A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed!

Disclaimer: I don't own Card Captor Sakura.

CinderSakura

By: Lotus Dreams

Chapter 3: Li Syaoran

A Touya in his late twenties positioned himself comfortably with the golf club in hand. He was dressed in an expensive white golf shirt, and expensive khaki golf pants. He sent the golfball rolling closer and closer to a hole. Mr. Kinomoto nodded his approval.

"Good, Touya. Very good. But is it good enough to beat ojii-chan?" It was his turn. When he struck the golfball lightly...it went in. Touya smiled and sighed in defeat.

"You win again, ojii-chan. But one day, I will win you." Mr. Kinomoto laughed. His hair was gray with streaks of white in it.

"Sure you will," he said, his eyes twinkling. "Let's hope you do it before I die!"

"Ojii-chan," said Touya sharply.

They walked together to a small patio and sat down at two chairs. Mr. Kinomoto heaved great sigh. "So," he started. "Any news of Sakura yet?" Touya exhaled heavily.

"Nope. Some guy phoned me last week, but it wasn't her; it was some other girl."

"Ah," said Mr. Kinomoto. "Well, I didn't really expect more. Ten years, Touya. Ten YEARS. It's a wonder if you can find her at all. I mean, you don't even know how she looks like!"

"I know," said Touya, "But I have to try. I can't just give up just like that. Sakura can be such a kaijuu--I mean, a pain sometimes, but she is still my sister. And besides, I remember giving her mother's ring. I'll know her by that. So I won't give up till I find her."

"I understand," said Mr. Kinomoto. "I know how you feel." He gave a bitter laugh. "I did the same thing once. Give up on someone close to me. My own son. Sure, he went and married someone I didn't approve of, but he was still my son." He took a sip of his already laid out lemonade. Touya remained silent. Whenever his grandfather mentioned Fujitaka, he would always get silent. He knew that Mr. Kinomoto cared for him and gave him a huge mansion with a huge room and many things with it, and lots of money to spend, but...thinking of his father, he would sometimes wonder if he blamed Fujitaka's death on his grandfather, so he never talked to him...

"So." Mr. Kinomoto's voice was suddenly crisp again. "When will you apply for Kinomoto Inc.?"

"I'm handing my application form and resumé in today."

"Good," said Mr. Kinomoto, "Because I am considering giving Kinomoto Inc. to you."

"WHA--I mean, what?" demanded Touya. "Ojii-chan--"

"Touya," said Mr. Kinomoto sternly, "I am getting old. Old people die. I can't live forever and keep Kinomoto Inc. good forever."

"But--"

"No buts. It's time you got a job at Kinomoto Inc. And then, when I am sure you are ready, you will take over."
"Stupid Nadeshiko and her stupid smile and her stupid threats," muttered Manami under her breath as she washed the dishes.

"Hey Mana-san," greeted Nadeshiko brightly. "You look tired. Something bothering you?"

"I'm supposed to meet with Daidouji Tomoyo, the famous seamstress," growled Manami. "She is the coolest girl on the block, but now I can't go because you never filled the bottle with beer and made me go to the kitchen and tell you and then let mommy see me and make me wash the dishes!"

"Aw, I'm sorry to hear that," said Nadeshiko. "Here, I'll do it. You can go meet her if you want."

"Really?"

"Yeah, sure," replied Nadeshiko. "Go ahead."

"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" screamed Manami.

Nadeshiko laughed. She finished the rest of the dishes with amazing speed and left them to dry. Just then, Mrs. Harada came in.

"Where did that stupid daughter of mine go?" she demanded.

"She went to meet with a friend named Tomoyo," answered Nadeshiko. "I told her I'd finish the dishes for her."'

"AUGH!! That stupid daughter of mine! Why can't she--" Mrs. Harada stopped herself. "Erm...carry on, Nadeshiko."

"Hai."

Mrs. Harada walked out feeling guilty. She had almost said, "Why can't she be more like you, Nadeshiko?"
"HI TOMOYO!" Tomoyo groaned as she drank her soda. It was that annoying little spoiled brat again, Manami!

"Hey, Manami-san."

"Call me Mana," said Manami sweetly. "I'm sorry I'm late, I had to do something..." She sat down with Tomoyo. Tomoyo wrinkled her nose. Her hands smelled strongly of soap and oil.

