My daily life with the original diva

Chapter 145 You Must Sing Like This

Throughout May, Hiroshi Kimura had almost no time to rest. He had finished recording his new single, and there was still follow-up work on the movie. Before he could finish the movie, he had to record the music video. After finally finishing the music video, he had to start recording the movie's theme song and insert songs.

However, compared to the previous jobs, recording the theme song and insert songs for the movie has one great advantage: it gives them time to meet with Akina Nakamori. The two are too busy to meet often, so even meeting during work is a very happy thing for them.

Even when they meet for work, the time is limited. Hiroshi Kimura is busy, and Akina Nakamori is even busier. They have to find a way to make time for each other to record a single.

You are my sun, though you have burned away everything I have.

Don't say goodbye. From today onwards, I'm deviating from your path.

I watched you go until the very last moment, and from then on we were separated forever.

La la la la..."

In the recording studio, Hiroshi Kimura was in the final stage of his singing. After finishing the last note, he looked out of the recording studio, intending to see the producer's gesture. However, he didn't expect to see Akina Nakamori wearing headphones and smiling. She stood up with the producer and gave him an OK sign.

This guy is up to his old tricks again. Kimura Hiroshi took off his headphones and walked out of the recording studio, only to see Nakamori Akina already had her headphones off, looking at him with admiration, and giving him a thumbs up. "Wow, Kimura-san is amazing. The producer just said that this is only the second time you've sung this song, and you can sing it so well. You're much better than me."

She immediately showered her boyfriend with compliments, she really had no shame. Kimura Hiro pressed her thumb down and asked curiously, "Didn't you say you had a program, Akina-san? You weren't supposed to come over until the afternoon, why did you come over at noon?"

"Ah, my part was recorded by noon. I told the production team I had work in the afternoon, so I came early. How was it? Were you happy?" Nakamori Akina asked playfully.

"Happy, happy, how could I not be happy? By the way, you haven't had lunch yet, have you? Let's have lunch together. Let's start recording this afternoon, otherwise you might get hungry and not be able to sing the high notes." Kimura Hiroshi said affectionately.

However, the two would not act too intimately in front of others, and there would be absolutely no excessive physical contact or overly intimate verbal exchanges, because Akina Nakamori did not want too many outsiders to know about their relationship, which was a form of protection.

Lunch was at a restaurant near Warner Pioneer. The two of them, along with their assistants and agents, a total of six people, ate in a private room, because if they were recognized while eating in the main hall during the day, they wouldn't be able to enjoy their meal properly.

During the meal, we couldn't help but start talking about the insert song that Akina Nakamori was going to sing. Hiroshi Kimura chose First Love, the most famous female pop singer in Japan in the 1990s. It is a sad love song for girls, telling the story of a girl's first love, which is unrequited, and she will always remember him.

This song is one of Utada Hikaru's most representative songs. It was included in Utada Hikaru's album as the title track and was later released as a single. The album's sales were phenomenal, reaching a staggering eight million copies in Japan alone.

Of course, that was during the era when the neon bubble burst, people dared not accept too much high-end entertainment, and ultimately could only choose records. It would have been impossible to achieve such high sales in that era.

Hiroshi Kimura had his own reasons for choosing this song. First, it fits the situation of the female protagonist in the movie. Second, the song is of excellent quality and it is a very good choice to sing it now.

Furthermore, this style will be very popular in a decade or so. Right now, it can only exist as a movie soundtrack. In a decade or so, Kimura Hiroshi plans to release it as a single, playing the same trick as Utada Hikaru. The sales will probably be good, and he and Nakamori Akina can make another fortune. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

"Ah, as expected of the talented Kimura-san, this song 'First Love' is truly amazing. I love it so much. But Kimura-san, I have a small question." Nakamori Akina first praised Kimura Hiroshi, then began to wink and ask her little question.

Having already finished eating, Kimura Hiroshi wiped his mouth, knowing that she couldn't be up to anything, and said, "Go ahead, what is it? I'll try my best to agree to it if I can."

Upon receiving this answer, Akina Nakamori was overjoyed and said, "Really? That's wonderful, Kimura-san! The key of this song is too high. Could you change it to a lower key?"

Lower? We know that Akina Nakamori's voice is better suited to lower registers, and this song is a bit too high for her. Hiroshi Kimura has already lowered the key, and Akina Nakamori can definitely sing this pitch. If it were lowered any further, the song would probably sound completely different.

“I remember that Akina-san could sing this pitch perfectly well. It’s similar to the high notes in the previous ‘Letter from the Sunset.’ Akina-san did a great job. Why did you lower it?” Kimura Hiroshi asked, somewhat puzzled.

