shieri's note: yes, I'm back with this story edited. this story is from a movie that i really like, Seducing Mr Perfect. Oh, Daniel Henney is just s so hot in that movie. you should watch it. so, here i am to share it with you. enjoy!
Normal POV
A group of men were having a meeting. It was in Hong Kong.
"Then, are you planning to give up on purchasing the remaining companies?" one of the man asked.
"There's no way we are going to abandon our affiliates. And even so, this is too different from your original proposal", the other man said.
"We understand, but unfortunately, we recently got our hands on some financial reports for Sasaki motors and its seen affiliated companies. It appears tat the account for the last two years have been strongly manipulated", said the tall, messy chestnut brown hair, young (maybe) and handsome guy. Let's call him Mr. Perfect for now.
"I'm sure none of you nor Mr. Satou for that matter-" the other guy was cut off by Mr. Perfect.
"I have no plans to abandon your affiliates. However, we'll discuss the details further in Japan, once the final audit is over. Goodnight gentlemen", Mr. Perfect said and he left the meeting room.
Sakura's POV
I'm Kinomoto Sakura. The first child in my family of four which includes my dad, mom and lil brother. I am 160 cm in height, brown hair, and my eyes are green. But people told me that my eyes are emerald. What's the different?
I like the city. Coffee, shopping, entertainment! This is my beloved trinity. If I had an overflowing mileage card, I'd travel to all the world's cities. And then, one day, my chance came. My boyfriend's business trip to Hong Kong! So, I decided to call in sick and go along with him. A secret rendezvous, plus exploring the city! All in one go! But that day, when I was in Hong Kong… he never showed up. And his phone was switched off. Is it possible to find a love that would make you warm and happy? And is this man is the true love I was searching for?
I was driving and suddenly I bumped into a silver Volvo. It was S40 if I'm not mistaken.
"Oh damn!" I said and get out of my car.
The guy (Mr. Perfect) who was driving the Volvo got out as well, and took off his sunglasses. My, trust me he's good looking.
"How could you stop like that all of a sudden? What are you smirking about?" I asked that guy in Japanese.
He looked at me as if there was something on my face and smiled, amused then he showed me the red light on the traffic light.
I covered my mouth with my hand and said (in Japanese), "Oops.. Gosh, I'm sorry. I didn't see it"
"Look, I don't have time for this, so give me your business card," he spoke.
"Eh?" I said, pretending I have no idea what he was talking about.
"Your business card. What, you don't speak English?" he asked me.
"Iie, watashiga eigo ga hanasemasen. Hitotsu bun demo dekimasen!( I can't speak English. Not a word)," I told him.
"Then give me your phone number," he asked.
"Komattana… zenzen wakarimasen yo.(oh gosh.. I have no idea what you're saying)", I said.
"Phone number!" he said, showing his phone to me.
Then, my phone rang.
"Moshi moshi? Nakajima-kun? (hello? Nakajima?)" I answered the phone.
"Tomoyo da! (It's Tomoyo)" the caller said.
"Ryoko wa doudatta? (how was your trip?)", she asked.
"Ryoko? Rikon datta, Hong Kong de. (Trip my ass. I got stood up in Hong Kong)", I told her.
"Ano gakki ga inakattakke? (that punk disappeared again?)", Tomoyo asked.
"Kare wa atashi no tanjyoubi de aitai to itta. (he said he wud come on my bday)", I told her.
"Appendix waa doko no 'side' ni arimashitakke? Atashi ga kaisya ni appendix wo naosu to itta. ( hey, which side of the stomach is the appendix? I told the company I was getting my appendix removed)" I asked her.
Then, my shoulder was tapped by Mr. Perfect. As I turned around, he shot my picture with his phone.
"Mata denwa wo suru (Ill call you back)", I told Tomoyo.
Then, he took my phone and used it to call his number so my number appeared on his phone.
"I have your picture, and your phone number. I'll call you with the bill", he said.
"Oi, chottomatte! Atashi no shashin wo keshite. Atashi no shashin da. (Hey look! Erase my photo. My photo)", and I gave him my card.
He took my card, put on his shades and went into his car and drove off.
'What is with guys and shades anyway?' I thought for a second.
"I said erase the photo!" I shouted. And he left. A bad start for the morning.
Then, went back into my car and I looked on the mirror only to find there was a smudged lipstick on my face. No wonder he was amused.
In the elevator
"Ms Kinomoto, did the surgery go well?" Maria asked.
"Yeah", I replied.
"While you were there you should have remove some belly fats. Seemed like you still have a lot around your belly", Mr. A said and he laughed. Yeah. Let's just call him Mr. A from now on. He's in his 20's. Wait, LATE 20's.
"Don't take it hard. I wish I had some belly fat. I think it's cute", Maria said, sarcastically. She's a stick. And she's a stick. Flat and fragile.
In the office
"Wait, while you were gone, the new branch president flew in from the Hong Kong hq", Maria told me.
"Wasn't he supposed to arrive later? And what about the director?" I asked.
"He was just a temporary appointment. Anyway, my point is, the new guy's specs are out of this world", she said.
"Specs?" I asked.
"His name is Li Syaoran, age 31. Harvard Law School, and of course an MBA. He speaks 5 languages and is an expert in M&As. HQ sees him as potential CEO material. Isn't that fantastic?" Maria said dreamily.
'He's not the only one with MBA and duh, I could speak 5 languages too, namely Japanese, English, Cantonese, French and Korean. What's so fantastic about that?' I thought.
Normal POV
Sakura walked into the president's office and saw her name card on the table.
"That's good, Steven, ok," the president said through his phone. He was facing the glass panel and Sakura and Mr. B was behind him, across the table. Let's just call that old guy Mr. B forever.
"This is Kinomoto Sakura from the M&A team. She'll be your assistant, starting today. She's been in charge of research on Sasaki Company. Sakura, introduce yourself," Mr. B said.
"Nice to meet you," Sakura greeted in English.
"It's a pleasure to meet you again," he said, chuckling.
"I'm so sorry about this morning. I was so confused-" she was cut off by Mr. Perfect.
"If you find it trouble to speak in English, please feel free to speak Japanese," he said.
"Pardon me?" I asked.
"Just speak Japanese. He can understand Japanese quite well, though he finds speaking a bit challenging. So, from now on, he'll speak English, and we'll speak Japanese," Mr. B told me.
"By the way, Ms Kinomoto, it says here you took a sick leave for an appendix removal," he said.
"Yeah," Sakura replied with a smile.
"How's the left side of your stomach?" he asked.
"It's fine", Sakura replied.
"That's good. By the way the appendix is on the right side," he said.
Sakura's eyes widen in embarrassement.
" You'll have to excuse me. I have an appointment to catch. So I'll see u both in the party tonight," he told them. And left her, embarrassed.
"Have you met him before?" Mr. B asked.
"Well, I just met him in the elevator … Why am I being chosen?" she asked.
"How would I know? He singled you out himself," Mr. B replied.
"Singled me out?" she said, shocked.
