Authors Notes: This is my first story, I hope you all enjoy it. When you are done, please review.
Disclaimer: I do not own the anime Card Captor Sakura, nor the characters within it. I do however, own this story, so be kind and do not steal it. No profit is being made from this work of fiction.
Summary: Kinomoto Sakura makes a wish to be strong. Now, many years later, she is the owner of a multi-million dollar corporation still bound by that wish. Enters Li Syaoran, a man with no restrictions and bent on making Sakura feel again.
Wish
Chapter One
Fourteen years later…
'Tuck in your shirt!' A woman with long auburn hair and cold emerald eyes barked as she walked past a man. He jumped, startled, but quickly obeyed with a murmured "yes ma'am" before scurrying off somewhere. Satisfied, the woman went on walking through the lobby until she reached the elevators. She pressed the up button and waited impatiently as she saw the glass elevator slide slowly down from the twentieth floor, stopping every so often to take more people down. Several businessmen and businesswomen joined the woman as she stood before the elevator doors. They all murmured polite greetings and stood respectfully behind her, saying very little to one another besides friendly morning chatting.
When the elevator came, the brunet woman was the first to go in, followed by a small crowd of people. They all took their places around the brunet woman, though they made sure that there was a reasonable gap between the woman and them, even though they as a body were cramped together.
The elevator door closed as buttons were pressed, and the glass cage slid slowly upwards, stopping every so often to let off more passengers. In the end, it was only the brunet woman with her unmistakably cold aura that remained in the elevator before it reached the topmost and final floor before the cafeteria, which was one floor higher, and the roof.
The woman passed several people sitting spaced out at their desks as she made her way to her own office. They all gave polite greetings as the woman walked past until she reached the end of the large hallway and reached two large doors. Standing next to the doors was a woman with long black hair and amethyst eyes, dressed in a smart black suit with her headset telephone hanging discretely about her ear, and holding onto a clipboard.
'Good morning Ms. Kinomoto.' She murmured politely, opening the door. The brunet woman nodded her greeting as she strode coolly to her large chair behind a large mahogany desk on which several papers, a telephone, penholders, books, folders, a computer, and other means of stationary rested. At the very edge of the table facing the door was a sharp black tag that read Kinomoto Sakura.
Sakura took her seat while the woman with the black hair closed the door behind her, and walked swiftly over to stand before Sakura's mahogany desk. She smiled at Sakura as she adjusted her headset telephone and placed her clipboard on the desk. Sakura reached over and took the clipboard, flipping through the pages attached to it. This was yesterday's report.
'Things seem to be going well,' Sakura said expressionlessly as she flicked back to the beginning and handed the clipboard back to its owner.
'Yes Ms. Kinomoto, things are going quite well.'
'I admit, I am not very happy with the output coming from the Solutions Team Tomoyo,' Sakura said coolly, 'they aren't performing to their utmost abilities.'
'That is a regrettable fact,' Tomoyo admitted, 'however, as I understand, the main blame rests on the leader of the team.'
'It's always the leaders.' Sakura sighed, 'what is his name again?'
'Taiko, Urashima Taiko.' Tomoyo responded at once, 'I do believe that he is beginning to falter in his ability to control the team. They are a good team after all, it's just that their leader is starting to loose the ability to calculate things and factor in things as efficiently as he would have done before.'
'Yes yes, Urashima, he has been working with us for ten years,' Sakura sighed, 'perhaps it is time that he changed his occupation?'
'You believe so Ms. Kinomoto?' Tomoyo asked, 'it would come as a painful blow for his family.'
'He has enough support from the company after he's fired to live just as normally for a month after. In that time, I'm sure he will be able to find a new job.'
'I understand Ms. Kinomoto,' Tomoyo bowed, 'do you wish for me to give him the news now?'
'The sooner the better,' Sakura sank into her chair, 'and do put up a post for a new job application.'
'Yes Ms. Kinomoto.' Tomoyo bowed once again, taking her leave as she walked out the room. Sakura sighed as the door closed behind her, and turned her chair so that it faced the busy streets now lying so far below. The people rushing to where ever looked so tiny from her position, so insignificant. Her eyes darted around the place until they focused on a park not so far away.
