My daily life with the original diva

"Sister Deng actually won the Cable TV Grand Prize, that's really amazing!" Nakamori Akina exclaimed while clapping her hands.

"Yes, she's just as amazing as you, Akina," Kimura Hiroshi said, praising her while also mentioning his girlfriend.

The grand prize was finally revealed, and the awards ceremony was drawing to a close. As Teresa Teng's melodious singing ended, the audience began to prepare to leave.

Kimura Hiroshi originally thought their work was over, but then Akiyuki Yoshizawa ran over and said to them, "Akina-san, Kimura-san, please go to another studio to prepare for the remote recording of 'The Best Ten' program. Mr. Inoue Yosui and everyone from Anzen Chitai will be there. Akina-san got first place again this week!"

The work isn't finished yet! It's already 10 p.m. If we finish recording the show, it'll be 11 or 12 p.m. It's really exhausting.

"Hurry up, Kimura-san, we can't waste time." Nakamori Akina immediately prepared to go to the program venue after hearing Akiyuki's words. Seeing that Kimura Hiroshi was still standing there, she urged him to hurry up and go.

Having finally managed to accompany his girlfriend to record a program, he naturally had to see it through to the end. Not to mention, if we're talking about being tired, Nakamori Akina was much more tired than him. Right now, she was still full of energy, so he couldn't let her down.

The remote recording program had a separate studio prepared because the two TV stations were collaborating, and of course, Nakamori Akina is now a super top idol.

The studio was decorated in a very unique way, with a banner congratulating Nakamori Akina on winning first place for "Tears Are Not Decorations". In addition, considering that everyone was too awful after the show, they also prepared a food stall with local Osaka characteristics, which was made right in the studio. A small table was also set up, and Inoue Yosui and the people from Anzen Chitai were already sitting there, ready to start eating.

"Kimura-san, Akina-san, come over here quickly. Today we're having a special Kansai snack, Akashi-yaki." Koji Tamaki beckoned the two of them over.

Having not eaten dinner, Kimura Hiroshi was actually quite hungry at this point. Hearing the sizzling sounds from the stall and the aroma of food wafting in the air, he quickly sat down, ready to start eating.

It's just a pity for Akina Nakamori. She has to prepare to sing later, so she has to test the microphone and play the accompaniment to make sure there won't be any problems during the remote recording.

Akashi-yaki is a dish made by rolling takoyaki (octopus balls) in egg, similar to egg dumplings, and then dipping it in a broth made with bonito flakes and kelp. The focus is on the umami flavor.

Soon the first batch of Akashi-yaki was ready and served on the small table. Amidst the sounds of "I'm digging in!", Kimura Hiroshi picked up one, dipped it in the broth, and ate it in one bite. I must say, the savory and salty flavor filled his mouth, making it exceptionally delicious.

This was a real hardship for the little foodie, Akina Nakamori. Smelling the delicious aroma, she was adjusting the microphone and could only watch them eat. Moreover, Hiroshi Kimura deliberately picked up a piece of food and gestured to her before taking a bite, showing a satisfied expression on his face. This made Akina Nakamori so angry that she gritted her teeth and made a fist at him.

Teasing his girlfriend was really amusing, but seeing how hungry she looked, Kimura Hiroshi didn't intend to keep teasing her. After confirming that the host of the recording hadn't arrived yet, he carried a small plate with two Akashi-yaki pieces dipped in broth to Nakamori Akina and said, "Open your mouth."

As expected, she still cared about herself. Nakamori Akina smiled and opened her mouth, and then Kimura Hiroshi picked up a piece and put it in her mouth. As expected of a little foodie, she immediately showed a satisfied expression after eating the food.

"It's so delicious! Hurry, hurry, I want a second one!" Nakamori Akira urged Kimura Hiroshi to quickly give her the second one.

"You ate it so quickly, you really have a big appetite." Kimura Hiroshi said as he picked up another one and put it into her mouth.

Just then, the show's host walked in, followed by a cameraman who captured the entire scene of Kimura Hiroshi feeding Nakamori Akina.

