My daily life with the original diva

In addition, artists and TV stations also complement each other. If an artist gives face to a TV station, the TV station will also give him face if he needs their help in the future.

Chapter Sixteen: Miss Saintess winked at me, right?

Singers who can appear on highly-rated variety shows are not easy to get along with. Either they already have some fame and appearing on variety shows can boost the TV station's ratings, or they have resources and the company behind them uses those resources to push them to the top. This is true now and in the future.

Naturally, Hiroshi Kimura's ability to appear on popular variety shows is now due to his fame, whereas before it was due to Akina Nakamori's fame. Compared to before, he can now appear on any show he wants, since his album sales exceeded 500,000 in its first week.

It's extremely rare for a new artist's debut song to sell so well. Appearing on a variety show would definitely generate a lot of buzz and boost the show's ratings.

Upon arriving at the television station, Tomioka faithfully fulfilled his duties as a manager, introducing him to the day's program.

"Today's hosts are Ms. Yoshimura Mari and Mr. Inoue Jun. They are both very capable hosts and senior figures, so Kimura-san, you should show them some respect. Also, you should pay attention to the other guests on the show, Ms. Matsuda Seiko and Mr. Itsuki Hiroshi."

Kimura Hiroshi listened to all the advice. Although his first single was a huge hit and he was about to become a top star, he was still just a newcomer. He should still show some respect to these established stars.

When he walked backstage, he naturally attracted everyone's attention. There was no way around it; he was tall and good-looking, so it was hard for him not to be noticed, even in the entertainment industry where there were many handsome men.

"Ah, it's Kimura-san, come over here quickly." As soon as he entered, someone greeted him. Kimura Hiroshi looked closely and saw that it was Toshihiko Tagen. The two had met at YOUNG STUDIO before and exchanged a few words.

Unexpectedly, this guy was so outgoing and called him directly. However, seeing a familiar face among a group of strangers still felt warm. He walked over and said, "Tian Yuan-san, I didn't expect to see you again so soon."

After sitting down, the kid tried to put his arm around him, making it seem like they were old friends. Tian Yuan said to him very naturally, "I heard your debut single sold over 500,000 copies in its first week? But I'm not bad either, my first single sold 750,000 copies."

"You're really amazing, Mr. Tianyuan. You'll have to teach me a lot in the future." Kimura Hiroshi said politely, but he had a wicked idea in his heart: to sing one of this guy's songs. Who told you to be so familiar with me?

"Ha, that's for sure. Oh, Kyoko, this is Akina-san's junior, Kimura Hiroshi. Come and introduce yourself." While still talking to him, he went to call the girl next to him.

The girl immediately stood up and came over to greet him. She was wearing a light red dress, had an oval face, and big eyes, much like Xiao Yanzi from Huan Zhu Ge Ge. She glanced shyly at Kimura Hiroshi before greeting him, saying, "Hello, Tianyuan-senpai, hello, Kimura-san. I am Koizumi Kyoko, a good friend of Akina-san."

Akina Nakamori didn't have many friends in the industry. Kyoko Koizumi was one of them. They debuted from the same audition program and were both champions. During their rookie days, they often promoted together.

Their friendship was quite dramatic. Once, when they were both newcomers performing at a newcomer award ceremony, a raw egg suddenly flew out from the audience and hit Koizumi Konno on the head, with egg yolk and yolk running all over her face.

At the time, Kyoko Koizumi was only sixteen years old, just like Akina Nakamori. She was completely bewildered and didn't know what to do. Akina Nakamori rushed over, grabbed Kyoko Koizumi, and ran away, not caring whether there were cameras around. That's how the two became friends.

“I’ve heard Akina-senpai mention you before. Today, Koko-san, just call me Kimura-san.” Kimura Hiroshi stood up and said.

“That’s more like it. We’re all familiar people, so why be so polite? Don’t you agree, Kimura-san?” Toshihiko Tagen said in agreement.

This guy is really too outgoing. Kimura Hiroshi didn't know that he was not only outgoing with men, but also with women. He would often put his arm around their shoulders. With such a personality, he was destined to be a scumbag. He had quite a few scandalous stories about women in later years. He was very skilled at seducing women.

The three of them got to know each other and sat there chatting. Suddenly, there was a commotion at the door, and a girl wearing a white tutu and a white hat walked in. She had a sweet smile on her face, and her slightly exposed teeth made her look even more charming and cute.

Wherever she passed, people would stand up to greet her, and she would respond politely. Tian Yuanjunyan whispered in his ear, "This is Seiko-chan."

