My daily life with the original diva

He didn't agree immediately, but Fukada Yuya wasn't angry. He said, "No problem, Kimura-san. Go and talk to those guys and you'll see how sincere I am today. By the way, if you need anything in the future, just let me know. I will do my best to keep my word."

Chapter 203 Many Firsts

After seven or eight days of hard work, the arrangements for two relatively simple album songs and Kimura Hiroshi's upcoming new single "Love Will Conquer All" were finally completed. Kimura Hiroshi did not wait for the arrangements of other songs to be completed and recorded the songs that had already been arranged.

In order to ride the wave of the movie's popularity as soon as possible, the single must be recorded as quickly as possible. Otherwise, once the movie's hype dies down, there will be one less hot topic for the single's promotion, which will affect the single's final sales. This is something that Kimura Hiroshi, Ken-On, and Warner Music all do not want to see, after all, this is a single that is going to tie the record sales record.

In Warner's recording studio, Hiroshi Kimura, wearing headphones and behind the microphone, was adjusting his state, looking at the sheet music in front of him and singing it softly over and over again, striving to be in the best condition to start recording.

Outside, Yukio Tomioka was talking to a Warner record producer about Hiroshi Kimura's single. Tomioka hadn't really agreed with Kimura's choice of this single, but Kimura insisted, so he couldn't object.

Now that the recording is about to begin, he still doesn't have high hopes for it. He told the producer, "Compared to the songs Kimura-san chose before, this song is far too simple. I advised him to choose a different song. After all, it's a new single that's going to break Pink Lady's record. I think it would be better to choose a more catchy or challenging song, even a youth song would be fine."

However, the producer shook his head when he heard Yukio Tomioka's comments and said, "Mr. Tomioka, although this song sounds very simple, you can feel its energy if you listen carefully. I admire Kimura-san. Many of his songs have deep meanings. Apart from those youth songs that are meant to reflect his idol status, almost all of them are inspirational songs. This one is simpler, more direct, and more powerful. I believe it will be a big hit."

Tomioka was surprised that the producer was so optimistic about the single, and asked in disbelief, "Really?"

Just then, Hiroshi Kimura's voice came through the microphone, saying, "I'm ready, we can begin."

The producer didn't continue chatting with Yukio Tomioka. He quickly went to his work station, told his staff to get ready, and once everything was ready, he made a gesture to Hiroshi Kimura in the recording studio. After receiving a response, the music started.

At that moment, Yukio Tomioka also put on his headphones, wanting to know if the single was as powerful as the producer had said.

As the piano music begins, Hiroshi Kimura's voice comes through the song: "Please don't worry, one day someone will understand your heart. No matter how difficult or how many setbacks you face, please don't give up your beliefs."

Upon hearing the song, Yukio Tomioka was slightly taken aback, because Hiroshi Kimura's singing style completely abandoned his previous virtuoso singing method. Instead, he sang the lyrics in a calm but powerful voice, giving people the feeling that someone was telling you in a firm voice in your ear not to give up and to persevere. Could this be the power?

The song has a simple rhythm and a not-too-high pitch. Kimura Hiroshi finished recording the song in just one morning. After listening to it all morning, Tomioka Yukio found himself humming the song unconsciously during lunch. He felt like he had been brainwashed, and as he sang, he did feel more energetic, though he didn't know if it was just psychological.

Hiroshi Kimura spent three days recording the remaining songs with completed arrangements. The last song was "Uchiage Hanabi" and the most difficult song on the album, "Say Yes". "Uchiage Hanabi" has a duet segment that requires a female voice, and for this love anniversary album, the female voice will naturally be sung by his girlfriend, Akina Nakamori.

This is his first time acting in a movie, his first time releasing a collaborative single, and now his first time singing a duet with Nakamori Akina. He and Nakamori Akina have accomplished many firsts.

However, Akina Nakamori was still recording a program in another city, and they needed to wait for her to return before they could record together, so Hiroshi Kimura's song recording work was suspended.

The rest was shooting album covers for singles and albums, as well as some photos needed for promotion. These were all relatively easy, but Kimura Hiroshi, unusually, didn't slack off. After finishing the shoot in the morning, he took Tomioka Yukio out at noon to meet with Kitano Takeshi again.