"By the way, tonight is the party , can u go dressed like that? Tonight's the party," Mr. B told her.
She was just wearing a black sleeveless shirt and a pair of grey knee length skirt. Not fit for a party at all.-
That night, Sakura wore a red sleeveless cocktail dress. She was standing next to Mr. Perfect or also known as Li Syaoran who was wearing his white shirt, black suit and without his necktie this time.
"Ms. Kinomoto, do u have a different party to attend to later tonight?" Mr. Perfect asked.
"Yeah, my friends are having a wine party later tonight," she told him.
"You actually looked nice in that dress. I'm surprised," he told her.
"Thanks," she replied, looked on the ground, hiding her blush.
"It'll come in handy in your mission later tonight," he said.
"Mission?" she asked, shocked.
"You see those two men over there with stripe ties?" he said, pointing at the men.
"Those English men?" she asked.
"Yeah, they're with Alba Holdings, our competitor in the Sasaki deal. Mr. Satou is here tonight, he's the president of Sasaki. So I need u to get as close as possible to them. Pretend you can't speak English. And find out everything u can about their meeting with Satou. That's your mission", he told her.
"Wait, you're saying… so you want me to spy on them?" she asked.
"Isn't corporate data collection is your specialization? And you were so good this morning pretending that you can't speak in English. So why not?" he said.
Then, there was a woman calling him, not far from them.
"Syaoran!" that woman called out.
Sakura's POV
It hasn't been 24 hours yet but I'm starting to hate him.
"So, I get the work and you, having fun huh? Am I some sort of James Bond?!" I said quietly.
-------
As I was walking around in the crowd, I accidently run into 2 guys and spilled my champagne on them
"Oh my god! I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" I said in English as I tried to wipe off the wine stains on his shirt. Then I looked at them. They're the Englishmen.
"It's ok, things like this happens. Enjoy the party ok?" Englishman 1 said. And both of them went to another place. Ok, I don't know their name so, I'll call him Englishman 1 and 2.
'Kinomoto Sakura,you're really on roll tonight," I said to myself.
I called the great Syaoran over the phone, "What should I do? I blew up my cover!"
"What?!" he said.
"I spoke in English!" I told him.
"Shit!" he said.
"What do I do now?" I asked.
"Figure it out. Steal the documents if you have to," he told me and hung up the phone.
Then, I got an idea.
A few moments later…
I was in the middle of conversation with the Englishmen.
"I'm not sure if you know the facts," Englishman 1 said.
"Of course, it's my job to know the facts, you know", I said.
"By the way, who's the chap over there talking to the president? You don't think he's with the competition, do you?" Englishman 2 asked.
The guy he was talking about was Syaoran who was talking to Mr Satou.
"I wouldn't worry. Nobody knows the president's at the party except for us. And besides, our real rivals are the Americans, not that yellow monkey", Englishmen 1 said.
"Alba Holdings seems to be in a slump lately… and there's a rumor that your interests were at stake, since the failed merger with Neutral Company. Is that true?" I asked.
"Well, there'll be a big deal for us too, soon," Englishman 2 told me.
"Oh really? I knew that!" I told them.
"Sshhhh," Englishman 1 said, putting a finger on his lips.
"Oh don't worry. I'm not here to give a report. You don't have to worry," I assured them.
"Off the record?" Englishman 1 asked.
"Of course, off the record," I told them.
--------------
Normal POV
Syaoran was having a conversation with Mr. Satou.
"Ripping a company apart and selling it off… is that your vision?" Mr. Satou asked Syaoran.
Syaoran smiled and nodded. His phone rang. He excused himself, took it out and read the message. It was from Sakura, telling him the information that she got from the Englishmen.
"Bypassing the board and attempting insider trading with Alba Holdings, is that your vision? I'll show you real vision. Wait and see", Syaoran told him confidently.
-----------
In the taxi
"Well, that was well done job, Miss Kinomoto. I didn't expect u to obtain such classified information like that," he told Sakura.
"Well done? It was their own faurt," she said in English.
"What? Fort? I'm sorry, I don't get that," Syaoran said.
"F-a-u-l-t, faurt," Sakura spelled out the word but she couldn't say the letter L.
"Oh, fault. You need to enunciate that," he told her. And she rolled her eyes.
"This is why I can't stand foreigners," she said quietly.
"Yes, it is true. In business, one man's loss is one man's gain," he said.
"Doing business like this, I'll soon be a swindler," she said.
"The way I see it, you seem to have a special talent for deception," he told her.
"Eh?!" she reacted.
"That's a compliment, from me," he said.
"Alright, then how about this kind of business? Since I scored one today, lets call the car issue off," she suggested.
"Absolutely not. That's personal," he said.
"You stingy," she said quietly.
Her phone rang. "Hello, Nakajima?" and the line was cut off.
"Boyfriend?" he asked.
"Never mind. This is personal. I need privacy," she told him.
"You know, if he calls and hangs up and doesn't answer your calls, it means he's hiding something," he said.
"On what basis are you saying that?" she asked.
"That's what I do when I cheat. If you don't believe me, then try again," he said.
They reached the office building.
"Why don'tyo u get down? I don't want an advice from a man who's had affairs across the globe. But has never experience true love," she said.
But then, both of them got off the taxi.
"What exactly is this 'true love' you're referring to?" he asked.
"Bang! Like being hit by a bullet in your heart," she said as she was pretending shooting him using her hand. ( you know, make the gun sign with your hand).
"Bullet," he chuckled. "I was hit by a bullet before, but by a real gun".
"Oh yes, of coz you were. True love means to share your hearts, and not being lonely," she said with glory.
He lowered his face towards her and said, "There's no such thing,"
"Of course there is! Right here," she said and placed her right hand onto her left chest.
"Oh why Ms Kinomoto, when I looked at you I see anything but a happy person? Let's go, I'll buy you dinner," he offered her.
"Thanks, but I have a very important date", she told him.
She left him and he was standing there, watching her with a smile on his face.
Sakura was waiting for her boyfriend to come home, to celebrate her birthday, but he never comes. And she waited all night long…
At the office lobby
Sakura's POV
"Hey, Kin! So you had a wild night on your birthday?" Mr. A asked me. Yes, they call me Kin, a short version of Kinomoto.
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"Why deny it? We've pulled all-nighters at work before. I can tell from the way you look," he said.
"I didn't even get to see his face, so lay off!" I told him.
"What? You stayed up all night, but didn't meet your boyfriend? Is he cheating on you or something?" he asked.
"God, don't try to jinx me!" I said.
"What did I tell you last night? That man has something to hide," that familiarly annoying voice spoke.
"You 2 like rubbing salt in my wounds, do you know that?" I said quietly.
I was at a restaurant later that night, waiting for the great Mr. Li.
'He gave me a work today which he could give me earlier. I'm not his worker. I'm his slave!' I thought.
Suddenly, I heard familiar laughs from the table in front of me. it was Nakajima, dating another woman. Damn Nakajima.
'I only regretted on the past 2 relationships that I had. Why couldn't I act more intelligently? With style and grace!' I said to myself.