"Erm...hey."

"So, what did you want to see me for?" Manami tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder and batted her bright blue eyes.

"Um...you mentioned you had a stepsister--half-sister--friend named Nadeshiko, right?"

"Yeah. But you don't want anything to do with her, she's so stupid and--"

"Actually, I do," interrupted Tomoyo coldly. "I want her to model for my clothes."

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" screeched Manami. "YOU WANT WHAT?"

"I want Nadeshiko to model for my designs," said Tomoyo calmly. "You said she had an ideal body, but always hid it behind baggy clothes. And you also showed me a picture of her. You know, she's quite pretty."

"But--Tomoyo-chan," pleaded Manami. "You can't pick Nadeshiko! How about me? What about me? I have an ideal body too!" Manami stood up and struck a pose.

"Er...Manami, the thing is, you have to be free on Saturdays," said Tomoyo, inventing an excuse not to use Manami. Manami was pretty thin, and good-looking as well, but she HATED her personality. "You know, you're always going on dates and stuff...and well--"

"But Nadeshiko isn't free on Saturdays," defended Manami. "I can give up my dates once in a while. Pick me!"

"Manami!" Talk of the devil! swore Manami. Nadeshiko came running up to her, waving her hand frantically.

"Manami, your mother wants you to go back and look after the guests."

"Why don't you do it, Ms. Perfect?" Manami shot at her.

"It's my break time."

"So? I don't want to."

"Your mother said so."

"Is this Nadeshiko?" inquired Tomoyo, indicating Nadeshiko.

"Oh, did Manami talk about me to you?" said Nadeshiko brightly.

"Yes. I was wondering if you could help me model for my clothing designs." Nadeshiko's eyes widened.

"No way! I could NEVER be a model!"

"Of course you can," said Tomoyo, just as Manami said, "Of course not!" Tomoyo glared at Manami. "You just need to come to my place at 3 o'clock on Saturdays. Can you make it?"

"Well...okay..."

"Great! Here's my address!" Tomoyo slipped her a card. "Okay, I have to go now. See you around, Nadeshiko! And...Manami."

Manami cursed under her breath. "How dare that little brat take away my chance to be a model!" she hissed. "I swear, sometimes I think mom was right; it WAS bad luck when we took her with us! Should have just left her to die!"
"One more shot." Nadeshiko straightened her dress, and then sat still for the camera. They were at Tomoyo's studio. "Perfect." Tomoyo took one more shot and then the camera made a funny sound. "The film's finished. Okay, we're done for today."

"Why do you want me to model for your designs though, Tomoyo-chan?" asked Nadeshiko. Tomoyo shrugged.

"For the fun of it. I can sort of collect all these photos of girls wearing my clothing and sort of make a magazine."

"Oh..."

"What, did you think it was supposed to be a job?" said Tomoyo, her eyes twinkling.

"No," said Nadeshiko hurriedly, "I...Well, I am looking for a job, since my part at the little shop restaurant thingy where Mrs. and Mr. Harada are isn't really a job, but you don't need to pay me...I mean, I just came because you asked."

"You're looking for a job?"

"Well...yes, but--"

"You know, I think there's a place where you can get a job...my mother's cousin works there as the boss's chauffeur."

"Your mother? You mean Mrs. Daidouji?"

"Oh, yes; she comes by a lot, right?" Nadeshiko nodded.

"Your mom's really nice; she's always giving me samples of the latest teddy bears." Tomoyo laughed.

"Yeah. She works at a big toy company. My mother's cousin, Daidouji Hitomato[made up!], he already was chauffeuring the Kinomoto Inc. boss around, so he never got a job there. But then again, Kinomoto Inc. is more successful than our toy company, so Uncle Hitomato probably made up an excuse to stay there." Both of them laughed. "Say, Nadeshiko," said Tomoyo, "What if I ask my uncle to help you fill out a resumé? I'll call him today, and if he agrees, you can meet him tomorrow."

"Oh really?" gasped Nadeshiko. "That would be so great! Being able to work in Kinomoto Inc. is my ultimate goal!"

"Then it's done. Okay, I think I have to go now," said Tomoyo, checking her watch. "I'll have to lock up in 5 minutes."

