My daily life with the original diva

"You're the sales manager of that popular Hegemony Corporation, and you want to talk to Stardust about future cooperation?" Yoshiro Hosono, president of Stardust Communications, asked incredulously.

It's already mid-October, and the first film produced by Wit Studio, Léon: The Professional, has been in theaters for over two months. Logically, it should be ready to be taken off the screens. However, due to a series of good news from overseas, the film is still showing and is reportedly making 20 to 30 million yen in box office revenue every day. It is estimated that the final box office will exceed 6 billion yen.

Not only that, according to data revealed by Toho, its overseas box office will eventually exceed 50 million US dollars, making it the highest-grossing film overseas in nearly 20 years. As a result, the film's production company, Wit Studio, has also become very famous.

This news was only recently revealed. After everyone found out, they went to check the production company. They quickly found out that it was a production company that had separated from Ken-On a few months ago. The person in charge was none other than the film's producer, Hiroshi Kimura, the young man who would turn nineteen in a few months. And its president was Hiroshi Kimura's older sister, Ryo Kimura, who was in her twenties.

For a time, Hiroshi Kimura was incredibly popular, and almost everyone in the entertainment industry knew his name. It was no wonder; Kimura himself brought a huge following, and it was impossible for his company not to become famous.

Upon hearing that this company wanted to collaborate with his agency, Yoshiro Hosono was naturally somewhat incredulous. After all, he knew that his agency was currently in dire straits, with only a few minor roles in film and television that it could be considered a star. He couldn't possibly be interested in those revealing gravure models, could he? Such a big idol could have any kind of woman he wanted.

“Yes, Mr. Hosono, our president has made it clear that we want to collaborate with your firm,” Takaaki Matsumoto said calmly.

When it came to the idea of ​​collaboration, Yoshiro Hosono calmed down from his initial surprise. He realized that his small agency, currently on the fringes of the entertainment industry, had nothing worth collaborating with unless there were other reasons.

After calming himself down, he asked, "So, if your company is going to cooperate with our firm, there must be some requirements, otherwise you wouldn't have chosen a small firm like ours. Mr. Matsumoto, could you please explain?"

Unexpectedly, the other party was so direct, so Takaaki Matsumoto didn't hide anything anymore and said, "Yes, our company does have requirements, which is that we need to acquire no less than 30% of your firm's shares, and that these shares cannot be diluted, and we also need to have a certain degree of decision-making power."

Sure enough, if the other party wanted to cooperate with them, they would have made demands. However, these demands were a bit too much. Hosono Yoshiro gritted his teeth and did not let Matsumoto Takaaki leave immediately. Instead, he asked, "Thirty percent of the shares, what a big appetite you have. I wonder what Mr. Kimura can offer me?"

"No less than 100 million yen in cash, the main actors for our future films will be selected from your agency, and we will also provide resources for idol singers, as well as publicity resources from several major media outlets." Takaaki Matsumoto laid out the benefits directly.

To get anything out of this cunning old fox who's been around for over twenty years, you have to offer him something substantial. And right now, compared to the dire situation of Stardust Spreading, these offers are clearly a huge premium.

Hosono Yoshiro was stunned when he heard that the other party had given so much money. He knew that Stardust hadn't earned 100 million yen in profit in several years. This money was just thrown in, and it was in cash. Not to mention the resources that followed, which were things he had never even dared to dream of.

Feeling slightly dizzy, Yoshiro Hosono's earlier gritted teeth had vanished, replaced by a sense of unreality. He asked, "Is all of this real? Mr. Kimura was willing to give us so much stardust?"

“Yes, absolutely no falsehood. Mr. Kimura is willing to pay this much, and this is the highest offer he can make. He will not raise the price any further if Mr. Hosono is willing to agree to the deal,” Matsumoto Takaaki replied with great certainty.

The price was indeed tempting, but as a shrewd old fox, he felt that there must be a reason why the other party could offer such a high price. He did not rush to agree, but said, "I understand. Please allow me some time to consider. I'm sorry, Mr. Matsumoto."

Chapter 224 Attending the Dinner Together

As a seasoned veteran in the entertainment industry, Hosono Yoshiro was convinced that there must be a reason why Hegemony was willing to offer such generous terms to acquire 30% of the shares of his agency, which was on the fringes of the entertainment industry. He believed that if he could find out the reason, he might be able to gain even greater benefits from Hegemony.

