My daily life with the original diva

They set off in the morning and arrived at the Kimura Hiroshi family home before noon. It was a typical Japanese-style garden located on the northern edge of Kasukabe City. Not far from the house, they could see flat fields covered with white plastic film greenhouses, where vegetables were grown. Off-season vegetables in winter are the most profitable crops.

Feeling apprehensive as he approached his hometown, Kimura Hiroshi asked Miss Michiko to drive him back. He carried only a few belongings and gifts as he headed towards this familiar yet unfamiliar home.

When he got close to the courtyard, he noticed a figure outside the gate. It looked like his very old-fashioned and serious father. However, the figure seemed to have seen him too and immediately went into the courtyard.

The gate to the courtyard was open, and Kimura Hiroshi walked in, calling out, "Dad, Mom, Big Sister, I'm home!"

The slightly ajar door was flung open, and a middle-aged woman in a kimono, exuding elegance, stepped out, looking at him with delight. This was his mother in this world—Kimura Akiko, or Fujiwara Akiko.

"You're back, you brat. Hurry up and come in." Although she had a good demeanor, the words she spoke greatly ruined her image. They were very vulgar. If her friends from her younger days saw her like this, they would probably find it hard to imagine that she was once the elegant Miss Akiko of the Fujiwara family.

After changing his shoes and entering the house, he saw his father, Nobushi Kimura, sitting upright and drinking tea. When he saw him return, he didn't even glance at him, as if he didn't exist.

"Dad, I'm back." Looking at the gray-blue kimono he was wearing, Kimura Hiroshi was certain that the person who had been standing at the gate of the yard was his adoptive father.

He remained silent and unresponsive, looking quite angry. His mother, Mingzi, couldn't stand it anymore and said irritably, "You brat, you're back, what's with the long face? Who was it that was worried and went to the gate to check on you?"

His composure crumbled instantly. Kimura Nobushi's serious expression twitched, and he said, "Ah, you woman really are... Hurry up and prepare lunch, I'm hungry."

A typical East Asian father always wants to show his authority in front of his family and children, and doesn't want others to see the softness in his heart.

"Don't rush, I brought gifts for Mom and Dad." After saying that, he took out the prepared gifts. When Kimura Nobushi saw the expensive tea and sake, his eyes lit up, but he only gave a soft "hmm" to show his appreciation.

When her mother, Akiko Kimura, saw the expensive platinum necklace, she didn't hide her excitement and said, "Ah, you really are a big star! Giving your mother such an expensive gift is much better than your father's. Except for when we first got married, all the things he gave me after that were cheap and worthless."

When he was brought up again, Nobushi Kimura's face twitched even more violently. He was clearly speechless at his wife's comparison of him and their son. She was really shameless. But he didn't dare to say anything because he knew he would be rebuffed.

Akiko, pleased with the gift, happily went to prepare lunch. Only Hiroshi Kimura and his father, Nobushi Kimura, remained in the living room. The two sat facing each other at the table. Nobushi Kimura poured him a cup of tea, and only when the two men were alone did he ask, "Has the impact of what happened last time been eliminated? I saw you receive the newcomer award yesterday."

"It's been resolved, Dad. There won't be any problems," Kimura Hiroshi replied mechanically. It was always difficult for fathers and sons to get along like friends; there seemed to be an unspeakable barrier between them.

"Well, it's good that there's no problem. The entertainment industry is chaotic and full of temptations. I didn't stop you from going, but there are some bad habits you absolutely can't learn, such as messing around with women or smoking strange things. If I find out, I will not show any mercy and will kick you out of the Kimura family." As soon as his son returned home, Kimura Nobushi couldn't help but start to educate him as a father.

As a family with immense local influence, he could not tolerate his son's excessive dissipation, as it would bring shame upon the Kimura family and damage its reputation. This was his insistence as the head of the Kimura family.

Nodding in agreement, Kimura Hiroshi, reborn into this world, had become indifferent to many things. He only wanted to live a good life. Of course, financial freedom was a must; otherwise, living a good life would be just a dream. He would worry about money three times a day, so he still wanted to be a capitalist for a while.

The two of them chatted for a while longer. Their mother finished cooking, and soon after, their older sister, Kimura Ryo, came home for dinner. She had to visit farmers with the agricultural cooperative during the New Year, which was very tiring. Naturally, she was very happy to receive her brother's gift.

On the first day of the new year, the Kimura family was finally reunited and had lunch together.

Chapter 86 Returning Home: Different Circumstances

Although she only had two days off, Akina Nakamori decided to go back to her hometown of Kiyose. Her family held an extremely important place in her heart. Before going home, she bought gifts for her whole family: her grandmother, parents, older brother and sister, younger sister, and her older sister's newborn son.

