Author's note: I got a bit tired from writing my serious stuff so I decided to write a more light-hearted story. Just to wean me off the drama a bit. Tell me what you guys think. Enjoy reading. And just as a warning, this is a very conversation heavy chapter. XD

Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is rightly owned by CLAMP. They deserve all the praise for coming up with such a wonderful set of characters. I do not earn anything from the writing of this story.

Title: Take One

Rating: T

Chapter 1: A Cup of Coffee

-oOo-

Tomoyo could swear she could feel the synaptic signals forcing her face muscles to raise her eyebrow nanometer by nanometer. She realized she had been doing this quite often as of late. She always got like this whenever she saw her best friend Sakura Kinomoto. Whenever they met, Tomoyo found herself hard pressed not to scowl at her cousin. In this instant, she knew her face had taken on "the look", as Sakura called it. True enough, as soon as Sakura's eyes met hers the smile on her cousin's face dissolved and Sakura simply rolled her eyes. Tomoyo was willing to bet that her face was growing ever more menacing as Sakura approached if the change in her cousin's face was anything to go by. Being one of the fastest rising fashion stars of Japan, she could not in good conscience turn a blind eye to the travesty that was Sakura's wardrobe. Call her a drama queen if you will but Tomoyo took fashion very seriously.

"You'll get premature wrinkles if your face stays that way any longer." Sakura sat at the chair opposite Tomoyo and gave a loud sigh. It had been a custom between them since they were in middle school to meet up for brunch every Saturday.

Tomoyo only pursed her lips in reply. She watched as Sakura flagged down a waiter and ordered for the both of them. They knew each other's tastes so well that there was no chance of them picking out something the other wouldn't like. Besides, it was tradition that they take turns ordering. After the waiter had gone, Tomoyo let out the problem that had been bugging her for the umpteenth time.

"Sakura," Tomoyo started in a pleading tone. "Please, for the love of everything that's holy, let me empty out your current wardrobe. I can't bear to look at you anymore."

Sakura rolled her eyes again. "Tomoyo, nothing is wrong with my clothes. Touya even said I looked nice."

"Touya isn't exactly objective when it comes to questions like that," Tomoyo countered.

However much she hated to admit it, they was a small part of Tomoyo's brain, probably the size of a pinprick, that told her that Sakura did look nice today - in an androgynous 1950s paper boy sort of way. Despite that, the larger part of her brain refused to separate the word "androgynous" from visual kei. For Tomoyo, her cousin's sense of style was a very very toned down version of visual kei. Toned down, yes. But still visual kei. It was Tomoyo's considered opinion that women should stay at least a kilometer from such things.

"He's a model, Tomoyo. I think he would know what he's talking about."

"He's a male model Sakura." Tomoyo said it like that was explanation enough. "Not to mention he's your brother and he's got a bit of a sister complex."

"No he doesn't," answered Sakura defensively.

"Come on, Sakura. Your brother's main goal in life is to ensure that no guy will realize your appeal as a woman. He would be euphorically happy if you decided to become a nun. I bet he'd be willing to host a party for the entire Kanagawa Prefecture if you did."

"That's not true."

"Your mild brother complex makes you blind to the dirty underhanded tricks he uses to manipulate you."

Sakura laughed at that. "You say that like he's an evil presence, Tomoyo. He's a great big brother."

"So says his spoiled little princess."

Sakura actually blushed at that. "Dad treats me the same way you know."

Tomoyo gave a tired sigh. "Typical, Touya must have gotten it from somewhere I guess."

"You're a bit meaner today than usual. Did something happen?" asked Sakura.

"Problem at work, nothing big really. It's just been too long and I haven't found a solution to it. Also, I've just about had it with this complex thing of yours. Mild as it is," Tomoyo answered.

"It's not like it's a pathological thing, you know," replied Sakura.

"Thank the good Lord for that."

Sakura and her brother were unnaturally close. There were never any signs of incest but it could grate on your nerves sometimes. Sakura looked up to Touya and her Dad as the best examples of the male species. They were perfect to a fault. Where else could you meet extremely gorgeous guys who were both exceptional at cooking and other household chores? Not to mention the fact they naturally excel at anything they do. Touya acted like her dad most of the time.

"It's just like how you take fashion seriously. Touya takes being a big brother seriously as well. Especially given how our family is."

Tomoyo considered her friend's position and could see a reason why Touya became like he was. Their parent's were always busy when they were children. They were mostly left alone. It was Touya's job to look after Sakura who was seven years younger than him. Their parents were the nicest people Tomoyo knew and she didn't find it surprising that both Sakura and her brother were very devoted to them. Touya must have taken his duty of taking care of Sakura seriously to please his parents.

"I still don't understand why you haven't entered the entertainment industry, Sakura. I mean here you have your dad who is this internationally renowned archaeologist, your mother who remains to be one of Japan's legendary model-actresses despite being retired and a brother who is the most in-demand male model in Japan today. Fame and popularity are common in your family. You're beautiful and talented and I'm sure you can make it big if you give it a shot. Why choose to swim with whales and dolphins?"

"You know that industry never appealed to me, Tomoyo."

"That's obvious. But still, a marine biologist? Couldn't you have chosen a generic job instead like a doctor or an engineer or a lawyer or something?"

Sakura laughed out loud. "I like what marine biologists do. You know I've always been fascinated by the sea and everything in it."

Tomoyo sighed. "I know. It's just a waste. Talent like yours can revive the dying acting industry. Besides, a face like that deserves to be admired by people. Not fish or crustaceans."

Sakura smiled. "Thank you. But I'm happy where I am."

"And given how rich you guys are now, I still find it weird that you choose to continue living in that old house of yours."

