My daily life with the original diva

"Hmph, try to mess with me." Maeda Yumi was very happy to have won, and she also enjoyed the feeling of bullying this kid. He's so arrogant at school, but here with me, I'll definitely make him suffer.

Turning around, he happily said to his best friend, Sachiko, who had already finished tidying up, "Sachiko-chan, remember to watch Night HIT tonight! Kimura-chan will sing her own original Western songs. I don't really understand the ins and outs, so can you tell me what they're like after you hear them?"

Faced with her best friend's growing infatuation with Hiroshi Kimura, Sachiko Kamachi could only sigh. What was so great about this guy? In just a few months, he first had a scandal with Momoko Kikuchi, and then with Akina Nakamori. He was clearly a playboy. She had initially thought she had misunderstood him, but now it seemed there was no misunderstanding at all.

But it wouldn't be good to refuse her best friend's request, so she could only say, "Okay, okay, I'll go back and check, and then I'll tell you. I really can't do anything with you."

"That's great! As expected of my Sachiko-chan. Don't worry, I won't let you work for nothing. After Kimura-chan's movie is released this summer, I'll treat you to a movie and some cold drinks," Maeda Yumi said generously.

Sachiko Kamachi wanted to roll her eyes. Come on, if you're so generous, can't you just skip Kimura Hiroshi and go see a funny movie and have some drinks? But she couldn't bring herself to say it, since it was Maeda Yumi who was treating.

At 8 p.m., the latest episode of Night HIT aired on time. Sachiko Kamachi and her family sat in front of the TV to watch the show. Actually, Mr. Kamachi didn't like watching music programs; he preferred manzai performances. However, since all four members of the family—his wife and two daughters—loved watching, his opinion was irrelevant. He could only read magazines or watch along with them.

"Sister, Kimura-chan will be performing his new single today! I heard it's a Western-style dance track," the younger sister whispered to her older sister.

At this moment, Sachiko felt like she was going crazy. Her younger sister and best friend both liked this Hiroshi Kimura, but she only felt indifferent towards this man, at most admiring his talent. This made her seem like she was the abnormal one, and this feeling was too painful.

"I know, but I don't know how well it's written," Sachiko Kamachi said dismissively.

"It's definitely good. Kimura-chan's songs are never bad," the younger sister said with certainty.

Well, this is clearly another one who's gone completely mad. She hasn't even listened to the song yet, but she's already convinced that her idol's songs must be good.

There were many singers performing today, some releasing new songs and others promoting their music. The first to perform were two enka singers. My mother listened to them with great enjoyment and even sang along for a while. My two sisters clapped and cheered. My father, sitting in the back, couldn't stand it anymore and picked up a newspaper to pretend to read it.

Soon, the third person to appear was Hiroshi Kimura. When my sister saw Hiroshi Kimura, her eyes were practically sparkling. She was completely mesmerized and stared at the TV without blinking.

After taking the stage, as is customary, he was to be interviewed by the host. This time, however, it was not a simple interview. Instead, the host brought up the so-called "super record," which included the release of Hiroshi Kimura's upcoming album and music video.

Hiroshi Kimura explained the super record in detail. It contains the record and a dance he performed for the single. This dance is an exclusive edition, and he will only perform it at appreciation festivals and concerts. He will not perform it at any other public events. If you want to see it, you will need to buy it yourself. There are only 200,000 copies available.

The music video cover features Hiroshi Kimura wearing a deep V-neck short-sleeved shirt, revealing the muscles on his arms, covered in sweat, dancing. It has to be said that this look is absolutely terrifyingly attractive to his fans; no one can resist it. However, the price is not very attractive, requiring 7288 yen.

Naturally, the younger sister's eyes lit up as well, and she immediately leaned her head toward her older sister. But before she could speak, Sachiko Kamachi cut her off, "Don't even think about borrowing pocket money from me to buy this. It's too expensive. It costs seven thousand yen, which is enough to buy one record at most."

Seeing that her feelings had been seen through and she had been rejected, the younger sister pouted, very unhappy. She really wanted this thing; it contained Hiroshi Kimura's dance music video, and it was an exclusive edition. If she couldn't buy it now, she would probably have to spend more money to buy it later.

After the interview, Hiroshi Kimura began his formal performance. Of course, he couldn't possibly sing and dance at the Night HIT concert; the MV's dance was so dynamic that he simply couldn't sing and dance at the same time.