Akina Nakamori, who especially loves children, brought the most gifts for her little nephew, including imported high-end milk powder, small clothes, and toys—she spent almost all of her meager allowance.

With a lot of stuff and a leg injury, she had to ask the agency staff to drive her home. Nakamori Akina felt bad about having to trouble others for the New Year, so she decided that she must learn to drive next year and buy a car, which would make things much more convenient.

Back in her hometown, back in familiar Kiyose, Akina Nakamori was in a great mood. When the car stopped at the street corner, after thanking the staff, she came out with her things, but she didn't use a cane because she could still walk a short distance without any problem. She didn't want her family to worry. When she appeared on the familiar street, many people immediately recognized her.

"Ah, Akina's back."

"Akina is back, and she bought so many things. She's such a filial child."

They were all familiar shop owners on the same street. When Nakamori Akina saw them, she greeted them one by one. Many of them had watched her grow up since she was a child.

Back in her little house, Akina Nakamori happily called out, "Mom, Akina, I'm home!"

A whooshing sound immediately came from inside the house, and then the door opened, revealing the mother, Chieko. Although she was only in her forties, her body was already covered with the marks of time, making her look exceptionally weathered—the marks left by the years she had spent raising six children almost single-handedly.

She was usually happy to see Nakamori Akina come back, but today, her smile seemed a little unnatural, and she said in a low voice, "Akina is back, come in quickly."

Holding the gifts, Akina Nakamori happily entered the house. The weather in January was very cold, so all the windows were closed. However, the living room was filled with smoke, indicating that someone was smoking, and there was more than one person.

Although Akina Nakamori herself later became a heavy smoker, she didn't really like the smell of smoke at that time because it would damage her voice and make her sound hoarse when singing.

In the living room, she saw her older brother, Minghong, her younger sister, Minghui, and a familiar stranger, her father, Nakamori Akio. The smoke was coming out of her father's mouth.

From a young age, Nakamori Akina rarely saw her father. Her mother, Chieko, almost always took care of their lives. Each time her father came back, he would only stay for a short time and give them a small amount of money. Their living and educational expenses were almost entirely supported by their mother.

When she was little, she didn't understand why, but as she grew older, she understood. Her father was keeping another woman outside, even though their family wasn't wealthy.

Seeing her father, Akina Nakamori was a little surprised, but she still went up to greet him, "Dad, Big Brother, I'm back."

"Oh, Akina's finally back. I thought she'd be back very late," said the father, Akio, casually, puffing on his cigarette.

Chieko, Akina's mother, took the things from her hands and said worriedly, "Is your leg injury any better? Sit down quickly, I'll get you some water."

"It's all alright now, thank you, Mom. I bought you a present." Nakamori Akina felt her mother's concern and replied happily, then sat down.

The atmosphere in the living room was somewhat oppressive, lacking the usual New Year's family reunion atmosphere. Nakamori Akina didn't know what had happened, and her younger sister didn't pester her for a gift. Her father and older brother both had somber expressions and didn't say a word.

She really wanted to tell them that she had bought them gifts, but seeing everyone's expressions, she didn't dare to speak, afraid of saying the wrong thing.

After a while, Mother brought over the tea, and Father Mingnan finally asked, "Mingcai, I heard you took all the money from the house and need to deal with some trouble?"

“Ah, yes, I needed some money for something, so I took four million yen from my mother,” Akina Nakamori answered truthfully.

After taking another drag of his cigarette, Mingnan said, "The truck at the family's butcher shop has broken down and can't be repaired anymore. We need to spend some money to replace it with a new one. Mingcai, do you have any money left? What about your salary for the past few months?"

Nakamori Akina was stunned by these words. Although she had a bad memory, hadn't the truck in her father's butcher shop had a problem a few months ago? Her mother had told her back then that it needed to be replaced. She thought they had already bought one. Why hadn't they replaced it? Where did all the money she gave her mother go?

Somewhat puzzled, she turned to look at her mother, Chieko, her meaning clear: she was asking a question.

Chieko understood her daughter's meaning perfectly well, and said, "The butcher shop needed to replace its refrigeration equipment a while ago, your brother's house had a problem with the roof, so I helped him replace it, and your younger sister has enrolled in an advanced dance class, and there's also your older sister having a baby..."

In short, all sorts of things at home required money, and she was using the salary she had saved for her mother. If it weren't for her sudden desire to fund Kimura Hiroshi's film production, her salary would have been enough to sustain her.

