Chapter 4
The Reunion

The office had been in a state of chaos. Syaoran knew his stress levels would rise to the peak. All kinds of information had been reported to him – all leading to panic and pandemonium in the Tokyo branch. Syaoran sighed in resignation, peering over different papers strewn carelessly over his desk. One of his hands travelled to his head, kneading his temple and reaching to grab the coffee that had been placed on his desk. His face scrunched up in disgust when he took a sip of the drink and placed it back to its place. Syaoran ran his fingers through his hair, making it messier – he didn't care anymore.

Syaoran looked at his phone and thought of Sakura. He had texted her last night to skip work tomorrow and to put her attention into planning their trip to Tomoeda later today. However, as he had stepped into the office in the morning, he immediately regretted it. The replacement assistant for the day had not known his taste in coffee and felt more like dead-weight when the chaos had ensued.

"Li-sama, I don't know where Kinomoto-san had placed the Ryoma Industries file," Nia, Sakura's replacement for the day, had piped up. Nia had been fearful of the Li Corps CEO ever since she joined. She had heard of how ruthless and cut-throat he was in the business world. She had been given condolences by her colleagues when he had told her to fill in for Sakura.

Upon hearing Nia's statement, Syaoran had looked downright murderous. He shouldn't have given his assistant and fiancé the day off. Running his fingers through his hair once again to calm himself, he turned to the replacement and barked, "Call her and find out!"

"Right away, Li-sama!" Nia said, escaping from the short-tempered boss.

Syaoran stared at the door, surprised at how the young replacement had fled out of fear of receiving the brunt of his anger. He felt ashamed and guilty for almost losing his temper at the young employee. He needed to vent off all his stress. Unfortunately for the new secretary, he had chosen anger as his medium to get rid of the stress. Syaoran let out a string of curses under his breath and looked at his cell phone again.

It's like I can't even function without her now, Syaoran deliberated.

He arranged the papers that laid on his desk and fixed his tie. He took deep breaths and pressed the buzzer of the intercom to call out his temporary assistant. He had to fix whatever problem the Tokyo counterpart had– he needed to control it.

A knock on his glass door brought Syaoran back to reality. He grew pensive when he noticed the person walking into his room – he supressed a groan when he heard the impatient tapping of a heel indicating the wait for acknowledgement.

"What is it now, Meiling?" Syaoran asked. His voice had an edge to it. With his to-do list for the day increasing every second, he did not want to deal with his cousin.

"Why are everyone running around like headless chickens on this floor?" Meiling inquired, pulling out a chair opposite Syaoran. She took her seat and rested her chin on her hands propped up on Syaoran's desk.

Syaoran gaped at his cousin, unable to comprehend how she hadn't yet found out about the crisis present in front of them. Meiling's expression grew darker when she noticed the frustration on his face. It was only the afternoon, but it looked like Syaoran had not slept at all.

"There has been a problem," Syaoran's curt reply threw her off. Meiling had noticed the desperation in his voice; her eyes had softened and so, she reached out to grasp his hand, urging him to continue.

"Rumors of embezzlement from Ryoma Corp, Meiling," Syaoran started. Meiling gasped, her hand retracting. Seeing the surprised look on Meiling's face, Syaoran continued, "I am as surprised as you are. I am sure Mother will be worried about this too,"

"Does this mean what I think it means?" Meiling asked.

Syaoran sighed, his shoulders dropped in defeat and his hand clutched his head. Looking up at Meiling, he merely nodded.

"But Syaoran! We are the parent company; we have to do damage control!" Meiling bellowed.

"I even had reports of internal conflict come up to me. We need to fix this soon," Syaoran said. Meiling nodded.

"What are you planning to do?" Meiling asked.

"Sending over our team of execs to check out the extent of the damage would be the first step. Everything else can be decided after. Worst comes to worst, I'll make an appearance before anyone finds out," Syaoran muttered, resting his head on his desk

"You know, Syaoran," Meiling started, tapping her fingers against the desk.

"What is it, Meiling?" Syaoran raised an eyebrow at how uncharacteristically hesitant Meiling was acting. He was anticipating some ridiculous request to come out of her mouth.