Sakura's family still stayed in the first house they had. Even if her family was as it is now, they still choose to remain in that simple two-storey house. It had always amazed her how grounded her family was. All of them were just too humble. You wouldn't think some of them were household names already. The same applied to Sakura. Even if they were very well-off, she still had a part-time job. Tomoyo had asked her once before why she wouldn't just quit but she said it built character. As if she didn't have enough character already.

"My mom and dad insist that I live a normal life."

"Save whatever semblance of normalcy you have left, huh?"

Sakura nodded. "Something like that. Besides, people respect our privacy there. Even with what my family has become people still treat us the same. We feel comfortable in that neighborhood."

"Just wait until Touya's fangirls and fanboys find out where he lives. Pandemonium will be just around the corner."

"I don't doubt that. However, some already do. His old classmates and of course our old classmates know. I was surprised that most of them kept mum about it. I guess they didn't want to give us the extra trouble. Anyway, if our address does become public knowledge then we'll probably have to move and stuff. You should see the fanmail he and my mother get. My dad was seriously considering getting an outdoor storage area made for all the letters they receive."

"Your mom still gets fanmail? Even if she's been retired for years?" Tomoyo asked.

"She has diehard fans," answered Sakura with a laugh.

"People still want her back, huh?"

"Well, although she's already 43, she still looks like she's in her late twenties."

"Your dad is the same. He's 50 and he looks like he's 30."

Sakura's parents were probably the prettiest parents you'd see in Japan. Both of them looked a little too young for their age and a number of people get fooled all the time.

"He has quite a number of admirers in the university. They give up once they know who he's married to though. But people still treat him like a superstar," Sakura answered with a laugh.

Sakura's mom and dad met when her mom was in high school and her dad was her student teacher. Many didn't approve of the match then, her mother being 17 and in school while her dad being 25 and her teacher no less. They had a rough time during their first few years of marriage. That was when her mother decided to work as a model. She was eventually discovered and she continued on to being an actress. Her dad continued his work in the university and became a famous personage in a few years. Seeing Sakura's parents made her believe that there was something like true love in the world. Despite the troubles they've had in their early years, Sakura had never seen her mother unhappy. They were out a lot and she and Touya were left alone most of the time but they made up for it whenever they came back. Their family was a very loving family.

Tomoyo was smiling as she thought of Sakura's family. "You're a very pretty family."

"So they say."

"Doesn't explain why Touya chose to become a model though."

Sakura tried not to smile. Just then the food they had ordered arrived. Both of them started to dig in.

"Why do you think that, Tomoyo?" asked Sakura.

Tomoyo's thoughts drifted to her memories of the old Touya. She tried to equate the old Touya with the one she knew now. She frowned a bit as she spoke."Well, he's always been good looking. I've already known that since we were kids."

Sakura nodded as she gulped down her pasta. "Uh hm."

"I actually had a thing for him back when we were in the fifth grade."

"I know! You kept blushing like crazy around him," Sakura said as she recalled the many instances Tomoyo came in contact with Touya then. Tomoyo was always the intimidating type but she would be as meek as a kitten when Touya was around.

Tomoyo smiled as she remembered as well. "Ah, well, he was and still is one very fine specimen of male."

"So a model would be the perfect job for him," continued Sakura.

"I guess. But if you told me then that that would be his career path I'd laugh my head off."

"I agree with you there."

"I always thought he'd be a professional football player. I know nothing about the sport but I was mesmerized whenever he played at the Seijo field."

Touya's high school, Seijo High School, was just beside their grade school, Tomoeda Elementary. Their athletics fields were adjacent to each other so it was normal to see students from each school doing their sports. Touya's football games had always been a fiasco. You'd know if it was going on due to all the screaming girls around. High students, grade school students, even random people from the street were swooning.

"Everyone was," Sakura answered with a smile.

"Don't you think it's a waste? All that talent and he decides to model."

"Ah, you wouldn't know of course."

Tomoyo looked at Sakura in question. "What don't I know?"

"Touya's an unofficial member of the National Team," answered Sakura.

"Unofficial?" repeated Tomoyo.

Touya had already been scouted by the J-league when he was 15. He has been part of the U-15, U-17 and U-19 teams. It was a surprise for everyone when he suddenly left the football scene and pursued modeling.

"Yeah, he isn't in the official roster but he joins their practices. He isn't a member of any club as well."

"Is that how he maintains that wonderful physique of his? He does have that football bod proportion going on."

Sakura couldn't help but laugh. "I can never get used to people objectifying Touya like that."

"Of course not. The apple of Touya's eyes would never think that," Tomoyo said with sarcasm.

Sakura laughed again. "You're not quite right on that either. There is someone else who weighs more in Touya's heart than I do."

Tomoyo looked genuinely surprised. "Impossible!"

"You make my relationship with him sound so bad," Sakura complained with a frown and a mouth full of Caesar's salad.

"Well, considering he's a tad bit over overprotective of you and that you seem to eat up anything he says – "

"I do not eat up anything Touya says!"

"Who are you kidding? You let him shop for your clothes," Tomoyo told her in an accusing tone.

Sakura shook her head vehemently. "He just shops with me. And he gives me comments on the clothes I buy."

Tomoyo raised an eyebrow. "Sakura, you know those dirty, underhanded tricks of manipulation I was talking about? That's one right there."

"He isn't manipulative."

"I see how he has you wrapped around his finger," commented Tomoyo.

"He does not!"

"You both have a complex."

"We don't!"

"Deny all you want, the facts are all there." After a short pause, Tomoyo gave a sigh of relief. "Teasing you always makes me feel better."

"Don't beat up on me too much, I get hurt, too," Sakura answered with a pout.

