My daily life with the original diva

As for why their relationship was so bad, the answer is right next to them. Kondo Masahiko, as Nakamori Akina became popular, Kondo Masahiko often appeared around Nakamori Akina, trying to get close to her. Matsumoto Iyo was a fan of Kondo Masahiko even before her debut. After her debut, she had the opportunity to get in touch with him and became a simp, wishing she could pay him a visit in hopes that Kondo Masahiko would give her a second glance.

Matsumoto Iyo remained lukewarm in popularity, and her singing was nothing short of a train wreck. Later generations called her "Iyo with courage," which wasn't a compliment. It meant that someone of her caliber dared to sing, so how could Kondo Masahiko possibly be interested in her? He was more interested in Nakamori Akina.

The man she couldn't have became another woman's lapdog, and this woman was someone who debuted around the same time as her and they even promoted together. How could she accept this? She didn't think it was her fault, nor did she think it was Kondo Masahiko's fault. Instead, she hated Nakamori Akina. It's clear that Matsumoto Iyo has something wrong with her brain. Now she's even coming out to mock him.

"Yes, that person is definitely past their prime, but some people seem to never have lost their popularity. This time, even those ranked in the top 30 or so can come to the show. The agency is really doing a great job," Kimura Hiroshi said casually.

Chapter 106 A Very Sharp Tongue

It wasn't very damaging, but it was extremely insulting. His words weren't just directed at Matsumoto Iyo, but also at Kondo Masahiko next to her, because both of their singles were ranked around 30th. Especially Kondo Masahiko, whose new single, called Ichiban Yarou, was ranked 32nd and sold less than 10,000 copies in a week.

This one, Matsumoto Iyo, is slightly better. She's ranked 28th, and her weekly sales have at least exceeded 10,000, which is quite an achievement. She's already a well-known female idol, while many female idols don't even have total sales of 10,000.

Although the Best Ten chart isn't entirely determined by sales figures, sales are still the most important factor. Given these two's record sales, it's impossible for them to be on a music show. There's only one possibility: their agency sent them there.

Appearing on such a high-rated chart show and promoting their songs is a huge form of publicity and can greatly help their record sales. Of course, the premise is that the viewers like the singer or their songs. If they don't like them, no matter how much time they spend on screen, it won't make a difference.

After Kimura Hiroshi said this, the singers around him who were not involved snickered. Although Kimura Hiroshi did not say who they were, everyone knew perfectly well.

Matsumoto Iyo, who had been so aggressive just moments before, suddenly turned red in the face. She wanted to retort, but didn't know what to say. Indeed, if Kimura Hiroshi, whose new single was number one, was considered washed up, then what was she, ranked twenty-eighth? It wouldn't be wrong to say that she had never been popular.

Masahiko Kondo, who was standing next to her, originally wanted to sit back and watch this stupid woman cause trouble for Hiroshi Kimura while he watched the show from the sidelines. Unexpectedly, the fire suddenly spread to him, and his face, which was originally gloating, immediately fell. He didn't know how to deal with it.

"Ah, I heard that the washed-up person's new single sold over 130,000 copies in three days, while some people haven't sold a single album that has sold over 130,000 copies since they released it. I heard that there was a male idol whose album sold 300,000 to 400,000 copies last year, but this year it can't even sell 10,000 copies in a week. Does that mean he's washed up?"

Kimura Hiroshi wasn't going to let them off the hook, and continued to mimic Matsumoto Iyo's tone, speaking as if gossiping.

The laughter in the lounge grew louder, and the two sitting together became even more embarrassed. Matsumoto Iyo realized at this moment what kind of man she had offended. He was truly vengeful and his words were far more scathing and vicious than hers. She had no power to fight back. As for Kondo Masahiko, he hated the stupid woman beside him even more. She had deliberately caused trouble, and as a result, he had suffered along with her.

"I'm sorry, Kimura-san, please forgive Iyo-chan this time. She's just not good at talking, please forgive her." Hayami Yu saw that Matsumoto Iyo was at a loss and seemed to be on the verge of collapse after being scolded by Kimura Hiro, so she quickly pleaded for her friend.

