My daily life with the original diva

She opened the car door, stuffed all the gifts into the back seat, sat in the driver's seat, and checked out the comfort of the seat. Then she couldn't help but praise, "As expected of the car Kimura-san chose, it's so comfortable! Hehe, this is my first time driving home, I'll give Mom a surprise and take her for a drive. And my cute little nephew too, oh, he probably can't ride in the car."

She started the car, drove out of the garage, and merged into the traffic on the street. Nakamori Akina turned on the car radio and put in the cassette tape of Hiroshi Kimura's album that she had bought. She couldn't help but hum along with Hiroshi Kimura's songs.

On her first time driving remotely, she drove quite fast, speeding along the highway towards her hometown of Kiyose.

Kiyose City is located southwest of Tokyo and belongs to the Tokyo metropolitan area. Transportation is very convenient. Nakamori Akina drove for just over an hour and soon saw the familiar Kiyose street scene. Soon, her old house came into view.

It's been several months since I went home for the Lunar New Year holiday, and this is my first time home. Nakamori Akina is incredibly happy. Today is her birthday, and her mother must have prepared a lot of her favorite foods.

"Ah, even though I'm on a diet, I'll eat as much as I want if it's Mom's cooking. I've lost a lot of weight recently anyway." Nakamori Akina started finding reasons to comfort herself about her upcoming feast. It's very difficult for a little foodie to resist the temptation of food.

After parking the car on the street in front of her house, she took out all the gifts, opened the gate to the yard, and playfully called out to the house, "Mom, your daughter Akina-chan is back!"

Soon the kitchen window opened, and wisps of smoke rose from inside. Chieko, the mother, poked her head out and saw her. A happy smile appeared on her bespectacled face as she said, "You're back, Akina-san. Why did you buy so many gifts again? Come in, I've prepared something delicious for you."

"Oh, really? Thank you so much, Mom!" Nakamori Akina skipped into the house with cheerful steps, put the gift on the living room table, and rushed to the kitchen. She saw her mother, Chieko, busy preparing lunch. Many dishes were already made and laid out, including many of Chieko's favorite foods.

Unable to resist, she hugged her mother Chieko from behind, saying with immense happiness, "You've really worked so hard, Mom, preparing so many delicious things for me."

Chieko patted Akina Nakamori's hand that was wrapped around her waist and scolded her with a laugh, "Why are you still acting like a child? Hurry up and get out of here. You're just getting in the way. Honestly."

She hadn't been able to act cute with her mother in a long time, and she wanted to continue, but at that moment she heard the sound of the front door being opened, followed by her older brother's voice.

"Mom, I'm back from shopping. Ugh, really, that bastard parked his car in front of our house. It's a luxury car imported from abroad! He must be rich. If no one comes to drive it away, I'll call a tow truck company to tow it away. Parking it in front of our house is such a nuisance."

Hearing her older brother Minghong's words, Nakamori Akina couldn't continue arguing with her mother. She came out of the kitchen and saw her older brother returning with things in his hands. She quickly said, "Brother, that's my car. I drove it back from Tokyo."

"Yours?" Minghong's already somewhat envious and jealous gaze suddenly changed. He chuckled and said, "You're really rich, Akina. Being an entertainer must be very lucrative. I heard from Mom the other day that you withdrew all the money from your account to buy this car. You're really generous."

These strangely worded words instantly wiped the happy smile off Nakamori Akina's face. A few days ago, she had indeed withdrawn all the money from her account and deposited it into another account.

She intended to give the money to Kimura Hiroshi for starting a company, and it would be more convenient to give him a bank card directly, as checks are easy to lose. However, Kimura Hiroshi always found excuses not to take it, as if he didn't want her money, and the money was still with her.

She didn't waste her own money buying herself such a car; she wouldn't be willing to do that. Just as she was about to explain that the car was a gift, she heard her older brother mutter, "It's really incomparable. I work until the early hours every day and only earn a few hundred thousand yen more a month, while she bought a luxury car in no time. We should make Mom take more money out of the account."