Clearly, he was overthinking things. If he already had Izumi Sakai under his command, he would have some leverage to negotiate. But right now, he actually had nothing. What Kimura Hiroshi valued was Stardust's future, as well as the vision and control of Stardust's managers over the future, which was essentially Hosono Yoshiro himself, though he himself was unaware of this.

He began to test the limits of Hegemony, initially saying he was unwilling to sell shares under any circumstances. However, just one day later, he called Matsumoto Takaaki again and said he was willing to sell, but selling 30% of the shares was too much. He was only willing to sell 10%, and the price and the previously agreed terms could not be changed.

This is clearly an exorbitant price. When Stardust Media was first established, its registered capital was only ten million yen. Now, although it has expanded somewhat, it is still barely surviving, relying on some unknown film and television artists and gravure idols to make ends meet. One hundred million yen can only acquire ten percent of the shares, which is simply wishful thinking.

After being explicitly rejected by Kimura Ryo, Hosono Yoshiro did not give up and continued to probe whether they had their eye on one of their agency's artists. However, he found nothing after probing and only angered Kimura Ryo.

“Tell Yoshiro Hosono to give him half a month. If he’s unwilling to have his shares acquired and relinquish decision-making power, then we’ll acquire shares in other firms. That old guy really thinks too much. Brother, why do you insist on acquiring this firm that’s about to go bankrupt? There’s nothing wrong with choosing another one.” Feeling a bit uneasy about Yoshiro Hosono’s little tricks, Ryo Kimura had Takaaki Matsumoto issue him an ultimatum, while also complaining to his brother about why he insisted on buying shares in this firm.

Kimura Hiroshi, who was getting ready to attend an important meeting, couldn't help but chuckle when he heard his sister's complaint. In fact, Stardust Communications' most important asset was this somewhat cunning Hosono Yoshiro.

This old guy is no ordinary person. He spent many years at Oscar Broadcasting and, after gaining enough experience, immediately left Oscar Broadcasting.

Immediately after leaving, he founded Stardust Media. He not only stole connections from Oscar Media, but also learned the essence of their management. Unfortunately, he entered the market too late. In addition, the market was swept by an idol craze, and Oscar Media had no experience in producing idols. Yoshiro Hosono also had no experience, which is why Stardust Media ended up like it is today.

When the market changed in the future, the idol craze subsided, and TV dramas rose to prominence, this old guy immediately seized the opportunity and turned Stardust Media into a super-large agency. Therefore, the most important person in Stardust Media was this troublesome Yoshiro Hosono.

"Because this old guy is no ordinary person. If he weren't so difficult to deal with, I wouldn't have bought it. Sister, you should continue to pester him. Of course, if it really doesn't work out, then forget it and we can try to acquire another firm. Now, I have to attend a meeting, so I won't stay any longer."

Although he valued Hosono Yoshiro highly, Kimura Hiroshi wasn't that persistent. If he couldn't handle it, then he wouldn't bother with it. He wasn't particularly concerned about the agency's income. In fact, the agency was just a tool in his plan. It would be better if it could make money, but it didn't matter if it couldn't.

Seeing her brother's indifferent attitude, Kimura Ryo was very angry. She had dealt with that old man for so long, and now he just said he didn't want it anymore? She said in an unfriendly tone, "Ha, what a waste of time. And you say it's fine whether you want it or not. My dear brother, you really care about the company."

Knowing that his sister was angry, Kimura Hiro explained, "No, no, thank you for your hard work, sister. We still need to secure Stardust Spread. If we don't get any results, we can choose a backup plan. I'm not being irresponsible. I still need to build connections. Alright, we can't waste any more time. We need to get going."

Without waiting for his sister to calm down, he quickly left the office. Tomioka Yukio and Ms. Noriko were already waiting for him outside. Tonight, they were going to Ginza to attend a banquet organized by Ken-On. Inoue Yosui and the Anzen Chitai band would be attending, and Kimura Hiro and Nakamori Akina would be attending Ken-On's side. It was a thank-you banquet.

As we entered mid-to-late October, the popularity of Akina Nakamori's new single "Ten Commandments" began to decline. After selling more than 800,000 copies, it has fallen out of the top ten of the record sales chart and is hovering around the twentieth place. It's time to release a new single.