After feeding the animals, Kimura Hiroshi was about to return to the small table when he saw the host and cameraman enter. Startled, he quickly said, "Host, please remember to delete this part. Please don't let it air!"

His words drew laughter from those around him, and the host laughed as well, saying, "Don't worry, don't worry, Kimura-san, the program is pre-recorded before it airs. I guarantee that this segment will absolutely not be broadcast."

"Ah, that's really great," Kimura Hiroshi said. Actually, it wouldn't be a big deal to broadcast it. After all, they're good friends, so feeding each other a little food is nothing, right?

Chapter 241 Seven Hundred Million Yen a Year

Believing a TV host's words is like believing the earth will turn backwards. The clip of Hiroshi Kimura feeding Akina Nakamori was broadcast in its entirety on the show "The Best Ten," and was even used as a special segment, played repeatedly and teased by the two hosts.

It's said that Hiroshi Kimura was exceptionally gentle when feeding her, and Akina Nakamori looked incredibly happy while eating; it's something only couples do.

Adding to the fact that during the recent Cable Awards broadcast, there was a scene where the two of them sat with their heads very close together, whispering to each other, which made many people wonder if the two of them were really dating.

However, when they opened entertainment magazines and newspapers the next day, there were hardly any reports about whether the two were dating. Instead, some media outlets said that the two on TV were putting on an act to dispel media reports about their discord, even though both of them are highly skilled actors.

Some media outlets even openly analyzed the footage of the two feeding each other, saying that the camera came in at just the right time and the interaction between the two was too obvious. They wondered why they had never been filmed interacting like this before, so it was obviously acting and must have been arranged by the agency.

Fans and ordinary viewers who were unaware of the facts were confused by the chaotic reports and couldn't figure out what the relationship between the two was, whether they were a close couple or rivals who were secretly at odds.

The TV station actually broadcast the footage, which infuriated Hiroshi Kimura. The exposure of their relationship didn't have much of an impact on him, but it would have a significant impact on Akina Nakamori.

He has made too many enemies. If those people find out that Nakamori Akina is his girlfriend, they won't be able to deal with him, but they might target Nakamori Akina instead. In particular, some people in the Composers' Association might try to sabotage him at the upcoming record awards because of his relationship with Nakamori Akina. He would be in deep trouble.

Unexpectedly, before he could even deal with it, the media outlets that usually had a very bad relationship with him took care of it for him. Their actions made their relationship even more complicated, and outsiders really couldn't figure out what kind of relationship they had.

However, this incident also taught Kimura Hiroshi that he shouldn't act too intimately in public, especially when there are cameras around, and he must be more careful in the future.

Also, he needs to find an opportunity to proactively reveal that he has a girlfriend. Hiding his relationship all the time is not fair to his fans, so he can avoid being passively exposed later, which could cause a huge backlash.

"Haha, Kimura-san, that was a brilliant move of yours! You fed Akina-san something, and now the media and fans are all debating what your relationship is. You've dispelled all those bad rumors in one fell swoop." Looking at the media reports, Tomioka Yukio couldn't help but praise Kimura Hiroshi, thinking that this was yet another of his schemes.

With a wry smile, Kimura Hiroki said that this was not a scheme, but that someone had really accidentally taken a picture of him. Obviously, even if he said that, Tomioka Yukio probably wouldn't believe him, so there was no need to explain. Let's talk about work instead.

"Let's talk about the work arrangements for the coming days. There are less than two weeks left in the year, and I hope there won't be too much work," Kimura Hiroshi said lazily, leaning back in his chair.

He's truly the laziest and most carefree entertainer Yukio Tomioka has ever seen. Everyone else is incredibly busy at the end of the year, yet he wants to reduce his workload—that's impossible.

"Before the end of the year, you need to participate in the year-end review of several music shows, and you can't miss any of them. In addition, you can't miss the rehearsals and performances for the Kohaku Uta Gassen. In other words, after today, Kimura-san will be very busy for the rest of the time," Yukio Tomioka said after looking through his work schedule.

