Ok, I'm back again with another new chapter. Firstly, thank you for the reviews and also to the following anonymous reviewers;
Meirin, sie ching, saku, , Alevip, nidayn, zamiprincess, EHMAGAWD, revrave, .blueberries., yown, Bunny16, hitsugaya07,smita shakya
Thanks for the alerts and favourites. And most importantly, thank you for reading this fiction! Hope you'll enjoy this chapter. =)
Disclaimer: I do not own Card Captor Sakura.
Flashback
"Sakura, why must you lie to me? Do you not trust me that much?" Syaoran asks softly, his hot breath trickling against my skin.
"How could I trust you, Syaoran? You're the one who betrayed me first," I say softly, gazing back into his orbs.
"So is that why you decided to punish me? By hiding Shinji's existence from me?" Syaoran asks, his tone dropping.
His orbs meet my emerald ones with such intensity and I find myself unable to reply him. I can see emotions flashing though his orbs.
Were those emotions of guilt, regret or anger?
"I—"
My words were cut in by the ringing of Syaoran's cell phone. The tense atmosphere of the dining hall is broken with just a simple phone call.
After a few seconds, Syaoran finally regains composure and answers his phone.
"Hello, this is Syaoran speaking….Yes…I'm somewhere near the mansion now…..I'll be home soon. Good night, Amy," Syaoran says as he hangs up.
I'm half thankful of Amy's untimely phone call but a tiny part of me feels angry.
In just a few more seconds, I might be able to pry the truth out of Syaoran's real emotions that he seems to be hiding, even from me.
"Looks like I've gotta go now. But I won't let this matter rest. We'll talk about Shinji another day," Syaoran says as he walks to leave the room.
Still regaining momentum from the earlier incident, I find myself unable to reply Syaoran.
"Oh, and don't be late for work tomorrow, Sakura. I hate it when my secretary is late," Syaoran says as he turns behind and throws me a smirk.
Then, he waves his hand and leaves the room as I watch his retreating figure silently.
It seems so easy for Syaoran to act as if the earlier confrontation did not happen at all. How could he still smirk at me as usual? Why is he such a great master of disguise?
I sit down on the chair and heave a huge sigh.
Tomorrow, I'm going to be Syaoran's secretary.
Syaoran seems to know about Shinji's identity.
'This is just great,' I thought as I nurse my throbbing heart.
Chapter 12: First Day of Work
Sakura's POV
"God, Tomoyo. I really, really wished I hadn't agreed to be his secretary. I'm starting to regret now and I'm not even out of the house yet," I grumble to Tomoyo who's on the phone.
Clad with a Bluetooth earpiece in my right ear, I rummage through my wardrobe, searching for a suitable outfit for my first day of work, while talking to Tomoyo at the same time.
I believe this is called multitasking, which I'm really good at.
"But Sakura, you know Syaoran is right. You do need a job to sustain your life in preparation for the future, if you divorce Syaoran."
"I know but I'm sure there are other job offers out there with a good income," I protest.
"It's not too late to regret, Sakura. You can still be my model for my designs. Look at your body! It spells modeling material in bold,"
Nonchalantly, I take a glance of myself at the mirror.
I must admit, I do have a figure to die for and I can definitely pass the criteria needed for modeling. However, I don't have the passion to model even for the Daidouji's fashion house, which is undoubtedly one of the largest fashion houses in the world.
Besides, being a model would mean I'll be falling into the ranks of Amy – not something I want to do.
"Thanks, Tomoyo. I appreciate your help but you know how much I dislike modeling. It's just not my thing," I say.
"Too bad then. So don't complain. Being Syaoran's secretary will work out fine for you. You're efficient with computers, have good PR skills and on top of that, you can handle Syaoran!"
Efficient with computers – True
Good PR skils – True
Can handle Syaoran – I don't think so….
"Right, Tomoyo. I hope so. I just hope the first day is not a total disaster. Right now, I'm already facing a crisis! A fashion crisis to be exact," I say, heaving a sigh.
"Still having trouble looking for an outfit? Why don't you wear the white top and black pencil skirt we bought last week at the mall? Leave the top button unbuttoned for the top and put on a pair of high-heeled black pumps. That'll do the trick," Tomoyo suggests.
"Hm….That's a great idea. I'll go try it out now," I say, immediately beginning to search for the outfit as described by Tomoyo.
"Ok. Good luck, Sakura."