Then, I attacked his table.
"How could u do this to me?!!! How could you?! Who the hell is she? Or he?" I shouted at him and hitting him. That woman looked like a guy a little, although she wore a dress.
"Don't touch her!" he said, protecting the other woman.
"This is all your fault! If only you give me more space, I wouldn't be like this!" he told me and left the restaurant.
I sat down and cried. Suddenly, a man came to me.
"Hi," the man said. It was Syaoran.
---------
At the bar
"Why have I been dumped 3 times now?" I said.
"Coz you don't know the rules," he said.
"Rules?" I asked.
"Rules of the game," he replied.
"Love isn't like playing Starcraft, you know," I told him.
"Yes it is. Manipulations of emotions to control the mind. That's the game. Oh it's a game. It's a game where the one who displays affection first, gives up total control and goes around like a dog on a collar," he told me.
"In relationships, you were the one to call first, and he was the one to hang up first rite?" he asked.
"Right"
"And when you're together, you're the one who run up to him and you always give him gifts on anniversaries, only you, rite?"
"Yeah, how did u know that?" I said in excited manner.
"I know coz these are the consequences of dating without any self respect, Ms Kin. That's how I know. So take my advice, and this is sincere, so listen to me. If you continue acting like this, being so… pathetic, you'll always be treated like trash by men. And you'll grow old, all by yourself,"
I slammed my glass on the counter, I said, "Apologize!"
"What would I be apologizing for? I've never apologized for anything in my life," he said calmly.
"What's wrong with admitting that I love him? What's wrong with calling or visiting him coz I'm worried? What's wrong with wanting to do everything for him. What? I'll be treated like trash all my life? Screw you! I could have a line of guys begging for me if I wanted to. I could, but I don't. You know why?" I told him
"Oh, you can? Then make me beg for you. If you succeed, I'll apologize on my knees," he said.
With that, I left the bar and walked back home.
A woman who was just dumped needs a shoulder to cry on, not a critic. 'it's not your fault', 'he wasn't the rite guy for you'" a friend who could say these to you.
" Have u been drinking?" dad asked.
"One bottle of beer," I told him.
"Not a case of beer? Why are your eyes so swollen?" he asked.
"Dad, my friends are all scared of their fathers, but why do I feel like we're friends?" I asked.
"We're both getting old together, maybe that's why," he joked as he was looking at something like an old album.
"What are you looking at?" I asked.
"Something your mom gave me, 34 years ago", he said.
"Mom? My mom?" I asked, amazed.
"I can't believe it either," he said.
My mom's voice was heard, "Adults should set an example for their children. Throwing rubbish everywhere, the whole town is a trash can!"
"You're here?" Dad asked her.
"Mom…" I said.
"When did you arrive?" she asked me.
"Just now," I said.
"What happened to your face? Drinking again?" she asked.
"No, what do u mean?" she asked.
"Dad, about what you…" I was about to asked dad something then, my mom hit me.
"What's gotten into you?" she asked angrily.
I was at my apartment, looking at my photos with Nakajima. Suddenly, there were 3 men laughing. They were sitting on the couch. My exs to be exact.
"Why do I like you? Because you're so nice. But you're nice all the time. And nice people are boring," Ex no 1 said.
"Giving me lunch boxes is embarrassing enough. What are you? My mother?!" Ex no 2 said.
"You've made me this way. It is your fault," Ex no 3 said.
Then, the 3 of them stand up and was walking toward me. I walked back and I felt someone was standing behind me. I turned to look who it was. And to my horror it was that snobbish Syaoran.
"Love is a manipulations of emotions to control the mind, otherwise you'll be just like a showgirl," he said.
The 4 men encircled me. And they were coming nearer to me, nearer, nearer and…
I woke up from that nightmare.
'What kind of dream is that? Just wait Li Syaoran. I'm gonna make you beg on my knees,' I said.
Then, I called Tomoyo and asked her for help.
In most wars, the weapons are guns and missiles. But in this kind of war, they're the newest hairstyles and dresses. A beautiful weapon that will make the enemy's heart pound.
I was walking at the hallway and saw Syaoran in the distance. Dressed in a blue floral pattern sundress, I walked, passing him.
"Let's see who the winner is," I said quietly.
"Ms Kin," he called.
'Ok, I've got you now, Mr. Snob,' I thought and turned around to face him.
"Yes?" I said and gave my best smile.
"Is that your grandmother's dress? It's very similar to my grandmother's pajamas," he told me and the other colleagues laughed with him.
"Maybe, coz I received this dress from my grandmother yesterday. To show my gratitude, I wear it today. Any problem with that, Mr. Li?" I covered my failed plan.
-first operation, failed.
The next day,
Operation angel.
I cleaned his room, saw an old uniform, and threw it away.
"I'll give you the hand of evil lurking behind an angel's smile," I said to myself.
Moments later…
"Ms Kin, did you clean up my office?" he asked furiously.
"Bingo! It was a bit messy, so I cleaned it," I told him with an angelic face.
"When did I ask u to do that? Where's the uniform?" he asked.
"What uniform? Oh that! I gave it to the cleaning lady," I lied.
"Well, bring it back, now!" he yelled.
After hours at the dump store, I finally found the uniform. I read the label on the uniform
'JeonJeon industrial machinery?' I said.
Then, I gave the uniform to him. He took it harshly.
'The next time, special measures need to be taken. Bolder, more powerful!' I thought.
Normal POV
Sakura went to Syaoran's suite.
Li syaoran was on the treadmill. Sakura rang his door bell.
The door opened and revealed Li sweaty and shirtless. Sakura gaped and quickly looked down, hiding her blush.
"Hi," she said.
"Why are you here?" he asked.
"I need to talk to you," she said, once again looking at him and she saw a scar on his left chest.
"This couldn't wait till tomorrow?" he asked.
"I want to die!" she said.
"You what?!" he said, shocked.
'Request his counsel on difficult matters and bring out his soft side. Here we go!' she told herself.
"So what did you need to talk about?" he asked.
"I guess you were right, sir. Whenever I fell in love, I become a complete idiot. I can't continue this way much longer. What should I do?" she asked.
He chuckled and continued doing his work.
"Are you listening to me?" she asked.
"I'm listening, keep going," he said.
"So help me, would you?" she asked.
"With what?" he asked.
"Last time you said love is a game. Teach me the rules," she said.
"I can't do that," he said.
"You can't?"
"That's rite, I said I can't,"
"Why can't u? What's the reason?"
"The reason? It's because it's impossible to upgrade from 386system to a Pentium. Your brain might stop functioning, from a fatal error,"
"Are you telling me that my brain is a 386?"
"When a piece of stock has no future, you have to know when to cut your losses and when to sell. Relationships are the same. Ms Kin, how do you expect me to teach you anything if you don't even know the basics?"
Sakura took a glass of water on his table and drank it.
"The 386 got waterlogged and totally malfunctioned. What now? It must really a pain for you to pay a high salary to a soggy 386," she said and was leaving his room.
"Where are you going?"