At an izakaya (Japanese pub), Hiroshi Kimura ordered a table full of dishes. Takeshi Kitano arrived ten minutes late. Upon seeing Kimura, he chuckled, "Tsk, that's really strange. Kimura-san actually remembers me. I thought he had forgotten about me after the movie promotion."

"Haha, how could that be? I've just been too busy lately. Please don't be offended, Kitano-san. Please sit down. These are all prepared for you." Kimura Hiroshi smiled somewhat awkwardly. He had indeed been very busy lately, but it was impossible for him not to have time to see Kitano Takeshi. The main reason was that whenever he had free time, he would spend it with his girlfriend, Nakamori Akina, and completely forget about the old man, Kitano Takeshi.

His recent experience trying to collaborate with a television station, along with his conversation with Yuya Fukada that day, made Hiroshi Kimura, who had been feeling somewhat complacent lately due to everything going smoothly, realize that although his career as an entertainer was thriving and he was incredibly popular, his success was still far from over.

But an artist is just an artist. No matter how famous you are, in the eyes of some big shots you are just a nobody. This seriously hindered his money-making plan. He originally wanted to take it slow, but he had to change. For example, he had to make his company a real company as soon as possible, and he had to expand into the film market.

With a sigh, he sat down, poured himself a glass of wine, and downed it in one gulp. Kitano Takeshi then said, "So, Kimura-san, has the movie you promised me been settled?"

“Yes, I have finished the script. Please take a look, Kitano-san.” After Kimura Hiroshi finished speaking, Tomioka Yukio took a script out of his bag and placed it in front of Kitano Takeshi.

Ignoring everything else, Takeshi Kitano immediately opened the movie and saw the title "Cruel History of High School". Just seeing this title piqued his interest. The title was unique. What kind of cruel history would there be in high school?

As he continued reading, Takeshi Kitano became deeply engrossed in the story. As someone who had always enjoyed getting into trouble but was strictly controlled by his mother, the blatant school violence depicted in the script reminded him of the thugs and gangsters he had seen on the streets.

Without disturbing Takeshi Kitano, Hiroshi Kimura slowly ate his food, waiting for Kitano to finish reading. It took Kitano more than an hour to finish reading, and then he excitedly said to Hiroshi Kimura as he held the script in his hand.

"Genius, Kimura-san, you really are a genius. You actually managed to write a script like this. Apart from the romance feeling being a bit rubbish, the violence in it is simply genius-level. That's right, the violence is so direct. There's no need for so much nonsense. If you don't like someone, you just want to beat them up. That's what those guys did when I was hanging out on the streets. Young people are just so impulsive and have no sense of guilt."

"If Kitano-san likes it, then it's yours." Kimura Hiroshi didn't waste any more words and handed the script to Kitano Takeshi.

After putting away the script, Takeshi Kitano asked with great interest, "Isn't this story something Kimura-san experienced—a somewhat timid good student who was ultimately forced into becoming a violent villain?"

"Haha, Kitano-san, you're overthinking it. There are indeed some of my experiences in this, but the vast majority are fictional. Please don't overthink it," Kimura Hiroshi said with a smile.

"Cruel History of High School" is an adaptation of a South Korean school violence film called "Cruel History of High School". This era was when Japanese gangs and delinquents were rampant. Such a violent school film was sure to ignite the emotions of young audiences, especially students, and become a box office hit.

Kitano Takeshi didn't believe it. He gave Kimura Hiroshi a knowing look and then asked, "Now that the script has been finalized, when is Kimura-san available? The sooner the better."

However, Hiroshi Kimura shook his head and said, "Kitano-san, I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. I'm very busy lately and don't have time to film this movie. As for actors, I'll recommend some to you as soon as possible. If I have time, I'll go and learn about filmmaking from Kitano-san."

There are many reasons why he didn't star in this movie. First, he was just too busy and didn't have the time. Second, the female lead wasn't good enough for Akina Nakamori to play the role. Finally, the movie's plot would remind people of his own experiences and lead to too much speculation, which could have a negative impact on his future film performances.

