My daily life with the original diva

Previously, he didn't want to come to Sun Music because Ken-On offered more freedom and better benefits. Now, he has another reason: the location of this agency is considered unlucky. He doesn't want to add any bad luck buff to himself here. Although he has strong luck, he might not be able to suppress it. It's best to stay at Ken-On, at least Ken-On isn't such an evil place.

After a few more polite exchanges and introductions, we should have gotten down to business and talked about producing songs for Yukiko Okada. However, she was training downstairs and hadn't come up yet, so Hideyoshi Aizawa started talking about things completely unrelated to song production, such as the artist benefits at Sun Music.

"Kimura-san, the benefits for artists at Sun Music are among the best in the entertainment industry. For newcomers like Yukiko, we offer generous fixed compensation. For big-name singers like Seiko, we not only provide a fixed salary but are also willing to pay royalties. If it's a big-name singer like Kimura-san, I think the benefits would be no worse than Seiko's, and of course, it's not just that..."

Everyone present was intelligent; they all knew why Hideyoshi Aizawa mentioned artist benefits—he wanted to entice Hiroshi Kimura to switch agencies. For a company president to openly poach someone in front of staff from other agencies without any regard for his reputation was truly unique.

However, this is consistent with Aizawa Hideyoshi's usual style. Sun Music was built up from scratch under his guidance, and he doesn't care about face at all, as long as there are enough benefits. The fact that he sent Matsuda Seiko, the star of his agency, to try to persuade him to switch agencies shows his shameless style. What agency president would do such a thing?

He kept talking, and Kimura Hiroshi could only listen with a slightly awkward smile. After all, it was because they thought highly of him. If they weren't trying to poach him, a company president like him probably wouldn't be nagging an artist like that.

However, the most awkward person at this moment was not Kimura Hiroshi, but Tomioka Yukio next to him. You have to know that his official identity is Ken-On's manager. For the president of the company to poach people like this in front of him, isn't that a bit too disrespectful to him?

"Cough, cough, cough." Finally unable to hold back, Yukio Tomioka coughed a few times to remind his senior colleague that the president should be mindful of his manners and that such matters should be discussed in private.

"Mr. Tomioka, do you have a cold? If so, you'd better be careful. A cold is really bad for a singer's voice. Don't get too close to the artists." Aizawa Hideyoshi seemed to have no idea what Tomioka Yukio meant and actually said such a thing.

Kimura Hiroshi was stunned by this move. How could this guy be completely clueless? A company president who had worked so hard to get to where he was, if he didn't understand what others meant, he would probably have been screwed over long ago.

There's only one possibility: he was faking it on purpose. This company president is utterly shameless.

However, his enthusiastic performance was clearly in vain. Sun Music's benefits were indeed good, but they held no appeal for Kimura Hiroshi. Ken-On offered similar benefits, not to mention that he had finally managed to appease Hanami Kagami and the Sasakawa Group behind him. If he were to come to Sun Music, Aizawa Hideyoshi would probably never accept it.

You see, he had witnessed the agency's attitude a few years later when Matsuda Seiko's contract expired and she chose to go independent. They were sarcastic and made Matsuda Seiko quite jealous, completely lacking in manners. And this was Matsuda Seiko, who had a very good relationship with Aizawa. If it were him, and he said, "I'm bringing a company," he would probably jump up in a panic.

One person spoke for almost ten minutes, but Kimura Hiroshi still had that same smiling face and remained unmoved. Aizawa Hideyoshi knew that it probably wouldn't be so easy to recruit this guy.

Since he couldn't sway this guy with benefits alone, he had to think of other ways, such as this opportunity for cooperation. He didn't believe that a young man in his prime would be indifferent to money or a beautiful young woman.

He didn't care what methods he used, as long as he could get the person over there.

Chapter 182 Neither Big Sister nor Little Sister is Useless

After talking for a while, Hideyoshi Aizawa stood up and said, "I'm going downstairs to check on Yukiko's training. Tell her to come over quickly. I can't keep you waiting. Sorry."