At this point, Akina Nakamori was fully capable of singing some mid-to-high notes. For example, there are high notes in "Letter from the Sunset," which she could definitely sing, though it would be a bit difficult.

"Kimura-san, 'Letter from the Sunset' is a difficult song to sing. I don't like singing that song, but the agency requires it, so I just treat it as a task to complete. This is the first song that Kimura-san wrote for me, and I like it very much, so I want to perform it perfectly. Therefore, it would be best if you could lower your pitch." Nakamori Akina said with a hint of pleading.

She wanted to sing the songs written by Hiroshi Kimura perfectly, and she didn't want to perform poorly because the songs were difficult to sing. She has always pursued perfection in singing, let alone Hiroshi Kimura's songs.

However, the feeling of the song changes when the key is lowered. Moreover, this is the time when Akina Nakamori can still sing it. When she comes of age and her voice becomes deeper, it will not be difficult for her to sing this kind of song, but she will not be able to sing it at all. Therefore, it is necessary to sing it now. A lower key version can be discussed later.

"No, we can't lower it any further, Akina-san. I can't grant you this request. If we lower it any further, the song's flavor will completely change. You have to sing it according to the current requirements." Kimura Hiroshi refused Nakamori Akina's request.

Rejected—this was the first time Kimura Hiroshi had ever refused her request—Nakamori Akina paused for a moment, then let out a soft "Hmph!"

Chapter 146 Do You Understand Women's Feelings?

Akina Nakamori always had her own opinions about songs, especially those she sang herself. If it were someone else, she would probably argue with them for a long time, trying to get them to change the song according to her opinion. However, since the song was written by Hiroshi Kimura, although she did not get her idea, she did not want to argue too much and could only express her dissatisfaction with a hum.

The two men made the atmosphere in the private room a bit awkward because of the song. Fortunately, everyone had almost finished eating by then. After leaving the room, the two still didn't speak, as if they were having a cold war. This surprised their managers and assistants.

Since these two met, their relationship has gotten better day by day. They've never bickered. After they became a couple, they became even closer. When they're together, you can feel the sweet smell of love even from a distance. Is it possible that they're going to have a fight today just because of the pitch of a song?

However, what no one expected was that this little cold war was just the beginning, and there was something even more surprising to come. The two had a big fight.

After lunch, Nakamori Akina returned to Warner Pioneer and rested for a while before starting to record "First Love." She began with an audition and then sang several more times. Since her theme song had already been recorded, Kimura Hiroshi watched Nakamori Akina record the entire time.

Actually, he mainly wanted to see if the key of the song was really too high for Nakamori Akina. If she really couldn't sing it, then he could make appropriate modifications. Having been a singer for so many years, he knew the sheet music by heart. Making simple key changes on the original song would be no problem at all.

Some online celebrities in later generations claim to have created original songs, but when you check, it turns out they just changed the key of someone else's score and added different lyrics, and the song became their own. You can see how easy this kind of thing is; anyone with basic skills can do it.

"I will remember the love, and I will do whatever you ask me to do."

You will always be my only one, and I still sing sad love songs now.

Knowing that new songs are being released again, the period of stagnation will resume.

The rest of the meal was unforgettable.

Hearing Akina Nakamori's singing from the recorder, Hiroshi Kimura was stunned. It wasn't a matter of whether she could reach the high notes or not. Although Akina Nakamori had some difficulty singing high notes, she could still sing them perfectly well. Her voice hadn't yet fully developed into the deep, resonant quality she would later achieve.

To Kimura Hiroshi's surprise, Nakamori Akina's style of singing this song was completely different from Utada Hikaru's. If Utada Hikaru's clear voice sang out the faint sadness and nostalgia of a young girl who had lost her first love, then Nakamori Akina's slightly deep and resonant voice conveyed a particularly strong feeling, as if no other feelings mattered except for this one.

Moreover, it is interspersed with a strong sense of sorrow, giving people a feeling that there is no greater sorrow than a broken heart.

"No, no, the emotional expression is too strong. I need to be more restrained. It would be better to have a sense of hope." Kimura Hiroshi thought to himself.

The first recording was completed quickly, and the producer signaled OK. Nakamori Akina took off her headphones and came out. Seeing Kimura Hiroshi's slightly furrowed brows, she wondered if he thought she sang poorly, which made her a little angry.

Standing at the entrance of the recording studio, he spoke in a tone quite different from his usual one, saying, "Everyone says that if the pitch is too high, it's hard to sing, but they insist on making me sing. Now that I'm not singing well, they're giving me this kind of look. It's really annoying."

Her very impolite words startled all the staff present. Oh no, she's about to lose her temper again. They had often seen this kind of scene since Nakamori Akina debuted. Nakamori Akina is very assertive at work, which is very different from her usual life. But this time, the target of her outburst was no ordinary person. It was none other than Kimura Hiroshi.