"The soggy 386 is going to withdraw,"
"Ms Kin. Let me make a suggestion,"
"What are you up to now?"
-
In Syaoran's office the next day
"You want Kinomoto to take charge of the deal?" Mr. B asked.
"What's wrong with assigning a job to an employee?"Syaoran said.
"Nothing. It's just that Mr. C is familiar with the whole project," Mr. B said. (yes, we'll use alphabets again for names)
"Mr.C, do you still want to be in charge of this project, too?" Syaoran asked C.
"Yes, of course I do," Mr. C said.
"Ok then, I think you two have to come up with a strategy for the Simon deal. One with the better concept will take charge. No problem with that?" Syaoran said.
A few days later, in Syaoran's office
"Furthermore, the valuation report in an information memorandum produce by Simonex had applied the value marked prior to the modification. I believe a discount of 10% is feasible. That's all," Mr. C presented his strategy.
"Good, next," Syaoran said.
"I think the appropriate negotiation line is about 30% lower than the price they suggest," Sakura said.
"So you're planning to increase the rate by 20%?" Syaoran asked.
Mr. C was shocked and checked his papers again.
"Yes, that's possible. According to an insider from GS bank, Stanley, one of the main shareholders of Simon, has disposed all of his shares in an equity swap deal," Sakura said.
And thus, Sakura's strategy was chosen.
The next day, Syaoran and Sakura went to a meeting with the Simonex. They managed to convince that company so far.
As Sakura was in the elevator wit Syaoran going back to the office, she said,
"Gosh, I can't believe it. Me, getting such a big deal. Did you see their faces during my presentation? A bit presumptuous of me to say this but don't you think I really did a great job?"
"Don't assume anything till the contract is signed," Syaoran said.
Then, the elevator door opened and they saw Mr. C. Syaoran went out of the elevator and patted Mr. C's shoulder. And Sakura bowed.
"What's wrong?" Syaoran asked, seeing the guilty face on Sakura.
"I feel bad about it," she said.
"About what?"
"I don't know. I just feel sorry for him,"
"You see that. That is another reason why men leave you,"
"Huh?"
"Listen to me very carefully. Your indecisiveness, you are being overly sensitive, will not only damage your love life but your career as well,"
And he walked away..
"Damn you…" Sakura said, behind him.
Sometime early in the morning, at Kinomoto's house.
Sakura's POV
The operations must go on. No matter what. So, I made lunch for him.
"What are you doing?" mom asked and startled me.
"Ahh! You scared me!"
"What are you doing now?"
"I'm packing lunch,"
"Don't you think I can see that? Why are you doing it so seriously?"
"I'm out to catch a yellow monkey,"
"What?!"
"Fatten yourself up. I'm going to catch and eat you", I read the content of the card before placing it inside the lunch box and placed it on Syaoran's table.
That afternoon
"Maria, did the president go out yet?" I asked Maria, the secretary.
"He went out a little while ago. Why?"
Then I saw the lunch box that I made for Syaoran was on her table.
"Maria, where did you get this lunch box?"
"Syaoran said I could have it,"
"What?!"
"Some air-headed bimbo must be hitting on him. She ought to stay within her league. I wonder what's inside," Maria said and she was about to open the lunch box.
I quickly took away that lunch box.
"What's wrong with you, Ms Kinomoto?" she asked me.
"Maria, do you suppose I could have this?"
"Why should you have it? It's mine. Give it back!!"
I Ran through the stairs, the elevator, emergency stairs and to the lobby. And then accidently ran onto a man. I have to get the card before anyone else read it.
"I'm so sorry!!!" I apologized to that man who was on his phone. I was searching for that card inside the lunch box, taking out the contents as well. Then I recognized the voice of that man who was talking on the phone. I looked up.
Unfortunately that man was Syaoran himself. How embarrassing.
He looked at me and continued his conversation on his phone.
"The card was not there! Where could it go? Where could it fell?
My phone rang. It was Tomoyo.
"Yes? Today? What's the occasion?" I asked.
In a restaurant.
"Sit down," Tomoyo told me.
And then, she told me why I should be there.
"What?! A blind date?! I've got to go," I told her.
"Sit down! aren't you enough with that bastard yet?"
"I appreciate it but I'm not that desperate yet,"
"Not that desperate? Look at you, you're still not over him,"
"I don't know,"
"Hey, wake up, will you? Just look at my marriage. Love, romance, sounds great when you're young. But later, money is love, and money is romance. So, listen to me today for once. The guy coming today is a friend of my brother-in-law. He just passed the bar exam too. Even his name means 'wholesome'"
Then, a guy came to our table and asked "Excuse me. Are you Ms daidouji?"
I looked at him, and I can't believe that Tomoyo would force me to date this weirdo. Lets just call him Mr. Weirdo ok?
Meanwhile, at the hotel bar.
Normal POV
Syaoran came and sat at the bar, ordering his drinks, and waiting for Sakura. He was smiling and he read the card Sakura gave again and smiling excitingly.
Back at the restaurant
Sakura's POV
"Since my family live at Chiba, we'd need a bus for the wedding. It's customary for the bride's family to arrange this, no? I'd be happy to pay, of course, but according to custom, right?" Mr. Weirdo said.
"You're right, of course!" said Tomoyo, excited.
"And a hotel would be best for me and Kinomoto's guests," he said again.
"A hotel? That's just fabulous. Don't you think so, Sakura?" Tomoyo asked.
"That's right. Fabulous," gosh, who would be talking about marriage on your first date?! Weirdo.
"Kinomoto, do you ever consult fortune tellers?" he asked.
"Fortune tellers? I love having my fortune told!" Tomoyo said.
"In fact there is a Taoist who we always consult for family affairs," he said.
"Excuse me. I've got to go to the ladies," I excused myself from this weird conversation.
"Oh yes, empty yourself to your heart's content!" he told me.
Man, he was so lame I felt like stabbing him with a sushi knife many times. You know, like a serial killer, stab, stab, stab.
In the toilet.
"How could she do this to me? How can I get away from this?" I said.
Then, my phone rang. It was Syaoran.
"What does he want at this time of the day?" I said and picked up the phone.
"Hello?" he said.
"Yes sir," I answered.
"Where are you?"
"Eh? In the toilet. I mean I'm near the office,"
"What time is it?" he asked. Sounded angry.
"Eh?! He just called me to ask that?! It's 8.10pm,"
"Where are you and what are you doing?"
"I'm on an arranged date, why?"
"Arranged what?"
"Date! A blind date!"
"WHAT?!"
"What are you screaming about?" I said to the phone.
"Ms Kinomoto,"
"Eh? The battery?!" and my phone battery having its problem again. I was tapping the phone with my index finger.
Normal POV
"Do I need to remind you whose idea it was to meet at the hotel bar at 7? Do I look like a man who has time to spare? Hello? Hello?" Syaoran was cut off by the dial tone.
"Damn, I need to change my phone. Can't the battery at least last for a day?" Sakura said as she was walking out of the toilet.
Sakura's POV
I looked at Tomoyo and Mr. Weirdo talking excitingly, and left the restaurant.