However, he also has other ways to let everyone feel his energy, which is to use a microphone with a long stand. He rotates the microphone and makes some dance moves, which also works.

When the powerful and dynamic drumbeats sounded, everyone present and those watching on television were jolted. What a hardcore and dynamic melody, what a rhythmic drumbeat! This really is a pure Western dance piece in the style of Europe and America.

This musical style was introduced to Japan a long time ago, but few Japanese composers have tried to work with it. It's not that they don't know how, but if they don't write it well, it's likely to attract a lot of ridicule. This is because it comes from Europe and America. If you write it poorly, and it gets out of the country, wouldn't that be a disgrace to the Japanese?

Chapter 154 Praise to Death and Plans

On stage, Hiroshi Kimura, dressed in a very mature black suit, held a microphone with a stand, singing and dancing to the dynamic rhythm of the music. He looked just like an office worker who had just finished get off work and went to a disco to dance and relieve stress.

Whether young or middle-aged office workers, they all feel a strong connection to this song. Not to mention, Hiroshi Kimura really embodies the image of someone who wants to relax at a disco or bar after get off work, making many people consider buying a copy.

"Even if it's just for tonight, lucky one, do you wanna dance tonight!" Kimura Hiroshi sang and danced at the same time, staring at the screen with expectant eyes, as if he were really inviting you to dance with him.

The girls in front of the TV, who were already obsessed with Hiro Kimura, couldn't resist his charm. Their hearts melted, and they all secretly resolved to buy a copy of the Super Records no matter what. They wanted to see what Hiro Kimura was like when he danced with all his might.

Hiroshi Kimura's latest single received a tremendous response on its first television performance. The very next day, the song successfully climbed into the top ten of NHK's cable music chart. Entertainment and music media outlets also commented on the song, mostly praising it. It's truly remarkable that a Japanese person could write such a catchy and upbeat Western song; it would be a shame not to give it some praise.

Even the Composers Association, which didn't have a very good relationship with Kimura Hiroshi, praised this Western-style song highly and hoped that Kimura Hiroshi could write more excellent Western-style songs in the future so that Japanese music could spread to Europe and America.

This has always been a long-cherished wish of the Japanese. Many famous Japanese singers have had the experience of going to Europe and America to make their way in the world, hoping to achieve success in Europe and America, especially America. If they can achieve something outstanding, their treatment back home will be very different. Whether it is fame or social status, they will be on a higher level, and everyone will have to give them some respect.

It's a pity that almost none of the Japanese singers who went to America to try their luck succeeded. No matter how famous you are in Japan or Asia, your experience in America can almost always be described as dismal, and you almost all of them returned to Japan in disgrace.

This back and forth will not only prevent them from achieving anything in Europe and America, but will also cause them to lose all their popularity and attention in China, ultimately leaving them with no choice but to retire, which is extremely tragic.

I initially thought this was just empty talk from the Composers Association, but unexpectedly, as Kimura Hiroshi promoted his songs more often and his new single gained more and more popularity in the following days, this kind of argument appeared more and more frequently in the media. Their point was that since you can write Western songs so well, why don't you go and try your luck in Europe and America?

The rumors are rampant, and it seems that public opinion is being used to create a certain fact: that Kimura Hiroshi is so outstanding that he has no choice but to go to Europe and America to prove himself.

Unexpectedly, this kind of argument not only appeared in the media, but even the agency and Warner Pioneer had such thoughts. At the meeting to summarize the promotion of the new single, after the meeting, Hanami Hyuk smiled and said to Kimura Hiroshi, "Kimura-san, since you can write such good Western songs, do you have any ideas about opening up the European and American markets?"

Kimura Hiroshi sat expressionlessly in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the table without making a sound. He replied calmly, "President, if you don't want me to fade into obscurity and make Ken-on and me a laughingstock, you'd better not have such thoughts."

Recently, there has been a lot of praise for him in the media, especially for his excellent Western-style songs, which are being encouraged to enter the European and American markets. This is obviously very abnormal. Apart from the major media outlets that have a good relationship with him, which other media outlet has ever praised him? They are already being kind by not criticizing him. Now, with such great praise, even he himself doesn't believe there is no conspiracy.