"Aww, is my dear Sakura-chan angry? Don't be. You're just so cute when you're flustered." Tomoyo started to giggle.

"Thanks, I think."

"Anyway, going back to the original topic, why doesn't Touya just become a football player for real? He's already a member as you said. If he can't give it up then he should just go for it. Balancing out sports and his modeling jobs can't be easy."

"There's a reason. I'm not sure if I should say it though. It's kind of stupid, but kind of sweet at the same time."

"Stupid but sweet? You lost me there," replied Tomoyo before taking a sip of her orange juice.

It was Sakura's turn to giggle. "Do you know that Touya chooses all his jobs himself?" she asked Tomoyo,

"What do you mean?"

Sakura finished her mouthful of pasta before continuing. "I mean that he only does the jobs he likes. Mom leaves it to him. He's done that even when he wasn't famous."

Tomoyo found that weird. Models who started out usually did any job they could get their hands on, no matter what the size. "How did he become famous with that attitude? It totally goes against the grain."

"I think it's partly because of my mom and partly because Touya does such a great job. Remember the first ad he did?"

"Ah, now there was an ad that turned heads," Tomoyo said as she remembered the first ad Touya did. It was for a relatively unknown clothing line. After he did the ad, the company skyrocketed to the top. He's been one of their endorsers ever since. It wasn't that big of a production. It was basically just him wearing the clothes anyway. What they didn't expect was how striking an image he could give. People had seriously stopped and stared at the billboard. It had been that good. Tomoyo concluded it had been the result of such good chemistry between Touya and the photographer. Nothing else could produce a picture of that high quality.

"With a first impression like that, you can't blame the offers for just rolling in. Also, since my mom is his manager, getting the jobs are easy. My mom is very persuasive."

"How did he get that ad job anyway? I can't imagine him presenting a portfolio to scouts." Tomoyo frowned as she tried to picture it.

"It was an accident, really. My mom was out shopping with Touya one day. There was a shoot for the ad at the department store but I think the model they chose got into a pinch and was running really late. My mom happened to know the people who were doing the ad so she decided to chat with them. They actually thought Touya was her boyfriend!" Sakura broke off then and gave a laugh. Tomoyo joined in. "Anyway, she explained immediately that Touya was her son. That surprised them all. Then someone asked if maybe Touya wanted to be the model. He refused at first but as I said, my mom can be very persuasive. That was one reason why he did it."

Tomoyo still wasn't satisfied. "That's how he started. But I can't imagine him actually continuing on like that. Modeling one after another. You say your mom doesn't even force him to do it."

Sakura nodded. "She just forced him that one time. Just to let him experience it. She basically let him do as he liked."

"So why did he become a model? I don't get it."

Sakura laughed as Tomoyo continued to rack her brain for answers. She decided to help her cousin out. "Do you know that there's a similarity in all the projects Touya does?"

Tomoyo looked at her, not understanding. "A similarity you say?"

"Well, maybe like 8 out of 10. But still if you figured it out, you can get Touya to work for you just like that." Sakura snapped her fingers to emphasize her point.

"Surely there's no formula like that, Sakura," Tomoyo answered dubiously.

"It's much coveted information. Given that he's been given offers in South Korea and Singapore, this knowledge will give you an edge over the other people offering him jobs."

Tomoyo did not know that Touya was receiving offers from outside the country. Her company offered him several projects and he has yet to accept any of them. Now that Tomoyo knew she had outside competition, the chance of him accepting appeared smaller. "Since when?"

"Since a month ago. My mom said they've been having meetings these past few days with a number of brands outside Japan."

Tomoyo raised her hands in exasperation. "How will I get him to work for me now?"

"What do you mean, Tomoyo?" asked Sakura.

"You know that problem I was saying? It's about that. We want Touya to do an ad for my clothing line. It would give us another big boost. We really want to aim for the top and we can't afford to make mistakes with our ads. Touya is the best. Unfortunately, being the best means it's harder to actually get him to do the job. Finding out we have more competition is just disheartening."

Sakura considered the wisdom of what she was about to say. "If I tell you what I know, will you promise you won't take advantage of it?"

"You're going to tell me how to easily get Touya?" Tomoyo brightened up immediately. "It would be a great help, Sakura. I won't take advantage, promise. He's your brother after all. He's family. Also, it's just for this one ad."

Sakura knew her cousin was sincere. "Kaho Mizuki."

"What?" Tomoyo asked, not comprehending.

"Kaho Mizuki," repeated Sakura.

Tomoyo recognized the name. She'd heard it several times before but she couldn't recall exactly where. It took a few moments until she remembered her. "Isn't she that famous photographer that -" Tomoyo stopped as the realization hit her. "No way!" She looked at the big smile on Sakura's face.

"Smitten the first time he laid eyes on her."

"Kaho Mizuki? For real? Isn't she like 10 years older than him?"

"Eight actually. She was the photographer for his first photoshoot."

"So those 8 out of 10 projects were -"

Sakura gave a little laugh. "Exactly. She was the photographer."

Tomoyo smiled as she considered the possibilities. "So if I took her as my photographer…"

"Touya would do it for free if you wanted."

Tomoyo couldn't hide her delight. "Thank you so much! Although I can't imagine him confiding in you like that. That Touya, admitting he's in love."

Sakura gave a little laugh. "He didn't actually. Unfortunately for him, my mom has a sixth sense for these things. She found out on like the second photoshoot they did together. She just told me and dad after. We tease him about it constantly. Despite that face, he has no confidence at all. He's been in love with her for almost 4 years and he hasn't done anything."

"That is funny. I never would have expected it."

"I guess that's what most people would say."

"Touya in love, huh?"

"Yes. Touya in love."