"Sorry Tomoyo. I have to leave him to you," I said to myself.
At home
I was wrestling with my little brother, Touya.
"No matter how hard you try, I can still take you!" I told my brother.
"No way! You think I'm still a high school boy?! I'm a man now!" he yelled and he was on top of me.
"Do we really need to do this over a measly 1000 yen,"
"You could've given me the cash, but you wanted to wrestle for it,"
"You little punk!" and I strangled the back of his neck.
Suddenly phone rang. We were both panting for air. Who wouldn't? It's wrestling.
"Who would call in the middle of the night like this?" my bro said, picking up the phone.
"Hello?" he said.
"Give me the phone!" I said.
I smacked his head and took the phone
"Hello? Why didn't you say something?"
I was between my breath, " Hello? I'm really busy right now. If you aren't going to speak, please call me later. -Panting- sorry".
I was about to hung up the phone and my brother jumped on my back.
"You can't just jump in from behind!!" I yelled at my bro.
Normal POV
That was heard by Syaoran and he hung up the phone quickly and disgustedly. He was thinking that she was doing something else.
Sakura's POV
The next morning
I was driving my car, on the way to work and on the phone with Tomoyo.
"Whatever. I'm not interested in him, so you take care of it," I told her.
"What about meeting families?" she asked.
"Families? Hey, is he crazy or what?"
"You are the crazy one,"
"I've got another call, later,"
"What happened to the Sasaki Contract?" Syaoran asked, sounded angry again.
"Yes sir. The legal department is still sorting through it,"
"Well I want it done, before noon!"
And with that, he hung up the phone.
"Why don't you just eat me alive?" I said.
Normal POV
In Syaoran's office
Syaoran was on the phone and he was standing in his office.
"Oh, that's a good news. Yeah . No, I knew it's going to happen. I just didn't know it was going to happen so quickly. I didn't know he was going to cave in, right. Well, that's good work, Steven. That's very good. And send my regards to Mei Ling. Ok. Bye," and he hang up the phone.
There was 2 knocks on the door but he didn't realized it.
Sakura came into the office.
Syaoran was looking at the old picture again, and not realizing that Sakura was behind him. Sakura tried to catch a glimpse on the photo that he was looking at and he startled.
"I'm sorry. The report you wanted…" and she was cut off.
"Don't you ever knock?"
"I did. Twice, even"
Then, he sat on his chair. Sakura gave him the file across his table.
"This is based on the information we have acquired to date," Sakura told him.
"By the way, when will you start the real lesson, master?" she asked.
"Are you aware that you are the person in charge of the Sasaki account?" he asked her.
"Yes,"
"Sasaki motors sought legal action to cover up their fraud over a week ago. Did you know about this?"
"It's the first time I've heard of it,"
"It's your first time?! THEN WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING ALL WEEK?! Do it again. And have it back to me by tomorrow,"
She walked out of the office, holding her anger. And his phone rang.
"Hello. Hi Mei Ling," he answered his phone.
Sakura's POV
I was in the ladies. In front of the mirror. Throwing tantrum about him.
"Hello, Mei Ling. Urgh!!!!" I said to the mirror.
"Oh, Ms Kinomoto! How's my dress?" Maria asked me. She was wearing a halter neck blue dress. It was quite revealing actually. But then, her figure made she looked like a stick with a cloth wrapped around it.
"What's the occasion?"
"Tonight is my birthday party. I'm the guest of honor, so I need to look good,"
"But isn't this a little too much? There'll be lots of male colleagues," I told her.
"Well, actually I heard this from Ms Naoko in the legal team. Syaoran particularly likes big boobs, sexy women. So I did myself to be this special today. Aren't I so sexy?" she asked.
'Ha! So you finally reveal your weak point! This will be a sweet revenge, Syaoran,' I thought.
Karaoke place
"Thanks everyone for coming to this party. Especially to Syaoran, for picking up the place. I mean our president. Thank you! Ok then, music, start!" and she started singing.
Meanwhile, in the ladies I was preparing myself.
"Alright then, I'll show you the very essence of sexuality," I said to the mirror.
Then, my phone rang.
"Hello?" I answered.
"Sakura? This is Nakajima. How have you been? I've been fine!"
"Hello?hello? I couldn't hear you!! Hello?" I made the buzzed sound and hang up the phone.
Then the phone rang and it was him again. So, I pulled out the battery out.
When I came into the karaoke hall, everyone looked at me. Syaoran looked at me furiously and shook his head.
"Next is, our company's brain! C!"Mr. A announced.
He was singing and then I joined in and danced along with a few others there. As I was singing and dancing along, I fell, brought down the mic stand along and Maria laughed at me. And Syaoran gave me that pathetic look of his.
'Damn you Syaoran', I told myself.
Later, I was sitting next to the target.
"You're not enjoying yourself?" I asked.
"Is that what you wore on your date last night too?" he asked.
"Eh?"
"You know, you look like a showgirl. Are you that desperate for a man's attention? That's pathetic,"
My jaw dropped. I couldn't believe he would said that. And yes, I was cursing him a thousand times that time.
"What do you care about what I wore on my date? Are you interested in me?"
"I actually feel sorry for you. I was right since the very beginning that it was impossible to upgrade you to a Pentium,"
'And that's it. This will be the most lethal of all operations is the Life or Death Gamble. Today, its either you or me, pal', I told myself.
"Shall we make a bet to lighten the mood? Make a bet? Whoever gets drunk first, pays for tonight's bill, ok?" I suggested.
"Oh, you'll regret it. I've never lost a bet in my life,"
"Oh, is that so? Neither have I,"
And so, the game began.
We drank so much. And our friends were still cheering us.
Syaoran looked at me.
Normal POV
"You've had too much drink. You should give up," he said.
"Shut up! Oh my god! Did you hear that? Wow, now that I'm drunk, my pronunciation is like a native. Shut the fuck up! Ok? Hahahahaha" Sakura said that to Syaoran. The room went silent.
She stood, took another glass of beer and said, "Everybody, one shot please!"
She drank and passed out.
Then, she was in the taxi, with Syaoran. Sakura was wrapped in his blazer and her head were resting on his shoulder. So, he lift it up a bit so, her head would stay on his shoulder. And who says Syaoran doesn't has a soft spot huh?
Syaoran picked her up from the taxi, and made her sat on the stairs which leads to her home. He has already undone his necktie and a few buttons of his shirt revealing his jade emulate.
"Ms Kin, what am I going to do with you?" he said and chuckled.
Sakura stand up and looked at him with blurry image.
"Are you ok?" he asked.
She laughed and said, "You want to kiss me now, don't you?"
"But I'm never going to kiss you. Why not? Because you're soo dry. You know? You are so dry. On top of that, you're a playboy. A playboy," she said as she was playing with his necktie which was till around his neck.
"You ok?" asking her, and still smiling.
And then, Sakura leaned and kissed him. Unsurprisingly Syaoran kissed her back. Moments later, she pulled herself and looked at him.
"I.. I was.. I was", Syaoran was about to explain to her but she passed out again.