If it were Kimura Hiroshi's usual personality, he would definitely ask, "Who are you? You think I'll let her go just because you beg for mercy? You're really shameless." But this matter involves Nakamori Akina, and Hayami Yu is Nakamori Akina's friend. If he did this, it could very well damage Nakamori Akina's relationships.

So Kimura Hiroshi decided to do Nakamori Akina this favor, and said very politely, "Ah, it's Yu-chan. You and Akina-san are friends, so you're my friends too. As long as they stop talking nonsense, I won't say anything more."

"Thank you, Kimura-san, thank you very much." Hayami Yu quickly expressed her gratitude, while Kimura Hiro simply nodded without saying anything more, and the lounge finally quieted down.

The unfamiliar singers sighed, because there was no good show to watch. The dressing room was usually very dull, and now that there was finally a show to watch, they didn't expect it to be so short-lived.

With no show to watch, the dressing room was eerily quiet, and no one spoke. Fortunately, after a while, the rehearsal for the show began, and everyone was finally able to escape from this terrifying atmosphere.

The rehearsal lasted for more than two hours, with each singer rehearsing and performing. The stage was in no way inferior to that of the top ten, and there were even special effects when the singers went on stage. Of course, the singers couldn't see these effects; the audience could only see them when the show aired.

The show officially began, with each artist taking the stage one by one, starting from number ten. Kyoko Koizumi, who released her album on January 1st, was number ten this week, which means her single is clearly nearing the end of its sales run. It's likely that she'll need a new hit single to get on stage next week.

To be honest, Kyoko Koizumi has started to bring out her playful and quirky style very well in her stage performances. Her performance level is very high, much better than her last performance at Night HIT. However, her singing skills still can't compare with those of super idols like Seiko Matsuda and Akina Nakamori.

Between the top ten, Matsumoto Iyo and Kondo Masahiko also went on stage and performed in the middle. If you didn't know better, you would think they were also in the top ten, which shows the power of their agency.

The chart reached number four, with Akina Nakamori's "Kita Tsubasa" appearing. This song had been on the market for two months and was still ranked fourth, demonstrating its incredible staying power.

Despite ranking fourth, Akina Nakamori did not appear on the show because she had already flown from Narita Airport North Wing in Tokyo to America a few days earlier to record an album to be released in March, so it was impossible for her to be present.

However, she still recorded a VTR, which was played on the show. In it, she wore a modified flight attendant uniform with black as the main color and white flowers as the embellishment and sang "North Wing," which was considered her performance of the song.

Seeing this VTR made Hiroshi Kimura inexplicably want to laugh, because Akina Nakamori wore this stage outfit in front of him, specifically for recording this VTR, at the agency.

Instead of immediately going to record after putting on her stage outfit, she went to Hiroshi Kimura, who was at the agency at the time, and asked him if he looked like a flight attendant. She even offered to provide him with in-flight services and tried to move chairs from the agency to make it look like an airplane. The result was a complete mess, which shocked Akiyuki Yoshizawa and Yukio Tomioka. They were severely reprimanded and told Nakamori Akina not to do such strange things again.

Finally, the grand finale was Hiroshi Kimura's "Until the End of the World." When the best ten appeared, they had to go through a revolving door, and when they turned around, they appeared on the stage.

The two hosts took Kimura Hiroshi very seriously, stepping forward to greet him. After exchanging greetings, they proceeded with the routine Q&A session. The main host of Best Ten was Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, a very influential figure in the television industry. She also has another identity: Masahiko Kondo's godmother.

Masahiko Kondo is not close to his biological mother at all, but he has many godmothers outside and is very affectionate with them. Tetsuko Kuroyanagi has to have dinner with Masahiko Kondo once a month, but no one knows what they eat.

This also led Tetsuko Kuroyanagi to take good care of Masahiko Kondo. However, as a veteran in the television industry, she had excellent hosting skills and knew how to conduct herself. She wouldn't offend anyone for Masahiko's sake. She only gave Masahiko some conveniences when he participated in television programs, and she didn't care about anything else.