After saying that, he quickly left the meeting room. Seeing him leave, Yukio Tomioka suddenly smiled and whispered to Hiroshi Kimura, "Kimura-san, this President Aizawa is really interesting. He poached people right in front of me, the manager of Ken-On. He really doesn't care about his reputation. It's a pity that all his efforts were in vain."

Hiroshi Kimura now holds a very important position at Ken-On, and his treatment is much better than the conditions offered by Hideyoshi Aizawa earlier. Moreover, Hiroshi Kimura has a lot of autonomy at Ken-On, and he can determine the style of the songs, the content of the songs, the album covers, and even his future development.

More importantly, Yukio Tomioka knew that Hiroshi Kimura's ambitions were not as simple as those of a popular artist, so it was impossible for him to switch to Sun Music unless the other party could offer a bigger deal, which was obviously impossible. Sun Music probably couldn't offer just the right to autonomy.

"It's really interesting. I thought this president was performing a stand-up comedy routine. But given his personality, I'm afraid he won't give up so easily. I wonder what kind of tricks he'll use to lure me to transfer?" Kimura Hiroshi said in a low voice with a hint of anticipation.

"It might be a honey trap, Kimura-san. Sun Music is known for its female idols, and they have quite a few beautiful ones here. They might come over soon." Yukio Tomioka said with a knowing smile.

The "honey trap" is all too common in the entertainment industry; even the "handsome man trap" is not uncommon. Kimura Hiroshi simply smiled faintly at this and said, "A honey trap? I'd like to see it for myself, but I'm afraid it won't work on me."

After waiting for a while, Hideyoshi Aizawa finally returned to the conference room, followed by Yukiko Okada. However, something seemed amiss. Yukiko Okada was wearing a strapless dress with the hem just reaching her knees, revealing her fair shoulders and calves.

Moreover, she looked rather unwell, very downcast, and walked with her head down, clearly indicating that she was in a bad mood.

Seeing this, Hiroshi Kimura and Yukio Tomioka exchanged a glance and smiled. Sure enough, the honey trap had come. You know, most entertainers would never dress like this except when performing on stage. In their private lives, entertainers may pursue fashion, but they still prioritize comfort. They would never dress like this for formal occasions because it does not conform to etiquette, unless they have ulterior motives.

With a smile on his face, Hideyoshi Aizawa brought Yukiko Okada to Hiroshi Kimura and said, "Kimura-san, this is Yukiko. I look forward to working with you from now on."

Yukiko Okada, who was following behind him, wanted to bow in acknowledgment, but bowing would reveal a patch of white skin on her chest. She could only stand there awkwardly, covering her chest with her clothes and giving a tearful smile, looking very embarrassed.

"Ah, I will. Please sit down, Ms. Yukiko. Let's discuss the song composition." Kimura Hiroshi didn't reveal that he and Okada Yukiko knew each other before, and politely invited her to sit down and talk.

Hideyoshi Aizawa had been observing Hiroshi Kimura's expression. He noticed that despite Yukiko Okada's sexy attire, he didn't even glance at her twice. Aizawa was both curious and disappointed. He was curious why this young man wouldn't even look at a beautiful girl dressed like that, and disappointed that his charm seemed to have failed him.

However, he quickly realized that there were probably too many people present, and the young man was embarrassed and concerned about his image. He immediately began his next plan and said, "Yukiko, please sit down. You young people can sit together and have a good chat. Mr. Tomioka, could you come out with me for a moment? I have something I'd like to discuss with you."

"Is there something that can't be said here, President Aizawa?" Tomioka Yukio knew exactly what Aizawa Hideyoshi was thinking. He was trying to get him away so he could continue his honey trap. He instinctively wanted to refuse.

But Aizawa Hideyoshi, who had already made up his mind, was not about to give up. He went up and pulled Tomioka Yukio out, saying, "It's a very important matter. I'm sorry to take up a little of Tomioka's time. And you guys, don't just sit there. There's still a lot of work to be done. Go get to work."

After all that, only Hiroshi Kimura and Yukiko Okada remained in the conference room. Yukiko sat there with her head down, not daring to say a word, and not even having the courage to look up at Hiroshi Kimura.