At the office roof top
"He sent you back home last night," Mr. A told me.
"He did?" I asked him.
"Yes. I wrote down your address for him,"
"That's weird. My family said they heard the doorbell and I was standing there alone,"
"Anyway, I acquired a new respect for you last night. Especially the way you talked back to the president 'shut up. Shut the fuck up, ok'"
"I said that? Really?" and Mr. A nodded.
"Oh no!"
She went to his office to bring the documents that he asked for yesterday. There was an awkward silence.
"Here is the new draft for the Sasaki contract," she told him.
Then again the silence.
"Good, you can leave," he said.
"What?" she asked.
"Yeah," he said.
Then, as she was walking out from the room,
"Wait. Wait for a minute. What happened last night-" he was cut off.
"About last night, please forget what happened last night. It was a major mistake," she said.
She said remembering what she told him last night.
"Whenever I'm drunk, I'll get a lil crazy. Good morning… I mean, goodbye," she said.
When she went out, another Mr. B came in.
"Sir, I just spoke with someone from Sasaki. Next week Chairman Satou will visit Tokyo in person. Congratulations," Mr. B said.
"What? A mistake?" he said, couldn't believe what he heard from Sakura.
In front of the elevator
"Great Sakura. Great job," Sakura said with a sigh.
Then Syaoran came and stand next to her.
"They said I have visitor downstairs," she told him.
The elevator's door opened.
"Not getting on?" he asked.
She just smiled.
As she was standing next to him in the elevator, she saw his jade emulate. He was not wearing necktie and the collar was unbuttoned, that's why.
Then, the memory of her kissing him last night flashed in her head.
"Oh my god," she breathed out.
She looked at him and he looked at her curiously. Then she looked on the ground.
After she went out of the elevator, she faced a wall and said, "How could you not remember!!!"
Then, she saw Mr. Weirdo and Tomoyo at the lobby he was holding a bouquet of flower.
"Tomoyo! Are you crazy?!" she said quietly and ran away from them.
"Sakura!" Mr. Weirdo called her.
Then, she ran outside the building.
"Sakura! Here you are. I've been looking all over for you. Where are you going?" Tomoyo asked.
"Oh, an urgent meeting just popped up. I'm sorry but I have to go now. Oh, here comes the car!" Sakura said as she saw a familiar Volvo was coming.
Thank goodness Syaoran's car passed bye the building. Then, she stopped the car and hopped into the car.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"Just drive on first, please. Go. Go," she said.
"What?" he said.
"I'll tell you later, please", she asked him.
At the bay
Sakura told him what happened. She told him about the blind date and etc.
"Wait! What? Then who were you doing it with that night?" Syaoran asked.
"What do you mean it? All I did that night was wrestle with my brother," she said.
"Wresting?" He chuckled.
"We were hungry, so we wrestled over the takeout bill,"
And then, he burst out laughing.
"Why are you laughing? You think it's funny that I wrestle?" she asked.
"No, it's nothing,"
"Don't laugh. Or share it with me, at least,"
"Oh, do you have any idea how cute you really are?" he told her.
She looked at him. Shocked.
"Anyway, sorry I didn't keep the appointment that day. I thought you hadn't seen the card. And about last night, thank you for taking me home," she thanked him. And blushed.
She looked on the ground.
Syaoran was looking at the ferry passed by them
"That looks great, doesn't it?" he said.
"Lets ride that ferry! I've never been on it before," she said excitedly.
"Oh, never mind. It's still working hours, right?" she said.
"Shall we go then?" he asked her.
"Ah? Really?" she asked him.
"Who's the boss?" he said and smiled.
"Oh, that's right. Shall we go?" she said.
"Ok," he said.
"Ok," she replied.
And so, the spent their time till the night on the ferry, playing with hanabi and had so much fun together.
Later, he dropped her off at the office building. And drove away.
Sakura's POV
'Women have a sort of antenna that men don't know about. According to my antenna, this man has fallen completely for my operation. But why is my heart beating so fast?' I thought as I was looking at the photo that we took on the ferry just now.
"Sakura," my name was called by a man and his voice pierced my heart.
I turned around only to find Nakajima.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
"I need to talk to you," he said and grabbed my left wrist.
"I've got nothing to say to you," I told him and pulled my wrist.
"I told you, there's nothing to say. Let me go," I said, pulling my wrist.
"Hey!" Suddenly Syaoran came from behind and grabbed Nakajima's wrist.
"Who is this man? Are you already seeing someone else?" Nakajima asked.
"It's not a concern of yours. Just let her go," Syaoran told him. His voice made me feel safe. That's so weird don't you think?
"Tell me, do you have someone new, now?" Nakajima asked.
Then, I looked at Syaoran. He looked away.
"He's my boss," I said and Syaoran face was disappointed.
"for 10 or 5 minutes, please talk to me. Let's go please," Nakajima pleaded.
Nakajima was pulling my hand and forcing me to follow him. All I could do was just looking at Syaoran who was just staring at me helplessly. Maybe I should have a talk with Nakajima.
Then, that day, 5 minutes turned to 10, 30 minutes turned to an hour then 2 hours. He said he wanted to get back to me.
The next day, in the office building.
"Please," I pleaded.
"No. Now your boyfriend is back, I don't understand why I'm needed again," Syaoran told me.
"You know what all of the guys that broke up with me said to me when we broke up? It was all my fault. But I don't think I was wrong. And now Nakajima said that it was his fault. And that means so much to me," I told him.
"See, that's why you're wrong. That's your problem. When it comes to a relationship, you haven't got the slightest clue," he said.
"I need the technique of love. I admit it completely now," I said.
"Weren't you the one with all these glorified visions of true love?" he asked.
"One more chance please. A love without losing self-respect," I said.
"Self-respect? I didn't know you had any to begin with," he said.
And he walked away.
"Hey! Li Syaoran! Do you have any idea how I feel? How could you, who's never been hurt, understand me? Instead of offering your help, do you really have to crush my last bit of self-respect? This could be the end of me! This could be my last chance!" I yelled at him, in the lobby.
And I couldn't believe that I actually said that to him. He turned around, with a serious face, walking towards me.
'Good job Sakura, your mouth really don't know when to stop making trouble, huh?' I said to myself.
"What I'm trying to say is-" I was cut off.
"Ok, I'll help you," he said.
"But this will be difficult. It will be unlike any love you had before. Do you think you're ready for that?" he asked.
"If I can gain back my lost self-respect, I don't care," I told him.
"Syaoran!" a woman called him and hugged Syaoran.
She had a long black hair. Which was very nice I think.
"I missed you. I trusted that you've been well?" she asked.
"When did you arrived?" he asked.
"Just now," she replied.
"And who is this Pocahontas? You are not cheating on me behind my back, are you?" she asked.
"This is Mei Ling, she's a member of the head survey team of the Hong Kong office. She is also a very old friend of mine," he introduced her to me.
"This is Kinomoto, she is an analyst here with me," he introduced me to her.
"Nice to meet you," she said.
"Nice to meet you too," I said as I shook her hand.