"Does she have something to do with Touya's acting debut?"

"Yes, she does," Sakura answered with a laugh. "She did the negotiations herself. Touya agreed on the spot. She's one of the executive producers of the movie."

"I didn't know photographers earned that much," commented Tomoyo. Being a film producer required a lot of money. She doubted the commission Kaho Mizuki got from her job would be enough for it. From what she remembered, Kaho Mizuki did freelance. She was not affiliated with any company or group.

"Old world money I think. She was rich to begin with. Ancient family and all that. "

"Okay, do you know the story of the movie Touya's doing?"

Sakura tried to remember what it was about. She had read the script only once and could not remember the details. "I think it was a love triangle thing. He doesn't end up with the girl. My mom said his role was someone who was pining away for a girl he thinks he can't have. In a way it's perfect for him, being stuck in that same situation right now. Or for the past 4 years to be exact."

"Who else are in the movie?"

"Let me think. Yuzuriha Nekoi and Li Syaoran, if I'm not mistaken."

"Li Syaoran?"

Sakura nodded as she drained her glass of iced tea.

"The Li Syaoran?"

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "What's with the 'the'?"

Tomoyo gave her a small smile. "Li Syaoran is the Touya Kinomoto of the acting world. He's been an actor since he was a kid. He's been able to maintain his popularity unlike most child actors. He's even more famous than he was when he was then. He's one of the best. You should see all the awards he gets. He also happens to be one of my endorsers. He regards his work the same way I regard mine. That's why I like him. He cares for his craft."

"Oh." Sakura said in an understanding tone.

Tomoyo was sure her cousin was misunderstanding her relationship with Li Syaoran. "I don't like him in that way, Sakura."

"Sure, sure," Sakura answered her in a patronizing tone.

"I'm serious. I really don't. His manager and I are exclusively dating though."

Sakura looked back to her in surprise and almost choked on the madeleine she was consuming. "Exclusively dating? Since when? Why don't I know this?" she demanded.

"Because we only started last Sunday. And I haven't met with you until today. Also, with regards to how it happened, I just wanted to keep a little for myself. You know everything about me. I was going to tell you the details when I was ready."

"Imagine, there's actually a guy who can keep up with you. And I thought your smart-alecky personality would scare away any guy within a 4 meter radius."

"Thank you. I'm more worried about you. I don't imagine there's a guy in his right mind who would try to win you over. Only suicidal people would go against Touya."

"Haha. Touché."

Both girls laughed at their shared joke. "Since you've brought the topic up, why not tell me about it now?" requested Sakura.

Tomoyo needed no further persuasion. "It started when we were doing negotiations for the endorsement deal. I was -"

"Wait, sorry," interrupted Sakura.

"What's wrong?" asked Tomoyo.

"My phone's ringing. Let me just take this call."

Sakura looked through her bag looking for her phone. It took her a while before she found it. She took a glance at the caller and was surprised. It was Touya. Her brother was supposed to be at his first on location shoot today. She assumed he would be busy the entire day.

"It's Touya," she told Tomoyo as she pressed the answer button.

"Typical that I get brushed aside. I'm not important as Touya after all."

Sakura gestured her to keep quiet before she spoke into the phone. "Niisan? Is something wrong? You were supposed to be busy the entire day."

"'Niisan'? Do you still call him with such a kiddie name? You definitely have a complex. Who uses that these days anyway?"

Sakura gave Tomoyo a hard look, forcing her to shut up. Tomoyo shrugged and kept silent.

"Sakura, it's mom. I borrowed Touya's phone for a bit. My battery just died," said the person on the other line.

"Mom? Is there anything wrong?"

"Are you busy, sweetie?"

"No, not really. I'm with Tomoyo now."

"Anyway, I really need a favor."

"Sure, anything."

Sakura heard her mom talking to someone else on the other line. Her mom must have been busy as well. After a while, she heard her voice once more. "Sorry, I have my hands full here as well. Anyway, the favor I wanted. Touya left his backpack in the living room. I put some important documents there and we need it today. I wanted to scold him for being so stupid but he's also very busy. Can you get it to us, dear? I'll send you the address in an sms."

"Sure. It's no problem. I think I saw it when I left this morning. Blue, right?"

"Yes, he said it's in the couch. I'm sorry for making you do this. You were supposed to be resting today, too."

Sakura smiled as she answered. "It's honestly all right, mom. You can count on me."

"Thanks dear. I'll make it up to you."

"I'll be there in a bit then."

"I'll tell security to let you in then. Just wait for my sms, all right? Go home and get the bag first. You won't get lost here in Ikebukuro, right?"

"No problem. I know my way around. Wait for me."

"Bye, sweetie. And thanks again."

"Bye." Sakura ended the call and returned her phone to her bag. She looked back at Tomoyo. "Sorry, I've got an errand to run. It's a bit of an emergency."

Tomoyo looked worried. "Did something happen?"

Sakura smiled to reassure her. "No, it's just Touya being a scatterbrain. He forgot his things at home. Mom asked to take it to them."

"Oh, okay."

"Can I leave the bill to you? I really have to go now."

"Oh sure, go ahead."

Sakura gathered her things and stood up. "We'll continue this discussion later, all right? I'm dying to know about this manager person."

Tomoyo gave a small smile. "As soon as you're done."

"Thanks!"

With that, Sakura left Tomoyo and ran for home. She was lucky that the restaurant they picked was close to her house. Within 20 minutes she was able to reach it. She rushed to the living room looking for Touya's bag. She saw it on the couch and immediately grabbed it. She checked her phone and saw a message from her mom. She memorized the address and headed out.

