DISCLAIMER: Standard disclaimers apply. See previous chapters for full disclaimer.
DEDICATION: To the people who review: all the people who review and threaten me to finish this series ALREADY, because without the threats I would have no motivation.
Where You Are
by Ekai Ungson
Chapter 10: That Notting Hill-like Scenario
~"In show business, has Kinomoto Sakura found love in Hong Kong? We have exclusive pictures of the famous film star with a Hong Kong male in the recently concluded Spring Festival! And it's not just any Hong Kong male, mind. Sakura picked one of the most eligible bachelors in the country today! Who? Find out when we return!"~
Tomoyo nearly choked on her food. Eriol patted her back.
"D-did I hear right? Was-- were they talking about Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo choked.
Eriol nodded.
"I just have some idea as to who that mystery man might be..." Tomoyo muttered. "Sakura! Sakura-chan!"
Sakura came out of her room. "Dou shite, otomodachi-san?"
"Look, it's-- it's all over the news..."
~"We're back! Kinomoto Sakura is in Hong Kong touring with her best friend, singer Daidouji Tomoyo. The actress has only been in the country for two weeks and already she has landed herself a man, the only male heir to Li Enterprises, Li Xiao Lang. Mr. Li is considered one of the most eligible bachelors in Hong Kong today until recently, when it was announced that he was set to marry Wong Ming-na, daughter of shipping magnate, Wong Yo Chin. Has Sakura stolen his heart? In these exclusive photographs, we find the actress and Mr. Li celebrating the Spring Festival in downtown Hong Kong."~
Sakura watched, horrified, as photograph upon photograph of her and Syaoran together was aired. "This is not good. This is in fact, very, very bad," she muttered.
~"Although it is not yet confirmed that the two are a couple, they have been seen together frequently during the actress' tour. It is, however, confirmed that Mr. Li IS engaged to Miss Wong."~
Tomoyo hit the 'off' button on the remote.
"KAMI-SAMA!" Sakura yelled. "Leave it to the cursed press and paparazzi. Things are messy enough as it is! How in the hell can I be vindicated for something I just turned down flat-out?!"
Eriol jumped up and patted his heir. "It's all right, Sakura-san."
"No, it is NOT all right," Sakura muttered. "I love you, Eriol-kun, but I am really MAD right now."
Tomoyo picked up the phone. "I'll go call our publicist for damage control."
Sakura nodded. "Good idea. I'll go scream my lungs out." She went to her room and slammed the door.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The phone at the Li estate was ringing off the hook. Syaoran told Wei to hold all press calls. Still, the reporters persisted.
"I can't deal with this!" he yelled.
Then someone knocked on his door.
"It's Miss Ming-na, sir. She's downstairs," Wei announced.
*Damn it!*
He went downstairs where a very vehement Ming-na sat. He was greeted with tirade at once.
"Xiao Lang, I demand an explanation!" Ming-na yelled. Syaoran didn't know what the woman had heard that had made her so angry.
He tried to reason calmly. "We met at the festival, it was her birthday, we're friends so I took her out, THAT'S ALL."
"Then what's this about her being the one engaged to you? And why won't you even deny it?"
Ah, so that's what she heard. But Syaoran was beyond calm rationalizing. "YOU'RE the one wearing the ring, right?" he asked sarcastically.
"Don't get smart with me, Xiao Lang--"
"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!!"
He walked out.
His four sisters watched in awe. One of all, Syaoran NEVER lost his temper. Two of all, he never raised his voice to a woman.
"You think it's because of that press thing?" Fanren asked.
"I think it delves much deeper than that," Fuutie replied.
Syaoran slammed the door to his room. *Everything is so screwed already, damn it! I can't take this anymore!*
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The next morning, Sakura went to conference with their publicist, Kimite Ken.
"Tell me what's going on, Ken," Sakura said.
"It's not good, Sakura. Thousands of speculations have risen from that little situation. Now they're saying you stole this Li guy from his fiancee. That is NOT good at all," Ken said.
Sakura buried her face in her hands and swore under her breath.
"It's bad publicity, sweet, because your image is breaking into pieces," Ken added.
"But is it salvageable?" Sakura asked.
Ken nodded to her eternal thanks. "Yes, so far it's still salvageable. I assume you followed my advice and did not let yourself get interviewed and have released no comments?"
Sakura nodded.
"Good. The Li guy hasn't said a word either. Now we KNOW there's nothing between you two. All we have to do is stage a press conference, deny all accusations, issue an official statement, and say that you don't have a relationship with him."
She sighed. "Ken, I so love you."
"It's my job, sweet. But--" he turned to her. "Tell me-- what were you doing out with him like that anyway?"
She sighed again. "Birthday celebration. He knew and took me out."
"How do you know him?"
"The man is an old, old friend. We were classmates in elementary."
"You do know he's engaged?"
"I've met his fiancee."
Ken smiled. "That's my girl. Now don't you worry. We'll fix this mess by tomorrow at the presscon before we leave for Japan."
"Thanks, Ken," she repeated.
She walked him to the door.
"By the way, sweet," Ken said. "Nice necklace."