Inoue Yosui had previously promised to write a song for Nakamori Akina, and now that the new single is being released, Inoue Yosui has finished writing it and sent it to Ken-On. Kimura Hiro knows that this is another famous song because its name is "Tears Are Not Decorations".

Since someone wrote a new single for you, Ken-On naturally wanted to express their gratitude, so they organized this dinner party. As for why Kimura Hiroshi attended, it was naturally because Inoue Yosui invited him to attend.

Upon arriving at the agency, I met Akina Nakamori, who was already waiting there. She was flipping through a fashion magazine, clearly keeping up with the latest fashion trends.

Upon seeing Kimura Hiroshi approaching, her face immediately lit up with a smile. She put down her magazine, pointed at Kimura Hiroshi, and said cheerfully, "Kimura-san, you're late again. You're several minutes past the agreed time."

There are many people around now, so it's not convenient to use affectionate terms of address. I can only go back to the old ones.

Looking at the time, he realized he was indeed a few minutes late. Seeing that Nakamori Akina wasn't angry, Kimura Hiroshi didn't offer much explanation, saying, "Ah, the business meeting took a while. Let's head out now, we can't keep our seniors waiting."

"Okay, let's go." After saying that, the two walked side by side toward the parking lot, keeping a few centimeters apart. There was no other way; with so many outsiders around, they couldn't appear too intimate.

Once they got into the car, which only had two assistants and the windows closed, Nakamori Akina sat close to Kimura Hiroshi, resting her head on his shoulder. Kimura Hiroshi also affectionately touched her curly hair. She had this strange hairstyle at that time, with her hair permed into curls, making it look very thick.

"Are you very tired today? If you are, I'll ask Mr. Inoue to finish early so you can go home and get some rest," Kimura Hiroshi asked softly. He knew that Nakamori Akina had filmed an advertisement today, something about fax machines.

Shaking her head, Nakamori Akina said happily, "Thank you for your concern, Hiro-kun. I'm not very tired. I'm very happy to be able to participate in public events with you. By the way, I also got a fax machine from the advertiser today. It costs 390,000 yen on the market. Hiro-kun, you can take it back to the company tomorrow when you have time. This way, we can save some money."

Wow, no wonder she's the president's wife. She's always concerned about the company's development and thinking about how to save costs for the company. She'll definitely be a qualified president's wife in the future.

"Um, will there be any problems with getting things from advertisers? It might affect Akina, right? Let's not do this again." Kimura Hiroshi didn't want Nakamori Akina to get herself into trouble just to save the company money.

"No, no, the product company gave it to me to try out. Whether a product is good or not, you can only know after using it. That's how we're responsible to the audience. The product company gave it to me voluntarily, so there won't be any problems," Nakamori Akina explained.

"Is that so? That's wonderful. You really are my perfect wife, Akina." Kimura Hiroshi couldn't help but praise.

The two assistants driving in front felt a wave of nausea upon hearing this. These two were always showing off their affection; it was simply disgusting.

Chapter 225 is just too wicked

The dinner was held at a very upscale Western restaurant in Ginza. Because it was a public event, there was no attempt to hide it from the public. At this moment, countless paparazzi were waiting outside the restaurant for their arrival, ready to take pictures.

When Ken-On's car arrived at the restaurant entrance and stopped, the flashes of light immediately began to go off incessantly. The first to get out of the car was Kimura Hiroshi, who couldn't help but reach out to protect his eyes. He waved to the reporters who were taking pictures, as if to say hello to them. Nakamori Akina followed closely behind, also with a smile on her face.

After getting out of the car, Kimura Hiroshi did not rush forward, but waited for Nakamori Akina to get out of the car. After she got out, he immediately clasped his arms and bowed his head to indicate that she should take his arm.

Although this might seem like a sign of intimacy, it's not unusual for a woman to put her arm around a man's arm when they attend events together in public, especially in front of reporters.

Akina Nakamori, who had just gotten off the bus, was clearly a little confused by Hiroshi Kimura's actions. She didn't know what he was going to do, and her heart was pounding. She hesitated whether to hug him or not, but she quickly realized that if she didn't hug him at this moment, things would probably be even more complicated.

So she quickly reached out and put her arm around Kimura Hiroshi's arm, still smiling, and the two walked into the restaurant. The reporters wanted to follow and take pictures, and some even shouted, seemingly wanting them to be interviewed, but they were all stopped outside by the security guards at the entrance.