"Do you think I can help out with this situation?" – Ah, there it was.

"I think I can handle it," Syaoran replied.

"I'd like to see you try." Meiling challenged. Syaoran stared at his cousin intensely, urging her to throw one of her fits. Meiling simply looked on at Syaoran with a rebellious expression.

"What I mean to say is, you should focus on making a good impression on your in-laws, Syaoran," Meiling explained. "I am your cousin. I know how you think. It is going to be easier than juggling two stressful situations at once," Meiling continued upon seeing Syaoran's expression change to realization. Meiling smiled; she had hit the nail on the head.

"Don't worry, I'll let you bug me with phone calls all weekend if you let me handle work," she proposed with a cunning smile.

Syaoran knew he was fighting a losing battle. What had bothered him was that Meiling had a point after all. He had a mission to charm Sakura's family and he had to announce their engagement to them.

With a sigh that expressed his defeat, Syaoran looked at Meiling and replied, "Do whatever you want."

"Oh, Syaoran! I promise you won't regret it!" Meiling declared gleefully, coaxing a small smile out of Syaoran.

Sakura hardly slept after her impromptu phone call with her family. She had texted Tomoyo about what conversation had taken place. Still, her worries did not dissipate even when her best friend had reassured her that all would be fine.

She was grateful that Syaoran had granted her a "day off" to both mentally and physically prepare herself for the trip but again, she could not help but be burdened with uneasiness when she received a call from a frightened colleague asking about files she had placed.

Sakura sighed – her bed was littered with clothes and her half-empty suitcase was placed on the floor. Music played softly through the speakers. Maybe I should have gone to work. At least I would have been distracted, Sakura pondered. She rummaged through her closet once again, looking for suitable clothing for the trip. Sakura knew that packing was mostly futile – Tomoyo would happily dress her up according to her whims anyway, and she had left much more back at home.

I give up. She kept placing her favorite set of pyjamas and clothing into her suitcase before she brought out the gifts she had bought for everyone back in Tomoeda. At least this is filling up the suitcase more than the clothes, Sakura mused.

Her thoughts went back to Touya and she shuddered. Another sigh escaped from Sakura. She did not want to even think about what would happen to her "boyfriend" when face-to-face with her brother. She knew one thing for sure: whatever reaction he would have during introduction would be ten, or a hundred, times worse when they announce their fake engagement.

Sakura's heart clenched at the thought of the engagement. The past few days were strange enough as it was but last night stood out the most. Her fingers found their way to the ring on her left hand. Her mind wandered off to the café and the impromptu proposal bathed in the warm yellow glow of the streetlights of Tokyo. Syaoran looked different than what she had seen him in the past two years in the making. Remembering the look in his eyes and the determination that was etched into his face made Sakura's heart thump furiously against her chest and her cheeks heat up.

Sakura shook her head violently as she tried to get rid of the images being summoned in her mind. She berated herself for even letting her thoughts go in that direction. The whole situation was strange enough. It felt like it was straight out of a plot of a movie!

Sakura sighed once more and plopped onto her messy bed. She was supposed to be excitedly counting down the hours to her trip to Tomoeda, not dreading it. Glancing at the clock on the nightstand, she groaned and gathered the piles of clothing she had placed on the bed and pushed them into the back of the closet. She grabbed a simple outfit and rushed off to shower.

There was only one thing she could conclude while she entered her bathroom. Her life was slowly veering of the course of normalcy – the cause? Li Syaoran.

Syaoran managed to reach Sakura's apartment in record time. Syaoran mentally made note to thank Meiling for this. She had to kick him out of the office so that he had time to go back home around four, change and get his bag he packed for the trip. He vaguely remembered asking Wei, his long-time butler, to look after his apartment as he dashed out the front door, muttering his thanks.

Syaoran exhaled with relief. He reached for his phone and scrolled to Sakura's name and pressed 'call'.

"I am here, come out when you can," he said before hanging up. By now he knew this move would earn him a lecture from his assistant about manners. Syaoran broke to a smile at that thought. While waiting, Syaoran had sent a text to Meiling, reminding her to send hourly updates with the situation at work. Serves her right, Syaoran smirked.