"Oh my god, oh my god, I'm so busy that I can't even take care of my own company. In that case, the comics and novels won't be able to start until next year." Kimura Hiroshi said, pretending to be very annoyed, trying to avoid some work.

However, this obviously did not reduce Yukio Tomioka's workload. He continued, "You need to give me the sheet music for the single to be released next year before the end of the year. When I come back next year, I will record the new single and release it in early February."

With the end of the year so busy, and the return to work after the New Year holidays, Kimura Hiroshi was genuinely unhappy and asked with frustration, "What about the vacation I requested? What about the vacation early next year?"

"Oh, the president has approved it. If your single goes well, you and Akina-san will both get a break at the end of the first month, for a maximum of five days." Yukio Tomioka said with a hint of envy, because Hiroshi Kimura got a break while he couldn't; he still had to work at the beginning of the year.

"Only five days? How generous of you, my dear President Hana," Kimura Hiroshi said sarcastically.

"It's good enough that you have something to release, Kimura-san. Cherish it, you know? Okay, let's talk about something that will make you happy. Your record sales report this year, and how much money you'll make." Knowing that Kimura Hiroshi's favorite thing was money, Tomioka Yukio thought that talking about money would make him happier.

When it came to money, Kimura Hiroshi was genuinely happy. He immediately sat up straight and asked expectantly, "Tell me quickly, tell me, how much money do I still have left this year?"

Yukio Tomioka pulled out a thick stack of sales reports and began to talk to Hiroshi Kimura about it. This year, Kimura released four singles and an album, one of which was a theme song to coincide with the film's sales.

With four singles and one album, all of which sold over a million copies, totaling more than 6.3 million copies, the movie singles are counted as joint sales with Akina Nakamori. His individual sales are approximately 5.2 million copies. In terms of sales, he is undoubtedly number one.

However, in terms of sales, the number one spot doesn't go to him, but to Akina Nakamori. This year, Akina Nakamori released four singles, two full-length albums, and two mini-albums, with sales approaching five million copies. In addition, she also has a share in the movie theme song records. As a result, her total sales have surpassed Hiroshi Kimura's.

However, in terms of income, Hiroshi Kimura clearly far surpasses Akina Nakamori. There's no way around it; for each record, Hiroshi Kimura can get five percent, while Akina Nakamori usually gets between 0.5% and 1%, a huge difference.

With four singles, he can earn approximately 375 million yen in royalties, and with one album, he can earn 195 million yen in royalties. There's no way around it, since the price of an album is twice that of a single. In other words, just from record sales, he can earn 570 million yen.

This is just the income from the album. The single "Eat You Up" was sold with the music video attached, so he also received royalties. Not to mention the royalties from writing songs for other female idols, in this year alone, he could earn about 700 million yen from songs.

Finally, there is one major source of income that has not been included this year: film revenue. As things stand, film revenue will not be available until the end of the year or the beginning of next year.

In comparison, Akina Nakamori's income is much lower, ranging from about 70 to 90 million yen. Despite having higher sales than Hiroshi Kimura, the difference in income is so significant, which shows how low the revenue share that agencies and record companies give to their artists is, and this is still considered a great privilege for the artists.

However, she is definitely the highest-paid female celebrity this year. Only she knows how much of that money actually ends up in her own hands.

Listening to Yukio Tomioka's report, Hiroshi Kimura nodded with satisfaction. "Not bad. After a whole year of hard work, I'm very satisfied with this."

Seven hundred million yen sounds like a huge number, but at the exchange rate at that time, it was only about four million US dollars. In other words, even after selling so many records in a whole year, they only earned about three and a half million US dollars.

Looking at Kimura Hiroshi's nonchalant demeanor, Tomioka Yukio felt like vomiting blood. This kid's ambition for money was simply too great. He seemed to think that 700 million yen was still too little and wanted to get more. 700 million yen didn't have much of an impact on him. If you didn't know better, you would think he was the boss of some big company.

"Seven hundred million yen, Kimura-san, you've already reached the pinnacle of all entertainers. It probably won't be easy to surpass that income again," Yukio Tomioka couldn't help but remind him.