Praise can be a very effective tactic, especially for young people. Scolding may trigger their rebellious tendencies, while praise, especially continuous praise, can easily immerse them in it, making them believe that's how it is, and then they start to get carried away.

But Hiroshi Kimura isn't exactly a young man. Influenced by his hormones, some of his behaviors do resemble those of a teenager. However, he can be quite calm on certain issues, such as this praise, which was clearly orchestrated by someone.

The song "Eat You Up" is currently very popular and of excellent quality, so it's normal for it to be praised. However, it's clearly been overpraised. Someone is trying to use this popularity to push him to a height that doesn't belong to him, to get him carried away and distract him from expanding into the Western market. Their intentions are extremely sinister and malicious.

If he goes off to explore the European and American markets now, he can be said to be carrying everyone's hopes. If he comes back defeated and humiliated, he will have let everyone down.

Success? Then why come back? Just stay in America. They'll use public opinion to stop him from coming back. After all, you're the only one who succeeded and proved the strength of Japanese music. You absolutely can't give up the European and American markets and come back. In short, once you go, don't even think about coming back.

Kimura Hiroshi doesn't know who his enemies are. Although his situation in the entertainment industry is much better than before and he has made some friends, he still has quite a few enemies. It's also possible that those who want to deal with him are not enemies in the literal sense. He's too popular and has taken up a lot of resources, so it's estimated that many people want to push him away and give up resources and market share.

"Sigh, how could Kimura-san have such thoughts? I asked the European and American staff at Warner Music, and they all think that the music you wrote is indeed very good. It's the kind of music that Europeans and Americans like. They like listening to it themselves. Expanding into the European and American markets should make you more popular, right? How could you become outdated and a laughing stock?" Hanami asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Does writing good songs guarantee popularity in the European and American markets? Mr. Tomioka, as a former Warner Music employee, do you think I would be well-received if I went to America to develop the market now?" Hiroshi Kimura turned to ask Yukio Tomioka, who was standing next to him.

Yukio Tomioka hesitated about this question. He actually hoped that Hiroshi Kimura could try his luck in Europe and America, because Kimura was the most talented young Japanese musician he had seen since joining Warner Music. So many predecessors had failed, and he felt that Kimura might have a chance because he could write Western songs and his English seemed very good.

However, he really couldn't be sure if he would be popular. Several other Japanese singers had sung very good Western songs before, but their records just didn't sell. The buyers were mostly Japanese people living in the US. So he couldn't be sure if Kimura Hiroshi would be welcomed if he went.

So all he could say was, "I can't be sure, but it's a possibility that involves both risks and opportunities. As for the specifics, Mr. Kimura, you'll have to decide for yourself."

"There's no need to confirm. I personally will absolutely not try to expand into the European and American markets. That's for sure. America actually discriminates against us from the bottom of its heart and doesn't want people of our skin color to get involved in their music industry. Apart from Bruce Lee, who used his fists to shatter that discrimination and made a name for himself in the Hollywood film industry, has anyone else succeeded?" Hiroshi Kimura said very directly.

His words struck a chord with everyone present. They had a vague idea of ​​the answer, but no one could say it out loud. It was really difficult for the Japanese to say that America discriminated against them. They believed that America was right. If they were to say that America discriminated against them, then what were they?

Seeing that everyone was speechless after what he said, Kimura Hiroshi continued, "So I personally will not go out of my way to develop the European and American markets. It's a waste of time and life, and it takes up too much energy. We might even lose the domestic market. This is blatant flattery to kill. Anyone who believes it is a fool."

Everyone present felt awkward, because it seemed they were all in the category of fools. Hua Jianhe didn't want to be the fool, so he quickly tried to salvage the situation, saying, "That makes sense. Then we'll put aside the matter of expanding into the European and American markets for the time being and focus on the domestic market."

“Yes, I think this is the best option. We’re so successful in the domestic market, there’s no need to divert our energy to the European and American markets.” Yukio Tomioka was also convinced.

With both the company president and the record company's manager saying so, the matter was considered settled, and Kimura Hiroshi finally smiled, a rare occurrence for him.

But what he was really thinking, no one present knew. He was too lazy to spend a lot of effort to develop the European and American markets, but he could sell songs for those European and American singers. However, he couldn't do this through his agency, because that would probably greatly damage his income.

He planned to do this through his own shell companies, but first, he needed to make those shell companies independent. There was no rush; he would wait until the new album was released and sold.