"Thanks, Tomoyo. Take care of yourself and your baby," I say with a smile as we both hang up.
After managing to find the outfit, I quickly change and fix my hair. It does not take much effort to fix my hair as it is short. I look around the room which is in a huge mess, with clothes scattered around. I gulp as I grab my briefcase and rush out of the room.
There is no doubt that Chiharu is going to murder me if she finds out – which she will sooner or later.
I put on my black Mary Jane pumps and rush to get in my Mini Cooper.
"Bye, Chiharu! I'm going to work!"
"Ok, Sakura! Good luck!" Chiharu chirps happily.
Sure, she's happy now. Wait till she walks into my room…
Shuddering at the thought, I get into my car and start the engine. I take a glance at my watch.
OH-MY-GOD!
It's 15 minutes to eight! Syaoran is so not going to be pleased.
I slam the pedals and zoom off to work. On the way out, I pass by the main mansion. Just my luck, I can see Syaoran talking on the phone, just stepping out of the mansion.
I smirk to myself. He's late as well.
As long as I reach the office earlier than him, I'll be safe.
With a smirk plastered on my face, I drive off at full speed, keeping my fingers crossed so that I'll arrive before he does.
I slam the brakes angrily as I glare at the traffic light.
Damn, why must there so many traffic lights in Tokyo?
I'm going to be late and the heavy traffic isn't exactly helping me.
I heave a sigh as I slump in my seat. I look out of the window and to my surprise, I see Kaname in his car. He is right beside me. What a coincidence! I scroll down my window as I call his name, "Kaname-senpai!"
Kaname turns to look at me. Then, he smiles at me, "Hi, Sakura. Where are you heading to?"
"I'm heading to work. I'm going to work as Syaoran's secretary. What about you?"
"I'm going to the Ichijou Industries. Unfortunately, I have to work too."
I glance at Kaname. He is wearing a business suit with a white tie. He looks really good in a suit, just like Syaoran.
"Hey, you're going to Li Corporations, right? Why didn't you take the Swiftu road? It should be nearer and less traffic congestion," Kaname says.
"Really? I had no idea. Damn…..Now, I'm really going to be late," I grumble as a pout appears on my lips.
Kaname chuckles amusedly. "Well, good luck, Sakura. The light's gonna turn green now. Better get ready to zoom off. Let's keep in touch, ok?" Kaname asks with a grin.
"Ok. Bye, Kaname-senpai," I say with a smile.
Then, I scroll up my window. When the lights turn green, both of us go in different ways, heading for our destination.
After I've parked my Mini Cooper, I rush out of the car and into the Li Corporations headquarters. And trust me, the headquarters is really HUGE and breathtaking. It is already one of the popular landmarks in Japan, as one of the most impressive skyscrapers in Japan.
As I strut in my pumps, I take a quick glance around. Everyone seems to be busy and moving around. Keeping my composure, I strut confidently to the receptionist.
"Hello, I'm here as Syaoran Li's new secretary," I say.
The lady stares at me as if I've gone cuckoo. "Excuh-use me, miss. Everyone knows that Rika is Mr. Li's secretary," she says snobbishly.
"No, I'm afraid you're mistaken. My name is Sakura. Sakura L—"
I halt before I can continue. I don't think it's wise for me to say I'm Sakura Li.
The lady continues glaring at me accusingly, tapping her fingers impatiently, as if waiting for me to continue.
"I mean, I'm Sakura Kinomoto. Syaoran appointed me as his secretary yesterday," I say, trying my best not to strangle her on the spot.
I hate this lady's attitude. She really shouldn't be a receptionist. She'll just spoil the company's image.
"You're such a liar, miss. And how dare you call Mr. Li on a first name basis. Who do you think you are?" she glares at me.
Errr…..his wife?
"Miss, please leave now. If not, I'll have to call the security."
"But I am Syaoran – I mean Mr. Li's secretary. I'm not lying. And you certainly have a very rude attitude for a receptionist," I say angrily while glaring at her.
She intensifies her glare as she picks up the phone to call the security.
Good, she can call the security for all I care.
When Syaoran asks me why I'm absent for the first day of work, I'll just tell him, "Your receptionist is a total bitch who refused to believe me and called me a liar."
I roll my eyes and stands at the counter calmly. Just then, I feel someone patting my shoulder.
"Ah, Sakura! It's nice to see you. Syaoran told me you'll be working here from today onwards," Eriol says with a smile.