The staff present knew that Hiroshi Kimura usually seemed easy to get along with and would listen to others' opinions, but in reality, he was also very assertive at work. Today, two extremely talented top idols, both of whom are very assertive, clashed. It was anyone's guess what would happen.

This was the first time Kimura Hiroshi had ever seen Nakamori Akina so fierce, and he was momentarily stunned. Although he had heard of Nakamori Akina's assertiveness at work, this was the only time he had actually witnessed it, especially against him. Today, he had truly seen another side of her, which was quite novel.

“Akina-san, you misunderstood. You sang very well, and your high notes were executed very well. It wasn’t as difficult as you said. You can definitely do it,” Kimura Hiroshi explained.

To Nakamori Akina's surprise, Kimura Hiroshi was satisfied, which puzzled her even more. She looked at him with a questioning gaze and asked, "Then why is Kimura-san frowning? Is there something else you're not satisfied with?"

"Ah, the song is well-made, but there are some issues with the emotional expression. It sounds too sad. This song should have a sense of remembrance, a gentle sadness, not this kind of pathos. It just feels too tragic." Kimura Hiroshi continued to explain in response to Nakamori Akina's puzzled look.

His words only increased Nakamori Akina's questions. She asked, somewhat puzzled, "But according to the movie's theme, the heroine lost the man she loved most. This man taught her, protected her, gave her everything, including his life, and even arranged her life after death. Shouldn't the heroine feel more tragic for losing such a lifelong love?"

Ah, Kimura Hiroshi understands now. There's a huge difference in their understanding of the song. He thinks it should be sung according to the song's mood, while Nakamori Akina thinks it's a movie interlude, so it should be sung according to the movie's mood. But in doing so, it does fit the movie.

However, the mood of the song is wrong. It lacks the subtle sadness of the original. If we want to remake it and sell it for money in the future, it probably won't work because the mood is completely different.

But Hiroshi Kimura couldn't say that out loud. Could he really say that he knew this song might become popular again in a decade or so and that it had to be sung the way he wanted? He could only tentatively say, "Akina-san, the heroine has a long life ahead of her, and the male lead also hopes that she will live happily in the future. The heroine also understands the male lead's intentions, which is why she returned to school. So, wouldn't it be inappropriate for the song's mood to be too sad?"

Without an immediate reply, Nakamori Akina quickly walked to Kimura Hiroshi's side and spoke rapidly, like a storm, "Kimura-san, this song is a tribute to a deceased lover. The lyrics are what the female protagonist says to the male protagonist. She hopes he feels that she is doing well, so that's why the lyrics say those things."

But when her beloved passed away, her emotions immediately shifted to a longing for the future, merely reminiscing about the male lead without sufficient grief. This transformation was impossible to articulate; either the deceased male lead wasn't the man she loved most, or Kimura-san simply didn't understand women's emotions.

As she talked, Akina Nakamori grew angrier, her face puffing up. She seemed to think that although Hiroshi Kimura wrote the song, he didn't understand its meaning at all, and she had to make him understand.

Little did she know that her remarks had shocked everyone around her. What did she mean by saying that Kimura Hiroshi didn't understand women's feelings? Weren't we arguing about the emotional expression of a song? How did we end up talking about such a strange thing?

As for Kimura Hiroshi herself, she was completely dumbfounded. She never expected that Nakamori Akina was so good at arguing, and that she could escalate from one issue to another, and in such an increasingly serious way, which was something she never saw in her daily life.

The surroundings were silent. Kimura Hiroya stood there dumbfounded. Nakamori Akina, who was still fuming, also sensed that something was wrong. She immediately realized that what she had said might have gone too far. Arguing in front of everyone and saying such things made Kimura-san lose face.

Realizing what was happening, her domineering aura vanished instantly. She opened her mouth to apologize, but before she could speak, Kimura Hiroshi noticed the change in her expression and spoke first.

"Ah, really, what are you saying, Akina-san? That's too much! Since we haven't reached an agreement, let's stop recording for now and talk about it again once we've reached a consensus." After saying that, he turned and left, not giving Nakamori Akina a chance to speak at all.

Chapter 147 I Can Also Launch Sudden Attacks

In Warner Pioneer's lounge, Nakamori Akina was sitting on the sofa, lost in thought. Today, she had actually argued with Kimura-san in front of so many people, and said such hurtful things that everyone was talking about it. Kimura-san even ran away because of what she said.

"How could I have argued with Kimura-san? I actually argued with him? Even if it was about singing, I shouldn't have argued with Kimura-san, especially in front of so many people. He must be angry, he must be angry!" Nakamori Akina thought anxiously.

She didn't know what she was thinking at the time. It seemed that she had been a little resentful ever since Kimura-san first rejected her idea when they were having lunch in a private room at the restaurant.

