[and here we go]

Syaoran leaned against the glass wall of the skyscraper building as he heavily drank a bottle of Minesia, a popular prescribed flavorless, colorless liquid as an antidepressant. Before he started his day, he made sure he drank half a cup but only his trusted secretary, Wei, knew about this.

His amber eyes looked intently at the view below him as he carefully reminisced his days in Japan. Being back here, after a decade felt so surreal with a menagerie of emotions. Not to mention, he was now running his own headquarters away from the original one ran by his mother in Hong Kong. No more fuss about listening to father's orders and no more arguments with his sisters over what the uniform policy should be.

Even though he got the freedom and the power he had dreamt since high school, this was all temporary as he was interim CEO. He decided it'd be best to announce his official status after Eriol's wedding; it was just perfect timing that he came back to Japan when his best friend was about to get married.

He sighed as he took the elevator down over twenty floors and proceeded to walk towards the next door building, TKY Dragon Films, a productions company Li Corps had acquired to check up on their top head of Public Relations – Eriol Hiiragazawa. The Li Clan all knew beforehand that this navy-haired gentleman was perfect for the job even prior applying as the man knew how to talk. He smirked as he entered the building, seeing his friend already shaking hands with PR representatives of other companies.

Before he could interfere, he felt a pair of small slender arms wrap around his from behind. What the –

He turned around to see the gaze of a pair of hazel eyes happily look back at him. Her long blonde locks hung loosely to her curvy hips and she wore a white gown adorned with carnation flowers. Under the fluorescent light, she looked like an angel.

"Are you proud of me?" Her gentle airy voice asked with a tint of red on her cheeks.

He swallowed a lump in his throat before he could utter a response. "Saiyuri..." he whispered. It all felt like a dream.

"Long time no see!" She smiled as she fiddled with her fingertips. "I'm finally an actress under TKY, all thanks to you."

Syaoran sheepishly grinned back and rustled with his chocolate brown hair. "Me? I just gave you a bunch of phone numbers and pamphlets. You're the one who worked all the way up to the top and that's what I find so admiring about you."

Zooming out ten meters away and sitting directly across, Sakura almost gagged on her chocolate muffin at the scene playing before her. Her coworkers gave her strange glances but proceeded to carry on their usual activities in the break room.

This was exactly what Sakura didn't like! Mushy scenes between two extraordinarily beautiful people – how cliché! She swore if she were ever in a situation like this she would rid herself due to secondhand embarrassment. She also hated how she had the ears of a canine and recognized Elevator Guy aka Li's voice from a far. She put the puzzle pieces together and mentally smacked herself that she was basically not only working under her best friend's fiance but also her best friend's fiance's best friend! The world was too small and in this productions company, it wasn't very hard to find devilishly attractive people.

But still, she gave herself another mental smack in the head for making an unprofessional impression last night to surprisingly, the supervisor of supervisors. After Tomoyo's childish comment, he slid his business card to her for some God forbid what intentions and Sakura easily made a run for it after "might have dropped her keys somewhere" excuse.

"So you work here too?"

Sakura snapped out of her pensive thoughts and crooked her head up high to see him with a smug smile. This time she was seeing him in professional attire of black blazer, slacks, tie, and white dress shirt. She cursed herself for staring and nearly drooled as well-dressed men were her guilty pleasure. Had she been thinking for that long?

"I'm just Eriol's intern but I've been here longer than you, that's for sure."

'Intern? Probably just out of college and desperately needed a job or something.' Syaoran mentally noted as she did look very young.

As soon as he took a seat next to her, Sakura scooted hers to an inch farther away. Syaoran quirked an eyebrow then again moved an inch closer only for her to retaliate another inch. This was getting sillier and sillier as he kept moving closer to the point where she was cornered.

With both hands up, she cried, "Okay, Li-san! What do you want?" This guy obviously did not respect her need of space.

He smiled inwardly at how amusing this girl was. "First of all, it's Li-sama," Sakura's face twitched but he continued, "second of all, why are you trying to avoid me? I'm technically your boss..." He leaned forward much to her dislike and squinted at her name tag. "Kinomoto."

For a second, she could have sworn a concerned look glossed over his eyes. "If you want to get to know your employees, disturbing me while I'm trying to be productive even during my break is not how you do it."

"Productive?" He snatched her sleek black phone and waved it in the air. "Korean dramas, really?"

Sakura's face turned tomato red. Caught!

Before she could say anything, he sighed, "Look, I just came from Hong Kong two days ago and -"

"No wonder your accent sounds funny." She muttered enough for Syaoran to send daggered glares.