Chapter 155 You've Revealed Our Biggest Secret

The media was buzzing with rumors that Hiroshi Kimura was really going to expand into the European and American markets. However, Hiroshi Kimura and his agency Ken-On remained unmoved, neither confirming nor denying. In any case, they had never said anything like that; it was all just media hype. They could just consider it a free publicity stunt by the media.

The more silent they remained, the more the media hyped it up. They felt that Ken-On and Hiroshi Kimura's silence was a tacit agreement, and that they must have plans to enter the European and American markets. They were incredibly enthusiastic in stirring things up, and the media coverage of this album was relentless.

This resulted in a huge success in the first week of the record's official sale, with sales exceeding 73,000 copies on the first day. Kimura Hiroshi's sales on that one day alone were enough to put him at the top of the weekly sales charts.

On the second day, 67,000 copies were sold, securing the top spot on the weekly sales chart in just two days. The total sales for the first week reached an astonishing 420,000 copies, which is absolutely unprecedented this year. Almost no other singer has achieved such a terrifyingly explosive sales volume.

The 200,000 copies of the super record, which came with the music video and the record, sold out in the first week. These expensive records were almost exclusively bought by fans, which means that the record sales were extremely popular among both fans and ordinary music lovers.

In a year when the record market was shrinking, Hiroshi Kimura's explosive record sales truly caught the attention of the entire entertainment industry, drawing envy from many and jealousy from even more.

Just after the album's first-week sales figures were released, Hiroshi Kimura gave an interview to a major media outlet with whom he had a close relationship. He stated that he was still too young and inexperienced, and that he was already struggling to cope with the domestic market, so he had no plans to expand into the European and American markets at the moment.

In the interview, he also expressed his special thanks to the various media outlets for their praise, which was the most he had received since his debut, and he was truly flattered.

The moment this report came out, it stunned the media outlets that were hyping up his upcoming expansion into the European and American markets. Young and inexperienced, these were the words that Kimura Hiroshi would say. When did he become so humble? At the last press conference, he seemed to want to write his talent on his forehead, extremely proud and arrogant.

They originally thought that if they praised this young man a few times, he would get cocky. Even if he didn't actually have the urge to go to Europe and America, he would definitely express his intention to the media. And as long as he expressed this idea, they would have a way to promote him and make him go even if he didn't want to.

Unexpectedly, this kid directly stated that he was not ready yet and could not go. What kind of personality does this kid have? He usually seems so arrogant, so why is he suddenly so humble at this moment?

And that last part of the interview seemed a bit strange. It didn't sound like he was praising them, but rather like he was mocking them. What a damn brat.

This had particularly serious consequences: in the following days, reports about him and his new single were drastically reduced, not even reaching a fraction of the original hype. Some media outlets even went so far as to turn from praise to scathing criticism, calling it a disco song that could only be heard in disco.

However, this did not affect the album's sales. In the second week, "Eat You Up" still sold 250,000 copies. In half a month, the album sold nearly 700,000 copies, which means it will definitely be another million-copy single.

Half of 84 has passed in the blink of an eye, and of all the records released in the past six months, only two singles by Hiroshi Kimura seem to have a chance of surpassing one million copies. Among the others, only the Kids' "If Tomorrow" seems to have a glimmer of hope, but that's about it.

Without a doubt, a year after his debut, Hiroshi Kimura became the best-selling male idol and singer. His popularity was unmatched by any other male idol. However, there were female idols who could rival him, namely Akina Nakamori and Seiko Matsuda.

While their individual album sales can't compare to Hiroshi Kimura's, they released quite a few albums this year, including many other albums or mini-albums that didn't chart, many of which sold 600,000 to 700,000 copies. This means their total sales are actually not that different from Hiroshi Kimura's.

In particular, Akina Nakamori's first single of the year, "Kita no Tsubasa," sold over 800,000 copies. Combined with her subsequent single "Nanpu" and one album as well as two mini-albums, her sales were all very high. As a result, the total record sales of the two artists were extremely close.

Meanwhile, the two singers, who each held the number one spot on their respective albums, were staring at each other in the Toho dressing room. Because tomorrow was the press conference to introduce the movie, they had been called to Toho for a meeting today to review what to say and what not to say at tomorrow's movie press conference, and to prepare in advance.