Nodding, Kimura Hiroshi said with a hint of worry, "In the context of the record market in the next few years, it is indeed difficult to surpass this number. Yes, records really don't make much money anymore. In that case, let's start writing songs for foreign singers next year. We should be able to get more from the European and American markets. Also, let's focus on making movies as our main job. As for records, we need to reduce our efforts. What do you think, Mr. Tomioka?"

Oh no! Yukio Tomioka hadn't expected his reminder to have such a result. This wouldn't do. Warner Music still needed him and Akina Nakamori to expand in Japan. He quickly said, "We can't underestimate the domestic record market either. If we lose our home market, what will we do if your songs aren't popular overseas?"

"Ah, then I'll put in a little more effort," Kimura Hiroshi said lazily.

Chapter 242 Annual Ranking Domination

The more popular a singer is, the busier they are at the end of the year. They not only have to participate in special programs that TV stations broadcast at the end of the year, but also attend various award ceremonies and year-end reviews of various programs. Those who are not popular at this time do not even have the opportunity to appear on programs.

These programs are unavoidable for top idol singers like Hiroshi Kimura and Akina Nakamori, who frequently travel between various television stations.

Fortunately, Hiroshi Kimura and Akina Nakamori often participate in the same programs, such as the rehearsals for the NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen and the year-end programs for The Top Ten and The Best Ten, so they often have the opportunity to meet.

This year, two highly-rated chart shows reviewed the final rankings of singles at the end of the year, and the results stunned both entertainment industry insiders and fans and general viewers. They discovered that two idols from Ken-On, one male and one female, dominated the top ten singles of the year.

First up is Hiroshi Kimura, whose three singles, "Love Will Conquer All," "Eat You Up," and "Until the End of the World," firmly occupied the top three spots. Fourth place went to "PLANET," a collaboration between Hiroshi Kimura and Akina Nakamori.

After the top four, a children's song called "If Tomorrow" by a children's group was inserted in the middle. This is a best-selling children's song that has sold more than 900,000 copies.

But then it was Nakamori Akina's turn to dominate, with "Kita-Tsubasa" in sixth place, "Ten Commandments" in seventh, "Nan-fu" in eighth, "Wine Red Heart" by Anzen Chitai in ninth, and "Rock Rainbow" by Matsuda Seiko in tenth.

In other words, among the top ten, the two male and female idols from Ken-On occupied seven positions on both charts. This was only because Hiro Kimura's single was relatively good, and Akina Nakamori's latest release, "Tears Are Not Decorations," was only released in mid-November, so it didn't have enough time to sell and could only rank fifteenth.

If Hiroshi Kimura had been a little more diligent and released a couple more albums, and Akina Nakamori had released her last single a little earlier, then it's very likely that no one else would have made it into the top ten; it would all have been taken by this young man and woman, aged eighteen and nineteen.

"Male and female idols dominate the music scene!"

"A colossal beast named Ken-on is landing!"

"Thriller men and women, who can take them down?"

Although many media outlets dislike this male and female idol duo, their terrifying dominance in the music scene is absolutely shocking news in the Japanese entertainment industry. It's difficult for them to belittle them, after all, the data speaks for itself and anyone can see it.

What's even more alarming is that neither of them seems to have reached the peak of their popularity yet, especially Akina Nakamori, whose popularity appears to be on the rise. Media surveys have found that her female fans are increasing rapidly, and her male fans show no signs of declining.

On the other hand, Hiroshi Kimura has millions of female fans, but men, especially young men, always have a bit of invisible hostility towards him, so his fan base grows very slowly. However, many middle-aged working men like him very much because many of his songs are very mature and they feel a lot of emotion when they listen to them, so they like to buy his records.

However, the Japanese market is only so big, and it's already very difficult for Hiroshi Kimura to improve further. He has already reached the pinnacle of idol entertainers, and now it remains to be seen how long he can stay at that peak.

The only one who seems capable of defeating him is actually Nakamori Akina from the same agency. Many people who dislike Kimura Hiroshi are looking forward to this day, hoping that the two of them will have a devastating fight and then fall out with the agency.