Sakura could see so many people running around in the park, not to mention all the couples sitting down on the grass or whatever. It was hard to imagine that in the early mornings of a working day that there would be so many people who were not required at work. Then again, maybe most of them were having breaks, after all, for a manager or as such, breaks did appear in the schedule to make up for extra working hours.
Sakura turned around as she heard knocking on the door. A moment later, Tomoyo entered. She bowed and closed the door behind her, then strode swiftly up to Sakura's desk.
'Mr. Urashima has been disavowed from his position, and I have already put up the application for anyone who is interested. I'm sure we will be able to find a hard working person who can lead the team into performing to their utmost maximum.'
'Good.' Sakura nodded her approval, 'Tomoyo, I don't have any meetings or anything of importance this morning do I?'
'No, Ms. Kinomoto.'
'I'm going to be away for a while, I should be back in half an hour or so. Keep my clients informed it there are any sudden changes in plans and remember to call me.'
'Yes ma'am.'
'I shall not be far.'
'I understand,' Tomoyo bowed again, then smiled, 'have a good morning Ms. Kinomoto.'
'You to Tomoyo.' Sakura gave Tomoyo one of her rare smiles as she got up from her desk. She strode to the door which Tomoyo held open for her as she exited. Once again, Sakura took the trail from her office down to the lobby where she nodded her acknowledgement as people greeted her. Walking outside the front doors, Sakura was greeted by a cool breeze. Cursing herself for not bringing an extra coat, Sakura made her way across the busy road and stopped at a crepe stall. There she purchased a chocolate and strawberry crepe, and made her way to the park where she had watched people running around in an as such from her window.
By now, there were no longer any more people running around the park. However, young couples still sat here and there, enjoying a snack while people hoping to keep up their fitness ran the trail around the park. Sakura took a seat at a park bench facing a large fountain, and started on her snack.
It was true; Sakura was not a very pleasant person. In fact, pleasant was not a word to describe herself. Her father had told her on his deathbed that Sakura was a girl who had lost her ways, and that she would one day find that special person who would bring her sharply back to earth. Sakura had not understood then, and even today as a twenty-year-old owner of a multi-billion corporation, she was still unsure as to the meanings behind those words.
Sakura did not believe in love, or really any feelings for anyone at all. The closest she had been to a person since the death of her family was Tomoyo, someone who she considered as her best friend. Sakura could not understand the affection and passion that two people could feel for one another. After all, what was love really?
At one point in Sakura's life when she was much younger, she would have adored the idea of love. That was when she was still but six years old. But on the night of her mother's death, Sakura had awoken from her hazy dream. She was going to be a strong woman and drive the family's corporation until her death. That was the pledge she made before her father died when she was sixteen, and she intended on keeping it.
Sakura had often had dreams where she heard a babyish voice talking sweetly, repeating words over and over again. Those dreams occurred less frequent nowadays, but back when Sakura was younger, they had haunted her every night in her dreams. It was always the same words too, though Sakura had never understood the meaning behind them.
'You will be strong, very strong. And you will continue to be strong unless…unless you get your heart back…'
Those were the words that haunted Sakura in her dreams, yet she never understood. "Get her heart back", what did that mean? Did that mean that she was to feel for someone, to feel emotions outside of the average emotions that filled her heart? But Sakura didn't believe in emotions like those that she supposed she was supposed to believe. After all, what was the point of those emotions; they just made people weak after all.
'Isn't it a little cold to be sitting around without a coat?' Sakura looked up from her crepe to see a man with chestnut hair and amber eyes taking a seat beside her. She nodded her head once, just to show that she agreed with him.
'It will be winter soon.' He said knowledgably, breathing in the cool air.
'Yes, isn't that obvious?' Sakura asked, irritated.
'I suppose, but what can I say?' He turned and smiled at Sakura, 'even though it may be winter, it doesn't have to necessarily feel like winter right? Who knows, we may have a winter without snow.'
'Snow is falling less these years,' Sakura muttered, 'but it still falls.'
'Very true,' He sighed, 'so, where do you work? You seem to be some businesswoman working at a place which is very strict on the dress code. So why aren't you at work now?'
'I work at the company just across the road over there,' Sakura pointed at the tall sky scraper that was the Kinomoto Corporations building, 'but I'm taking a small break right now, there isn't much work for me there anyways right now.'