"Nice to see you too. Yeah, guess you can say I'll be your colleague from today onward, Hiirigizawa-san," I say smilingly.
"Oh please, call me Eriol. It sounds weird having you calling me on the last name basis - makes me feel as if we're strangers," Eriol chuckles. I smile back at him.
The receptionist on the other hand is gaping at us speechlessly. She seems to be in shock to see me and Eriol so close to each other.
Ha! Wait till she sees how Syaoran and I communicate with each other. She'll probably have fainted right on the spot.
"Kirlia-san, she's Syaoran's new secretary. Syaoran haven't made a public announcement but please take notice of her next time. She's not an intruder or a mere visitor," Eriol says.
"Y….Yes, Hiirigizawa-san," she nods her head meekly.
"Syaoran's office is at the highest floor, the same floor as me. I have something to do before going to my office so I'll see you later, ok?"
"Ok, thanks Eriol," I say with a smile.
Eriol smiles back and walks away. I glance at my watch as I walked over to the elevator. Damn, I'm already a few minutes late thanks to the whole commotion and busy traffic.
Suddenly, my eyes land on a figure that looks like Syaoran. He has messy chestnut-coloured hair, clad in an Armani suit. He's talking to one of the staffs with a serious expression on his face.
It IS Syaoran!
Impossible! How could he have gotten here so fast? I swear he was just at the door of the mansion when I was zooming past him earlier.
Immediately, I walked at my fastest speed, heading into the elevator. I jab the close button franticly, hoping the doors will close before anyone else, especially him can enter.
The doors of the elevators begin to close. Before I can heave a sigh of relief, the elevator opens back. I find my self staring at a pair of familiar amber eyes.
"Good morning, Sakura," Syaoran says with a smirk.
I smile weakly at him while nodding my head. Syaoran steps inside the elevator and presses the close button. I stare at the floor silently, hoping he'll not speak to me.
"I see you're late on your first day, my dear secretary," Syaoran comments.
"No! I stepped into the elevator before you! So technically, I'm not late but you are," I retort.
"But I set foot in the building before you. If I wasn't talking to Tahogi-san regarding yesterday's meeting, I would have reached the office before you did," Syaoran answers calmly.
"Well, if that stupid receptionist could have kindly gave me instructions to go to your office, I would have reached there before you."
"Maybe next time, you should get out of the house earlier."
"You're the one to speak. I saw you getting out of the house later than me," I scoff.
"Yes, but unlike you, I won't be late because my Porsche 911 GT2 is undeniably fast unlike your Mini Cooper."
"Hey! My Mini Cooper is cute, unlike your Porsche," I say.
"Yeah, my Porsche's not cute but it's damn impressive and cool," Syaoran says with a smirk.
I curse inwardly under my breath. As much as I want to deny it, his black Porsche is a beauty which never fails to amaze me every time my eyes land on it.
"What took you so long to get out of the house anyway?" Syaoran asks.
"For your information, I was busy looking for a nice, presentable outfit so that I won't embarrass you as your secretary."
"Hn, it never takes me that long to find a presentable outfit."
"That's cause you can wear a plain old T-shirt and still look like a god."
"But I suppose the reason's acceptable. You look pretty today. The outfit suits you," Syaoran comments.
I feel a blush rising to my cheeks. I almost wanted to retort, "You look as hot as you normally do." Instead, I mumbled a soft 'thanks' that was barely audible.
Syaoran does not reply. Oh well, I guess he didn't hear me.
The next few seconds were of absolute silence. I curse the elevator ride for being so long or rather; I curse Syaoran's office for being on the highest floor.
A 'ping' sound indicates we've reached our destination. Syaoran regains composure as he steps out of the elevator. His face is serious and grim, unlike during our brief argument earlier.
As he steps out of the elevator, he mutters something softly.
"You're welcome."
As Syaoran walks towards his room, all the other staffs greeted him politely with respect. Syaoran merely nods as a sign of acknowledgement. I follow him meekly while feeling the stare I'm receiving from others.
Syaoran halts in the middle of the floor and coughs loudly. Immediately, everyone turns to look at him, as if awaiting his announcement.
"I would like to introduce my new secretary, Sakura L – Kinomoto," Syaoran says.
I bow my head politely, ignoring the slight hesitation in Syaoran's voice when he says my last name.
"She'll be replacing Rika as my secretary from today onwards. Rika shall be Eriol's secretary and assist him in the upcoming Blue Wave project. I hope all of you cooperate with her and assist her when necessary," Syaoran says in a firm voice as everyone nods their head.