It didn't take long before he noticed Sakura coming out the gate of her apartment complex and towards his car. Syaoran got out of the car and walked out to open the trunk. He took Sakura's baggage and placed it alongside his. He managed to greet Sakura while doing so – his eyebrows furrowed in contemplation when he felt her bag was feather light as compared to his.

"It's light," Syaoran muttered lamely as he slammed the trunk shut.

"Oh, I didn't really need the clothes from here," Sakura answered sheepishly.

"Well, let's go," Syaoran responded before walking to the driving seat and prompted the engine to start when he noticed Sakura had settled into the passenger seat.

The silence in the car was awkward. At least to Syaoran. He would glance every now and then to his companion and see her take in the scenery of the cityscape that they were leaving behind. From time to time, Syaoran would catch Sakura humming some indecipherable song – however, she would abruptly stop when she remembered that she wasn't alone.

Syaoran tried to focus on the road ahead, unable to ask his companion which route would be easier. Unable to endure the stifling silence, he cleared his throat, trying to catch Sakura's attention which was now on a file that Syaoran recognized as the details to their immigration interview on Monday morning.

"Does that file have the interview questions?" Syaoran asked, his eyes trained on the road. Sakura let out a yelp, startled. Syaoran shook his head in disbelief. Did she expect me to be quiet all throughout the journey?

Sakura turned her head towards her boss, and muttered, "yes."

"Well, now's the time to ask your questions then," Syaoran replied. Sakura flipped over the pages and then finally shut the file and placed it on her lap.

"I don't think I need to do that," Sakura replied, her eyes trailing back to the window.

"What do you mean by that?" Syaoran asked, tearing his eyes from the road to meet Sakura's green ones.

"Eyes on the road!" Sakura screamed, gripping the seatbelt hard. Syaoran fought the grin that appeared on his face upon seeing Sakura's reaction.

"Why don't you say whatever you want to say then, dummy?" Syaoran asked, he internally winced when his tone came out aggressive than intended.

"Hmph, fine! The good news is that I know everything about you, but the bad news is that you have less than three days to learn all of this about me," Sakura gritted out.

Syaoran looked at Sakura, his eyebrows knitted together and a smirk on his face, and stated, "There is no way that you know everything that file is asking about me."

"Two years is a long time to know a person, Li," Sakura answered, turning back at the window and looking at the trees zooming by.

"If that's the case, how about we fill this silence with quizzing you how well you know me?" Syaoran challenged, his amber eyes fill up with mischief. "Heck, if you get even two right, Kinomoto, I promise to behave in front of your family,"

"Ask away," came Sakura's curt response while she picked at her fingernails – a befitting way to accept the challenge, Syaoran mused. "Since I can't actually look at the file, how about you pick the question in the middle of the page you opened and read it out loud?" Syaoran suggested. Sakura had obeyed his instructions and placed her finger in the middle of the page. Syaoran had noticed this from the periphery of his vision.

"What your morning routine is like," Sakura paraphrased the question.

"And you know what I do in the mornings?" Syaoran asked, unable to believe Sakura.

"Sadly enough, I do, Li," Sakura huffed out a response. "You wake up in the early hours of the day - I don't think the sun is out by then. You work out, get your breakfast ready and then get ready for the day. Let's not forget, you manage to torture me before you even step into the office," Sakura said. "Am I wrong?" Sakura inquired, her brow lifted in jest.

Silence.

Sakura giggled when she looked at Syaoran and the blank face he made that indicated that she was indeed correct.

"Lucky guess," Syaoran muttered. "Pick the last one on the next page then," Syaoran suggested.

Sakura followed. "You should take the next exit, it is the easiest and a quicker route than continuing on this highway," Sakura pointed out before she turned her attention back to the page.

"What is your favorite food?" Sakura asked, eyes glued to the file. "Some questions are pretty straightforward, I guess," Sakura observed. Sakura had gone silent and that confused Syaoran, which urged him to call her out.

"You don't know what I like to eat?" Syaoran asked, the mirth clear in his tone.