She's so childish.

This girl, for whatever reason Eriol hired her, probably for the nepotism, Syaoran questioned her existence. She had the social intelligence of a high school freshman but the body of a model. Shame she couldn't use her image to her potential as she dressed in professional clothes too big for her body.

"I should assign you more tasks." She cringed at how the tone of his voice sharpened. "You're too lean back to be working at a company like this."

Her pink lips curved downwards. "What? I certainly do more than you think! Eriol already assigned me to speak with agencies regarding your little lover's movie, so – hrrmm?!"

Sakura nearly choked as Li stuffed her muffing back into her mouth as she was speaking. "And you talk too much."

He pushed himself out of his seat and walked towards the exit before she could say anything. "Stop playing around, Kinomoto." And he was out of sight.

Sakura sighed and wondered what the hell was wrong with him. Elevator guy was gentle and sweet then Li as a boss was toying around with her but automatically got so serious for some reason.

As her phone let out a bubble-popping sound, she automatically knew it was a video message from Tomoyo.

With a warm smile standing in front of the Daidouji Designs, her hands were folded in front of her minimalist violet dress.

"Eriol and I are inviting you to a dinner tonight. We will be discussing our wedding plans with our best man and maid of honor so please make it in a timely manner. The address and time are listed below. Thanks Sakura! By the way, check your locker!"

She groaned that this nearly married woman still had the time to hand craft an attire for her. Sakura was at least grateful Tomoyo's taste in clothing matured. Up until college, her designs were too ornate and vibrant and enough to make even Tomoyo cringe at the fact she made Sakura wear cat ears to her 20th birthday.

As she undid the twine wrapped around the white packaged, she was pleased to see a crisp white halter trapeze dress. To the side, there were long necklaces and a cherry blossom clip to adorn herself with. Not too simple and not too much.

.

"Don't you find it uncomfortable that we're gathering for a private dinner after an awkward encounter with these two less than twenty-four hours ago?" Eriol understood his fiance's motives but didn't quite grasp her road map on these plans of hers.

"Nonsense, this is truly a meeting with your best man and my bridesmaid about the wedding. I planned this even before yesterday, but I thought that tonight could have been the perfect time for those two to meet for the first time appropriately." She stated and meant what she said. She wished their best people for the wedding could have had a better way to meet each other as it would make their wedding plans cooperate more. Not that last night was a huge conflict, but she knew that no matter how outgoing Sakura was, embarrassment was a real struggle.

It didn't matter anyway. It's not like they were meant to be so Tomoyo couldn't care much over their chemistry.

"Well, here comes the devil himself now."

Behind Tomoyo strode Li Syaoran coming from the front entrance with many wandering eyes on him until he casually pulled out a seat next to Eriol.

Tomoyo giggled, "Li-san sure knows how to put on an atmosphere." He was still dressed in his tailored business suit which Tomoyo found flattering that this man could put on a show for anyone by the way he enters rooms.

Eriol chuckled as he saw the waitress bow politely at them and quickly gave them water although they did not ask for it. "It's the suit. It always makes you look incredibly tense, Syaoran."

"My pleasure." He responded dryly as he looked through the menu. He glanced up at Tomoyo only to be taken back by her sparkly eyed face. "What's wrong with her?" He blatantly asked Eriol.

"I'd invest all of TKY stocks to assume that the other one is making her way here." He didn't even move his eyes away from the menu at all to turn around to see Sakura coming from the back entrance behind him.

Sakura took her time walking towards their table as her emerald eyes wandered lost to the restaurant's warm lit decorations, highlighting her white dress that hit a few inches above the knee. Her auburn hair was tied back in a high ponytail with the cherry blossom clipped above and she wore cream canvased wedges that accentuated her legs and well, her clumsiness too.

"Shit, ah!" Sakura muttered as she awkwardly walked to the empty seat with her thick high wedges when she was already tall enough. The shoes made her legs look "freakishly long" and older than she really was.

Tomoyo giggled as she pulled out the seat next to her for Sakura. "So he's going to be Eriol's best man. Li Syaoran, this is Kinomoto Sakura – "

Syaoran nearly dropped his glass of champagne but smoothly caught it as if nothing happened.

"Yes Daidouji, we've met more than enough times."

Sakura straightened up her outfit as she sat down and scooted in towards the table, facing Syaoran. "Wah, what is this? I just saw him earlier and the day before and the day before that!" She crossed her arms and gave her infamous pout.

"Good, if that means I get to see her pretty face around then I'm not complaining." He responded so casually it took a while for her to process, resulting in a bright red Sakura.