Originally wanting to explain, Nakamori Akina suddenly couldn't bring herself to say it. She couldn't understand why her older brother, who used to play "Troublemakers Alliance" with her when they were little, had become like this. It seemed that nothing was more important to him than money, and all he said was about money. They were so happy when they didn't have money.

Unable to understand, and not wanting to say anything more to her older brother, she sat on the cushion by the table, lost in thought, not wanting to think about anything.

As noon approached, family members began to return home or get up one after another. After all, the work at the family bar was busy until the early hours of the morning, so they would all get up around noon, except for my younger sister who had to go to school very early.

Everyone was happy to see Akina Nakamori, especially her two close sisters, who greeted her with hugs. She also gave everyone the gifts she brought back and gave her little nephew, who was only a few months old, a big hug. He was already babbling, which was very amusing.

Time flew by and it was lunchtime. Almost the entire family was there except for her younger sister. It was her nineteenth birthday, and her mother, Chieko, had called everyone in the family in advance to ask them to come home and celebrate with her. Since they had work in the evening, they ate the birthday celebration at noon.

The table was covered with delicious food, and the family, having finally managed to gather together, seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely. At this moment, the sisters brought out gifts and fortune slips they had obtained from the temple.

"Happy 19th birthday, Akina! This is a gift we prepared; we hope you like it." Her two older sisters said their blessings as they handed her the gift.

The somewhat depressed feeling vanished instantly upon seeing the care and concern from her family. She reached out to accept the gifts from her sisters and happily said, "Ah, I love any gifts from you, sisters, no matter what they are. Thank you so much!"

"Heh, does Akina really care about such a cheap gift? I think that imported luxury car at the door is Akina's favorite gift." Suddenly, the eldest brother, Minghong, said sarcastically.

Instantly, Nakamori Akina's smile froze, and everyone at the table was drawn to Akio's words. Her father, Akio, who had been drinking alone and didn't care about his daughter's birthday at all, asked upon hearing this, "Luxury car? You mean the BMW in front of our house? Does that car belong to Akina?"

“Yes, Dad, don’t you know? Akina is one of the most popular celebrities right now, with such a high income. Buying a luxury car is a piece of cake for her. Maybe the money in the company account isn’t even all of her income.” The older brother, Minghong, said meaningfully.

Upon hearing this, the father, Akio, instantly lost interest in the alcohol, a smile spreading across his face. He said to Akina Nakamori, "Akina, you're going to be an adult soon! Time flies! You can still earn so much money. Look at your dad, he's still driving the family truck. It's really hard work for him."

This means that the daughter is driving a luxury car while the father is still driving a truck. Is this reasonable? We should buy him one too.

Back home, Akina Nakamori just wanted to have a proper birthday celebration, not to keep talking about money, which she found extremely annoying. Her family had already taken almost half of her salary, so why were they still not satisfied? Besides, she hadn't even paid for the car.

"Dad, I didn't buy that car. It was a birthday present from a friend of mine." Nakamori Akina finally couldn't hold back anymore and felt she should explain.

But no one at the table believed her. Even her close friend's older sister didn't believe her, muttering, "A birthday present from a friend? Who would give such an expensive gift? Even her boyfriend wouldn't."

It was a gift from her boyfriend, but Nakamori Akina knew that even if she told them, they probably wouldn't believe her, so she didn't bother to explain.

The people at the table were all discussing how much the car would cost and how they could afford it, completely oblivious to the fact that it was her birthday.

Listening to the family's discussion and glancing at Akina Nakamori's somber expression, Chieko felt very uncomfortable. To ease the family's jealousy over Akina's sudden wealth, she even took some of Akina's money and shared it with everyone, hoping to mend their relationship. However, it seemed that this was not very successful.

Unable to satisfy her family, she could only try to find a solution through Akina. Taking her daughter's hand, she whispered, "Akina, don't blame everyone. Our family has had a very hard life before. Things are better now because of you. Everyone just wants to live a better life through you."