In addition, he has already prepared a movie for himself to star in, a romance film co-starring with Akina Nakamori. He plans to try directing for the first time in this film, first learning from Takeshi Kitano, and then finding an experienced director to serve as a consultant when he directs the film, thus gradually completing his transformation.

"Oh, that's perfect. I absolutely cannot accept filming this movie for another six months." Takeshi Kitano was even happier that Hiroshi Kimura wasn't in the film, because he finally didn't have to keep filming on and off, which was truly painful.

"Don't worry, Kitano-san can do whatever he wants with this movie. Also, bring all your partners over here. They're working on the film set now, but once I'm done with this busy period, the company establishment will be on the agenda. At that time, I can bring them all under the company's name." This was Kimura Hiroshi's way of giving Kitano Takeshi a benefit, providing his partners with formal jobs.

Hearing this, Takeshi Kitano was genuinely delighted. With his carefree personality, he valued this kind of brotherhood. He stood up and said to Hiroshi Kimura very seriously, "That's wonderful. I thank Mr. Kimura for his generosity on their behalf."

Chapter 204 Where to Pinch?

Starting a company is no easy task. Kimura Hiroshi quickly learned that he needed to find an office space and recruit staff, including administrative and professional personnel. There were several categories of administrative staff and professional personnel. And this was just the initial preparation work, which already made Kimura Hiroshi's scalp tingle.

Not to mention that his upcoming new single and album are still being recorded, and the fact that he is doing both at the same time is making him even more confused and flustered.

"Kimura-san, you're late, fifteen minutes and forty seconds." Outside Warner's recording studio, Akina Nakamori pointed to the digital clock on the wall and said with a serious expression.

Akina Nakamori has been very busy lately. Today, she finally managed to find some time to record Hiroshi Kimura's new album, but he was late. As you know, Akina Nakamori really hates situations where people are not serious about their work or are late.

Remembering their argument in the recording studio last time, all the Warner Music staff present were terrified, feeling that they were probably going to argue again this time.

"Ah, other work took a little longer than expected. I'm so sorry, I'll definitely be more careful next time. Please forgive me, Akina-san." He was indeed late, and in this situation, he had to give his girlfriend face, so he readily apologized. However, his girlfriend had actually calculated his lateness down to the second, which was just too much.

"That's good. Remember to be careful next time. Hurry up and go into the recording studio to familiarize yourself with the song before recording, Kimura-san. I have to record a radio program this afternoon." Nakamori Akina didn't say much more and told him to go and familiarize himself with the single he was going to record.

The staff present were dumbfounded. That was it? Something was wrong, very wrong. Last time they had a fight, they made up quickly. This time, they didn't even have a fight. This was very unlike Nakamori Akina's usual work personality. Could there be something fishy going on between the two of them?

However, these are all just their guesses. After all, they did not see any intimate scenes between the two, and it is possible that they just have a good relationship.

Upon entering the recording studio, the sheet music for "Fireworks" was laid out in front of them. Its arrangement was finally complete. The two stood very close together, as if they were familiarizing themselves with the sheet music, but Kimura Hiroshi's mind was not on the sheet music at all.

"Akina, even though I'm late, you even remembered the seconds. Aren't you being a little too meticulous?" Kimura Hiroshi teased her in a low voice.

"Hmph, if Hiro-kun dares to be late for work with me now, he'll definitely be late for dates in the future. I have to prevent this possibility from happening in advance. I need to remember the exact seconds, just to remind Hiro-kun not to be late," Nakamori Akina retorted.

How can she make such connections? She was only late for work once, yet she's already thinking about being late for a date? Her imagination is a bit too much; we need to curb her imagination.

Looking up to make sure the staff outside hadn't noticed, he quickly reached out and pinched Nakamori Akina's cheek, then quickly withdrew his hand as if nothing had happened.

Stunned by the sudden attack, Nakamori Akina touched her face, looked at Kimura Hiroshi in disbelief, and then wanted to retaliate by pinching him back.

"Hey, be careful, Akina, people outside might see us." Just as Akina Nakamori was about to make her move, Hiroshi Kimura suddenly spoke up.

Looking around at the people coming and going outside, and the staff adjusting equipment in front of the recording studio, Akina Nakamori didn't dare to make a move. She stared at Hiroshi Kimura and saw a smug smile on his face, as if he had won.