"That's all. You may all go back to your work," Syaoran concludes. Within a few seconds, everyone goes back to doing their own work.
"As for you, Sakura, take note that I have a meeting at four later with the representative from Guildford Company & Co. They'll be presenting about one of our projects. As my secretary, I expect you to be there with me of course," Syaoran says.
"Ok," I nod my head.
"As for now, you may go to your desk which is just outside of my room. You'll find some files and documents. Read through and correct them where necessary. After that, sort them out," Syaoran says.
I nod my head once again.
"Good. You may go now," Syaoran says as he walks off to his room. I walk towards my desk, hoping to finish the work as soon as possible.
I stop in my tracks when I reach my desk.
On top of my desk is a huge pile of files and papers. It'll take me forever to finish them.
Can anybody tell me again, why did I agree to work for this slave-driver employer?
It's already four o'clock and I'm still busy sorting out the files. Why on earth does Li Corporation have to be a gigantic corporation?
I jerk my head up when I hear a tap on my desk. Syaoran is standing right in front of me holding a file in his hands.
"What?" I ask, rather impatiently, hoping to resume with my work.
"That sounds a little rude towards your boss, don't you think?" Syaoran comments.
I scowl while cursing under my breath. Then, I look at him again with a fake smile plastered on my face. "Yes, dear boss?"
Syaoran smiles rather amusedly before reverting back to an expressionless face. "In case you've forgotten, we have a meeting now at the Guildford & Co. Company," Syaoran says.
"Of course, I haven't forgotten," I lie without batting my eyelids. "It's just that I haven't finish all the work you've given me in the morning," I say.
"Then, I suppose you would have to come back to the office tonight and work overtime," Syaoran says nonchalantly.
I stare at him with my mouth wide open.
What? I have to work overtime on my first day of work?
"Come on, now. We're going to be late – not that we aren't. Grab the necessary file and let's go. I'll wait for you at my car," Syaoran says as he walks away before I could even protest.
I search around my desk for the file. When I've found it, I put it inside my bag and hurried after Syaoran.
One piece of advice;
Never bring blank papers to meetings when you're Syaoran Li's secretary.
Because when you do that, you'll end up passing notes with Syaoran Li, which is exactly what we are doing now.
Syaoran isn't even paying attention to what the representative is blabbering about in front. I'm trying to pay attention but he keeps on passing handwritten notes to me, scribbling meaningless things on the papers.
It has been like this ever since the meeting had started for barely around ten minutes. It kinda infuriates me and makes me wanna scold him in front of all these people for not paying attention.
Keeping a straight face, he scribbles something and passes the written piece of paper to me discreetly.
I roll my eyes as I sneak a glance at the paper. After reading through it, I scribble back.
~Syaoran! STOP PASSING NOTES TO ME! Pay more attention!
Then, I shove it back to him. He reads it and scribbles back.
~But I am paying attention, although it's wearing me out.
~Right…..you are….*scoffs*
~Whaaaaat…..You don't believe me? Try asking me a question.
~I'm in no mood to play with you, Syaoran Li.
~It's no use trying to pretend as if you're listening. You know you want to doze off, right?
~Syaoran, I know this guy may be a little boring but you should really focus in a meeting.
~Little? Make that VERY boring….
I can't help but agree with him. This man is very boring. And whatever he is blabbering about can't seem to enter my brain. And Syaoran is so not helping with his notes-passing.
~Whatever Syaoran…..Now STOP passing notes to me! I want to focus!
~Yeah, you should. Remember to jot down all the details. They might suddenly question you…..
~In case you can't see, I am trying to but I'm disturbed by my boss who's an annoying je-
"Kinomoto-san." I jerk up once I hear my name and stop scribbling. Syaoran leans over to see what I've scribbled. Then, he smirks.
"Yes?" I ask with a weak smile.
"I believe you have your opinions. Care to share them with us?" the man in front asks politely. Suddenly, everyone diverts their attention to me.
Screw it. I don't even know what they are talking about! How on earth can I give my opinion?
Syaoran tries to hide his amusement by coughing. I would have shot him a death glare if everyone's eyes are not on me.
How dare he laugh at me when he's the one who got me into this!
"Er…well…You see…I think…"I stammer, trying to think of a comment. Just then, Syaoran nudges me to read the paper he is scribbling on.
~Venue of launch is not suitable for target age group.