We could have had a proper discussion about singing styles, but for some reason, the more I talked, the more aggrieved and angry I became, and in the end, I said some very offensive things.

"Why am I angry? It's not that important." Nakamori Akina thought about it and felt more and more uneasy. Although she would get angry about work-related things, it was always when the other party couldn't solve the problem for a long time. She had never gotten angry so easily as today.

Just as she was lost in thought, the door to the lounge opened, and Ms. Noriko rushed over to Nakamori Akina's side, saying anxiously, "Something bad has happened, Akina-san. The staff at the door just said that Kimura-san left Mr. Tomioka and Ms. Mieko behind and ran out alone."

With a whoosh, Nakamori Akina jumped up from her chair and asked with great concern, "Kimura-san ran away by himself. Do you know where he went?"

Her first thought was that Kimura Hiroshi was angry and didn't want to see her anymore, so he abandoned his work and ran away. That wasn't a big deal, but she was worried that something might happen to Kimura-san if he went out in a fit of anger.

"I don't know. I'll go out and ask again." After saying that, Ms. Noriko turned around and left the lounge, preparing to inquire about the whereabouts of Kimura Hiroshi.

“I’m going out too, he must be angry with me.” After saying that, Akina Nakamori planned to go out with Ms. Noriko.

This startled Ms. Noriko, who quickly stopped her, "No, no, Akina-san, if you go out and get recognized, who knows what might happen? Leave this to us."

"But I'm worried..."

"Don't worry, Akina-san. Kimura-san is such a smart person, nothing will happen to her. She's probably just feeling down and went out for a walk. I'll go find her right now." Noriko stopped Nakamori Akina before she could finish speaking.

If Akina Nakamori were to go out as well, things might become even more chaotic, so she can't go out.

Knowing that going out might cause even more trouble, Akina Nakamori could only sit back on the sofa and say with a conflicted expression, "I understand, Ms. Noriko. Please hurry up and come back to me as soon as you have any news."

Seeing that Nakamori Akina had been calmed down, Ms. Noriko breathed a sigh of relief and quickly left the lounge to gather information. However, as soon as she stepped out of the lounge and turned the corner in the corridor, she bumped into Kimura Hiroshi, who was walking towards her. He looked relaxed and was carrying a bag in his hand.

"Oh, it's Ms. Noriko. Here, have some ice cream." He then took an ice cream out of the bag and handed it to Ms. Noriko.

Stunned, Ms. Noriko accepted the ice cream expressionlessly. She had thought that Kimura Hiroshi was just a young man who had run away after arguing with his girlfriend, but now it seemed that wasn't the case. He wasn't angry at all, and she had guessed wrong.

"Is Akina-san in the lounge? Is anyone else in there?" Kimura Hiroshi asked in a low voice as he handed over the ice cream.

"Yes, she's alone," Ms. Noriko replied, somewhat bewildered.

It would be best if one of them were there alone, but this is Warner Bros., and someone might come and see the two of them inside, which would be bad. Kimura Hiroshi quickly said, "Ms. Noriko, please keep an eye on things outside for me. I'm going to talk to Akina-san. If anyone comes, please remember to knock on the door and let me know. Thank you."

At this moment, Ms. Noriko finally came to her senses, nodded quickly, and said, "Go on, Akina-san is worried about you. She thought you ran out in a huff."

"Sigh, is that even possible? Honestly, I'm not a child. How could I run around in a huff? I just went out to buy some ice cream that Akina-san likes." Kimura Hiroshi didn't say much and quickly headed towards the lounge.

As soon as the door to the lounge opened, I heard Akina Nakamori's anxious voice, "Ms. Noriko, I found out..."

Akina Nakamori, who was anxiously standing up from the sofa, thought that Ms. Noriko had found out the news, but then she saw Hiroshi Kimura open the door to the lounge and walk in with a smile on his face.

Worried sick, Nakamori Akina rushed over, threw herself into his arms, hugged his waist tightly, and rested her head on his chest.

Kimura Hiroshi, who was carrying a bag and was caught off guard, was knocked back two steps by the sudden movement. This girl was indeed a regular gym-goer; even after losing so much weight, she still had so much strength. He reached out and hugged Nakamori Akina, but soon he realized something was wrong because he felt a dampness on his chest.

"Why are you crying, Akina-san? I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's all my fault. I just wanted to act tough in the recording studio so that those bullies wouldn't think I'm easy to talk to, so I said something harsh and left. To make amends, I immediately went downstairs and bought your favorite chocolate ice cream."

Thinking that his harsh words had hurt someone, Kimura Hiroshi quickly apologized and took out his apology gift from his bag, waving it in front of Nakamori Akina.