But these people would never have imagined that the relationship between the two was far from ordinary; they were practically inseparable. To think that they would fight was wishful thinking.

At this moment, the two were backstage at NHK TV station, preparing for the rehearsal of the Kohaku Uta Gassen (Red and White Song Battle) to be broadcast at the end of the year. They didn't need to wear makeup during the rehearsal; they just went through the motions. After the first rehearsal, a group of people were resting in the dressing room, and the two sat down close together.

Even without makeup, Hiroshi Kimura could tell that Akina Nakamori's complexion wasn't very good. Recently, she's been busy with rehearsals for the Kohaku Uta Gassen and the Japan Record Awards, sometimes only getting two or three hours of rest a day.

Seeing her rather severe dark circles under her eyes, Kimura Hiro felt a pang of heartache, but having learned from his previous experience, he dared not be too intimate. He could only whisper with concern, "Akina-san, sometimes it's okay to take it easy. Don't push yourself so hard; your health is important."

Looking at the exhausted Nakamori Akina, he smiled but shook his head and said, "Kimura-san, I know my body, I'm fine. You can't slack off at work, that's bad behavior. You have to work hard. It's not good for Kimura-san to always be like this."

He was only thinking of her health, but he was criticized in return. It was really annoying. Kimura Hiro wanted to pinch her cheek, but he held back. He could only retaliate with a joke from later years, saying, "I don't want to work hard. In the future, Akina will go out to work, and I will stay at home playing games every day. I'll let Akina-san earn money for me to spend, cook for me, and take care of the children."

Unexpectedly, after listening to Kimura Hiroshi's words, Nakamori Akina thought for a while, and then said with a smile, "It's not impossible, but could Kimura-san cook a meal occasionally?"

Speechless, it seemed this joke had no effect on Nakamori Akina, and she even seemed to think there was nothing wrong with it. What could Kimura Hiroshi say? He could only say, "You've defeated me. Okay, okay, let's not talk about this anymore. Anyway, take care of your health, okay?"

"Hehe, I know, thank you for your concern, Kimura-san," Nakamori Akina said happily.

Not far away, someone was watching the two chatting happily. Her gaze was intense, and it was unclear what she was thinking. After a while, it was time for another round of rehearsals. Nakamori Akina went to the stage first, while Kimura Hiroshi was going to the restroom before going to the stage. The person sat there without moving until Kimura Hiroshi came out of the restroom, at which point she immediately went over to him.

After using the restroom, Kimura Hiroshi was on his way to the stage when he bumped into Matsuda Seiko. This made him feel a little awkward. He was determined to stay away from this woman, but she was also a popular female idol, and it was not easy to avoid her on the show. He wanted to go to the stage, but Matsuda Seiko stopped him.

"Kimura-san, you and Akina-chan are very close, aren't you? You even chatted so happily during your breaks," Matsuda Seiko said.

Not understanding what she meant, Kimura Hiroshi could only reply, "Yes, Akina-san and I have a very good relationship, so it's normal for us to chat during breaks, right?"

“Yes, that’s normal. But you two are just good friends, right? Last time, Kimura-san said that because I’m getting married, he didn’t want to get too close to me. Now I can tell Kimura-san that I’m breaking up with Go-hiro-san. So, can we be good friends like you and Akina-chan?” Matsuda Seiko said again.

Oh no! It seems the expected thing is happening. This woman really wants to break up. Kimura Hiroshi didn't dare to continue talking to her and quickly said, "I'm sorry, Seiko-san, I already have a girlfriend, Akina, so I can't be too close to you. I'm not that kind of person."

After saying that, he pushed past her and walked towards the stage, truly disregarding all decorum. This woman was far too dangerous; he couldn't stay with her for too long.

Watching Kimura Hiroshi hurriedly run away, Matsuda Seiko wasn't angry or felt defeated. Looking at his retreating figure, she chuckled and said, "I don't believe there are any good men in the entertainment industry. Maybe he's just too young and doesn't understand these things. It's really interesting. But in the short term, it seems I can't win him over. I need to find someone else, otherwise the effects of the breakup will linger, which won't do me much good. So, who should I choose?"