Upon hearing this name, Hiroshi Kimura immediately perked up. Seiko Matsuda, before she aged into an old lady, is now an absolute top female idol, unparalleled in popularity. Akina will have to wait until next year to have the strength to compete with her, and for now, she is still under her shadow.

Despite her charming and cute appearance, she is actually a very capable woman. When her parents disagreed with her entering the entertainment industry, she went to Tokyo alone as a teenager to sign a contract with an agency, successfully debuted, and then became a huge star.

She looks sweet, but she is actually gentle on the outside but strong on the inside. She is also very free and easy. She is a master at picking up men. She can dump her boyfriend of several years and then find someone to marry.

She was incredibly decisive in breaking up with her partner, never dragging things out. She even had a rumored affair with Masahiko Kondo while still married, but she quickly distanced herself from him.

After that, she was constantly involved in sex scandals, but she had no idea that these things would backfire on her years later.

When she walked up to the three men, they all stood up to greet her. Kyoko Koizumi even bowed to her. She first greeted Toshihiko Tagen, and then looked at Hiroshi Kimura with sparkling eyes.

"Are you Kimura-kun?" Seiko Matsuda asked with great interest.

"Yes, I am Hiroshi Kimura, Ms. Matsuda." Hiroshi Kimura's response was indifferent. He dared not have any ideas about this top female celebrity. After all, he was on Nakamori Akina's side. The two of them would fight sooner or later, and he had to be careful.

"You're really handsome. Please take care of me in the future," Matsuda Seiko said, staring at Kimura Hiroshi's face.

For a top-tier senior to say something like that is clearly very unusual. Kimura Hiroshi sensed it. Could this woman be eyeing him? This is bad. Being handsome isn't always a good thing, especially when facing a beautiful female senior who likes younger men.

People say that beautiful women bring trouble, and now he is that beautiful woman. I just hope this woman is just talking and doesn't take any real action.

As a top idol, she has her own space where she has assistants and TV station staff, and people often come up to her for autographs. She is incredibly popular.

When Kimura Hiroshi looked over, Matsuda Seiko seemed to sense it and winked at him, which startled Kimura Hiroshi. This woman was really bold. What would happen if someone saw this?

"Ah, Kimura-san, did you see that just now? Did Seiko wink at me?" Suddenly, Toshihiko Tagen, who was sitting next to me, asked in a very low voice.

Sure enough, he was seen, but Tian Yuan thought it was a wink at him. The kid was dreaming. Although you are good-looking, he doesn't care about someone like you. Even if he did, he would just play with you.

"No, you must be seeing things. Kyoko-san, did you see it?" Kimura Hiroshi naturally denied it, and even pulled Koizumi Kyoko next to him to testify.

Kyoko Koizumi, who hadn't noticed anything amiss, was completely unaware of what was happening. Somewhat bewildered, she waved her hand and said, "I didn't see it, I didn't see it."

"Sigh, how could that be? She clearly blinked. Are you two jealous of Miss Saint's favor towards me, so you're pretending you didn't see it?" Tian Yuanjun asked unwillingly.

All he got in return was a disdainful look from Kimura Hiroshi and a light laugh from Koizumi.

Chapter Seventeen: I Don't Want to Be a Mistress

Night HIT truly lives up to its reputation as a variety show with sky-high ratings. The studio is enormous. After each guest performs their medley, they sit in chairs behind the host's stage, while the other half is dedicated to their own performances. The stage backdrop changes depending on the song each guest sings.

The hosts were quite shrewd. They seemed worried that Kimura Hiroshi, as the opening guest, might be too reserved on his first appearance on a show, so they joked with him, asking if he had many girlfriends in school because he was so handsome, and whether he was afraid of being kidnapped by girls when he went out on the street.

Finally, they asked him which type of female singer he liked, which made Kimura Hiroshi keep dodging the question and not give a direct answer. Fortunately, the two of them didn't make things too difficult for him and let Kimura Hiroshi go perform.

After the performance, he could finally sit down and rest. After a busy day, Kimura Hiroshi was still very tired. He naturally sat down next to Toshihiko Tagen and took a short nap.

He only dozed off for a moment before he felt someone gently nudge him. When he opened his eyes, he was surprised to find that the person next to him had changed. It was actually Matsuda Seiko, whose professionally sweet smile now carried a hint of displeasure.

"Kimura-kun, do you dislike my singing that much? Sleeping while someone is singing is extremely rude," Matsuda Seiko said, as if reprimanding her.

At this moment, Kimura Hiroshi noticed that Toshihiko Tagen had gone on stage to sing, and the empty chair next to him was taken by Seiko Matsuda, who had just finished her performance.

