."

Because of her kind heart, Akina Nakamori felt guilty about always refusing others. Hiroshi Kimura noticed this, went up and hugged her, saying, "These guys should feel bad. They're actually affecting the lives of a newlywed couple. It's unforgivable. After Mr. Tomioka comes to visit tomorrow, we'll immediately set off for our honeymoon. Let's go to Hong Kong first. What do you think, Akina?"

"Hmm, hmm, that's a great idea. Let's set off early the day after tomorrow to avoid any disturbances and begin our happy journey. We'll go to Hong Kong first to see how Sister Deng is doing; she should be there right now," Nakamori Akina asked.

Sister Deng is Teresa Teng. Due to health reasons, she has greatly reduced her musical activities. Apart from releasing some albums, she rarely holds concerts. Nowadays, she spends most of her time in Hong Kong, Japan, and France. It is said that she is about to shift her focus to France and get away from Asia.

There was no other way. Teresa Teng was a female singer who was truly famous throughout East Asia and had unparalleled influence. If she wanted to avoid being disturbed, she would definitely have to move overseas. Otherwise, given the level of harassment from Hong Kong reporters, it would be impossible for her to have any peace and quiet. Therefore, Akina Nakamori wanted to see Teresa Teng one last time before she moved to France.

After all, if she goes to France in the future, with the communication capabilities of this era, it will be very difficult to maintain a good relationship. Making overseas calls is not so easy.

So Kimura Hiroshi agreed without hesitation. He said, "Okay, let's go to Hong Kong to see Sister Deng. I heard she's not feeling well. I don't know if it's because of her mood or her physical condition. If we go to Hong Kong to see her, maybe it will cheer her up and improve her health."

“Yes, that’s what I thought too, Hiro-kun. It’s such a pity that she couldn’t come to our wedding because of her health. If she can’t come, we’ll go see her.” Nakamori Akina said happily.

Since that's the decision, let's go. We can also let her show us around Hong Kong. After all, with her influence, there shouldn't be any strange people bothering them in Hong Kong.

"Ah, it's almost evening. We should prepare dinner. Should we eat out or at home? Also, Mr. Tomioka is coming to visit tomorrow, so we should invite him to dinner. We should prepare some ingredients." After talking about his trip to Hong Kong, Kimura Hiroshi remembered that Tomioka Yukio was coming tomorrow.

When asked to come over as a guest, Kimura Hiroshi guessed that Tomioka Yukio was probably coming to discuss cooperation with him. However, this guy, relying on their friendship, wouldn't just give up after a phone call; he would come in person. Kimura Hiroshi didn't refuse, after all, Tomioka Yukio was a friend, and his reason for coming as a guest was quite valid.

“Yes, we haven’t prepared any ingredients yet. In that case, let’s have dinner at home. We need to prepare ingredients anyway, and while we’re at it, let’s see if we can get any king crab at a 30% discount,” Akina Nakamori said, her eyes shining.

She felt she had gotten a great deal on the king crab last time she bought it at a 30% discount, so she wanted to have that kind of good luck again. However, Kimura Hiroshi thought it was almost impossible, but he didn't want to be discouraged. Instead, he said, "Well, let's go see if there are any poor king crabs that are about to die."

The two happily headed downstairs to the supermarket, but this time they were clearly not so lucky. All the king crabs in the tank were lively and jumping around, giving them no chance to pick up any. This greatly disappointed Nakamori Akina. To comfort Nakamori Akina, who hadn't gotten any good luck, Kimura Hiroshi took her out for a big meal after they finished buying the groceries. In the end, it cost more than the king crab, but Kimura Hiroshi didn't care. As long as they were happy, that was all that mattered.

The next morning, Yukio Tomioka and Ms. Michiko arrived at their apartment door right on time. After knocking, Hiroshi Kimura opened the door and unceremoniously accepted the gift that Yukio Tomioka had brought: a box of black tea from China. He knew that Hiroshi Kimura liked to drink tea.

After a brief tour of the large apartment, Yukio Tomioka and Ms. Michiko naturally showered it with compliments, which Hiroshi Kimura and Akina Nakamori accepted with smiles. They then sat in the living room and chatted.

We started by talking about Warner Music's recent activities. Sachiko Kamachi has officially debuted under the stage name Izumi Sakai, and the rock group ZARD has begun their initial promotions. Well, they've been doing alright, but so far the response has been pretty good. Yoshiro Hosono, following Hiroshi Kimura's request, didn't allow Sachiko Kamachi to wear heavy makeup and to dress in a more androgynous style, which has garnered her some attention.