So Kimura Hiroshi's appearance was just a routine conversation, and Kuroyanagi Tetsuko was even quite amiable. However, there was still some surprise when the male host read out a letter from a viewer asking what the war depicted in Kimura Hiroshi's B-side song aLIEz actually referred to.

The fans who listened to the song were clearly shrewd, and they could all hear the hidden meaning in the song. However, Hiroshi Kimura did not answer directly, but instead laughed it off and said, "Whatever you think is what you want, whatever you think is what you want, it has nothing to do with me."

His meaning was quite clear: Japanese people are very good at listening to tactful words, because even when pointing out someone's mistakes, they do so tactfully. Direct words are considered impolite and leave no room for rebuttal. Kimura Hiroshi's words were very obvious, but in reality, it seemed as if he hadn't said anything at all. That's the art of language.

Chapter 107 Unscrupulous Entertainment Media

"Did you watch The Best Ten last night? Kimura-chan was on it! His performance was as captivating as ever. It's a pity I couldn't see it live. I would have been so happy if I could have."

"Heh, does Miwa really want to see Kimura-chan's performance or are you just lusting after his body? I heard you read Kimura-chan's magazines every night and sometimes make strange noises in bed."

"Ah, who said that? That's impossible! Rena-chan is talking nonsense again. I'll teach you a lesson!" The two girls immediately started playfully fighting.

Before long, more girls joined the discussion. Most of them were girls in the class who liked Hiroshi Kimura. Suddenly, one girl said, "Ah, after listening to that audience question last night, I finally understood what the war in Kimura-chan's B-side song aLIEz meant. I never understood why Kimura-chan would create a song with war elements. It turns out she was expressing her feelings. Kimura-san is really talented."

"B-side track, what B-side track?" another girl asked.

"Ah, didn't you know? Kimura-san's new album's B-side includes his previous battle with the media. Ah, daring to write a song that insults people in his own single, he's really bold. Kimura-san is so unique." The girl's eyes widened even more infatuated.

The girl who asked the question was surprised to hear such a thing. She exclaimed, "Oh, I thought his new single was too mature, so I didn't buy it. I didn't expect there to be such a story. Ah, it's such a pity I didn't hear it. I'll definitely buy a copy after school to listen to it."

Not only her, but other girls who hadn't bought the record also said they were completely unaware of it and expressed their intention to buy it and listen to it after school.

"Oh no! It's been discovered that Kimura-san wrote a song to criticize the media. Look at today's new gossip magazine. They say that the B-side of Kimura-san's new album, aLIEz, is a veiled reference to his previous war with the media. They also say that the media were the initiators of a war of falsehoods and that they were the creators of lies, deceiving the public into attacking Kimura-san on their behalf."

The new girl spread the magazine out in front of everyone, and sure enough, the eye-catching headline read, "Popular Male Idol Hiro Kimura's B-side Song Conceals a Hidden Meaning: Attacking the Media?"

The article details the allusions within the song, and at the end, they demand that the song, which is riddled with allusions and full of offensive language, be removed from the platform and banned from sale.

"That's terrible! They're actually going to take Kimura-chan's new single off the shelves. Will we still be able to buy it later?"

"No, everyone help me skip class later. I need to go buy it now. These media outlets are backed by big shots. They'll definitely make Kimura-chan's new single go down. I need to buy it before then, otherwise I'm afraid it will be hard to buy it again later."

"I want to buy one too. Miki-chan, we'll skip class for you. Bring me one, and we'll give you the money first."

"I want one too, Miki-chan."

"I want one too, I want one too."

As soon as one person spoke up, everyone immediately said they wanted to buy it, just in case they couldn't buy it in the future, which would be such a pity.

Last night, Hiroshi Kimura's ambiguous denial on The Best Ten, coupled with today's reports in over a dozen entertainment media newspapers and magazines that Kimura wrote a song that subtly criticizes the media, filled with offensive language, and demanding the removal of the album, made the B-side track aLIEz a hot topic that day.

