"Hey! Wait!" Sakura yelled. "Stop! I just remembered!" She took out all of the bits of seaweed from her hair. She climbed up to the rock sat down, returning to her depressed self.

"Sakura, don't be like that." Syaoran and Tomoyo plopped down next to her, making Sakura in between them.

"Yeah, we came to have fun."Tomoyo said.

By this time, Eriol had joined all of them and watched the setting sun. No one said anything till Sakura spoke.

"Bonoshi and Takenaka are inserting sublimal tracks into our music." Everyone was silent and Tomoyo continued.

"It was before we went to see Mr Bonoshi. We heard him talk to Takenaka and he said all those things. The door didn't seem to be sound-proof."

Syaoran and Eriol were taken aback and almost fell into the calm, lapping waves below.

"That means," Syaoran started.

"People were brainwashed to like us, not because that we have talent." Eriol finished for him.

"I was brainwashed." Sakura said. Tomoyo was rendered speechless.

And the four sat in silence, watching the sun go down, each individually lost in their own thoughts. It was only when darkness had completely surrounded them that Syaoran decided to drive all of them home.

He had to admit, he was getting to know Sakura better and better and he liked her even more. It wasn't infatuation, it was real.

Tomoyo was in a mix of emotions on the drive home. Sakura seemed to get everything she tried. EVERYTHING. Even Li Syaoran, the boy she wanted so badly. And what now? But she knew Sakura wasn't foing it on purpose. She hated, yet liked her best friend.

Sakura could only think about the sublimal tracks that were being put in her music, as well as Syaoran's and Eriol's. So this was what it was like to be a pre-star. It was a reality she couldn't have imagined better than this. But negative thoughts took over. Did they put sublimal tracks into other star's CDs too? Couldn't be, they must have selected people to become famous. The thought was mind-blowing. It was like having control, power, using people as puppets. Tomoyo was right.

Eriol didn't think much, but he was just upset as he discovered that he didn't make it big together with Syaoran through hard work. It was through brainwashing. It was too much for Eriol.He slept in the car, while Syaoran sped off.

The next day.

"You took the divas and you went to play?" Mr Bonoshi was almost yelling."And shirked off you responsibility? That's the-" he paused to count."umpteenth time you did that! Even using my toes you can't count! You people better shape up. I'm running a company, not a house or something. You can't just come and go as you please! Stop acting so childishly and behave more mature! The whole of the world, or to be more precise, all your fans are watching you! Remember," he said, making his voice very low and husky. "I made you famous, I created you and I can destroy you. Now scram!"

By this time the four teenagers knew what he meant by "I created you and can destroy you." This made Sakura and Tomoyo even more afraid than before but as determined as Syaoran and Eriol to defeat Bonoshi and Takenaka. Surprisingly, Bonoshi and Takenaka acceded to Sakura's and Tomoyo's request to play and write their own songs and use their real names after all.

After a few months, they finished recording their debut CD, Brainwashed. The title was given and that was what they really felt about first entering the industry and stuff. The CDs were selling like hot cakes and Baka Bonoshi was pleased, by they knew that people didn't really like their singing and were being brainwashed by Bonoshi so they kept quiet and plastered fake smiled on their faces everytime they went to meet their fans

The divas learned that it wasn't a bed of roses, and that no one could be trusted, although they knew they could trust each other and their best friends, Syaoran and Eriol, occasionally Tomoyo and Sakura would break into a quarrel with Eriol always being the middle man, trying to be impartial and not let his feelings for Tomoyo get in the so as to no make bias decisions. But sometimes, Sakura said that Eriol was being biased, unjust and unfair, and Eriol really felt terrible, like Sakura had seen through him but then he brushed it away. He could not let his feelings for Tomoyo to be known to Sakura. If she knew, there was a chance that she might tell Tomoyo even though she had proven herself trustworthy. Sakura, who used to be a little bit hyper, was now more mellow, and not so crazy about her idols as "They are people too" she would put it in a normal way.