Hearing her mother's comforting words, Nakamori Akina forced a smile and said, "I know, Mom. How could I blame my family?"

"Okay, that's good. Look, these are all your favorite foods. Eat more." Chieko happily urged her daughter to eat.

At this moment, Akina Nakamori had little interest in eating. She picked up a piece of food, chewed it for a long time, and was completely lost in thought.

After finally finishing their meal, it was almost afternoon. Urged by their mother, Chieko, the family prepared to go to work at the bar. They needed to get ready for the afternoon, as the customers who had finished get off work would be arriving soon.

"Akina, remember to come over after get off work and help greet the customers at the bar. If you come, there will definitely be more customers at the bar today. Oh, and don't forget what your father said." The drunken father, Akio, still remembered to say it.

Nakamori Akina simply smiled and nodded, but did not agree. Right now, she just wanted to leave as soon as possible; everything that had just happened made her feel extremely uncomfortable.

Finally, her family urged her to go to work. Her mother, Chieko, said to her, "Akina, just stay home and rest. You don't need to go to the bar. With your reputation, there are already plenty of customers. I can't come back tonight. Remember to have dinner with your sister. Oh, and I prepared your favorite ice cream for you. Also, happy birthday."

"Thank you, Mom," Akina Nakamori replied with a smile. Anyone who has seen her forced smiles on TV shows would know that this is exactly how she is right now; her smiles are fake.

After her mother, Chieko, left, only Akina Nakamori was left at home. Looking at this familiar yet somewhat strange house, she carefully examined it. After a while, she stood up, opened the door, and went outside.

Once in the car, Akina Nakamori let out a long breath, then started the vehicle and drove off towards Tokyo without any hesitation.

Chapter 175 Is it because you miss me too much?

Yesterday, he was on stage for over an hour of intense, mentally taxing exercise. After the concert, he had a celebration party with the staff and so-called leaders of various companies until three or four in the morning. Kimura Hiroshi was almost exhausted.

After returning to the apartment, I quickly showered and went straight to bed. However, I was woken up by a phone call after only five or six hours. My morning grumpiness exploded immediately. If it hadn't been for the caller being Akina Nakamori, I would have started yelling at her even if it were the King of Heaven himself.

However, he didn't speak kindly to Akina Nakamori either, scolding her harshly before hanging up and going back to sleep.

When he woke up, it was already around two or three in the afternoon. After getting up, Kimura Hiroshi felt sore all over. He rubbed his shoulders, washed up quickly, went into the kitchen and made himself a simple sandwich. He was about to sit down and eat while watching an art film to relax.

He was busy until so late yesterday, and he, his manager, and his assistant can all rest today. This is one of the special privileges that Kimura Hiroshi enjoys. Other idol singers, even if they are busy all night, still have to work the next day.

He had just stuffed the sandwich into his mouth and hadn't even figured out what the art film was about when the doorbell rang. Kimura Hiroshi was a little puzzled. Who would come looking for him? Could it be that the agency was worried that he might die suddenly after working too late yesterday, so they sent someone to check on him? But if they were really worried, they could just make a phone call. Why send someone over?

He got up and opened the door. Through the peephole, he saw Nakamori Akina standing at the door with her head down, swaying gently. Kimura Hiroshi was full of doubt. "Huh? Didn't Akina say she was going back to her hometown in Kiyose today? Why is she here?"

I opened the door, just about to greet her, "Akina-san, what brings you here..."

Before he could finish speaking, Nakamori Akina suddenly threw herself into his arms, giving him a hard jolt that caught him off guard.

It's rare to see Akina Nakamori like this. She only hugs him like this when she's very happy or very sad. Obviously, she's not happy right now. If she were happy, she would probably be chattering away with him, sharing her joyful moments. But right now, she's just holding him without saying a single word.