"Dim sum – specially the ones from that Chinese restaurant that closed a month ago," Sakura answered. "I'll answer one more," she stated.

"It better not be one of those generic "what I love to do, eat or read" questions. People can google them," He said.

"Uh, there is an interesting one – what are you allergic to?" Sakura asked. Syaoran had remained silent, indicating that he was waiting for an answer from Sakura herself.

"Well, this isn't really my words, but everyone thinks it's the full spectrum of human emotions," Sakura said, amusement in her tone.

"Haha," Syaoran deadpanned, launching Sakura into giggles. Somehow, it did make Syaoran feel better that Sakura didn't have the same impression about him that the others did. Especially when these "others" were his employees.

"Do you think we can pull this off?" Syaoran asked. The moment this question left his mouth – Sakura turned to him once again, hesitance in her pensive green eyes.

"I don't know, Li," Sakura answered truthfully. Sakura could feel anxiety gnawing at her stomach when she thought about the lies she has to tell her family. "I think we can, if we work together," she continued, giving a reassuring smile to her boss.

"Okay! There's the exit!" Sakura pointed out, her voice back to its original cheeriness.

Tomoeda was a quaint town – Syaoran observed. Although downtown Tomoeda did remind him a little of Tokyo, but as he progressed to the residential areas, he noticed the houses that lined them and it fit his expectations perfectly. Sakura launched herself into telling him stories of the places she had been to and notified him of new shops that cropped out during her two-year absence. When Syaoran drove by King Penguin Park, Sakura squealed. It felt different seeing Sakura act this way.

Sakura had given Syaoran directions to her house, and by the time they had reached it, Sakura excitedly got out of the car before he could safely park. Syaoran took in the appearance of the house: a yellow two storied house with a dark roof – it looked cozy and a far-cry from what he used to. Sakura waited by the gates when he had pulled to a parking space, opening up the trunk to get their things.

"Follow me, Li-kun!" Sakura motioned to Syaoran, tugging at her bag and walking towards the door.

"Uh, Li-kun?" Syaoran stammered, puzzled by the change in the way he was addressed.

"I'd call you Li every now and then, but my family could ask questions if I address you as Li-sama. Is that okay?" Sakura asked, placing her hand on her head and turning towards the red-faced Syaoran.

"Yeah, sure," Syaoran answered, his cheeks still burning.

Sakura had pressed the doorbell, a smile already plastered on her face. Syaoran could hear the barking that had commenced ever since they had stepped foot on the porch of the Kinomoto house. He looked around – noting the small yard and the porch. The front door opened and a young man appeared at its doorway. A golden retriever had pounced on Sakura, making her burst into laughter while she sat in its eye-level and petted the dog.

"Kero! I missed you!" Sakura managed to say while receiving kisses from her dog. She noticed the man who looked at her kindly while she got up. She engulfed the man in a hug.

"Outo-san! How are you? I missed you so much!" Sakura cried into Kinomoto Fujitaka's arms.

"I missed you too, Sakura. I am fine now that you are here," Fujitaka replied, his eyes lit with happiness while Kero bounced around the two, trying to get Sakura's attention back on him again. Both father and daughter had not yet acknowledged the guest amidst their heartfelt reunion. Syaoran had been gaping when he had seen Sakura's father. This is not what he had expected at all.

Sakura's father was THE Kinomoto Fujitaka – the well-known archeologist and one of the few people Li Syaoran had admired. Syaoran remembered reading all his articles in university and even had the chance to listen to his lecture when he visited Hong Kong. Nevertheless, it did shock him to find out that Kinomoto Fujitaka was going to be his father-in-law.

Sakura broke the embrace and looked towards Syaoran. "Ano, Outo-san, this is Li Syaoran, uh, my boyfriend," Sakura replied, gesturing to Syaoran.

"Nice to meet you, Li-san. Sakura has told me about you, thank you for taking care of her in my absence," Fujitaka said respectfully, raising his hand for a handshake. Syaoran's eyes drifted to Sakura for a minute upon hearing Fujitaka's words, and thus made Sakura blush.