Once inside the restaurant, Akina Nakamori patted her chest and said, "You scared me to death, Hiro-kun! Why did you do that? What if they found out and wrote something like that in the newspapers? What would you do then?"

"Hehe, if you hadn't put your arm around my arm, they would probably have written that we were cold to each other and didn't get along in private. Now that you're putting your arm around my arm, only the two of us know what it means. Do you think the media can guess? They definitely can't. We're clearly such a close relationship, but they can only make wild guesses in magazines and newspapers. Isn't that interesting?"

At this point, Hiroshi Kimura revealed a mischievous smile. He and Akina Nakamori didn't have good relationships with many media outlets, so this was a good opportunity to tease them.

Unexpectedly, Kimura Hiroshi had this in mind. Nakamori Akina looked at him with a "you're really bad" look and said, "You're so bad, Hiroshi-kun, but I like it so much."

As she spoke, she rubbed her head against Kimura Hiroshi's arm. There was nothing she could do; at 1.6 meters tall, she was paired with someone over 1.8 meters tall. Nakamori Akina, being short, couldn't reach his shoulder to rub against his arm, so she could only manage to rub against his arm.

Akiyuki Yoshizawa and Tomioka Yukio, who were following behind, couldn't help but cough twice to remind the two of their intimacy in public.

Immediately detaching her head from Kimura Hiroshi's arm, Nakamori Akina turned around and made a face at Akira Yoshizawa and Tomioka Yukio. She was always so lively and playful when she was happy, especially towards those close to her.

After walking through the restaurant lobby and going up to the second floor, they found a semi-open area that had been reserved by Ken-On. There were several tables there, which were used as the venue for their dinner tonight. When the two of them arrived, Inoue Yosui and the members of the Anzen Chitai band had already arrived.

Looking at these menacing-looking guys, all dressed in suits and looking very formal, Kimura Hiroshi felt that he was not attending a music industry banquet, but rather a meeting of the Yakuza.

"Oh, you two have finally arrived. We've been waiting for you." Even at a banquet, Inoue Yosui still wore his ever-present sunglasses and spoke very casually.

Taking Nakamori Akina's hand, Kimura Hiroshi glanced at the time—7:56—and said, "Mr. Inoue, we agreed on 8:00. We're not late, you're the ones who arrived early."

Similarly, Kimura Hiroshi didn't show any respect for his seniors when he spoke. When he did, Nakamori Akina was initially embarrassed when he grabbed her hand, but then she felt that he was speaking too casually, so she quickly tugged at his clothes to remind him to be more mindful.

"Haha, you guys are really punctual! Kimura-san, come and sit down. We've been waiting for you for so long, we're starving. We need something to fill our stomachs. Mr. Akiyuki, Mr. Tomioka, please have a seat too." Inoue Yosui wasn't angry at all; instead, he said with a smile.

Clearly, Inoue Yosui also prefers everyone to be more relaxed and doesn't want the relationship to be too formal. After all, it would be difficult for everyone to communicate if it were too formal, like a senior teaching a junior rather than a conversation between a group of talented people.

After sitting down, Nakamori Akina took a gift box from Ms. Noriko and presented it to Inoue Yosui, saying, "Thank you, Mr. Inoue, for composing music for me again."

This is a Japanese tradition: if you trouble someone or want to express your gratitude, you give them a gift. In short, there are all sorts of strange customs, which Kimura Hiroshi dislikes.

Upon receiving the gift, Inoue Yosui said very politely, "Don't say that. I have admired Akina-san's singing ability for more than a year. It is my own choice to compose the music for you now, and I believe that Akina-san will sing this song very well."

“Yes, I think so too. This song suits Akina-san very well and should satisfy Mr. Inoue.” Kimura Hiroya chimed in at this moment.

His words were quite unmodest, making Nakamori Akina a little embarrassed. She glared at him and said in a low voice, "Don't talk nonsense, Kimura-san."

"Oh, I'm just telling the truth. If you don't want me to say it, then I won't," Kimura Hiroshi said obediently, giving his girlfriend face.

Their antics made everyone present laugh. Apart from Kimura Hiroshi and Nakamori Akina, everyone else present was middle-aged, and many of them were very experienced. Looking at their interaction, it was easy to see the relationship between them. However, it seemed that the usually gentle Nakamori Akina had suppressed this seemingly arrogant young man in this relationship.

"Haha, Kimura-san is right. I believe Akina-san can definitely sing it to my satisfaction," Inoue Yosui said, speaking up for Kimura Hiroshi.