She was immediately unhappy. This guy was the one who was late and made a mistake, yet she was the one who got attacked, and he even had such a smug look on his face. It was simply unbearable, and she had to get revenge.

Put your hand down, go around to Kimura Hiroshi's back, and pinch the soft flesh of a certain protruding spot.

"Ah!" Kimura Hiroshi, who was enjoying the joy of victory, was caught off guard by the pinch and let out a scream, which immediately attracted the attention of everyone present.

"Excuse me, excuse me, I bumped my hand on the table." Kimura Hiroshi quickly pretended to rub his thigh, pretending that he had bumped into the table where the sheet music was displayed. Obviously, his excuse was reasonable enough that no one suspected anything, and everyone went back to doing their own thing.

Turning his head, he saw Nakamori Akina looking up at him with a smug expression, basking in the joy of her victory.

As expected, being pampered has made her fearless. Now she actually dares to fight back against his pranks. Hmm, very good, worthy of encouragement.

Not intending to continue the argument, Kimura Hiroshi said in a low voice, "Why is Akina pinching someone there? Can't she do it somewhere else?"

Thinking about where she had pinched, Nakamori Akina's face turned slightly red. She felt that she had indeed pinched the wrong spot. She was really annoyed by her boyfriend's face earlier, so she made a wrong choice. So she stopped talking and lowered her head, pretending to be looking at the sheet music seriously.

Seeing Akina Nakamori's somewhat shy yet reluctant-to-admit look, Hiroshi Kimura found it quite amusing. However, with so many people around, he couldn't continue teasing her. So, he grabbed her hand under the stage and scratched it vigorously.

Akina Nakamori's face turned even redder, but she didn't break free from Hiroshi Kimura's hand. She seemed to enjoy this intimate little playfulness with Hiroshi Kimura.

The two began to seriously study the sheet music. This song, "Uchiage Hanabi," was a healing anthem with a melodious tune that gave people a unique sense of beauty. The melody wasn't too high, with only a few mid-to-high notes in the climax. This didn't pose a challenge for Nakamori Akina at the moment, since she hadn't yet drunk any unique drinks like freshly ground wasabi with shochu, which would seriously damage her throat.

After discussing the style of the song, Hiroshi Kimura requested that it be both profound and lighthearted, which Akina Nakamori agreed with. However, when it came time to record, Akina Nakamori hesitated.

"If I sing this song, will it affect Hiroki?" After all, the female vocals on this album called "Love" are hers, and she was afraid that it would affect Hiroki Kimura's career development. After all, she knew that Hiroki Kimura was now known as a heartthrob, and she didn't know how many girls were infatuated with him.

Although she felt a little jealous of the nickname, when it actually affected him, Nakamori Akina wanted to back down.

Knowing what Akina Nakamori was thinking, Hiroshi Kimura smiled easily and said, "Don't worry, Akina. When you sing later, use a little falsetto. And then, I won't put your name on the album. Let everyone guess who's singing. Wouldn't that be interesting? As for the staff here, don't worry. We'll make sure they sign confidentiality agreements."

Thinking about that scene, Akina Nakamori thought it was really interesting, and it could also be a selling point for the album, letting everyone guess who the female voice was. She would try not to use her usual singing voice to sing this song later.

"Well, that's a secret between me and Hiro-kun. I'm already looking forward to seeing how people will react when they find out," Nakamori Akina said with a playful smile.

"Hehe, I'm also looking forward to that day," Kimura Hiroshi said with a playful smile.

The recording officially began. Since it was the first time the two had collaborated on a song, their initial coordination wasn't very good, especially with Hiroshi Kimura, who frequently made mistakes and received a lot of complaints from Akina Nakamori. Fortunately, after a few takes, they finally got on track.

However, Nakamori Akina was very busy today. After the recording was finished, the two of them didn't even have time to enjoy some time together before Ms. Noriko took her away to participate in an afternoon radio program. It was said that the recording would last until 10 p.m., which was really exhausting. Kimura Hiro felt sorry for her and told Ms. Noriko to let her rest as much as possible.