After the meeting, the agent had to communicate with the Dongbao staff, while the two and their assistants waited in the lounge. However, their assistants were very sensible and did not stay in the lounge. Instead, they sat at the door to keep watch for the two and leave them some space alone.

The two of them have been extremely busy lately and haven't had any time off, so opportunities to spend time alone are very rare. However, since this is in Dongbao's lounge, the two of them dare not get too close and can only sit at a distance.

"Akina-san, it seems you haven't been protecting our biggest secret very well lately. It seems many people outside are already guessing it. As the person who leaked the secret, do you have anything to say?" Kimura Hiroshi said in an accusing tone.

In reality, Hiroshi Kimura did not intend to keep this relationship a secret forever. His idea was to let things take their natural course, to provide some cover, and if it were discovered by the outside world, he would openly admit it. As for the accusations, he was just teasing Akina Nakamori.

Knowing this well, Nakamori Akina pretended to be pitiful and obediently sat down next to Kimura Hiroshi, answering very softly, "Yes, I accidentally revealed our biggest secret. Please punish me, Kimura-san, but please be gentle, I am still a weak girl."

She looked delicate and pitiful, her eyes blinking as she looked at Kimura Hiroshi as if begging for mercy. Kimura Hiroshi couldn't stand her like this anymore and couldn't help but burst out laughing, saying, "Alright, alright, you win, Akina-san."

"Hmph, I've only just begged for mercy and you're already giving up? What if other girls act like this in front of you? Will you be able to handle it then too?" Nakamori Akina quickly changed her expression, scrutinizing Kimura Hiroshi as if she knew he couldn't do this. Giving in so easily when a girl begs for mercy is absolutely unacceptable.

"How could that be? I only treat you like this. If you don't believe me, you can ask Kyoko-chan. Last time, I ignored other girls' pleas for mercy and gave her a good scolding." Kimura Hiroshi stated with absolute certainty and was even going to produce evidence.

Kyoko Koizumi had already told Akina Nakamori about confronting Iyo Matsumoto, but she had selectively forgotten. When Hiroshi Kimura brought it up, she remembered and said, "That's more like it."

Now that the commotion was over, Kimura Hiroshi began to ask seriously, "Akina-san, regarding our relationship, what do you want from the public..."

"No, at least we shouldn't take the initiative. Those media outlets are really annoying. If they find out, who knows what they'll say? They've never been friendly to us before, so even if they find out, we should avoid them." Before Kimura Hiroshi could finish speaking, Nakamori Akina said anxiously. Her prejudice against the media was no less than Kimura Hiroshi's.

Since Akina Nakamori was unwilling, Hiroshi Kimura was naturally unwilling as well. He coughed twice and said, "Since Akina-san is unwilling to reveal herself, please restrain yourself when you talk about me in the future. Don't be so gentle, and don't look so bright in your eyes."

Speaking of this, Nakamori Akina blushed a little. Controlling her emotions wasn't her forte, especially when she was relaxed, which made it very easy for her to slip up. She could only stammer, "Well, okay then, I'll definitely be more careful in the future, Kimura-san, don't worry."

Chapter 156 is actually a rehearsal for the marriage briefing.

Generally, press conferences explaining the production of a film are held before the official filming begins. However, because Hiroshi Kimura had a very poor relationship with most of the media at the time, he knew that inviting reporters would not be well-received and could even affect the film's production, so he canceled the press conference.

As for why he's now willing to hold a press conference to explain things, the first reason is for the film's promotion; Toho requested it, and Hiroshi Kimura couldn't refuse.

Secondly, because the film has been confirmed to be distributed by Toho, given their size and influence in the media and entertainment industry, even if reporters spread rumors and write nonsense in newspapers or magazines, they have ways to deal with it, ensuring that the film will not be greatly affected by the media before its release.

As for the second point, during the filming of the movie, he taught a lesson to those media outlets and reporters who had a bad relationship with Kimura Hiroshi, and some of them even suffered terribly because of him.

Now, reporters who want to say bad things about him or his movies should think about the consequences. After Weekly Bunshun was slapped in the face by Hiroshi Kimura because of the ghostwriting incident, its sales plummeted by a third and it still hasn't recovered. It doesn't dare to provoke Hiroshi Kimura, that scourge, anymore.

The press conference was scheduled for 7 p.m. that evening in Dongbao's reception hall, as the hall was large enough to accommodate the reporters.