He gently closed the door, put his arm around Nakamori Akina, and led her into the living room. Kimura Hiroshi wondered what had happened to her. Shouldn't she have gone back to her hometown today? Why was she suddenly outside his apartment? Was it because he had been grumpy and rude to her when he woke up this morning, making her feel uncomfortable?

"What's wrong, Akina-san? Is it because I yelled at you today that you've come here to cause me trouble?" Kimura Hiroshi asked his girlfriend in a relaxed tone.

But all he got in return was Akina Nakamori nuzzling his chest and shaking her head, without saying a word, but it was clearly not because of that.

In that case, Kimura Hiroshi probably had a guess. Today was her birthday and the agency had given her a day off, so it couldn't be because of work. There was only one possibility: family. She went back to her hometown today and didn't stay there for long before returning to Tokyo.

Kimura Hiroshi pulled Nakamori Akina onto the sofa, then gently stroked her still-plum-covered face and said earnestly, "Akina-san, don't keep your unhappiness bottled up inside. It's bad for your health. If you can, please tell me. Besides, we have an agreement to tell each other about everything."

Akina Nakamori didn't dare to look Hiroshi Kimura in the eye. She kept her head down, her mind filled with conflict. She didn't know whether she should tell Hiroshi about herself and her family, but it didn't seem like a big deal. Telling him might only make Hiroshi worry for nothing.

She also worries about her relationship with her family, but there's nothing she can do. One person's unhappiness turns into both of their unhappiness, and she doesn't want Kimura Hiroshi to be unhappy because of her.

Looking at that conflicted face, Kimura Hiroshi was now 100% certain. He asked softly, "Is it because of something with your family that you're so unhappy?"

"Huh? How did Kimura-san know?" Nakamori Akina looked up, her eyes full of surprise.

Holding her hand, Kimura Hiroshi tried to sound relaxed as he said, "Didn't Akina-san say she was going home today? It's only been a few months since she last went home, so she should at least be back tomorrow. Why is she rushing back like this? It can't be that she missed me so much that she abandoned her family, can it?"

Even at this moment, he couldn't resist being mischievous, and Nakamori Akina couldn't help but chuckle, saying, "You're really annoying, Kimura-san."

Knowing that forcing Akina Nakamori to talk about it would probably make her even more unhappy, and that Hiroshi Kimura had absolutely no idea how to handle her relationship with her family.

He roughly guessed that Nakamori Akina's family was probably already taking her money. Although Nakamori Akina was somewhat unhappy about this, it was unlikely that she was extremely dissatisfied or hated her family. At most, she was just unhappy and felt bad, which could be seen from the changes in her relationship with her family in her previous life.

Moreover, as her boyfriend, he can't do anything to her family right now. Should he arrest and beat up all of her family members just because they have a conflict? That would probably be the first thing Nakamori Akina would object to, as her family holds an extremely important place in her heart.

Money isn't what Akina Nakamori cares about most. What she cares about is that her family only cares about money and not her. Akina Nakamori hopes to give up her wealth to make her family happy and care about her, and she is still doing so now.

It will take some time to shatter her current illusions. Before long, she will realize that her relationship with her family has changed after she became a successful idol singer and was able to earn a lot of wealth.

Now, her family only cares about the money she controls. They just want to get all the money she controls into their own hands, and it gets worse as time goes on because she keeps making concessions. At first, she might feel a little guilty, but over time, it will become taken for granted. Eventually, they won't even care about her anymore.

As for what to do about Kimura Hiroshi now, of course, we can't do nothing. At the very least, we shouldn't let her family drain her of her wealth. We should help her protect what she deserves. Also, we should try to make her happy.

Without pressing further, Kimura Hiroshi changed the subject, asking, "It's Akina-san's birthday today, did you eat cake?"

I shook my head. There was no cake prepared at home. Maybe they forgot. After all, my mother was the only one at home, busy with other things, and couldn't possibly take care of everything.

“You haven’t eaten? That won’t do. You definitely have to eat cake on your birthday. But just going out to buy one is too casual. Let’s make our own cake. Has Akina-san ever made a cake before?” Kimura Hiroshi stood up and said.