"Ah, I'm really sorry, I've been busy all day and I'm a bit tired," Kimura Hiroshi replied in a very official manner.

"Is that so? Kimura-kun must be really working hard. In that case, would you like to go out and relax for a bit later?" Matsuda Seiko said, without even turning her head, while looking at Toshihiko Tagen, who was singing.

Uh, Kimura Hiroshi understood perfectly well that this guy was really eyeing him and was preparing to make a move. Damn, he was so handsome that even a top idol who was used to seeing handsome men couldn't resist his charm.

But he didn't want to. He was still a very innocent young man. He didn't want to drive with an experienced driver, nor did he want to be a mistress. Because Matsuda Seiko already had a boyfriend, not to mention the entertainment reporters in Japan. Even if you went to the other side of the Pacific Ocean for a secret rendezvous, they could still catch you. If you went out and got photographed, that would be a huge problem.

With Matsuda Seiko's current fan base, she could easily destroy him, let alone become a mistress. This would seriously affect his money-making plans. The bubble economy is just two years away, and if he doesn't make enough money now, how can he speculate on land and achieve financial freedom?

So he quickly declined, saying, "The program is over, and I have some things to take care of. Thank you for the invitation, Ms. Matsuda."

Matsuda Seiko was surprised to be rejected when she invited a newcomer. Was it because she wasn't famous enough, or because she was too ugly?

For a moment, she had some doubts about herself. She rolled her eyes at Kimura Hiroshi and stopped talking. He was a top idol, and inviting him once was already a big favor. Asking her to be shameless was not something she could do.

Seeing that Matsuda Seiko was ignoring him, Kimura Hiroshi breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, although this top star had a penchant for dating young and handsome men, she was also very easygoing. If she rejected him, so be it. This made Kimura Hiroshi think more highly of her.

Until the end of the show, the two did not speak again, nor did they deliberately distance themselves. Seiko Matsuda has been in the entertainment industry for several years, and her ability to maintain a good facade is quite impressive. Hiroshi Kimura is an expert at playing along. This was under the camera, and if their distance was too obvious and noticed, it could become a topic of discussion.

After leaving the TV station and getting into the car, Kimura Hiroshi started to feel sleepy and fell asleep leaning against the window. He wasn't woken up until he got back to the company. He hadn't lied when he refused Matsuda Seiko; he did have something to do at the company—he came to pick up his typewriter to take back to his apartment. He still hadn't started working on the novel he promised Nakamori Akina.

As he entered the company, a female staff member, who seemed to have been waiting for him for a long time, rushed over. Looking at his handsome face, she was a little shy, but still boldly said, "Mr. Kimura, Ms. Nakamori said she has prepared a celebratory gift of 500,000 yen for your first week. It's in the lounge. Go and get it yourself."

That's how tough it is. Even though they work at the same company, they often don't have a chance to meet for six or seven days at a time. Nakamori Akina is almost always running back and forth between various venues, so she can't personally deliver this gift.

"I told you it was a joke, but you actually prepared a gift." Kimura Hiroshi was surprised that Nakamori Akina still remembered this and prepared a gift for him.

After thanking the staff, Kimura Hiroshi entered the lounge and saw two cardboard boxes on the table, one large and one small, with a note attached to each.

Pick up the note, which reads, "Congratulations on Kimura-san's record being a huge hit! Please open the big box first, there will be a surprise!"

Not knowing what the little girl was up to, Kimura Hiroshi immediately opened the large box. Unexpectedly, something jumped out as soon as he opened it. Kimura Hiroshi was not frightened. Upon closer inspection, he found it was a doll with a spring underneath. It would jump out as soon as the opening was opened. It was a prank gift.

"Uh, that's it? Heh, too young. I'm the kind of person who dares to watch Sadako alone." Kimura Hiroshi chuckled. The little girl hadn't scared him last time, and now she wanted to try again. Unfortunately, this prank wasn't working for him.

Ignoring the doll, he opened the small cardboard box and found a note and an eyeglass case inside. He opened the eyeglass case first and found sunglasses, which were from a high-end brand and had English labels, so they didn't look cheap.

It's important to know that Akina Nakamori is not yet a wealthy woman, and because of her family background, she has always been very frugal and rarely spends money on herself. Even if she becomes wealthy in the future, she will still do so. She will definitely bargain when buying things, but at the same time, she is very generous to the people around her and doesn't seem to care much about the price when giving gifts.

He looked at the note again, which read, "Haha, Kimura-san, did the prank scare you? If so, remember to tell me next time. This is the real gift. It's big enough to cover Kimura-san's handsome face and reduce your worries."