Luckily for her, the movie was being filmed in Ikebukuro. That was where Sakura's part-time job was so she knew her way around. The address her mom sent was just a few blocks away from the aquarium where she worked. Since she was coming from Tomoeda, it would take her close to an hour before she reached her destination. She immediately ran to the bus stop. It was moments like these that Sakura considered learning to drive. She had no problem commuting but driving her own car would be much more then again, the environmentalist in her would reprimand her for having such a huge carbon footprint.

Two bus stops later, she reached the train station. Three stations later, she was in Ikebukuro. She walked along the familiar streets until she reached her destination. Her mom told her that they were filming in an amusement park nearby. As she reached the entrance, she found herself blocked by two burly security personnel.

"Hey, boy. This place is off limits today. People who aren't involved can't enter."

Sakura tried not to take offense at being mistaken for a boy. Other than the fact she was wearing what Tomoyo called "the most gender-insensitive clothes on the planet", she was also wearing a beret and sunglasses. Any indication that she was a girl was probably lost on these two. She considered Tomoyo's offer of emptying out her wardrobe for a split second. She dispelled the thought and focused on her task.

"Uhm, my name is Kinomoto," she started. "You should have received word that I was coming."

Both of them gave her dubious looks. "Try harder little boy."

A vein in Sakura's temple twitched. She could only take so many jabs at her fashion sense for one day. "We started off the wrong foot I believe -"

"Get lost, boy," of them them said impatiently.

Talking politely didn't seem to get her anywhere so she changed tack. "I'm Sakura Kinomoto, my mother Nadeshiko Kinomoto should have given you word that I was coming." Sakura was essentially a nice person but she still had a backbone. Years of being best friends with Tomoyo gives you that. People knew she was serious when she mentioned exactly whose daughter she was.

Both guards looked surprised. Her mother doesn't let trivial things like that escape her so Sakura assumed she had indeed left a message. These Neanderthal security people probably thought Nadeshiko Kinomoto's daughter would be as glamorous as she was. Sakura remembered once more why she did not like this industry.

"Sakura-san, we apologize, we didn't think -"

"Please do not address me in such a familiar manner," she interrupted snippily.

"We're very sorry. Again, we apologize."

"Just let me in."

Sakura surged pass them without a single word, her irritation still not abating. As she was a few meters away from them, Sakura realized she had no idea where to go. This particular amusement park was quite big and her mother didn't give her specifics on where she was supposed to go. Her pride did not allow her to go back to those security people and ask. She just decided to look for the place with the cameras and the lights. She wandered for a few minutes before reaching an area with numerous tents put up. A table full of food was also in view. There were no people around. Sakura always thought that sets were busy and there should always be people around. She just shrugged and assumed they were somewhere inside the tents. She approached the tent with the words "Dressing Room" on its wall. She decided to ask the staff inside where her mother could be.

She entered the tent and looked around. She found herself alone once more. Despite herself, Sakura could not suppress the urge to snoop. It was her first time in an actual dressing room after all. Her mother and brother didn't usually invite her to their shoots. Just as she was scanning through a copy of the script, the entrance flaps were brushed to one side.

"It's good you're here."

Sakura turned around as she heard the voice that spoke. She didn't know why the sound of that voice sent chills down her spine. She turned in time to see the intruder take off his coat and throw it to one side. She recognized him as Li Syaoran, the actor she and Tomoyo were just talking about. She was a bit taken back by what she saw. She'd seen him a few times on TV and she always thought he was a bit short and stocky. Boy, was she wrong. This Syaoran was at least a head taller than her. His stocky appearance on screen must have been due to some trick of the light. His body was just as well proportioned as Touya. He was preoccupied with something so she couldn't see his face but she knew it would be just as good as she knew it to be. Better maybe. He was a few feet away from her but his aura and presence were smothering her like a wet blanket. She briefly asked herself if this is what one felt when they were "star struck". He continued as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

"I need coffee and a little something to eat. I just came from another taping and I'm starved. Call the other staff, the director and my make-up artist. Tell wardrobe I've arrived. Quickly, we're running late as it is."

Sakura noted that Li Syaoran spoke in a tone that told her he was used to his orders being followed.

Not quite understanding, Sakura tried to excuse herself. "Uhm, sorry, I'm not really -"

It was then that he turned the forced of his gaze on her. Sakura's heart started racing. The intensity of his eyes was something else. "Stop gawking like an idiot. Do your job." With that he turned back to what he was doing.

Tomoyo was saying how she liked Li Syaoran but the attitude he was showing now was turning Sakura off. She tried to explain once more, "Uh, like I was trying to say, I'm not -"

"Tell me later. Just do everything I said. And coffee. I need coffee."

Sakura guessed she couldn't do anything else to convince him. As she moved to leave he was already sifting through the papers on the table probably looking for the script.

"Fine, I'll give you your coffee. That I can do at least."

He did not make a sign that he heard her. She continued outside and walked towards the mess table. No one else was around so she simply helped herself. She found some packs of instant coffee and made him a cup. She also took a platter and filled it with miscellaneous food from the table. She returned to the tent and found him seated and absorbed in what he was reading.

"Leave everything there."

Sakura did as he told. "Is the director coming? How long will I wait for wardrobe? Make-up?" He stopped his interrogation and took a sip from the cup.

"As I said, I'm not -"

He immediately spit out what he had been drinking. Whatever words Sakura was about to say got caught in her throat. Violently slamming the cup down on the table, he turned to glare at her.

"What the hell is this?"

"A cup of coffee?" Sakura wasn't sure what was wrong.

"It's instant coffee."

"It is."

"And it's decaf."