"Alright then. See you, Tomoyo-chan!" called Nadeshiko over her shoulder, leaving.
The day after, Nadeshiko and Tomoyo's Uncle Hitomato filled out a resumé together; Tomoyo picked a picture she took of Nadeshiko, in a short white dress. She cut out Nadeshiko's face, and then stuck it onto the resumé. They filled out some more forms, stuck them inside an envelope, and then sealed it.
"Mrs. Harada," whispered Nadeshiko, trying to shake her awake. "Mrs. Harada..." Mr. Harada came in just then, and spotted Nadeshiko bent over his wife. He smirked. Her back was to him. He stared at Nadeshiko for a moment, then shook himself and roared, "MAKIKO! THE KINOMOTO GIRL IS CALLING YOU!" Mrs. Harada jerked awake.

"What?" she snapped at Nadeshiko.

"Oops," said Nadeshiko apologetically. "I--um, well, I'm going out for a bit, I might come home a little late--about six thirty or so? Is it okay with you?"

"Naze desu ka[why]?" said Mrs. Harada suspiciously.

"To--um--do something really important."

"It's not a date is it?" Mrs. Harada was too lazy to ask more.

"Nope."

"Okay, then go; be back by six thirty sharp!"

"Arigatou gozaimasu, Mrs. Harada!" exclaimed Nadeshiko. She rushed past Mr. Harada, jumped onto her bike, and pedaled away.
A 20-year-old man with brown hair and dark eyes in a black suit paced around the front of Kinomoto Inc. When he saw Mr. Kinomoto pull up in his black limo, he immediately ran up to greet him.

"Kinomoto-sama."

"Ah, Li Syaoran-san," greeted Mr. Kinomoto. "Touya, I'd like you to meet Mr. Li Xiao Lang, or Syaoran in Japanese. He is one of the foreign language negotiaters to sell our product, and he is wonderfully clever and hardworking. He can speak Japanese, English, Chinese, aka Mandarin, Korean, Vietnamese, and Cantonese."

"That's quite a bundle of languages," commented Touya, stepping out of the car. Syaoran laughed.

"Oh, not really," he mused. "I have a friend who speaks Japanese, Mandarin, English, Korean, Vietnamese, Cantonese, French, Spanish, Swedish, German, Italian, Russian, as well as Gibberish." They all laughed.

"So, what brings you here? Oh right," said Mr. Kinomoto, smacking his head. "I forgot. Today's the date when the resumés and things are due, is it not?"

"Correct," replied Syaoran. "I'm also in charge of it, remember, sir?"

"Yes, yes," answered Mr. Kinomoto. He walked over to the front doors of Kinomoto Inc. and opened them. "There you go, Syaoran, you can go in now."

"Arigatou," said Syaoran. "Oh no, wait! I forgot my briefcase at the stands!" They had set up a stand earlier, with models and people to promote their product, the Kinomoto cell phone.

"Well," said Mr. Kinomoto, "The door's always open for you, Mr. Li."

"Arigatou gozaimasu," breathed Syaoran, and dashed off.
"TASUKETE[help]!" screamed an old lady. "TASUKETE! TASUKETE! THAT MAN HAS MY PURSE! TASUKETE!" Nadeshiko, hearing the call, tucked her envelope firmly into her jacket and cycled over to where the lady was screaming.

"Which way did the man go?" she asked urgently. The old lady pointed to her right. "THERE!" she screamed. "HE HAS MY PURSE! TASUKETE!" Nadeshiko spotted him, the purse tucked under his arm. She pedaled furiously, checking her watch. 5:48. The forms and resumé were due at six.

The man suddenly turned. Nadeshiko wheeled her bike around, almost falling off. Fortunately, she wasn't the only one chasing him. Several people were trailing behind her, including Li Syaoran. The old lady had been robbed near the stands, and when he heard the call, he rushed to help.

Nadeshiko was gaining on him. The robber was losing speed. Finally, Nadeshiko willed herself faster, and then ran her bike over the man, tumbling onto the pavement in the process.

"Take this!" she cried. She whacked him in the head with her fist. She yanked the purse away and returned it to the old lady, who was running up with the police.

