Romance rumors that circulated during the summer about SMAP leader Nakai Masahiro (35) and “ero-kakkoii” pop singer Koda Kumi (25) are true after all. Today’s issue of the weekly women’s magazine “Josei Seven” includes photos of the couple at Nakai’s plush Tokyo apartment, which he moved into just in October. The photos were taken on December 5, after the couple had both appeared on a Fuji TV music show. Koda was a guest on the Fuji show “Utaban”, co-hosted by Nakai and comedian Ishibashi Takaaki, in late September and they both tried to laugh off the rumors. But with SMAP being the kings of the J-pop world and Koda being the top-selling artist of the last few years, the media are now referring to them as a “chou biggu kappuru” (super big couple). And with Nakai in the role as emcee for the female Red Team at this year’s Kohaku Uta Gassen on New Year’s Eve, he will have to introduce his own girlfriend on stage for the most widely viewed show of the year. And she’s scheduled to perform the song “Ai no Uta” (Song of Love). That’s just the kind of publicity that NHK have been praying for as the show has seen a slump in ratings over the recent years.