"See? Even Mr. Inoue agrees with me," Kimura Hiroshi said, spreading his hands.

Nakamori Akina was at a loss. Mr. Inoue was clearly on her boyfriend's side, favoring him in everything. What could she say? She sighed, sat there, and remained silent.

"Hehe, thank you very much, Mr. Inoue, for helping Akina write songs. I also have two songs here, as well as lyrics. I hope Mr. Inoue can help me with them. After they are written, I want to include them in the album. Mr. Tomioka, please bring me my sheet music." As he spoke, Kimura Hiroshi asked Tomioka Yukio to bring him the sheet music.

While it was said to be helping, Inoue Yosui knew that this was Kimura Hiroshi giving back to him. Kimura Hiroshi had written and composed countless songs before. This kid was a genius, so why would he need someone to write lyrics? He wanted to use Kimura's music to write lyrics for him. In this way, it would be considered a collaboration. If this collaboration resulted in a famous song, it would greatly enhance his status among songwriters.

After receiving the sheet music from Yukio Tomioka, Yosui Inoue examined it and found that it was indeed two pieces that could potentially become famous pieces. He couldn't help but glance at Hiroshi Kimura a few more times; this kid was really willing to go to great lengths for his girlfriend.

"That's really good, Kimura-san. Okay, I'll take on the lyrics. I'll hand them over to you after I've finished them, and I guarantee you'll be satisfied," Inoue Yosui said happily.

"Thank you so much," Kimura Hiroshi said with a smile, his heart filled with joy. Both songs were foreign songs, and if he wanted to sing them, he would need someone to write the lyrics unless he sang them in English. That was no easy task; it was too tiring, and he didn't want to do it. He'd rather find someone else to do it.

As a renowned lyricist, Inoue Yosui was obviously the perfect choice. He could hand over the score and the other party would think he was giving back to him and wanted to collaborate on a famous piece. In the end, the other party would probably just want the credits and not even ask for royalties. Wouldn't that be a huge windfall for him? It would be so satisfying. He loved this feeling of getting something for nothing. It was just too great.

After dealing with Inoue Yosui, Kimura Hiroshi turned his attention to the safe zone next to him, especially Tamaki Koji, who was also a future big shot. He had to deal with him before he would stop.

So he said, "Mr. Tamaki, I hope to collaborate with you when I release my new single next year. Is it possible to make a reservation now?"

Unexpectedly, Kimura Hiroshi took the initiative to invite him to cooperate, and Tamaki Koji was naturally very happy, saying, "Ah, that's definitely possible. Just let us know in advance, Kimura-san."

"Really? That's great! I'll have the agency notify you in advance." Kimura Hiroshi already has plans for the single to be released next year. He'll bring both Anzen Chitai and Checkers on stage for that expressionless dance performance. Kimura Hiroshi is somewhat looking forward to it.

Chapter 226 The Backer Behind the Scenes

The dinner was quite enjoyable, and everyone chatted about interesting things in the entertainment industry. Later, Inoue Yosui and Tamaki Koji, who were a little tipsy, complained about the current situation in the entertainment industry where idols dominate, making it difficult for talented singers like them. To complain about such things in front of two top idols really shows that they are not treated as outsiders.

Taking advantage of the pleasant atmosphere, Kimura Hiroshi also asked Inoue Yosui a few questions, asking him to keep an eye on whether anyone was active in the Composers Association over the next two months and would do anything strange for the year-end record awards.

Because the Recording Awards are organized by the Composers and Authors Society of America (CMA) and co-organized by TBS, and many of the judges are CMA members, if someone wanted to bribe a judge, insiders would definitely get the news. There are no secrets in the world.

Please ask Inoue Yosui, who holds a high position in the Composers' Association, to take note of this matter. He will surely be able to get the information he wants to know very quickly. Kimura Hiroshi knows that he must be careful and make full preparations in the face of the possible actions that Johnny's may take. He must not let Kondo Masahiko make a comeback.

Having received two sheet music scores from Kimura Hiroshi that could potentially become famous pieces, Inoue Yosui naturally wouldn't refuse such a request, saying he would call him immediately if there were any updates.

This made Kimura Hiroshi very happy. If he wasn't afraid of being photographed by reporters when he went out, and if he was photographed with a flushed face from drinking, he would definitely toast Inoue Yosui a few times.