She could not understand why he was getting angry like this. And how the hell could he tell it was decaf anyway? It would take at least an hour before he'd notice the lack of caffeine kick. She was surprised to find herself on the defensive. "There wasn't much choice from the things that were -"

"Enough of your excuses! I haven't slept in 30 hours! How the hell do you expect me to function if you give me decaf? Since when did they hire incompetent people like you? And they have the gall to assign you to me? Go look for another job. One where you don't need to use your limited intelligence."

Without thinking about it, Sakura stormed towards him and grabbed the cup from the table. With a flick of her wrist she doused Li Syaoran with the entire contents of the cup.

"What are doing you worthless -"

It was Sakura's turn to raise her voice. "In case you didn't notice, I don't work for you or for anyone here. Had you listened to me before then you would have understood. And now you think you have the right to yell at me for something as stupid as this?" Li Syaoran could not answer her and so she continued. "You may think you're all that but that doesn't give you the right to push people around like they're beneath you. It's sad to see how fame has inflated your head. I'm amazed you can still walk around with that gigantic head of yours, you pig!"

She takes a deep breath before stalking out of the tent. She found a person blocking her path. He was dressed in a suit and was carrying a tray of food. He was obviously surprised to see her.

"Move," she ground out dangerously.

The stranger obeyed without question. Both Li Syaoran and he were left to the sight of Sakura's disappearing back.

The person who had just entered was Li Syaoran's manager, Hiiragizawa Eriol. As soon as they arrived at the set he had left Syaoran to go and greet the director. He expected Syaoran to be ready when they met at his tent but he did not expect Syaoran to be in the state he was now. He saw the empty cup and the coffee splatters on the papers on the table. He saw that Syaoran took the brunt of the damage.

"Care to explain?"

Syaoran started taking of his clothes. "Some sociopath just entered my room. I mistook him for a PA and well you can see for yourself."

"Is that coffee?"

"Instant decaffeinated coffee."

Eriol gave an exasperated sigh. "Syaoran, I may not know the details but I feel that you somehow deserved it. You can be quite the ass when you don't get your caffeine fix. Not to mention that all nighter we had to pull, too. But come now, you could have controlled yourself a little. That temper of yours can be so troublesome at times."

"Isn't it that guy's job to deal with it?"

Lack of sleep never did suit Syaoran. He'd turn into Dr. Hyde without a moment's notice. Not even Eriol could bear being around him for more than 10 minutes when he was like this. Eriol had always made sure that Syaoran had enough sleep so as to ensure his pleasant interaction with the people at the set. Unfortunately, their problem at the shoot yesterday was something unprecedented. The only thing that can keep Syaoran going during cases like these was massive doses of caffeine. Syaoran's senses also dulled when he was like this so Eriol didn't bother correcting him that the person who left was no "guy".

"You don't treat PAs like that usually," Eriol commented.

"Well excuse me for being grouchy. I've had no sleep since yesterday and I want this thing over with."

"Fine, get cleaned up then. I'll go tell the director. For now, drink that espresso I got. That should remove your stuck-up, prissy attitude until we're done here."

"Yeah, whatever."

The moment Eriol left Syaoran was the same moment Sakura finally saw a glimpse of her mother. She rushed to her just as Nadeshiko saw her. As soon as she was beside her, Nadeshiko gave Sakura a big hug.

"You're here, I'm so glad. You were taking a bit so I was worried."

Sakura extricated herself from her mom's arms and gave her a reassuring smile. "It was a bit far. Also, I met a little bit of trouble on the way. I had a hard time finding you though. This amusement park's big. I didn't let the guards lead me in so I was a bit lost."

"I asked them to though."

"It's no problem, I'm here now. And here's the bag." She handed the bag to Nadeshiko.

"Thanks, dear."

Sakura looked around and did not see her brother. "Where's Niisan?"

Nadeshiko pointed towards the ferris wheel and Sakura could make out a dozen or so cameras at the scene. "He's a bit busy with a few takes. They progressed well today. I didn't know he was a natural," Nadeshiko said with a giggle.

Sakura gave a little laugh. "Isn't that his normal everyday self anyway? Besides, I think he practices by himself in his room well into the night. He probably wants to make a good impression."

"There's that. I just wish he could act a little more natural around her. I'm embarrassed for him."

Sakura looked around looking for the woman they were talking about. "Is she here? Have they met?"

"Yes. He was tongue-tied the moment he saw her. It was painful to watch." Nadeshiko gave a grimace.

"I would have loved to see that."

Nadeshiko only shook her head. "It was a pitiful display, really. I'm grateful I was the only one around to actually witness it. If anyone else was around, you'd have read it in tomorrow's tabloids."

Sakura could only laugh at that. Seeing her normally perfectly composed big brother all flustered and embarrassed was always a sight to see. She rarely got the chance to see that though.

"Nadeshiko-san."

Sakura and her mother both turned towards the new voice and saw Kaho Mizuki standing behind them.

"Kaho, hello again."

"Who is this young lady?" she gestured towards Sakura.

Nadeshiko gave a small laugh. "I'm surprised you could tell. She's dressed up like a boy today."

"Oh? She's all woman to me, either way."

Nadeshiko looked at Sakura as if in thought. "Must be that photographer eye of yours, eh?"

"Probably," Kaho answered with a smile. Turning towards Sakura, she extended her hand. "I'm Kaho Mizuki and you are?"

Sakura took the offered hand and shook it. "Sakura Kinomoto. It's an honor to meet you, Kaho-san."

Kaho smiled in return. "You're Nadeshiko san's daughter, correct? The only member of the Kinomoto family who hasn't been exposed to the public. Just as I thought, you're as beautiful as your mother."

Sakura found herself blushing at the compliment. "Thank you very much. I'm not really interested in this industry though."

"Is that so? That's too bad."