It's clear that she can't achieve the same level of attention that Kimura Hiroshi received shortly after his debut. After all, Kimura Hiroshi was young and handsome at the time, and he sang a rock debut song that captivated a group of young girls. Obviously, Sachiko Kamachi, who is already an adult, doesn't have that advantage.

Her target fan base is older students and young working professionals. It's impossible to get them to like an artist right away at that age; it takes time. So, after learning that the debut promotion wasn't particularly successful, Kimura Hiroshi didn't take any action and let them continue like this.

However, Warner Bros. found this somewhat unacceptable. After all, Sachiko Kamachi was someone that Hiroshi Kimura had highly favored. Now that the initial promotion had yielded such a result, they had some complaints. That's why Yukio Tomioka came over today.

In response, Hiroshi Kimura simply smiled and replied, "Sachiko-chan is definitely an extremely talented singer. It's not like the old days when you could become an instant sensation after your debut. It takes time to build up your reputation. Let's wait until next year. If Sachiko-chan still isn't famous by then, I'll personally go to Warner Music to explain."

A year is enough time for Sachiko Kamachi to accumulate fans. She has a good singing voice and an excellent image. Anyone who pays attention to her will be gradually attracted. After accumulating experience since her debut, she will inevitably become a huge star step by step.

“Kimura-san, there’s no need to make it sound so serious. Even if you’re not famous, it’s due to a variety of factors. I’m just here to inform you about this, not to interrogate you. I do have some collaborations I’d like to discuss with you,” Tomioka Yukio quickly explained.

However, he started by saying something unfavorable to him, and then wanted to talk about cooperation. This was obviously an attempt to put pressure on him. Although they were friends, they were both in the business world and there was no pure affection between them. Everything was based on interests.

"Cooperation? Okay, what kind of cooperation does Mr. Tomioka want to talk about? If it's about getting me back to being an artist, then forget it. But if it's about releasing a single, I'll let Warner know in advance when I want to release a single," Kimura Hiroshi said calmly. He knew there was no way to get him back to being an artist; nothing he could do would work.

Yukio Tomioka immediately responded, “No, no, Kimura-san, I’m not asking you to return to being an artist. I know you’re not very interested in that anymore. I’m asking you to write a single. As you know, Warner has many other artists who need singles. Kimura-san’s previous singles have all been of very high quality, so we would like to ask you to write some singles for our record company’s artists.”

"Write a song?" Hiroshi Kimura hadn't expected the collaboration to be like this. Warner Music really had some talent; knowing he wouldn't continue as an artist, they took a roundabout approach by asking him to write a single. This way, they could utilize his fame and popularity without incurring his displeasure.

“Yes, it’s just writing some singles. I don’t think it will be too difficult for Kimura-san,” Yukio Tomioka immediately replied.

Touching his chin, Hiroshi Kimura thought for a moment and said, "It's not impossible, but if I'm writing a song, it depends on who the singer is. How about this, I'll discuss the specifics with Warner after I return from my honeymoon, okay?"

"Ah, of course, whatever Kimura-san wants is fine with us. Let's talk again when we get back. We'll definitely come up with terms that will satisfy Kimura-san," Yukio Tomioka said happily.

Chapter 643 Arrival in Hong Kong

Without further ado, on the morning of the second day after hosting Yukio Tomioka, Hiroshi Kimura and Akina Nakamori departed from Narita Airport in Tokyo and took a flight to Hong Kong. This was Akina Nakamori's first trip to Hong Kong, but it wasn't Hiroshi Kimura's first time; it was his second. The last time was to promote "The Longest Nite," but that was just a formality, and he didn't stay in Hong Kong for long.

This time, things will be different. Hiroshi Kimura and Akina Nakamori plan to have a good time in Hong Kong for about four days before heading to mainland China. Because of their special status, applying for tourist visas is very easy. After all, cultural exchanges between mainland China and Japan are very frequent these days, and visas for artists are particularly lenient.

The class that went to Hong Kong had both Japanese and Hong Kong people, but neither Hiroshi Kimura nor Akina Nakamori understood Cantonese, so they couldn't quite understand what the Hong Kong people were saying.

However, it didn't really matter. The two of them were sitting on the plane, looking forward to their upcoming trip to Hong Kong. Nakamori Akina was especially excited. She couldn't help it; she had only heard of Hong Kong before, but this was her first time actually going there, so how could she not be excited?