Sakura's hand flew to the pendant. "It was a... birthday gift."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Author's Notes: Hooooeeeee. Look at my big dazed face. -- (@_@)
DEDICATION: To the people who review: all the people who review and threaten me to finish this series ALREADY, because without the threats I would have no motivation.
Where You Are
by Ekai Ungson
Chapter 10: That Notting Hill-like Scenario
~"In show business, has Kinomoto Sakura found love in Hong Kong? We have exclusive pictures of the famous film star with a Hong Kong male in the recently concluded Spring Festival! And it's not just any Hong Kong male, mind. Sakura picked one of the most eligible bachelors in the country today! Who? Find out when we return!"~
Tomoyo nearly choked on her food. Eriol patted her back.
"D-did I hear right? Was-- were they talking about Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo choked.
Eriol nodded.
"I just have some idea as to who that mystery man might be..." Tomoyo muttered. "Sakura! Sakura-chan!"
Sakura came out of her room. "Dou shite, otomodachi-san?"
"Look, it's-- it's all over the news..."
~"We're back! Kinomoto Sakura is in Hong Kong touring with her best friend, singer Daidouji Tomoyo. The actress has only been in the country for two weeks and already she has landed herself a man, the only male heir to Li Enterprises, Li Xiao Lang. Mr. Li is considered one of the most eligible bachelors in Hong Kong today until recently, when it was announced that he was set to marry Wong Ming-na, daughter of shipping magnate, Wong Yo Chin. Has Sakura stolen his heart? In these exclusive photographs, we find the actress and Mr. Li celebrating the Spring Festival in downtown Hong Kong."~
Sakura watched, horrified, as photograph upon photograph of her and Syaoran together was aired. "This is not good. This is in fact, very, very bad," she muttered.
~"Although it is not yet confirmed that the two are a couple, they have been seen together frequently during the actress' tour. It is, however, confirmed that Mr. Li IS engaged to Miss Wong."~
Tomoyo hit the 'off' button on the remote.
"KAMI-SAMA!" Sakura yelled. "Leave it to the cursed press and paparazzi. Things are messy enough as it is! How in the hell can I be vindicated for something I just turned down flat-out?!"
Eriol jumped up and patted his heir. "It's all right, Sakura-san."
"No, it is NOT all right," Sakura muttered. "I love you, Eriol-kun, but I am really MAD right now."
Tomoyo picked up the phone. "I'll go call our publicist for damage control."
Sakura nodded. "Good idea. I'll go scream my lungs out." She went to her room and slammed the door.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The phone at the Li estate was ringing off the hook. Syaoran told Wei to hold all press calls. Still, the reporters persisted.
"I can't deal with this!" he yelled.
Then someone knocked on his door.
"It's Miss Ming-na, sir. She's downstairs," Wei announced.
*Damn it!*
He went downstairs where a very vehement Ming-na sat. He was greeted with tirade at once.
"Xiao Lang, I demand an explanation!" Ming-na yelled. Syaoran didn't know what the woman had heard that had made her so angry.
He tried to reason calmly. "We met at the festival, it was her birthday, we're friends so I took her out, THAT'S ALL."
"Then what's this about her being the one engaged to you? And why won't you even deny it?"
Ah, so that's what she heard. But Syaoran was beyond calm rationalizing. "YOU'RE the one wearing the ring, right?" he asked sarcastically.
"Don't get smart with me, Xiao Lang--"
"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!!"
He walked out.
His four sisters watched in awe. One of all, Syaoran NEVER lost his temper. Two of all, he never raised his voice to a woman.
"You think it's because of that press thing?" Fanren asked.
"I think it delves much deeper than that," Fuutie replied.
Syaoran slammed the door to his room. *Everything is so screwed already, damn it! I can't take this anymore!*
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The next morning, Sakura went to conference with their publicist, Kimite Ken.
"Tell me what's going on, Ken," Sakura said.
"It's not good, Sakura. Thousands of speculations have risen from that little situation. Now they're saying you stole this Li guy from his fiancee. That is NOT good at all," Ken said.
Sakura buried her face in her hands and swore under her breath.
"It's bad publicity, sweet, because your image is breaking into pieces," Ken added.
"But is it salvageable?" Sakura asked.
Ken nodded to her eternal thanks. "Yes, so far it's still salvageable. I assume you followed my advice and did not let yourself get interviewed and have released no comments?"
Sakura nodded.
"Good. The Li guy hasn't said a word either. Now we KNOW there's nothing between you two. All we have to do is stage a press conference, deny all accusations, issue an official statement, and say that you don't have a relationship with him."
She sighed. "Ken, I so love you."
"It's my job, sweet. But--" he turned to her. "Tell me-- what were you doing out with him like that anyway?"
She sighed again. "Birthday celebration. He knew and took me out."
"How do you know him?"
"The man is an old, old friend. We were classmates in elementary."
"You do know he's engaged?"
"I've met his fiancee."
Ken smiled. "That's my girl. Now don't you worry. We'll fix this mess by tomorrow at the presscon before we leave for Japan."
"Thanks, Ken," she repeated.
She walked him to the door.
"By the way, sweet," Ken said. "Nice necklace."
Sakura's hand flew to the pendant. "It was a... birthday gift."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Author's Notes: Hooooeeeee. Look at my big dazed face. -- (@_@)