"Sakura's too much like her dad. They're both the smart types. Sakura here is applying to Toudai. She really wants to be a biologist. Who knows, she may have her own show in the future like on the Discovery Channel or National Geographic. She'll make her own name then." Nadeshiko looked like she was joking but there was obvious pride in her voice.

"I see. Are you here visiting your brother, Sakura-chan?" Kaho asked.

"He forgot something at home so I'm acting as delivery girl today," Sakura answered.

Nadeshiko then spoke up in Touya's defense. "This really isn't something he normally does. He was probably nervous this morning. It's his first day of taping so I guess I understand. I was also nervous when I started. I felt like a fish out of water."

Kaho looked amused at them. "Touya always seems so confident though. I can't imagine him being nervous at all. He's never been anything but calm and composed when I see him."

"It's only on the outside. He gets the jitters, too. It's cute how he tries to hide it," Nadeshiko said with a little laugh.

Sakura herself was laughing silently. She was immediately aware of what her mother was trying to do. Match-making was one of her mother's hobbies and she knew she wouldn't pass this opportunity up. Her mother had been focusing all her attentions on Kaho Mizuki and Touya for the last year.

Kaho seemed surprised by this revelation. "Really? I would never have thought of it."

"Touya has his moments like that," Nadeshiko answered.

"Moments like what?"

All three women turned to see Touya walking towards them.

"Touya! You're done!" Nadeshiko's voice was unnaturally high.

"We just took a break. I'm on in another 15 minutes. But like I said, moments like what?"

Sakura knew that her mother needed an intervention right about now. She grabbed the bag on the table and threw it at Touya. "Niisan, your stuff!"

He caught it right before it touched the ground. He gave Sakura a wide smile before settling beside her and giving her head a few pats. "Have you been waiting long? Sorry if I made you do this. I was running late this morning and it just slipped my mind. Were you busy?"

Sakura shook her head. "Not really. It's Saturday, remember. I was with Tomoyo."

Touya nodded in understanding. "Saturday brunch, huh? I'll make it up to you later, okay?"

Sakura gave him a big grin while Nadeshiko shook her head in disapproval. "You spoil her too much, Touya. Both you and Fujitaka. Well, at least he doesn't go electric fence mode like you do."

Kaho's laughter caused their attention to return to her. "I'm sorry. It was such a great scene. It was very sweet of Touya, though. Brothers should take care of their little sisters." A light blush was gracing Touya's cheeks but Kaho pretended not to see. "How was it, Touya?"

He coughed to clear his throat. "Thank you for your concern, Mizuki-san. It was a lot different from the workshops. Much harder. Although I did my best on them I'm not really sure if my acting will cut it."

Kaho smiled at him. "You seemed comfortable enough. Also, Muro-san hasn't complained at all. He's the type of director who has no patience with people who lack talent. I'm sure you did a great job. You should be a little more confident."

"Thank you, you're too kind."

"I've worked with you often enough to know what you're capable of Touya. Let's continue to do our best, all right?"

"Yes, Mizuki-san. I'll do my best."

Kaho's smile grew wider. "No one will have reason to complain if you do."

While this exchange was going on, Sakura and her mother were slowly inching away, trying to give the two of them some space. The conversation didn't last long though and Kaho immediately excused herself after a few minutes.

"I've spent too much time away from my post, I'm afraid. I have to go back now. I'll go on ahead."

Sakura answered her with a smile. "It was good meeting you, Kaho-san."

"And you as well, Sakura-chan," Kaho replied. She gave a small bow before leaving. "Well then, I'll be taking off."

Nadeshiko waved goodbye as Kaho walked away. "Take care, Kaho!"

They watched Kaho for a few seconds before Touya spoke up again. "Again, what were you talking about when I arrived? It seemed like you were talking about me."

"Oh, that? Just small talk." Nadeshiko's voice was steady once more.

Touya's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You don't do small talk, mom."

"I don't? Why do you say that?" Nadeshiko asked innocently.

"Everything you say or do is always calculated."

Sakura knew her mother needed another helping hand. "Niisan, are you done for the day?"

Touya immediately stopped his questions. "I have a few more scenes to do. But it isn't much. We could go home together if you wanted. We're on break for the moment. They're fixing up the set and the other actor also seems to be running a little late."

"Are you talking about Li Syaoran?" asked Nadeshiko.

Touya nodded. "Yeah."

"And he's late? I find that hard to believe."

Touya raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Li-kun is very professional about his work. He'd never do something like be late. There must have been some emergency or something."

"Come to think of it, his manager was saying something about their other taping being delayed. One of his co-actors got himself wasted and caused quite a mess. They were delayed for more than 14 hours."

Nadeshiko shook her head in disgust. "Newbie?"

"Didn't say."

"That must've ruffled Li-kun's feathers. He hates things like that. He's very serious about acting."

"The manager also said something about a dressing room mishap just as they arrived. He didn't give any more details on that, however."

Sakura gulped and started to guilty for delaying the shoot like this. What's more, she didn't want either her mother or brother finding out she had a hand in it. She tried changing the topic of conversation.

"Uhm, Niisan, is there anything to eat here? I'm a bit hungry."

Touya looked at her in concern. "Did you not eat anything before you came here? I thought you were eating brunch with Tomoyo"

Sakura decided to lie. "Well, I got the call before we could start eating. Mom said you needed it and I rushed home so -"

"Silly girl." Touya scolded as he flicked on her forehead. "Never miss your meals. It wasn't that urgent. Wait here and I'll get you something to eat."

Touya left towards the mess table without another word.

"Thanks for your help earlier, Sakura. It's times like those that I'm kind of glad Touya has a bit of a sister complex."