She really is a well-behaved girl. It was probably Aizawa Hideyoshi who asked her to dress like this, which is why she looked so uncomfortable. In fact, Kimura Hiroshi is only two years older than Okada Yukiko. Although he is her senior, they are still peers. Dressing like this when meeting someone his own age in private must have made her feel very uncomfortable.

"Yukiko-chan, it's nice to see you again." Kimura Hiroshi took the initiative to start a conversation.

Since her senior took the initiative to greet her, Okada Yukiko couldn't remain silent. She slightly raised her head and said in a very soft voice, "I'm also very happy to see Kimura-senpai."

"Haha, I didn't see you as happy, but I could tell that Yukiko-chan was quite nervous. Alright, I'm here today to compose a song for you. I wonder what Yukiko-chan thinks about the song she'll be singing?"

Kimura Hiroshi asked, knowing that saying too much unrelated stuff would only make the well-behaved but somewhat nervous girl more nervous and embarrassed, so he decided to get straight to the point.

Sure enough, when Kimura Hiroshi asked her what she thought of the duet, Okada Yukiko looked up and asked in surprise, "Oh, is Kimura-senpai asking for my thoughts?"

"Of course, I was specially invited by your agency to write the song for you, so naturally I need to ask for your opinion. And you're the one who will be singing it."

Most new singers don't actually have the power to choose their own songs. Even when Akina Nakamori first debuted, the slow-motion song was chosen by her agency, but the response wasn't particularly good. The agency decided to take a different approach and chose Girl A, which Akina Nakamori strongly refused at the time.

Akina Nakamori felt that the "A" in the name seemed to refer to her, because her name, Akina, is spelled AKINA in English, which starts with "A".

Unfortunately, her refusal was to no avail. Nakamori Akina was still asked to sing, and ultimately, unable to defy her agency, she had no choice but to give in and sing "Girl A" in an angry tone.

When Hiroshi Kimura asked Yukiko Okada what songs she wanted to sing, it naturally surprised her, because her songs were always decided by her agency.

She looked at Hiroshi Kimura, wanting to confirm if it was true, and received an affirmative look from him. She finally broke free from her nervousness and depression. After all, she had entered the entertainment industry under pressure from her family, mainly for singing, and secondarily for being an entertainer.

"Kimura-senpai, I... I want to sing a more lively song because I'm a bit introverted, so I want to appear more cheerful. Yeah, that's it." Yukiko Okada mustered up her courage and voiced her thoughts.

"Lively?" Kimura Hiroshi stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, and asked, "Do you want that kind of girlish liveliness?"

"Um, is it okay if I'm Kimura-senpai?" Yukiko Okada asked cautiously.

She really is well-behaved and cautious. This kind of personality is not suitable for the entertainment industry, Kimura Hiro thought, and said, "Of course it is. Yukiko-chan's age is most suitable for singing this kind of song. I will start composing as soon as I get back."

When Kimura Hiroshi thought of a lively song for young girls, he immediately thought of Kana Hanazawa's "Renai Circulation." It's catchy and full of youthful energy, and it doesn't require much skill, which suits Yukiko Okada's voice. In terms of vocal qualities, she and Momoko Kikuchi are quite similar. However, Kimura Hiroshi felt it would be a waste to give this song to Yukiko Okada.

However, Okada Yukiko's popularity is much lower than Kikuchi Momoko's right now. If they want to compete on equal footing, they need to come up with a song that is of higher quality than Kikuchi Momoko's "Say Yes".

Meanwhile, Hiroshi Kimura had a plan in mind: a summer classic, "Summer Time," with a lively and melodious tune that was easy to sing along to. The lyrics also started off quite humorously: "If I could become your captive, this summer would definitely be very interesting."

If a well-behaved, sweet girl suddenly said something like that to you, nine out of ten boys would probably explode.

However, since the song has a rock feel, Kimura Hiroshi asked, "Can Yukiko-chan accept a bit of rock music?"

"Well, rock and roll, like those songs by Kimura-senpai, that's good. I actually really want to give it a try," Yukiko Okada said happily.

That would solve the problem, but he can't just pull out the song on the spot. Once is fine, but if it happens too often, even a genius can't explain it clearly.