"Well. I'll just be going. Bye," I told them.
Normal POV
Syaoran was still staring at Sakura dreamily as she walked away from them.
"Do you like her?" Mei Ling asked him.
He didn't reply.
"Did you eat?" he asked.
"Not yet. Are you taking me out?"she asked.
Syaoran didn't reply.
"Come on," she said as she placed her arm around his.
Sakura's POV
Syaoran had taught me on how to gain my self-respect back. Then, it was the time to use it.
I was in the office and my phone rang. Then, Syaoran's advice came into my head.
"Love is a game of power, a manipulation of emotions. When he called, don't answer it. You make him call three times. If he wants to call you, he won't stop calling you until you pick up the phone"
A few days later,I was on a date with Nakajima and we were in a handbag boutique. I was about taking out my credit card to pay for the bag that I chose.
Then my imaginary Syaoran hold my hand and said, "Pay attention! You choose, he pays,"
So, I took the bag and showed it to Nakajima and made him paid that bag.
We were watching the movies. I was holding the popcorn and smiling, gesturing thanks to him at Nakajima, suddenly my imaginary Syaoran tapped my shoulder.
"Don't do that," he said.
"What?" I asked.
"Smiles, compliments, gestures. You're only feeding his ego. If he already has a big ego, you need to deflate it with some shock therapy,"
And so, I took the popcorn and spill them on the floor. I looked at Nakajima and gave him a 'go and buy another one' look.
Later, we were at the hotel.
My imaginary Syaoran was standing next to me and said, "NO, definitely no. Having sex with him is like handing him the game."
So, I just smiled, folded my arms and then pinched Nakajima's cheeks and walked away.
Then, in the car, I was about to open the door.
Imaginary Syaoran was at the back seat of the car and he said, "If you want to be treated like a queen, then act like a queen. How you train your opponent is up to you."
I slammed the door and waited for him to open the door for me.
And thus, a happy day of revenge and getting my self-respect back.
Normal POV
Syaoran was jogging in the park. And he saw an old man with his grandson. That old man was putting on the skates on his grandson. That actually reminds Syaoran of his grandfather. Suddenly, his phone rang.
"That's all then, see you in a week," the caller said.
"One week from now?" Syaoran asked.
"Why? Any problems?" that caller asked.
"No, No. should have no problems finalizing Sasaki by then, ok," Syaoran replied.
"Well, good luck and take care of yourself, ok?" the caller said.
"Yeah. Bye," Syaoran replied.
And then, there was another caller. It was Mei Ling.
"Syaoran! Congratulations! I heard you've been appointed as managing director!" she said.
"Thanks," he said.
Sakura's POV
I was having my lunch with Nakajima at a café.
"I think you've changed," he said.
"What? Is that so unusual?" I asked.
"People always change," I added.
"Don't change too much. I like the old you better," he said.
"What was the 'old me' like?" I asked.
"You were my pleasure bunny. I wish you could remain my pleasure bunny forever," he told me.
'He was right. I was wrong. I don't know anything about love,' I thought.
"Do you think I was still the way I am?" I asked.
"Huh?" he said.
"It's been fun. To commemorate our separation, I'll pay the bill," I said as I took out some money from my purse and slammed it on the table.
"Bye," I said.
"Sakura!" he called me.
"Sakura?! From now on, call me big sister! And you pay the bill!" I told him and took my money back.
Then, I waited outside the office building for Syaoran.
I walked with him that night.
"Troubled with your boyfriend again?" he asked.
"I just feel confused. I guess manipulating people isn't that fun. It's tiring and kind of hard," I told him and my voice was already choking, holding my tears.
"No pain, no gain, right?" he said.
"I'm curious. What if, in manipulating people, we lose the pleasure of an honest conversation? Why use manipulation if we can't discover one's true feelings? Have you been happy in that sort of relationship?" I asked and looked at him.
But there was no answer. He looked at me and I continued walking.
Then, we sat on a bench.
"The funny thing is, after all that has happened, I'm still missed the old me. Instead of calculating, I want to be honest. Instead of hiding, to let out all my feelings. Gosh men were right. It's all my fault that things turned out this way. I'm really hopeless," I said.
"You know, it's not your fault. They just weren't the right men for you," Syaoran said.
I looked at him, surprised by his words.
"What?" he asked.
"Have you ever heard someone say what you really wanted to hear?" I asked.
"Well, you mean when I make deals?" he asked.
And both of us burst into laughs.
"It looks like going to rain. We should go back to the hotel," he said.
"I think I'd better just go home today," I said and stood.
Then, Syaoran grabbed my wrist.
"I have an umbrella in my room. I think you should take it," he said, staring into my eyes.
"No, I'll leave from here," I told him.
And then, I crossed the road. Suddenly there was a car and it almost hit me.
I was lucky the car stopped just right in front of me.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?! ARE YOU TRYING TO GET YOURSELF KILLED?! You cross the road, you look first. You're gonna give me a heart attack. Is that what you want, huh?" he blew up at me.
Then, I ran back home.
"You should have taken a taxi," dad said.
"Dad, my head is really messed up. Some guy completely blew up at me, but it felt like he said he loves me. He was yelling at me, but it sounded like a sweet whisper. What's wrong with me?" I asked.
"What's wrong with you? You're in love with him, that's all," he said.
"No, dad. I'm not in love with him. I don't like him," I told him.
"Yeah? Then, I guess he's in love with you," he said.
"No, that can't be it, either," I said.
"How do you know? Have you asked him?" dad asked.
"I haven't. But anyway, it can't be true. He's too cold to me," I told him.
"Silly girl. Words do not always express one's feelings. Your mom says my face makes her sick but do you believe it? You have to read the eyes. People can lie with words, but not with their eyes," he said.
The next day…
Normal POV
There was a farewell party at Syaoran's suite.
Sakura went there, she rang the door bell. As the door opened, she was greeted by non other than Mei Ling.
"Hi, Pocahontas. We meet again," Mei Ling greeted.
"Hi," Sakura said.
"Did Syaoran invite you?" she asked.
"I'm sorry. Please, come in. We just started," she said again.
"I'm just-" Sakura was cut off.
"Syaoran just went down to the lobby for a minute, he'll be right back," Mei Ling said.
Inside…
"Cheers to Syaoran, because he is going away. Can't believe he's leaving," Mei Ling said.
"He's leaving? What do you mean?" Sakura asked.
"Syaoran didn't tell you? He's been appointed to head the Hong Kong office. He's leaving next week," she said.
"Excuse me," Sakura told them and went to the washroom.
"She's pretty cute, huh?" one of the guys told Mei Ling.
"You can't be serious," Mei Ling said.
Then, Syaoran was there. Mei Ling brought Syaoran near the washroom to make sure Sakura heard what they were talking about.
"Mei, don't do this right now," Syaoran said.
"Do you know how humiliating this is for me to say? Is this what I've worked so hard for as the corporate spy? Please tell me how she qualifies while I don't!" Mei Ling said.
"I don't know what the hell are you talking about," Syaoran said.