"What does everyone say that?" Sakura asked in an exasperated voice.

Nadeshiko simply smiled at her. "Because it's true, dear."

"We're just really close!"

"Well, that's one way to put it, I guess."

"Mother!"

It was obvious to Sakura that her mom was already bored with the conversation and her mind was engaged elsewhere. "That Touya, if he didn't butt in then I could have built him up a little more with Kaho. I'm doing this for his own good but the circumstances don't seem to come my way."

"I knew you were plotting something like that."

Nadeshiko grinned at Sakura. "You know me. Besides, I can't just leave them be. Nothing would happen then. And Kaho is perfect for Touya."

"Why do say that?" asked Sakura.

"I don't spend my time just sitting on my butt here, you know." Nadeshiko crossed her arms as if that would support her authoritativeness. "I investigate. They're perfect Sakura. A lock and key. For you that would be like an enzyme-substance thingie right?"

"Enzyme-substrate complex."

"Same thing."

Touya returned then with a plate full of food. Sakura was a little surprised with how much Touya got. The plate was overflowing. He also had a whole pitcher of juice with him.

Placing it on the table in front of them, Touya ordered, "Eat."

"Niisan, this is a bit too much."

"That's right Touya. You'll make Sakura fat," complained their mother.

Touya couldn't be dissuaded. "Mom, Sakura is verging on anorexia."

"You need a new dictionary Touya, yours obviously does not define some words properly. You should get one that comes with illustrations just like a picture book," Nadeshiko continued.

Sakura had a healthy appetite but she knew she wouldn't be able to consume everything on that plate. With regards to that anorexia comment, well, Sakura agreed with her mom. She was slender, not at all skinny and nowhere near anorexic like her brother thinks. "Niisan, I'll be sick if I eat all of this."

"Three-fourths. I'll finish the rest."

"That's still a lot, Niisan. I'll struggle with just half."

"Two-thirds."

"That's not much of a difference, Niisan."

Nadeshiko gave Touya a light tap on the arm. "Enough, Touya. Let her eat what she can. We can just finish the rest. I'm still convinced you're purposely making her fat so no guy will like her."

Touya's face turned angelic right then. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Come on, Touya. Will you lay off her long enough for her to get a boyfriend? You scare away all her potential suitors. She's almost 18 and she hasn't had a single boyfriend."

Touya kept his expression neutral. "It isn't my fault those guys have no guts and get scared easily."

"Well, most guys don't have to go through all the crap you force them to go through, do they?"

"Kinomoto-san. Li-san is ready now. We'll start in 15 minutes." One of the movie's staff members came towards them and announced this to Touya.

"Oh, it seems I'm needed elsewhere." Nadeshiko narrowed her eyes as Touya smirked. "Eat as much as you can, okay?" he instructed Sakura.

Nadeshiko glared at him. "Touya, don't think you can escape. Our conversation isn't done yet, you hear?"

"Yes, Mother."

"Kinomoto-san," said a voice from behind them. Touya and Nadeshiko turned to see Li Syaoran dressed and ready. "I apologize for the long wait. There was a problem at my first taping and a delay was inevitable. There was also a bit of trouble in my dressing room."

As she heard this, Sakura hid in Touya's shadow. This was a very bad situation. She wished he had just left after dropping off Touya's stuff. The conversation continued as if she wasn't there so she thought her attempt at hiding was a success.

"We weren't waiting long. What's important is we're still on schedule."

"I'm glad -"

Sakura underestimated Li Syaoran. Syaoran had very sharp eyesight.

"It's you," he said in a slightly menacing tone.

Sakura immediately understood that he was talking to her. Touya and their mom looked back and forth from Sakura to Li, obviously not understanding the situation. Sakura pretended not to hear him.

"Aren't you a bit old for these games, little boy? Hide and seek and then the silent treatment? That stunt you pulled earlier cost me precious time, you know. I'm still waiting for my apology."

Sakura instinctively rebelled. "An apology? Whatever are you talking about? Surely you have things the other way around."

"You've got a smart mouth for a PA. I see you work for Kinomoto-san. We'll see where you'll be when I tell him about how you acted towards me."

The smug look on his face made Sakura want to hit him. She stood up from her chair. "How many times must I say it before it sinks into that thick skull of yours that I don't work for anyone here?"

"Are you an outsider then? What the hell is security doing letting someone like you in? Are you one of those stalker-crazy fanboys? Probably obsessed over Nekoi-san, huh? Trespassers piss me off more than incapable PAs."

"I'm glad that the feeling is mutual." Sakura then turned towards Touya and Nadeshiko who were simply watching from the sidelines. "Mom, Niisan, I'll go ahead, okay? Breathing the same air as this thing here revolts me."

Li Syaoran looked surprised at finding out who she was. However, the fact she was a girl was still lost to him. Sakura stalked towards him with slow deliberate steps. She stopped right in front of him before taking off her beret. Her auburn hair framed her face and showed her for what she was. Li Syaoran's eyes grew even wider.

"And it's not 'boy', It's Sakura Kinomoto." Just as she said her name, she stomped on his foot with all the force of her body. "Hmph."

Sakura tucked a few stray strands of hair under her ear and stormed toward the exit. Everyone watched her, dumbfounded at what just happened. Touya was the only one who had a small satisfied smile on his face.

-oOo-

Author's note: This is the second longest chapter I've ever written for any story. It's crazy long. I'm so tired. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed it. Tell me what you thought of it. Reviews, comments, flames, all are welcome. Until the next chapter! Oh, and if anyone of you were wondering, Toudai is a (shorthand?) name for the Tokyo University which is one of the most prestigious universities in Japan. It's the school Keitaro tries so hard to get into in Love Hina. XD