Now she suddenly wants to return the four million yen, and all the salary and bonuses for the next three months have been transferred to Kimura Hiroshi, which has made it difficult to maintain the family's finances. The person who injected the funds has suddenly stopped paying, and the family's cash flow has been cut off.

Nakamori Akina was dumbfounded by what her mother was saying. She never imagined that everything in the family required her money. What was going on? Did everyone stop earning money? Didn't her brother-in-law have money? Couldn't her brother pay for his own roof? And her younger sister, what did "advanced dance class" mean? Even she, a singer, had never enrolled in such a training course.

"What trouble have you gotten yourself into that requires so much money? If you can't explain it clearly, I'd like to ask your agency's president. Don't they care when their artists run into trouble?" The father, Mingnan, didn't care what trouble his daughter had gotten herself into, because he hadn't asked her for months. But since this trouble had left him short of money, he was going to have to ask.

Her mood instantly plummeted from the joy of returning home to rock bottom. Nakamori Akina felt extremely upset. She remained silent for a while before finally saying, "It's all resolved. I'll bring the money home next month to help my father replace the truck. Please don't worry."

Although we can't get the money now, we will next month. Father Mingnan's complexion improved a lot, and he smiled a little. He said, "It couldn't be better. As expected, our Mingcai is still the most trustworthy. By the way, how many days can you rest when you go home this time? Honestly, the artist injured her leg, and the agency didn't even send someone to explain. We were worried for a long time."

“Yes, I was also very worried about you, Akina. I was scared when I watched you perform.” At this moment, the older brother, Akihiro, finally spoke up.

The atmosphere at home seemed to improve instantly, filled with care and warmth among family members, but Nakamori Akina didn't listen at all. All she wanted was to be quiet for a while, just a little while.

Chapter 87 She is sick

Aside from a minor incident when I returned home, the two days I spent at home were no different from any other New Year's celebration. My mother cooked a lot of delicious food and advised me to take care of my health.

My younger sister keeps pestering me for all sorts of gifts, and this year there's one more: autographed posters and records by Hiroshi Kimura, preferably limited editions.

Her sister and various relatives came to her house to see this big star who rarely has the chance to come home all year round. Everyone chatted and laughed, and it was very lively.

However, Akina Nakamori was not in the same good mood as in previous years. Although she had a smile on her face, she felt depressed. This feeling lasted until she returned to the agency to start working.

The new single "Northern Wing" sold very well in just four days after its release, despite insufficient promotion. It sold over 100,000 copies in just four days, which is an excellent achievement during the New Year period, as many people are still immersed in the New Year atmosphere and do not have a strong desire to buy records.

Not only did the song achieve high sales, but it also garnered a lot of praise. In particular, the extremely long note at the end of the first line was executed exceptionally well by Akina Nakamori, sparking heated discussions among fans who witnessed her superb singing skills once again.

In order to maintain this popularity and boost record sales, after taking a two-day break, Akina Nakamori immediately threw herself into work upon returning to her agency, dragging her injured leg to various program venues and even participating in the filming of some comedy short programs.

The record's success did not improve Nakamori Akina's mood. With no one to confide in, she felt depressed. The high-intensity work and her still-healing leg soon overwhelmed her. A few days later, she could no longer work because she had a fever of 40 degrees Celsius and was in a dizzy state.

Even after taking fever-reducing medication, it didn't have much effect, so she could only rest in the apartment, where Ms. Noriko took care of her.

Kimura Hiroshi, who was far away in Kasukabe City, had no idea about these things. During the past few days at home, he had been being fed by his mother Akiko every day, which made him gain two pounds.

His relatives have been coming to see him these past few days. As the first entertainer from the Kimura family, everyone is very curious and wants to see what he looks like.

Some relatives weren't satisfied with just seeing him; they wanted photos and autographs, and some even asked if their children could become entertainers, asking Kimura Hiroshi to mentor them. He didn't know how to handle them, since they were all relatives.

Fortunately, their father, Nobushi Kimura, displayed his authority and gave them a stern lecture, which finally quieted them down. For the first time, Hiroshi Kimura realized that having a strong father was quite useful, at least it could reduce a lot of unnecessary trouble.

After his troublesome relatives left, Kimura Hiroshi found himself rather bored. In this era, there were no smartphones or the internet, and computers were too primitive and uninteresting. He could only watch TV and read magazines, but these held little appeal for him.

Seeing him idly wandering around the house, his father, Nobushi Kimura, took him to the fields to visit the farmers and help out in the fields, mainly by delivering supplies. He didn't understand planting techniques or agricultural loans.