When a few newspapers and magazines wanted to interview them, Baka Bonoshi had given Takenaka a few pieces of paper entitled: What to say and What to not say During Interviews. Sakura realized that Tomoyo was right. Bonoshi and Takenaka were controlling them like puppets.After receiving the papers, Sakura didn't want to accept any of the interviews as she didn't want to mess the whole thing up and end up staring at Bonoshi's tomato. (his face) But then Tomoyo told Sakura that they couldn't act like this, they were after all stars, and they needed to behave properly so as not to trigger the tabloid tongues from writing rubbish about them again.The last time it happened, the tabloids were writing about Syaoran and Sakura and Tomoyo and Eriol becoming a couple, which was not true and all of them got scolded by Bonoshi again.

Sakura and Tomyo then accepted their first interview on television, with Junko Shashiki, who had the most famous TV show featuring stars around. Junko was a really nice person, one of the people who seemed at least sane enough to interview them, Sakura and Tomoyo thought. They were really nervous, but Junko assured them that if they had messed up, she would cover up for them if they messed up and call their boss to explain everything. Sakura and Tomoyo were now more at ease and the interview proceeded.

The make-up artists airbrushed their zits, put foundation and make-up on them, till it was so thick that even Tomoyo's milky white skin seemed like a ghost.

Junko: Hello and welcome to Junko's Joint. Today I will be featuring the two newest faces to set their eyes on the music industry! They are none other than Sakura Kinomoto and Tomoyo Daidouji, the Graffiti Divas!

The camera is then popped into their faces and looked shocked for a moment as it came as a surprise

Tomoyo and Sakura: Hi everyone.

Sakura waves and Tomoyo smiles warmly.

Junko: So how did you make it big? We didn't see you faces grace the fashion magazines or the any the ads on television.

Tomoyo: I'll let Sakura tell you on this one.

She flashes a wide grin, showing her beautiful white teeth, in straight rows. The camera zooms in.

Sakura: Well, it all started when I was bugging Madison to enter the contest in the magazine that I always read, with me as she had a great voice. and we entered, and after that, everything just fell into place.

The camera is now right in front of Sakura and not knowing what to do, she gives a cheeky grin, with people at home bursting into laughter.At home, Sakura's father and brother were laughing at her hilarity.

Junko: Oh. was that was you always wanted?

She laughs and Sakura joins in. The nervousness seems to melt away and they felt like they belonged to the stage.

Junko: So Graffiti Divas. How did you come up with such a unique name?

Tomoyo quickly jumps in to answer the question as she wanted to talk about Syaoran and that she knew Mr Bonoshi would be mad if they mentioned him in the picture

Tomoyo: Well it was when our manager he decided that our name would make a political statement so he requested us to change it. So then we thought, "Why not?" and yea we tried to change it but we couldn't think of a right name. So then Syaoran came and thought of the name Street Graffiti Divas and the we shortened it.

Junko: Is that Syaoran from Midnite Machine?

Sakura and Tomoyo : Yeah.

Junko: What do you think of him as? Would you think of him as a boyfriend?

At this point both of them blushes but everyone thought it was just the lights or the make-up

Sakura: Well, we were introduced to him and Hiiragizawa Eriol even before we became famous and we've at the stage of best friends, all four of us. I'm not sure if anything will develop, but I can't say that nothing will happen between us. Oh I don't know.

Tomoyo: Well, Syaoran and Eriol has been proven himself trustworthy, I guess. I don't know if something will develop but he is a nice guy.

Junko: On the two guys. Who do you prefer?

Tomoyo: On the two guys, we can't say on who we like more as-

Sakura: we both like them the same, just like brothers.

Junko: Time's up! And now onto the next segment of the show. Thank you for coming.

Sakura and Tomoyo: It was a pleasure being here.

Director: CUT! That's a wrap! Well done, Kinomoto and Daidouji-san.

"Miss Daidouji!" It was Miss Takenaka.Tomoyo hurried towards her."The sample of the bonus track that we have to inserted in the CD, which is going to be in the CD if you approve.Boss wants you to give it a listen."

"What about Sakura?" asked Tomoyo.

"Mr Takenaka thinks that you're a better judge of music.Don't tell Miss Kinomoto" she hurried away

"Okay..." Tomoyo slipped it in her portable CD player and the music began. The music made her feel uncomfortable and the voice she was hearing surely couldn't be hers. She totally forgot about the sublimal tracks that were inserted into the CD and the possibility that it might be in the CD that Miss Takenaka might have done something.

At the Office.

"Mr Bonoshi.The deed is done."

"Time for the next step."