The sudden emergence of this discussion left most media outlets completely bewildered. They had no idea what was going on. Kimura Hiroshi's single had been released for several days, so how could they not know that the B-side of the album attacked and mocked them? There was absolutely no such information.

In the conference room, Hanami Kaku was glaring angrily at Kimura Hiroshi and Tomioka Yukio. Even Michiko, who was almost invisible, was glared at by him, and the forty-something-year-old Michiko was so frightened that she shrank back in her chair in the conference room like a quail.

"When the album was released, we agreed not to promote this B-side in public. Why is it that now so many magazines and entertainment newspapers are full of news about it, and even regard it as a symbol of attacking the media?" Hanami asked angrily.

This was naturally orchestrated by Hiroshi Kimura and Yukio Tomioka, but we can't admit it. If we do, who knows what will happen to Hanami Kagami? He'll probably keep bringing it up.

After clearing his throat twice, Yukio Tomioka stood up and said, "President, neither Kimura-san nor I know what happened. I can assure you that this matter has nothing to do with us. It must have been something that the media and the audience heard about, just like that audience member on yesterday's TV program."

"Yes, President, it's just the media making wild guesses. What does it have to do with us? Besides, we've always had a bad relationship with those media outlets. They're just deliberately trying to find reasons to smear me," Kimura Hiroshi said calmly.

The two denied it, which confused Hanami Kagami. He couldn't really confirm whether it was Kimura Hiroshi and Tomioka Yukio who were behind it, or whether the media had figured it out themselves. After all, Tomioka Yukio had been able to see some of the meaning in the song, so there was no reason why the media couldn't.

"It really has nothing to do with you?" Hanami asked, still unwilling to give up.

Shaking his head, Kimura Hiroshi naturally wouldn't admit it, nor would Tomioka Yukio. This was a private matter between the two of them, and they absolutely couldn't let Hanami Kagami know.

The meeting room fell silent. Everyone was quiet. Seeing this, Kimura Hiroshi took the initiative to speak, "President, since things have come to this, the first thing we need to do is explain things to the major media outlets we have good relations with. I think Mr. Terabayashi and I will call them together and make things clear."

Now that things have come to this, there's no other way. Hanami Kagami could only nod and say to Terahina Akira, who was in charge of publicity, "I'll leave this matter to Mr. Terahina. Please make sure you handle it well. I don't want to experience being besieged by the media again."

It's clear that Hanamichi is still haunted by the media frenzy surrounding the previous ghostwriting incident.

"Okay, President, I promise I will help Kimura-san resolve this matter properly." Terabayashi Akira said he would do his best.

The meeting then concluded, and Kimura Hiroshi accompanied Terabayashi Akira on phone calls using the agency's phone to contact the major media outlets with whom they had close relationships, explaining the B-side song.

In short, this song is absolutely not intended to attack them; it simply aims to express peace.

I originally thought that these major media outlets would either reject the explanation and fly into a rage, demanding an apology from Kimura Hiroshi, or they would accept the explanation and let the matter drop.

Unexpectedly, several major media outlets suggested that the song should be interpreted as an attack on the media, and even asked Kimura Hiroshi to cooperate with them in some hype.

A prodigy writes a song attacking the hypocritical media, accusing them of waging a war full of lies. What a great sensational story! They could use this to interview Hiroshi Kimura, release a press release, and sales would surely skyrocket, allowing them to make a fortune.

"They really have no morals. They'll do anything for sales." Kimura Hiroshi could only sigh like this, and then expressed his willingness to help them with the hype. After all, it would not only benefit these media outlets, but also greatly benefit him. First of all, the record sales were expected to see a surge.

Chapter 108: An Effect That Was Completely Surprising

"A genius boy's hatred, writing songs to mock the media?"

"Analyzing aLIEz, everything from A to Z is a lie. Are these unscrupulous media outlets just telling lies from beginning to end?"

"The ultimate weapon of youth: song."

The media coverage was overwhelming, dominating the headlines of many entertainment outlets. Following the ghostwriting scandal, Kimura Hiroshi's popularity surged once again.