Syaoran shook Fujitaka's hand calmly albeit he was star struck. "It's an honour to meet you, Kinomoto-san. I am a huge fan and I have followed almost all your articles – especially the recent one," Syaoran felt himself rambling while Sakura looked at the interaction and felt very confused. "It is fascinating to read about the 1000-year-old Buddhist temple that was discovered in Bangladesh. I have to ask, did they actually find old relics from there yet?" Syaoran asked, pensive and engrossed in knowing the most recent development in the archeological field.

"Ah, yes. They have. I am just surprised you know about my work, Li-san," Fujitaka spoke.

"I attended one of the classes you were a guest lecturer in a few years ago," Syaoran explained. "I minored in Archaeology," he added at the last minute.

Fujitaka chuckled. "Sakura, you didn't tell me Li-san knew me," he asked.

"I didn't know either, Outo-san," Sakura replied, tugging and playing with the handle of her luggage, while Kero barked happily every time Sakura petted the dog. Surprised was an understatement, Sakura could not help but notice how nervous Syaoran was feeling. Much like how one feels when they met a person who they admired for a long time.

"Well, come in, you two. We can continue this conversation in the living room," Fujitaka said, opening the door and then moving back inside so they could walk into the house. Sakura pulled her luggage into the hallway and placed it near the door. She quickly removed her shoes and stepped into the hallway with Kero in tow. Syaoran had followed Sakura – his mind still in shambles and unclear about the whole conversation.

"Is Touya home?" Sakura asked her father.

"He's still at the restaurant. He and Yukito should be here for dinner in about an hour or so," Fujitaka explained. "I am getting dinner ready, do you think you can show Li-san to his room?" Fujitaka asked, looking at the Syaoran, who was looking around the hallway.

"Of course, Outo-san! I'll help you with dinner right after!" Sakura replied before gesturing Syaoran to follow her up the stairs along with their luggage. Kero tugged on Sakura's pants up the stairs while Syaoran followed.

Sakura walked past her room, only pausing to leave her bag in front of her door. Kero was relishing in her presence now and calmed down. Sakura was surprised; Syaoran's reaction to meeting her father was unexpected. She knew her father was well-known around the world due to his impressive list of excavations and academic papers. She didn't know that Syaoran admired him and rather, minored in Archeology. Looking at Syaoran from the corner of her eyes, she had noticed he had grown quiet. She stopped once she reached Touya's door. She opened the door and moved out of Syaoran's way.

"This is it! This is your room for the duration of the trip," Sakura exclaimed, jolting Syaoran out of his reverie and letting him into the room. "This used to be my brother Touya's room. He moved out so I guess Outo-san thought you can use it," Sakura explained. "The bathroom is right outside, so freshen up, okay? I'll call you down to dinner when it's ready. Let's go, Kero," Sakura said, letting Syaoran have a little moment of peace before the storm named Touya would arrive.

Syaoran reluctantly walked down the steps – using his sense of smell to guide him to the kitchen. He wanted to wait till Sakura summoned him to dinner but his curiosity got the better of him. As he entered the kitchen, he noticed Sakura behind the counter, monitoring the rice cooker and humming a tuneless song once again. He noticed the dog, Kero, he remembered, sitting contently near the dining table, swishing his tail from side to side every now and then. He could hear the meat sizzling and observed Sakura as she placed her attention on the stove, stirring and shaking the pots and pans that held various delicacies.

His eyes noticed a picture of a woman on the kitchen table. Sakura had noticed Syaoran's presence and caught his eyes on the photograph.

"That's my mother, Nadeshiko," Sakura broke the silence, while she opened up the cabinets to gather the plates for her dishes.

"Your mother is very beautiful," Syaoran started rather awkwardly. He felt uncomfortable, having connected the dots that she had passed away. "Thank you," Sakura replied gratefully as she brought her attention back to the stove. "She passed away when I was 3 years old. She had been very ill for a while," Sakura explained, picking on the bits of meat.

"I am sorry," Syaoran spoke, his head hung low. He too knew the pain of losing one's parent.

"Don't be! She is in a better place now. I don't remember much about her but I know she loved all of us," Sakura reassured him with a smile.