There are advantages to giving gifts. Everyone in the area knows he is the son of the Kimura family and that he is a big star. So every time he gives gifts, the farmers will chat with him for a few minutes and give him some things, such as various vegetables and greenhouse strawberries that are very expensive now.

These things aren't cheap in Tokyo; they're sold individually. A single strawberry of good quality and large size can sell for over 100 yen. Farmers give them to him by the basketful, which is probably about two pounds, with forty or fifty strawberries.

Every time Kimura Hiroshi wanted to give him money, they would open the greenhouse for him to see. It was filled with strawberries, which were very valuable in the city, but here they were just greenhouse crops. They would give them away without a second thought.

Unconsciously, Hiroshi Kimura achieved strawberry freedom in his hometown, the kind where he didn't have to spend any money. But eating too much of anything can become tiresome.

That day, Kimura Hiroshi delivered some materials for water pipes and came back with a basket of strawberries. His mother, Akiko, immediately sighed, "Ah, you brought back strawberries again. Hiroshi-chan, please don't deliver anything anymore. There are still so many strawberries at home, and I don't know what to do with them. There are still two days of vacation left, so just stay at home."

Looking at the strawberries in the refrigerator that were almost spoiled, Kimura Hiroshi knew that they really couldn't eat them all at home, but he couldn't refuse the hospitality of others, so he had no choice but to not go. "Okay, Mom, I'll stay home with you for the next two days."

Unexpectedly, her mother, Akiko, didn't appreciate it at all. Instead, she said, "You've really become mushy since you became an entertainer. You actually say things like that. I don't need you to accompany me. I'm going to go bowling in the city with my sisters later."

Well, his mother has even more activities than he does. He hasn't been invited out to play at all during the few days he's been home. There's nothing he can do about it; he hardly has any friends back home, and even if he did, they all disappeared after the last interview with the reporter.

"Oh, right, someone from your firm called earlier, saying they had something to discuss, but when I asked her what it was, she didn't tell me. She asked you to call her back," said Akiko, the mother who had already finished her makeup and was getting ready to go out.

"Understood." Not knowing what was going on, Kimura Hiro put down the strawberries and went to the living room phone. He picked up the phone and dialed Ken-on's personal number. Only the agency staff could make this call; no one else knew about it.

The call was answered quickly. It was the receptionist from the agency. Kimura Hiroshi introduced himself and asked who had called him. Soon, a voice came from the other end calling out to Ms. Noriko.

"Ah, it's Ms. Noriko. Is there anything I can help you with?" Kimura Hiroshi wondered why Noriko wanted to see him at this hour.

Noriko was silent for a moment before speaking, "Kimura-san, Akina-san is sick. She has a fever of 40 degrees Celsius. I feel like she has something on her mind, but she doesn't want to tell us. I want you to come back and comfort her."

A fever of 40 degrees Celsius is no joke; the human body cannot withstand a high fever for a long time. He quickly replied, "I'll go back right away; I'll be there tonight."

"I'm really sorry to trouble you, Kimura-san. Please don't tell Akina-san that I was the one who told you. She's always told us not to tell you about her illness," Noriko said nervously.

"I know, Ms. Noriko, I won't tell anyone, don't worry." After hanging up the phone, Kimura Hiroshi quickly packed his things, preparing to return to Tokyo.

Mingzi, his mother, also heard the commotion and came over to find him packing his things. She asked, "What's wrong? Are you going back? There are still two days of holiday left."

"Mom, a friend of mine is sick, very seriously. I need to go back and check on her, just in case anything happens to her," Kimura Hiroshi quickly told his mother.

"That's really important," Mom Akiko quickly said. "Then I won't go to the bowling alley. I'll drive you back to Tokyo. It'll be faster that way, and I can bring some things with me."

That would be wonderful, of course. After putting down his things, Kimura Hiroshi came up and gave her a big hug. "Thank you, Mom. You've gone to so much trouble."

"You've really become a lot more cheesy. You mustn't use such methods to deceive young girls," warned Mingzi, the mother.

Chapter 88 Don't have strange ideas

As a seasoned driver with over twenty years of experience, Akiko's mother drove with remarkable speed and steadiness, dropping him off at his Tokyo apartment building in just over an hour. She even went upstairs to check out his temporary apartment, finding the environment satisfactory except for its cleanliness, noting the dust in the room.

From his mother and Akina Nakamori, Hiroshi Kimura sensed the extreme pursuit of cleanliness in the homes of some Japanese women. Fortunately, his mother didn't say much, just told him to take care of himself before leaving, as she still had to apologize to her sisters when she got back, since she had broken her promise.