"You are not thinking of taking that woman back to Hong Kong, are you?" she asked.
"That woman was just someone I work with. Nothing else," Syaoran told her.
Unknown to him, Sakura heard the conversation.
So, Sakura walked out from the party. As she was walking in the hallway, Syaoran ran towards her.
"Sakura, when did you come?" he asked.
"A little while ago," she replied.
"Why are you leaving? Didn't you come to see me?" he asked with a face hoping she would say she came for him.
"I came here to tell you something," she said.
Silent pause. She didn't look at him.
"I'm getting married. I wanted to tell you. It's all because of you. Thanks for your help. Go on back in," she continued.
Sakura left Syaoran who was still standing there, dumbfounded.
Later, Syaoran was alone, drinking and threw his glass on the floor with anger and frustration.
That morning, Syaoran was in his office and he was looking at the old uniform. The others, on the other hand were outside his office and were talking about him, leaving Japan.
"Satou is in Tokyo to close this deal. So just be prepared," he told Sakura.
"Yes sir," Sakura said and left his office.
Syaoran stared at her as she left.
Sakura was at her seat and she was taking a file. Then, a photo fell from the file. She picked it up. It was the photo which was shot at the ferry, with Syaoran and she sighed.
Suddenly, she received a call, saying that she has a visitor waiting, down stairs. When she got out of the elevator, she found Mei Ling.
Mei Ling brought her to a cafe.
"You know, Syaoran and I have been friends for a very long time. I've known him for more than 10 years. And I've been there fore him when he's been sad, and when he's been happy. And you may not know this but it's a very important time for Syaoran now. Has he ever told you about his first love?" Mei Ling asked.
"No, I'm not interested," Sakura said.
"Really? So, you haven't seen his scar yet?" Mei Ling asked.
"What scar?" Sakura asked.
"Syaoran's chest. It's a bullet wound from the first woman he ever loved," Mei Ling said.
"What?!" Sakura said.
"He couldn't let her go for up to a year. Even though she'd left him for another man. It took a bullet wound for him to accept it," Mei Ling told Sakura.
Meeting with Sasaki
"As the head of the project, I would like to extend my appreciation for the agreement our two companies were able to settle. We are especially honored by Mr. Satou's-" and Mr. B was cut of by Mr. Satou.
"One second," Mr. Satou said.
"Please, feel free to speak," Mr. B said.
"You have missing out on letting us know of a very important factor in this transaction. According to the final contract, the company name will be changed," Mr. Satou said.
"Pardon my interruption, Mr. Satou. But I'm simply acting on my right. And my privilege as one who is buying your company," Syaoran said.
"Is that so? Well, this may be a late notice. But I would like to act on my rights as the seller, too. Let's call this deal off," Mr. Satou said.
"What are you talking about?" Syaoran asked.
"Changing the name of the company is like changing the name of all the employees. I can't let this happen," he replied.
"Do you actually think there'll be another firm interested in taking over your company for the price we've offered?" Syaoran said.
"Are you insulting me and my company?" Mr. Satou said.
"Just a moment, please. I am sorry. Let's all calm down and take a short break, shall we?" Mr. B said.
And then, we took our break.
"I cant believe this. How can this happen, sir? I didn't even see the clause," the Mr. B asked Syaoran.
"I knew it would cause delays in finalizing the deal, so I put it off until today," Syaoran replied.
"The situation is very bad, why don't we take it out?" Mr. B suggested.
"If we take out that clause now, there is no point taking over Sasaki," he replied.
"What's you reason? Why do we have to change the name of the company?" Sakura asked.
"Sakura, watch yourself," Mr. B told her.
"This is an extremely important issue to Japanese businessmen, especially when they're from Osaka," I said.
"It's the company my grandfather worked for. His whole life," Syaoran said.
"What?" Mr. B said.
"The uniform in my room is my grandfather's," Syaoran said.
A few moments later, the Sasaki people were getting out of the meeting room. Then, Sakura came and stopped them.
"Wait," Sakura said.
"I am afraid the negotiation is over," one of the directors of Sasaki said.
"I understand that. But I have a story that I must tell Mr. Satou and everyone," she said.
Then, Sakura placed an old photo of Syaoran and his grandfather in the scanner and the projector showed the photo on the screen.
"Mr. Satou, do you remember the uniform in that picture? That uniform is 50 years old. I'm sure you remember it, Mr. Satou. I'm sure you remember the young man, tending to the machines wearing that uniform. One of the young man who wore that uniform has so much pride in this company and the uniform. He worked on the same job for 30 years and even when he overworked himself to his death. He never took the uniform off. When he passed away, he left this uniform behind. That's when the boy promised his grandfather that he would print the old man's name on the uniform. That grandson is waiting for all of you just outside the door," she said.
And the men turned around to the door.
"Honorable Mr. chairman and the board of directors, wont you please help that grandson to keep his promise?" Sakura asked.
Then, Syaoran came into the room and bowed to Mr. Satou.
"So that's what happened. However, changing the name of the company s beyond my power. But I can promise you this. I will call a board meeting regarding this matter, and I will act my rights as the chief executive. But you realize that this is really the responsibility for you and this lady's to persuade the Board, don't you?" Mr. Satou told Syaoran.
"Yes sir," Syaoran replied.
"You have an excellent intuition with people. You have a great lady working for you," Mr. Satou said.
Syaoran smiled and looked at Sakura. She smiled back at him.
----
In his office
Syaoran and Sakura were in his office.
"I can't thank you enough for helping me to keep my promise to my grandfather," Syaoran told Sakura.
"I'll accept your thanks later. Nothing is confirmed until the contract is signed," she replied.
Then, Syaoran offered to shake his hand. Sakura shook his hand. He firmed the shake and she pulled her hand slowly. Syaoran's hand was letting her hand go slowly.
Sakura bowed and turned away from him, walking out of the office.
Syaoran let out a cough and said, "Wait."
Sakura turned to him. he stared into her emerald orbs.
"Gomenne," he said.
" I'm sorry," he said again.
"What?" Sakura said, shocked.
"If I've ever hurt you in any way, I am truly sorry. I sincerely mean that," he said.
Sakura's eyes were already teary.
"You've brought me nothing but a good fortune," he continued, almost crying.
"And you are more than worthy of any man's love. You are, you are more beautiful than any woman I've ever met in my life. I just… I just wanted to say that before I leave," he told her.
She was already sobbing, smiling, and laughing at the same time. Then, she ran to him and fell into his embrace.
She pulled for a while and said, "You jerk!" and both of them laughed.
Then, they ended it with a kissed.
Between kisses, she asked him, " Since when did you start liking me?"
"From the first day I met you. I saw that lipstick mark, and I wanted to kiss you," he replied.
"Really?" she asked.
Sakura's POV.
That night, I knew it. The kind of love I had always dreamed of really exists.
shieri's note: so, how was it? do comment it again if you want to. constructive criticissm are welcome!!! learn from mistakes is the best way of learning! i have to know the mistakes that i made from many points of view. or ideas. thanks!
shieri wa power!