Sakura's alarm went off early the next morning, and she made no attempt to quieten it, instead choosing to pull her bedclothes over her head with a moan of protest. Yesterday had been a half-day trial-run, and that took so much effort to get through that she doubted it was worth her while going back today.

Because she was new to the department, she had been given a timetable of meetings and boardroom discussions etc., and today contained her first-ever one. Before she had never had to be involved with anything like that, but being one of the heads of a department now, she had to attend every one.

With a resigned sigh she swung her legs over the side of the bed and got up, stretching and yawning widely in the process. Tomoyo had returned late yesterday morning, just before Sakura left for work, and was asleep in her own bed this morning.

She picked up her timetable from her bedside cabinet on her way to the bathroom, determined to have at least some idea of where and when her opinions were required.

Sakura stepped out of the bathroom some ten minutes later, wrapped in a towel, emerald eyes scanning the timetable in an attempt to learn the pattern. In her distraction she walked straight into Tomoyo who was coming out of her bedroom.

"Sorry, Tomoyo!" she wailed as Tomoyo rubbed her forehead and winced.

"It's… Okay," she said through gritted teeth.

"But it's not," Sakura pointed out.

"No, it's not, actually, but it will be in a minute. How's the new job working out?" Tomoyo asked, her violet eyes twinkling in mischief.

Sakura groaned and threw her arms out.

"Don't. Talk. To. Me. About. That. Job." She said, each word spat out like a bullet.

"Why? What's so bad?" Tomoyo asked, suddenly worried.

"Oh, it's just Li… You know the way we have to share an office? Well, I have a feeling that that's going to lead to arguments… Plus, it's like being back at school! I have homework!"

"What?" Tomoyo spluttered. Sakura said nothing but held out her timetable.

"Oh my goodness!" she said in surprise as she read through the numerous engagements that Sakura was to have every week.

"Wait, Sakura. They must think you're Superwoman!" Tomoyo exclaimed.

"Huh?" Sakura asked, pausing in the towel-drying of her auburn hair.

"What do you mean?" She continued.

"Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't you have to be Superwoman to attend two meetings at ten A.M. on Tuesday mornings?"

Sakura snatched back her timetable and groaned when she too realised their mistake. How on Earth was she going to be at two meetings at once? Whoever had made the timetable for her must have made a mistake.

"AND I'm running late!" She cried as she spied the time on Tomoyo's wristwatch. Sakura dashed back into her bedroom and Tomoyo sighed as her door slammed. Never had the violet-eyed girl been so glad to be self-employed.

Fifteen minutes later Sakura was grabbing her car keys, gabbling a hurried 'goodbye' to Tomoyo before hopping into her car and driving away, almost running over their elderly neighbour in her haste. Tomoyo had to smile. Some things never changed.

Kinomoto Sakura was late. Li Syaoran noted this with satisfaction as nine A.M. came into view on his clock and Sakura still-

A door was thrown open against the wall, interrupting his thoughts and Kinomoto herself came barging into their office, muttering something about 'incompetent drivers, didn't they know that speed limits were only a vague guide?'

Syaoran blinked when he heard Sakura say that. What kind of a crazy driver was she? He coughed to get her attention. She looked up, clearly annoyed, and snapped,

"Can I help you?"

"Sorry," he muttered sarcastically.

"What did you say?" She asked.

"Nothing, Kinomoto. I was just wanting to tell you that we have a meeting in ten minutes, so don't start working on anything major."

This stopped Sakura in her tracks.

"Did you just give me advice? Are you being nice?" She asked in bewilderment.

Syaoran rolled his eyes.

"Don't read too much into it, Kinomoto. The people on the board told me to help you with all the meetings and such, since you're the new one here. Besides, if you were late then it would reflect badly on me, as we share the same office and so they would expect me to remind you."

"When are you all going to realise that I can handle this?" She asked, not really expecting an answer as she crashed down on to her chair, brushing her hair out of her eyes.

The moment she sat on her chair, as it was adjustable the platform crashed down on to the wheels, making a loud noise and ending up with Sakura practically sitting on the burst out laughing.

"You can handle the pressures of an executive job, huh? You can't even handle an adjustable chair!" He laughed. Sakura ignored him and returned her chair to the correct height.

"You see, some people make mistakes. But I forgot that you're perfect, Li," she said scathingly, turned to her computer which she switched on. Syaoran abruptly stopped laughing.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked, his tone of voice suddenly wary.

"Well, you and the rest of the world seem to think you're so great. I'm the only one who knows the truth- did you even realise that you have one cream sock on and one white one?" She asked. Immediately he looked under his desk at the ankle bared by the trouser-legs of his suit.

Damn, the girl was right. He flushed but didn't look at her, instead staring determinedly at a document he was typing.

"What did you do this morning? Get dressed in the dark?" She asked, her chair now swivelled so that she could see him. He didn't answer.

"Fine, be that way," Sakura said sulkily as she reluctantly turned back to her work, "boy, you can dish it out, but you sure can't take it."

"Now, what's that supposed to mean?" He asked, suddenly all ears, turned back to look at Sakura, or, at least, the back of her head.

"Li, you know, for an executive, you're not that bright," she said sweetly, and before his indignant spluttering could become an answer, she checked her watch and said cheerfully,

"Time for the meeting. Come on now, Li, we don't want to be late."

And walked out the door, leaving a scowling Syaoran behind. He watched her go, and wondered how she knew just what to say to annoy him the most. He was smarter than her- so how come she won just as much as he did in their arguments? How come she got to him like that?

Then he realised that if he didn't move then he was in serious danger of being late himself, and he couldn't let Kinomoto get to him so early. There were, after all, three more months to go of her contract, and he had to remain professional throughout them.

Sakura stifled a yawn for the fifth time in twenty minutes. Why was this so boring? She hoped that further meetings would be more interesting, or else she would more than gladly go back to her old job at the end of the three months.

She didn't actually understand why her presence was required at this particular meeting, as it appeared to be a discussion about the company's budget and financial matters (as far as she could tell from the pieces she had actually bothered to listen to) and she had absolutely nothing to do with that.

Li actually appeared to be listening and he even contributed to the discussion every so often. Whether he was just being a kiss-ass or whether he was genuinely interested, Sakura didn't know. Or, indeed, care.

She looked at her nails and wished that she'd brought a nail file or some polish. Everyone was paying such little attention to her that she doubted they would notice if she started doing her nails. How much longer could this possibly go on? It wasn't like this was even an interesting topic, so surely they would all be released soon.

'Don't fall asleep, don't fall asleep…' She thought to herself, if only to keep her awake.

"What do you think, Miss Kinomoto?" A senior member of the board asked kindly, and everyone turned to look at her. She gulped- what should she say? She hadn't listened to any of the conversation.

Someone had once told her that of you didn't hear what someone said, instead of looking stupid by asking them to repeat it, you just smiled, nodded and said "yes."

Syaoran was looking at her sternly and shaking his head ever so slightly, glaring icy daggers at her, obviously he wanted her to say "no." That only strengthened her faith in the 'smile, nod and say "yes"' piece of advice, so she did just that. Smiled, nodded and said, confidently, "yes!"

"Then it's settled!" The elderly man said delightedly.

"You and Li shall attend the Tokyo Business Convention in a month as representatives of the company!" Sakura paled at his words.

"What does that entail?" she asked warily.

"Oh, nothing much. Just a flight to Tokyo and a few days in a hotel together. I hear you two already work in the same office, so that should be fine!" He replied.

Sakura resisted the urge to bang her head off the table. That was the last time she ever took advice from anyone.