"Do you want help?" Syaoran asked, attempting to change the topic. "No, no, I am almost done! Outo-san just went upstairs to take a bath, so I took over," Sakura clarified. "Please, sit down!" Sakura motioned towards a chair. Syaoran looked at the dining table, seeing five plates arranged. "I am fine here," Syaoran muttered, standing near the dog.

Sakura knew it would be useless to argue. She placed the food into the bowls and walked back to the cabinets, bringing out Kero's dog food. She had pour a generous amount of food into the bowl – all under the scrutiny of her amber-eyed "boyfriend".

"That dog's fat," Syaoran uttered nonchalantly. Somehow, as if understanding his comment, Kero bared his teeth at him, growling as if he would be ready to attack if he had heard one more insult about him.

"Kero, don't! Watch what you are saying about my dog, Li!" Sakura bellowed out harshly, pointing a finger at him to retaliate.

Syaoran, on the other hand, was astonished. He did not expect his comment to affect Sakura in that manner. "I only told you what I think!" he explained.

"I don't care! Apologize to him right now!" Sakura yelled out louder.

There was no way she had just said that. "Me? Apologize to the dog? Are you crazy?" Syaoran replied, shocked by Sakura's "ridiculous" request. "Do it, Li." Sakura gritted out.

"No way, Kinomoto!" Syaoran reacted accordingly. Sakura knew by now that their voices had carried upstairs.

"What the heck is going on here?" came a new voice, successfully attracting the attention of the two bickering individuals.

Syaoran huffed out an angry sigh, moving away from Sakura. He did not need this new person to figure out that Sakura and him were putting up a sham.

"Hey, brat, why were you screaming at my sister?" said the same man. Wait, sister? Syaoran thought, turning to face the scowling man. Behind him was another person, carrying a box in his hands.

Kinomoto Touya was not a patient man. He could never calm himself whenever his sister was in any sort of problem – this situation was no exception.

"I am talking to you, gaki," Touya seethed.

"Touya, it's fine! I overreacted," Sakura attempted to explain, trying to do damage control. Neither Syaoran nor Touya stood back down at their staring contest. The atmosphere was tense. At the end, an angry "hmph" from Touya had ended their stare-down.

"Sorry about that. Touya doesn't take it lightly when Sakura is threatened," the man with the box gently explained. "Stop talking to that brat, Yuki," Touya huffed, walking towards Sakura and ruffling her hair.

"You lost weight, monster," Touya noted. Sakura slammed her foot down on to Touya's, expressing her displeasure in hearing that nickname that he uttered. Touya yelped in pain, muttering profanity under his breath. "Still a monster, I see," Touya commented after a bit.

"How have you been, Sakura?" Yukito asked, smiling at the younger Kinomoto sibling. Sakura blushed, which caught Syaoran's attention, and muttered out brightly, "I have been great, Yukito!"

"We got us some cake for dessert! It's one of the new recipes at the restaurant, so I thought you might like it," Yukito replied, placing the box on the kitchen table. Sakura smiled and hugged Yukito right after – she had missed all of them so much. Her face lit up with joy, the ache she carried for two years was slowly disappearing.

"I see that you are all here, should we have dinner then?" Fujitaka entered the kitchen, oblivious to what had happened a few moments ago.

Dinner was a quiet affair but Syaoran found it terribly awkward. The reason? Kinomoto Touya, who had been glaring daggers at him throughout dinner. Syaoran would answer questions that were directed to him every now and then by the eldest Kinomoto and Yukito. Syaoran would observe the interaction between Sakura's brother and Yukito and it was very easy to go to the conclusion that they were dating. Sakura had animatedly contributed to most of the chatter, while the males listened in intently. Both of them had not yet had been asked how they began dating and all, and Syaoran was thankful for that.

"Are you two ready for tomorrow night's party?" Yukito asked, already on his third helping.

"I am! Tomoyo wanted to come over so we could get ready together," Sakura answered, while Syaoran stared at Yukito and how quickly he finished his food. "What about you, Li-san?" Yukito asked.

"I am, I guess," Syaoran replied. Truth to be told, he was nervous to meet other relatives of Kinomoto Sakura. He had been in the house barely a few hours and it had felt like he had merely met Sakura just now. She acted so differently around him – even though they knew each other for two years.