The two talked about other songs, and Okada Yukiko gradually opened up. It was clear that she was not introverted, but rather a little awkward in front of strangers, unable to find topics to chat about, and needed someone to guide her. Once she became familiar with someone, she would talk more. This kind of person is very common in real life.

After chatting for more than ten minutes, Kimura Hiroshi felt it was about time. Seeing that Aizawa Hideyoshi and the others had not yet returned, he took the initiative to lead Okada Yukiko out of the conference room.

Unexpectedly, just as she stepped out, she bumped into Aizawa Hideyoshi and the others who were returning. Seeing the two of them chatting and laughing, Aizawa Hideyoshi's face showed a satisfied smile. Sure enough, it's not good to show your feelings in front of too many people, right? You have to be alone with them.

"Ah, Kimura-san, I'm so sorry. I was talking to Mr. Tomioka about some very important things and it kept me from getting here. Did you two have a good chat?" Aizawa Hideyoshi stepped forward and said apologetically.

Standing not far away, Yukio Tomioka witnessed firsthand President Aizawa's ability to spout nonsense. They hadn't actually discussed anything; he was just rambling on and on. Several times when he tried to return to the meeting room, he was stopped, told that their conversation had delayed things. It was utter rubbish.

"We had a good chat. I've decided on the style for the song I'll be composing for Yukiko-chan. I'll submit it to President Aizawa for review once I've finished it," Kimura Hiroshi said politely.

"That's really great. By the way, it's already five o'clock in the afternoon. How about we go out for dinner together so that Yukiko can express her gratitude to Kimura-san?" Aizawa Hideyoshi quickly seized the opportunity, wanting to further strengthen his relationship with Okada Yukiko.

At this point, without Kimura Hiroshi even needing to speak, Tomioka Yukio quickly said, "I'm sorry, President Aizawa, Kimura-san has an event to attend tonight. I apologize."

Turning his head, he then adopted the demeanor of an agent towards Kimura Hiroshi, saying, "Since you've reached an agreement, Kimura-san, let's hurry up and go. There are still many things to do."

"Alright, then, President Aizawa, excuse me." Kimura Hiroya quickly cooperated. He didn't want to be photographed eating anywhere else. If his girlfriend found out, she might be angry, and he would have to coax her again, which would be too much trouble. It was best to slip away quickly. After saying that, he left with Tomioka Yukio and the others.

Watching Kimura Hiroshi and the others leave in a hurry, Aizawa Hideyoshi asked Okada Yukiko, "How did your chat with Kimura go?"

“That’s great, President. Kimura-senpai is truly a kind and talented person,” Yukiko Okada replied softly.

"Oh, I see. So besides songwriting, do you guys talk about anything else?" Aizawa Hideyoshi asked.

Shaking her head, Yukiko Okada said, "No, we only talked about song composition, nothing else."

"What? Nothing else? How is that possible? Didn't he show you anything else?" Aizawa Hideyoshi asked in disbelief.

She shook her head again. When Okada Yukiko went to see Kimura Hiroshi just now, it was Aizawa Hideyoshi who asked her to dress like that. At that time, she roughly knew what the president meant. However, Kimura-senpai was obviously an upright senior. He not only did not say anything strange, but he didn't even look at her twice.

"How... how is this possible? This kid isn't interested in money or women?" Aizawa Hideyoshi couldn't believe it. He had sent Matsuda Seiko before, but it didn't work. He thought the kid didn't like older sisters. Now he's sent the younger sister, but it's still no use. He doesn't seem interested in money either. What is this kid? Could it be that he doesn't have the kind of thoughts that a young man should have?

Chapter 183 Girlfriend Saves My Life

Over the next two days, he visited several agencies that President Hanami Kaku wanted to collaborate with, and presented a few relatively ordinary songs to several female idols. This helped him build a relationship with Ken-On and also made Kimura Hiroshi a familiar face to the executives of these agencies. However, if he wanted to establish his own relationship with them, he would probably need to collaborate with them a few more times. Once everyone was familiar with each other, some things would be easier to handle.

The song for Yukiko Okada was written by Hiroshi Kimura the night he returned. The arrangement took two days, and after everything was finished, Yukio Tomioka delivered it to her. Hideyoshi Aizawa was very satisfied with the song and wanted to thank Hiroshi Kimura in person, but he refused because he was too busy with work. He knew exactly what the guy was up to.