Tomoyo smiled inwardly at how suave he was, reminding her of Eriol back in their early high school days. She was sure with Sakura's complacent personality and this guy's refined assertiveness, they'd be at least partners in crime and Eriol was probably thinking the same.

"Anyway," Eriol changed the subject to Sakura's pleasure. "we're aiming for three months at the Grand Avenue Hotel. Color scheme is lavender, white, and gold."

"Don't worry about wardrobe either, Daidouji Designs has it covered." Tomoyo continued and slid them a laminated cardstock full of names and table numbers, "This is this full guest list and seating, let us know if we should add anyone. For music, uhm...Eriol decided to hire Yamazaki and his band."

Syaoran's eyes widened in amusement. "He's in a band now? I thought he was a journalist? But then I saw his name as part of the marketing department."

"Yes, yes, and correct," Eriol chuckled. "He was fired for writing clickbait articles with misleading headlines. However, the guy works very well in our marketing department. Ethics are questionable but he can sell."

"So your first task is to pick what you want for appetizers, entree, dessert, and drinks!" Underneath the desk lugged out large glass and swiped with a stylus to bring out the menu. "I trust you two's taste so please look at this thoroughly."

Sakura's eyes widened at the infinite options and thanked the heavens that this planning-crazed girl was a fashion designer because that would have added more burden to help pick out the attire and color scheme.

"You invited mother? And all of my sisters?" Syaoran frowned at the guest list.

"I didn't, they invited themselves." Eriol said as-a-matter-of-fact. "Just be happy you get to sit next to Uncle Yue."

Sakura furrowed her eyebrows. Uncle Yue could only mean her doctor Yue so that would make sense that one time she saw him at the hospital. Uncle...wait, that means Syaoran and Eriol were cousins! Sweet heavens, God gave that family a good pair of chromosomes.

"They're related by marriage." Tomoyo whispered into Sakura's ear which made chills go up her spine. Tomoyo could always read her expressions so obviously for years, she still wasn't used to it.

As the dinner carried on, Eriol and Tomoyo made sure they completed their entire wedding agenda. From decorating the venues, the precise cake flavors, music (classical for them, of course), specific "flavor palettes" for the food, Sakura's head was spinning with all of this planning. It was predictable since childhood Tomoyo would have the most fairytale-esque wedding, but she didn't think she would be this involved in it. Sakura…wasn't even the type to plan what she was doing on her weekends.

When they finally got towards the end, Sakura suddenly turned frantic on what was at the end of their agenda.

Speeches.

"Isn't that only the best man's job?" She groaned and crossed her arms. She sucked at words.

"But I want to hear from you too, Sakura!" Tomoyo whined and reached over the table, clasping her hands over her cherished friend's. "I get to hear the rare sentimental soft side!"

Sakura gagged in response. "Tomoyo!"

"You can collaborate with Li-san!"

"I hardly know him!"

Eriol coughed so the two would remember him and Syaoran's existence.

"Sakura, just obliged to Tomoyo's request as this is our big day. You do presentations just fine -" Eriol wriggled his eyebrows at his word choice as he remembered the countless times her clumsy behavior cost his department many memos of explanations. "Syaoran will help you."

The rose gold watch delicately wrapped around Tomoyo's wrist began to play a music box version of Ave Maria. "Our wedding planner is calling!" She linked onto Eriol's arm, forcing him to stand up. "Give us a moment."

"So…" Sakura aggressively cut the tough sirloin in front of her without making direct eye contact with the man in front of her.

"So?" Syaoran quirked an eyebrow at the oddity before him.

"I guess we're going to see each other more often." The tip of the knife chipped off and Sakura sighed. "So I'll my best to be nice to you."

What Syaoran did next felt so out of character of what she envisioned him to be like. He gently smiled with a worried expression and placed his warm hand over hers, making her shiver.

"And I'll try my best not to fall in love with you."

–

A/N: REVIEW PLEASEEEEE! Hope you like; your reviews motivate me to update faster!

After a long a hiatus, here's an update! :D the CCS manga just got a reprise for the anniversary so I just had to come back here.

And just to clarify, this story is loosely sci-fi/fantasy (not putting in flying cars or laser guns) as that would ruin the mood of the story but you will see small details about technological advancements throughout. Think of Spotless Mind of Eternal Sunshine or Orange?

Anyway, I'm very not happy with this chapter because I had to change the setting to the entertainment industry and I just hate clichés but I just want to move forward with this story for once. Also notice that Wei is the secretary – yeah, none of that CEOxsecretary cliché here.