"Domo arigatou, young lady," thanked the old lady in gratitude. The police were handcuffing the culprit. "Domo arigatou gozaimasu."

"Do itashi mashite[you're welcome]," said Nadeshiko. The old lady turned to the robber.

"As for you," she said in a menacing voice, "SHAME ON YOU! TAKE SOME OF THIS--AND THIS--" she was whacking him repeatedly over the head with her purse. Li Syaoran smiled. She's a pretty brave girl, he thought.

"That was pretty brave of you." Nadeshiko turned, and green met amber. Nadeshiko gave a little smile and shrug.

"I just had to do what I had to do," she said modestly. She tore her eyes away from him and got back onto her bicycle. "I have to go somewhere now, oba-san," she said to the old lady. "Take care!" Then she rode off.

Syaoran looked after her for a moment, then noticed something on the ground. It was an envelope. He opened it and saw a picture of the girl.

"She dropped something," he said quietly.
Nadeshiko parked her bike hurriedly and tore into Kinomoto Inc. Not watching where she was going, she accidentally bumped into someone.

"OOF!"

"Oh my goodness," said Nadeshiko apologetically, picking up the man's bag. The man was actually Touya, who was exiting the company.

"No--" He looked at her eyes.

They were green.

"...problem." The girl smiled apologetically and ran off. Touya shook himself. It can't be Sakura, he lectured himself. She would have recognized me...

Meanwhile, Nadeshiko hurried to the counter where a bunch of envelopes were piled up. A man asked her, "Are you here to hand in your resumé?"

"Yes," answered Nadeshiko breathlessly, "here--" She reached into her jacket.

Nothing there.

She felt around some more.

Nothing there.

"Oh no!" she cried. "I must have dropped my forms when I knocked over that man!" She looked at her watch. 5:52. "Can you hold the applications day until about 6:20?"

"No can do," said the man. "Six o'clock sharp. NO LATER."

"Please," said Nadeshiko desperately. "I'll be back as soon as possible!"

"We can't hold the whole day up just for you," said a woman sharply. "Hand it in before six o'clock or you won't be applicable!" Nadeshiko was almost in tears. She ran outside, leapt onto her bike, and pedaled with the remaining strength she had. However, when she reached where she had ran over the man, no envelope was to be seen.

"My goal...my dream...gone," whispered Nadeshiko.
Li Syaoran ran to the man and woman sitting at the table where innumerable envelopes sat. "Did you two happen to see a girl wearing a white jacket and jeans?" he demanded.

"Yes," answered the man. "She ran outside three minutes ago." Li Syaoran took out the envelope.

"Here. This is her resumé."

"Uh...Mr. Li," said the woman hesitantly, "The rules are that the applicant must hand in their forms IN PERSON."

"This is an emergency," insisted Syaoran.

"I'm sorry, but that's what Mr. Kinomoto said," replied the woman.

"Mr. Kinomoto trusts me," persisted Syaoran. "I am his top worker. He's known me since I was fifteen."

"Gomen nasai," apologized the woman. "I have no power to do anything."

Syaoran walked outside in frustration. The cool night air blew against his face. Suddenly, he saw the girl again, wheeling her bike joylessly and slowly to the company.

"Hey! Over here!" he called. The girl looked up. He jogged over to her, waving the envelope.

"I'm sorry, Miss," he said, handing her the envelope. "I wanted to hand it in, but they said you had to hand it in in person. I couldn't do anything." The girl took the envelope.

"Arigatou," she thanked him quietly. "But it's no use now." She was so sad, Syaoran couldn't help himself.

"Why do you want to work at Kinomoto Inc. so badly?" he wanted to know. The girl looked at him straight in the eye.

"It's my dream."

After what seemed like an eternity, she averted her gaze, turned her bike around, and started walking in the opposite direction. Then she stopped in front of a garbage can.

She threw the envelope into there and continued away.

Long after she was gone, Syaoran took the envelope from the trashcan. He looked at the name, and the pretty smiling girl's picture stuck onto there.

Kinomoto Nadeshiko.

"Kinomoto...Nadeshiko..." he voiced aloud.
There ya go, chapter 3. Do you sort of see the distinction between the Touya and Sakura's lives? No? Not really? I need more reviews to determine if you understand it or not! REVIEW!