Chapter 205 My Sister's About to Find Out

Although Akina Nakamori left, the album recording continued, with only the last song, "Say Yes," remaining to be recorded. However, Hiroshi Kimura soon discovered that recording this song was exceptionally difficult. As expected of a hit song created by the talented Chage & Aska, which sold over two million copies, Kimura was not satisfied with the recording despite several attempts.

Realizing he wasn't quite in the zone, Hiroshi Kimura didn't insist on finishing the recording right away and immediately stopped. He felt that this song needed to be recorded on a specific day, allowing ample time to adjust his condition beforehand. Rushing into recording would only make him sing worse.

Even though he couldn't record the song, Hiroshi Kimura couldn't just laze around like usual. He still had to go out and find a suitable office space. He set his sights on office buildings near Ken-On, so that it would be convenient for him to travel back and forth between the two places.

He doesn't plan to buy the office space for the company now; he'll rent it instead. If he wants to buy, he'll wait until the bubble bursts and many companies go bankrupt. At that time, buying a building will be a piece of cake for him because land prices will drop to an unimaginable level.

Renting an office space wasn't easy either, since he had no experience in this area, and even his manager, Yukio Tomioka, wasn't very knowledgeable about it. Kimura Hiroshi had to do everything himself, learning as he went, which left him exhausted, not to mention the recruitment that followed.

After running around all day, it took a total of three or four days to finally settle on the office space the company wanted to rent. It was a twelve-story office building less than two kilometers away from Ken-On. Kimura Hiroshi rented two floors, the eighth and ninth floors, which had good lighting, an elevator, and parking spaces. The space was also very large. He also cleverly signed a seven-year long-term contract.

Because seven years later, the bubble will burst, and housing prices will plummet. At that time, he will be able to buy an office building, and buying this office building will probably not be a problem.

After a busy day, around 8 or 9 pm, while he was having dinner with Yukio Tomioka and Ms. Michiko, he almost fell asleep. Seeing this, Yukio Tomioka advised him, "Kimura-san, you should find someone trustworthy to help with company matters. Otherwise, you won't be able to manage it well on your own."

This is naturally the best solution, but where can Kimura Hiroshi find someone he can trust? He shook his head and said, "Mr. Tomioka, in the two years I've been in Tokyo, apart from looking for an agency to debut, I've spent the rest of my time as an artist at Ken-On. Where can I find someone who can help me handle other matters?"

The people he can probably find now are artists or agent assistants, who are fine with doing some economic work in the entertainment industry or singing and acting, but it would be very difficult for them to run a company.

This was something Yukio Tomioka hadn't expected. He thought about it and realized it was true. Even he only knew some artists, managers, or presidents of agencies. It was really not easy to find a friend who knew how to manage a company.

"What about your family, Kimura-san? I heard your family is in the farmers' association. They should have a lot of experience in management and recruitment, right? Would it be okay to ask them to come?" At this moment, Ms. Michiko next to her offered a suggestion.

Kimura Hiroshi's eyes lit up immediately. That's right, his family might be able to help. He hadn't wanted his family to serve as directors of the shell company before because he was afraid they would turn against each other over money. But it had been almost a year since he last went home, and he had called home every month, and no one in his family had mentioned money to him.

Their family is quite normal, without many oddballs. Except for the mother, who is a bit playful, the father, who is a bit old-fashioned and serious, and the older sister, who is a bit quirky, they are all quite normal. Perhaps he could get the older sister to help out, and if he could control the company accounts and not let so much money pass through her hands, then there shouldn't be much of a problem. After all, he wouldn't dare to test human nature.

Having made this decision, Kimura Hiroshi no longer hesitated. After finishing his meal, he returned to his apartment, put down his bag, and immediately called home.

The mother, Mingzi, answered the phone. She asked curiously, "Hey, you little rascal, you just called a few days ago. Why are you calling again all of a sudden? Did you get into trouble outside?"

Somewhat speechless, Kimura Hiroshi quickly said, "No, Mom, I called home today because there are some things I want to talk about. Are Dad and my sister home?"

“It’s so late, they must be home. But if you want to talk to them, you have to tell me first, otherwise I won’t pass it on,” Mingzi’s mother demanded.