This piqued Nakamori Akina's curiosity, and she stood up to ask, "Huh? I've never made one before. Does Kimura-san know how to make cakes?"

"Haha, you underestimate your Kimura-san, don't you? I can make cakes, and I can even make very special cakes that can be made with just a rice cooker," Kimura Hiroshi said proudly.

"Can a rice cooker really make a cake? Kimura-san?" As a foodie, she was exceptionally curious about food, and at this moment, she transformed into a curious child, wanting to know everything.

Kimura tapped Nakamori Akina's nose and said, "Since you're so eager to know, come to the kitchen with me. Today, I'll personally make Akina-san a birthday cake in a rice cooker to celebrate her nineteenth birthday."

After saying that, he pulled Nakamori Akina and walked into the kitchen. He had personally tried making rice cooker cakes in his previous life, and it was very successful, because this kind of thing is not particularly difficult as long as you put your heart into it.

Chapter 176 I Don't Want to Go Up for Tea!

In the kitchen, Akina Nakamori watched as Hiroshi Kimura took several eggs, some flour, milk, corn oil, sugar, salt, and finally white vinegar from the refrigerator. Then he rolled up his sleeves, washed his hands, and prepared to make a cake.

Countless questions flooded her little head. Unable to contain her curiosity, Nakamori Akina asked, "Eh, is this all we need to make a cake, Kimura-san? Don't we need anything else?"

"Of course, Akina-san, just watch. You'll be able to eat delicious cake in a little while. Your Kimura-san never brags." As Kimura Hiroshi spoke, he had already cracked all the eggs open, separating the yolks from the whites.

Then, heat the corn oil slightly and pour it into a bowl. Next, add the flour and hot oil and stir quickly until well combined. Now that the flour is ready, start preparing the egg yolks. Pour milk into the egg yolks, then pour the batter into the bowl with the egg yolks and stir until it becomes a smooth paste.

Prepare the egg yolks and flour, then prepare the egg whites. Add a pinch of salt, then pour in some white vinegar. Use an egg beater to beat the egg whites until they form large bubbles and become foamy. Then add a large amount of sugar in three batches, beating the egg whites until a chopstick inserted into them stands upright.

Finally, mix the two together and stir to get the cake batter. Make sure the cake batter can be stacked when lifted. Heat the rice cooker, grease it with a little oil, slowly pour the cake batter into the rice cooker, and then heat for fifteen minutes. Then wait for the cake to be ready.

Akina Nakamori, standing nearby, was completely stunned by Hiroshi Kimura's dazzling display of skill. Although she had been there the whole time, she was still bewildered when Kimura finished making it. She couldn't figure out what had happened. It looked simple, but when she tried to recall how to do it, she felt like she couldn't remember anything at all.

"Is this all? Kimura-san, can you really make a cake?" Seeing Kimura Hiro put the cake batter into the rice cooker as if it were finished, Nakamori Akina was still a little skeptical that it could actually be made into a cake, and asked while staring at the heating rice cooker.

While washing the kitchen utensils he had just used, Kimura Hiro patiently answered the question that Nakamori Akina had asked several times, "It's okay, it's okay, it'll be ready in fifteen minutes. Hey, Akina-san, you don't need to stare at it like that."

Seeing Akina Nakamori leaning over, staring intently at the rice cooker, Hiroshi Kimura found it somewhat amusing. Sometimes Akina Nakamori seemed a bit silly, completely opposite to her radiant stage presence, making it hard to associate these two images in one person.

"Hmm, I'm just curious, how can something that can only be used to cook rice make a cake? Kimura-san, is it really possible?" Nakamori Akina asked, still staring at the rice cooker.

Having finished cleaning, Kimura Hiroshi shook the water off his hands and said somewhat helplessly, "Really? Ah, there are still nine minutes left. Akina-san, do you really want to keep watching? You can go outside and sit and wait."