"I think the venue of launch is really not suitable for our target age group. If we insist on this venue, we might not achieve our target in sales," I say, trying to sound confident. Then, I sneak another look at the paper while Syaoran scribbles on.
~Date is highly unsuitable. It's a WEEKDAY! Who goes to public launches on weekdays!
"The date should perhaps be reconsidered as well. There's rarely anyone at public launches during weekdays. People are probably busy with their own work," I add convincingly.
~There are a lot of spelling errors in the presentation script projected. They should proof-read it or retake English lessons. Even a little kid can spell better.
It's amazing how Syaoran can scribble so much at such a fast speed.
"And maybe you should read through the presentation script again. There are many errors which might give others a bad image," I say.
"Ok, thank you. Kinomoto-san, we'll improvise on it. Do you have anything to add, Li-san?" the man asks.
"No, I believe my secretary has spoken aloud my opinions. Work on those details and submit a report to her by next Monday. I'll get her to reschedule another meeting," Syaoran says firmly in a business-like manner. His tone of playfulness in the notes seems to have vanished into thin air.
The representative nods his head and discusses the details with his colleagues. Syaoran begins scribbling something on his note again.
~Told you I was listening…..*smirks*
I can't help but admit it. He is good. How does he manage to listen while scribbling meaningless notes to me?
~*rolls eyes* Whatever, boss
~By the way, one more thing…..YOU OWE ME ONE
I roll my eyes as I stash away the paper in my bag as Syaoran smirks at me.
On our journey back from the meeting, Syaoran just can't stop smirking in his car. "Stop smirking," I say, getting slightly annoyed.
"But I thought my smirk is exactly what charms you," Syaoran replies.
"In your dreams, Syaoran."
"You still haven't thanked me for rescuing you back there."
"Thank you? You're lucky I didn't expose you distracting me during the meeting."
Syaoran chuckles in amusement. "Ok, so does that mean I have to thank you now?" he asks with a grin.
"No, I wouldn't dare to accept it, my dear boss," I say sarcastically.
"Let's have dinner now. I'm starving. Besides, I know you haven't had your lunch," Syaoran says.
"I can't. I still haven't finish sorting the documents. I'll just grab something near the office. Just send me back to the office," I say tiredly.
"Why? It's not good to abuse your stomach. You're going to have gastric pains," Syaoran says.
"It's not good of you to abuse me by asking me to finish that load of work today," I retort.
"I didn't ask you to finish it by today. You can finish it tomorrow," Syaoran says nonchalantly.
"Then, why didn't you say it earlier! You made me work so hard that I didn't eat my lunch!" I say angrily as I glare at him.
"Well, you didn't ask," he answers with a smirk.
I glare at him while crossing my arms. "Ok, let's go have dinner then. It'll be your treat, of course," Syaoran says.
"Why must it be my treat? You're far richer than me. Besides, I get my allowance from you."
"Because it's your first day as work. Of course you have to thank your boss for giving you a job. And I'm technically spending your money too as I won't give you extra allowance," Syaoran says with a grin.
I wanted to argue but just at that moment, my stomach decides to betray me by grumbling loudly. Syaoran chuckles in amusement as I feel a blush rising to my cheeks.
"Fine. But it has to be somewhere cheap and not some posh restaurant," I say.
"Hm…..what place serves cheap and delicious dinner?" Syaoran thinks aloud.
Automatically, my brain starts to think as well. Silence befallen the both of us as we rack our brains, thinking of a suitable place to have dinner. Suddenly, a place enters my mind.
"Ramli's Diner!" both of us exclaimed at the same time.
Realizing what we've both done, we chuckle. "You still remember the place?" I ask.
"Of course! That's where we used to go last time for our dinner whenever we're tired of posh dineries," Syaoran says with a grin.
"Yeah, the food there is awesome!" I chirp happily.
"So we're going to Ramli's Diner?"
"Yes, we are." I answer him as I nod my head.
Syaoran smiles as he drives towards the nostalgic diner.
And truthfully, I can't help but smile as old memories begin flashing in my mind.
Maybe my first day at work isn't so bad after all.
Drop me a review and tell me what you think of this chapter. I'll try to update ASAP, hopefully before my school reopens. Oh and one more thing:
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
I wanted to post this on Christmas Eve but I'm going Singapore so I probably won't have internet connection here. Hence, I've decided to give you all an early Christmas present.
Like your present? =)
Drop me a review! (as my present...LOL!)
~Ja~