He was really busy. The movie promotion was nearing its end, and he participated in the filming of a promotional video for Toho. Because the promotional video was very short, it was filmed in just one day, and three days later it was broadcast on television on a large scale.

However, Hiroshi Kimura not only saw the promotional video for "Léon: The Professional" on TV, but also the promotional video for "Love to Travel," starring Masahiko Kondo and Hiroko Yakushimaru. In addition to TV, there was also a large-scale promotion in magazines and newspapers, which shows Johnny & Associates' investment in it.

But how should I put it, this promotional video is more like an advertisement for Masahiko Kondo personally. A large portion of the video features this guy, while Hiroko Yakushimaru has very little screen time.

However, the movie's trailer was really mediocre, with very few appealing points; the fact that both the male and female leads had terminal illnesses was one of them.

Even so, Hiroshi Kimura kept a close eye on the film. He had to crush any chance that Masahiko Kondo might have to make a comeback. If the guy showed any signs of a comeback, he would find something to do to suppress him.

According to information obtained by Yuya Fukada, this film is distributed by Toei Co., Ltd., one of the five major film companies in Japan. Toei is also the company that distributed Hiroko Yakushimaru's last film, "Sailor Suit and Machine Gun," although its scale is not as large as Toho.

"Kimura-san, don't worry. I've seen the trailer for this movie, and it's nowhere near as good as our 'Léon: The Professional.' Even if it's released two days earlier, it won't make a difference. Tonight, you can focus on the final promotion for the movie. I guarantee we'll completely crush them this summer. This kid named Kondo Masahiko wants to surpass you in movies? That's impossible. His acting skills are far inferior to yours, not to mention the quality of his movies, which are worlds apart."

Yuya Fukada thought that Hiroshi Kimura was worried that his film would not be as good as theirs, so he talked to him for a long time to comfort him and tell him to relax.

Not wanting Fukada Yuya to know his true purpose, Kimura Hiroya responded with "uh-huh" and "yeah," as if it were really what Fukada Yuya was saying, while also saying that he would do his best to cooperate with the final promotion before the movie's release.

To promote the film, Hiroshi Kimura has already appeared on several shows, making quite a few public appearances recently. The final promotional event was held at Night HIT, where he performed the theme song and insert songs one last time before the film's release, as well as introduced the film's post-credits scene. Of course, the male and female leads were together.

In the afternoon, Kimura Hiroshi arrived at the TV station on time. He was in a bit of a hurry when he went backstage. The reason he was in such a hurry was that since Nakamori Akina stayed overnight at his apartment, the two of them had not seen each other for many days and had only spoken on the phone a few times.

The main reason is that both sides are very busy, making it difficult to get together properly. Today, Akina Nakamori came not only to promote her movie, but also to promote her new single "Ten Commandments".

This was very torturous for him, who was experiencing that feeling again. After his back pain subsided, he dreamed of Akina Nakamori almost every night while lying in bed, and the feeling was not pleasant.

So he really wants to see his girlfriend now, cough cough, of course he just wants to see her, absolutely no other strange thoughts.

Upon arriving backstage, he glanced around but didn't see Akina Nakamori. Instead, he spotted a familiar face, Seiko Matsuda. Upon seeing this woman, Kimura Hiroshi instinctively wanted to leave quickly, but Seiko Matsuda had already spotted him.

"Oh, it's Kimura-san, it's been so long!" Matsuda Seiko immediately came up and greeted him with a bright smile.

Logically speaking, Seiko Matsuda's chubby face is very cute, and her smile is very sunny. However, when Hiroshi Kimura saw her, he always felt a chill in his heart, as if she might pounce on him and bite him at any moment.

"Hehe, Miss Seiko, it's been a long time." After greeting her, Kimura Hiroshi wondered if he should make a quick getaway.

But Matsuda Seiko wasn't about to give him that chance. She stepped forward and blocked his way, saying, "Kimura-san, are you that afraid of me? Running away when you see me is very impolite."

"Uh, no, I just wanted to go to the restroom," Kimura Hiroshi quickly offered an excuse.