He always wears sunglasses when he goes out, and Nakamori Akina must have noticed this and knew why he did it, so she gave him a pair of big sunglasses. Hey, that really shows her thoughtfulness.

"She's such a considerate girl. But being too considerate of others only hurts herself. It's really heartbreaking!" Kimura Hiro thought about all the suffering this girl would endure after becoming a superstar singer. This personality of always thinking of others played a big part in it.

She thought she was doing it for her family, for her lover, and for the people around her, sacrificing her honor, money, and time. But in the end, apart from her mother, family, and lover, everyone around her was just using her, wanting to squeeze out the last bit of value from her, and completely disregarding her sacrifices.

This personality trait of hers will only change after she sees through everything, and she'll spend her own money to enjoy life, not wanting to bother with anyone.

Putting on his sunglasses, clutching the toy and its box to his chest, and finally having his assistant fetch a typewriter, Kimura Hiroshi returned to his apartment. After putting away the gifts and adjusting the typewriter, he stretched and began typing, remembering he couldn't break his promise to write a novel.

Chapter Eighteen: Who Says I Only Know Rock and Roll?

The single sold over 500,000 copies in its first week, propelling Hiroshi Kimura's single to number one on the sales charts and also to number one on the Oricon charts. Meanwhile, Akina Nakamori's new single, "Letter from Dusk," which had been slightly less popular, rose to number four, demonstrating her popularity.

With the two idol singers launched by Yanyin becoming so popular, it's impossible not to take notice. Their frequent appearances on magazine and TV show charts have indirectly advertised for them. In the second week, sales of the most important event reached 230,000, and in just two weeks, sales were close to 800,000. Reaching a million was no problem at all.

As a result, countless magazines and newspapers wanted to interview Hiroshi Kimura, but Ken-On refused them all. Apart from the magazines and newspapers they specifically targeted, it was difficult to find even a single photo of Hiroshi Kimura anywhere else.

This added to Hiroshi Kimura's mystique, and many fans who wanted to see him tried every means to get news about him and related items, even stealing posters that were posted in record stores.

"A rising star is acting like a diva; Ken-On says she will not accept any interviews."

"Breaking news! How could a 17-year-old newcomer write such profound lyrics? The authorship is questionable. Is this a conspiracy by Ken-On?"

Why do idol singers sing rock? Let's delve into the relationships behind it.

"Backed by rock legends, this seventeen-year-old newcomer can't sing anything but rock."

The media began to publish a lot of unfounded rumors and smears against him, just like the media in later years. Moreover, there were quite a few of these reports, all of which broke out in this week.

It seemed like this was retaliation from the media against Hiroshi Kimura, but the sheer number of such reports in such a short time was unusual. Terabayashi Akira, who was in charge of publicity, was very sensitive to such news and immediately reported it to the president, Hanami Kaku.

Hanami Kagami had seen many similar situations before. It was clear that someone was trying to smear them. He asked Terahina Akira and Kimura Hiroshi to discuss countermeasures after they returned.

Kimura Hiroshi had just returned from another fan appreciation event when he was summoned to the conference room, where Hanami Kaku and Terahashi Akira laid out magazines and newspapers with negative reports about him.

Looking at the items on the table and the prominent headlines, Kimura Hiroshi immediately understood what was going on. He took the newspapers and magazines one by one and wrote down their names.

"Kimura-san, you've seen these negative reports too. Don't you want to clarify them?" Terabayashi Akira asked in a consultative tone.

Shaking his head, Kimura Hiroshi said nonchalantly, "No need, Terabayashi-san, there's absolutely no need. If we clarify, it will only make them happier and allow them to continue hyping up these topics."

If clarification were effective, there wouldn't be so many rumors. In later generations, a rumor might get tens of thousands of reposts, while a clarification might only get a few hundred. People like to watch the drama unfold, not the clarifications. So the best approach is to ignore it, unless it really comes to the point where clarification is absolutely necessary.

"Um, so what do you want to do?" Hanami asked.

Instead of answering the question, Kimura Hiroshi said, "Such a large-scale media coverage suddenly appearing must mean someone is trying to target us. Have you found out who's behind them, President?"

Almost every agency has several media outlets or magazines behind it, and Ken-On is no exception. It's just a matter of how many. Compared to clarifying the rumors, Hiroshi Kimura would rather find the mastermind behind it all, since there's no reason to guard against thieves for a thousand days.

Hanami He, who was in charge of publicity, was naturally most familiar with the media. He looked at the entertainment reporters and magazines that had published the reports, frowned, and said with great discomfort, "These newspapers and magazines are almost all paid reporters. They have many agencies they cooperate with, and some of them have worked with us before."