'Really?' The man smiled, 'I heard there was a position that just opened up there, I was going to go for an interview, but I ended up here instead. Why do you think I did that?'
'I don't know,' Sakura said crisply, 'nor do I really care.'
'You certainly are a strict lady,' he laughed, 'I certainly am lucky to have the pleasure of meeting someone like you.'
'Lucky you,' Sakura finished her crepe and deposited the remaining rubbish in a nearby bin, 'I'm going to go for a walk now.'
'Mind if I come with you?' He asked, getting up as well.
'Yes, I do.' Sakura muttered bitterly, hoping to get this man off her heels.
'Don't be so cold Miss,' he laughed, 'it's not so terrible to have a partner when walking right?'
'It's a burden,' Sakura sighed, 'you certainly are stubborn aren't you?'
'Hey, I just met a beautiful young lady, wouldn't it be a bit odd if I were to just let you run off before I even have the pleasure of knowing your name?'
'Kinomoto Sakura,' Sakura stated, 'and I'm leaving now.'
'Kinomoto huh?' He mused, following Sakura as she began to walk, 'the Kinomoto Sakura? Why, you must be the boss of the entire Kinomoto Corporations! Am I not lucky, I got the chance to meet with a beautiful lady who also doubled as my boss! My name is Syaoran by the way, Li Syaoran.'
'Pleasure,' Sakura muttered irritably, 'and I won't be your boss if you keep following me, Mr. Li.'
'Please call me Syaoran, Ms. Sakura,' he gave her a charming smile, 'and isn't it how good a worker I am and not how irritating I am that makes me fit for the position?'
Sakura didn't answer, she was too irritated at this man to answer anyways. Just who did he think he was anyway? She could report him for harassment, for continually irritating her and letting her get no peace. She could just feel her blood boil at the idea that he was there, strolling along beside her. She did not think that there could be a person who was as much of a pain as he was.
'Why aren't you answering me, Ms. Sakura?' He asked, interrupting her thoughts. Sakura felt her blood boil once again, and her cheeks flush with anger. She had never been so angry with a person, then again, she had never had a person as persistent as he was.
'Because you are a pain who wouldn't leave me alone!' She yelled, causing several people around her to stare and a whole tree of birds to fly away in fright, 'don't you realize? I don't want your company. Just give me some peace alright?'
'Temper Miss,' he said in a jokingly manner, 'you scared half the park with your sudden outburst!'
'Leave me alone!' Sakura stated, emphasizing on every word before turning on her heels and storming away. This time, Syaoran did not follow her, though she would have been too busy fuming at the very idea of him to realize if the real him was there anyways. She was just so angry with him that her usual cold appearance drained away entirely to leave her uncontrollable angry self. Why, this man was going to pay, that was for sure. If he thought that he could get into her company, then he should think again. There was no way that she was going to allow someone like him in her company, make no mistake of that!
'Hey Sakura, watch out,' Sakura felt someone pull at her arm and drag her backwards just in time before a truck sped by. Turning, she saw Syaoran there with his left arm around her and his right arm still holding onto her arm. As for Sakura, she was completely overwhelmed by shock knowing that she had just narrowly avoided certain death.
'You must be more careful Miss,' he smiled, 'someone like you shouldn't die so young.'
'Ah…thank you Li,' Sakura managed at last. It was then that she realized the position she was in, which she released herself from with much reddening of her face.
'It's Syaoran, and you're welcome.' He smiled again, 'my Sakura, you're trembling pretty badly.'
'Shock,' she murmured, having not the heart to be angry with him after he had just saved her life.
'Here,' he took off his jacket and wrapped it around Sakura's shoulders, 'I hope you have a good day Miss Sakura. And you can return my jacket when I get myself a job at your company.'
'If you get a job,' Sakura added.
'Which is highly likely,' he laughed, 'I may be a bit of an annoying brat sometimes, but I am a good worker. See you later Miss Sakura.'
Sakura nodded her goodbye as Syaoran walked off down the busy road, disappearing amongst the many other people also sharing the road. Sakura sighed, so much had happened this morning, and to think, he may join her in her own company.
'I guess we'll see what potential you have, Mr. Li.'
To Be Continued...
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