However, compared to the ghostwriting incident, which was almost a full-scale attack, this time there were also many media outlets attacking Hiroshi Kimura and demanding that the album be taken off the shelves. However, the major media outlets did not say anything bad about Hiroshi Kimura. Instead, they adopted a very special reporting method, which was to hear a lot of inside stories about the creation of this song aLIEz and so-called words said by Hiroshi Kimura from his staff.

Obviously, compared to the baseless attacks or haphazardly pieced-together reports of some media outlets, news and reports with inside information are much more appealing to the public, which has led to a significant increase in the sales of several major media outlets' newspapers and magazines.

Similarly, Hiroshi Kimura also benefited greatly. The album's sales began to show an abnormal, counter-trend growth. Everyone was eager to hear what kind of songs this young man, who had once clashed with many media outlets, had written to satirize the media.

The record sales entered the second week. Sales rebounded to 38,000 copies on the first day, 42,000 copies on the second day, 50,000 copies on the third day, and peaked at 67,000 copies on the fourth day. After that, sales began to decline, but the sales for the week reached 310,000 copies. The sales for the two weeks, which were not complete, exceeded 450,000 copies.

Moreover, this song has received high praise not only for its sales but also for its quality among both ordinary people and professional creators.

Ordinary people find the melody of this song catchy and inspiring, showing them a young man's unyielding resistance against an overwhelming force, and Japanese people are particularly drawn to this.

As can be seen from manga, shonen manga has always occupied an extremely important position in the manga world. Demon Slayer, One Piece, Naruto, and even Goku are all stories about young people rebelling against powerful forces they cannot defeat and ultimately winning.

Now that such a young man has suddenly appeared in reality, how could they not like him? This has even further expanded Kimura Hiroshi's fan base among young men, since it's not just girls who like passionate young men, but also boys.

Professionals felt that the song's combination of rock, drums, and symphony styles, along with its lyrics, and the seamless integration of these elements, was no easy feat. Most creators struggle to master even one style, let alone such a complex mix. Some even suggested that Hiroshi Kimura should be included in the Composers Association, given his talent.

However, the proposal was rejected because of Kimura Hiroshi's age. He was only eighteen years old, which is not considered a minor under Japanese law, and therefore his entry into the Composers Association was not in accordance with regulations.

In just a few days, everything that happened left many people dumbfounded. First, the media that attacked Kimura Hiroshi thought that with their powerful collective attack, the album's sales would definitely plummet. Then, Kimura Hiroshi couldn't withstand the pressure and apologized to them. Finally, they trampled Kimura Hiroshi underfoot and completely destroyed his image.

Unexpectedly, things took a wild turn for the worse. The record sales actually went up against the trend, and Hiroshi Kimura became even more popular. Meanwhile, they became pariahs, hypocritical figures despised by many young people, the villains in their mouths, and guys who should be defeated.

Many magazines and newspapers targeting young people even saw a sharp drop in sales. On the contrary, major media outlets that did not speak ill of Hiroshi Kimura, and could even be considered his mouthpieces, did not receive any negative comments. Instead, their sales and subscriptions increased significantly.

This infuriated them, and they cursed several major media outlets as traitors. But it would be strange if these major media outlets were afraid of these guys' curses, since they set many industry rules and don't care about these insults at all.

In any case, they were very successful in this public opinion battle. They gained not only fame but also substantial profits. The higher the sales, the more money they could make from buying magazines and newspapers, as well as the higher the prices advertised by advertisers. This made them like Kimura Hiroshi even more. Indeed, he was a remarkable young man, and it was never a bad thing to stand on his side.

Another group of people were dumbfounded, including some agencies that had expected Kimura Hiroshi to be ruined by this media storm. They initially thought that Kimura Hiroshi had caused trouble again, and this time it would be difficult for him to get out of trouble, and his popularity would plummet without being criticized.

But when they saw some major media outlets cooperating with Hiroshi Kimura, they sensed something was wrong. It seemed like a publicity stunt. Once Hiroshi Kimura's record sales soared and his fame rose instead of falling, they realized they were wrong. It was a publicity stunt, a carefully planned one.