Once dessert was served and the dinner table cleared, Touya and Yukito bade farewell. Sakura had once again stomped on Touya's foot when addressed as "monster". However, it was the words that Touya had uttered that stuck in Sakura's head before leaving for home.

"Are you sure you two are dating, Sakura?" Touya asked, concern and contempt laced in his tone. "Yes, why do you ask?" Sakura managed to hide her stutter.

"You two don't seem like it," Touya replied, kicking a little bit of dirt from the grass. The two siblings had wandered into the Kinomoto residence's back garden – once their playground. That had stopped Sakura to think. Touya was sharp but – "don't be ridiculous, Touya. He's nervous – he is much nicer," Sakura lied, observing Syaoran, chatting with her dad and Yukito in the lounge, possibly over what they were watching on television.

"I don't like him, Sakura. He is a brat," Touya declared. Upon looking at the rage on Sakura's face, he had to add, "I don't think I can trust anyone with a monster like you," Touya teased. Sakura was trying to thrash her hands around in attempt to hit him, but he prevented her by immobilising her head. He grinned; he was still taller than her.

"I really did miss you, kid," Touya replied, "the house seemed empty without you stomping around."

"TOUYA!" came Sakura's shriek.

The house seemed strangely empty after Touya and Yukito had left. Sakura had Kero in tow, eager to accompany her to bed as he had done for several years now. Sakura scratched his head before trudging up the stairs to her room. With her luck, she crossed paths with her boss, Syaoran, who had exited the bathroom, ready for bed. Kero growled at him while Syaoran glared at the dog.

"Is something the matter, Kinomoto?" Syaoran asked, his amber eyes reflecting the exhaustion from the day he had experienced.

"I wanted to apologize. I overreacted," Sakura replied in a meek voice. "You're right, Kero is a bit greedy when it comes to food." Sakura smiled.

"Why name him Kero? He seems more like a stuffed animal than a dog to me," Syaoran commented, mirth in his voice, however, it earned him a bark from the dog.

"It's short for Kerberos – Touya let me name him," Sakura giggled. Syaoran could not help but let loose a small smile of his own.

"Well, it's getting late. Outo-san will be going to university tomorrow to get his documents so I have to be up early to make him some breakfast," Sakura broke the silence.

"Okay, do you need help?" Syaoran offered, it felt wrong for him to live like he did in Tokyo.

"No, it's okay. You need to rest too, I know work was very busy today," Sakura said, her voice softer than normal. "Good night, Li-kun," Sakura yawned, tugging Kero away from Syaoran and towards her room.

"You know what, Kinomoto?" Syaoran's voice made her turn towards his direction, confused on why she had been called out.

"You're kind of alright," he smiled before closing the door to his room.

End of Chapter.

Well, this is it for chapter 4!
I do hope it was worth the wait :) - I made sure to write a little more than I usually do to make up for the wait!

Sadly, with good news(the update) comes the bad news: the next update should be around December 2016, maybe earlier if I am lucky enough. The reason? I start university with an extremely heavy schedule next week, so, you know how it is. I shall be writing whenever I have free time, so don't worry, I shall complete this fic!

The college student inside of me wanted to credit the Bangladeshi newspaper, the Daily Star for the little conversation that our dork Syaoran had with his father-in-law, haha. The news article is dated on the 24th of August 2016, in case anyone wants to read about it. It felt nice, having to promote my country a bit! :D

This goes without saying but thank you so much for giving this fic a lot of love! I hope I succeed in making your day a little better with my words! Thank you for the reviews, follows and the favorites! Thank you for adding me to your favorite/followed author list. You have no idea how happy you make me when I check my emails and see all your encouraging words!
I'd also like to thank ivory-sword and lostinwanderland for reading this chapter and giving me their input on it. You guys are the best!

Finally, if you want to be updated with the progress of the upcoming chapters - please don't be shy to message me on tumblr (flightriskedkleptomaniac) or even send a PM! Of course, review and tell me what you think - I look forward to it and obviously, it motivates me to write more!

Until next time!
(8th September 2016)