Lies And Love (Completed)

Chapter 2: Unexpected Meeting

Erika looked at Syaoran, a scowl was still on his face.

"What'll it take to have a smile on your face?" she asked from across him inside the limo that had just picked them up at the airport.

"Nothing," he muttered, staring out the window. "Where are we going?"

"Straight to our hotel just here within Tokyo," she informed, trying to lighten his mood. Although if she had to admit to herself, she wasn't in as much of a good mood as he was. Both of them weren't at all happy to be back in Japan.

"When and where does filming start?" Syaoran asked, wanting to get things over with. The sooner they started, the sooner it'll be over. And besides, most of the films they shoot in Japan don't usually last more than 4 to 6 months anyway. That's the only good thing he's been thinking about since the day Mr. Ashiya had forced him to come or else he'd revoke his entire contract with him. He's never had such an argument with the man in his entire life until a few weeks ago when he threatened to personally put an end to his acting career if he doesn't take this job in Japan. 'What the hell was that man thinking,' he thought scathingly as he watched the familiar Tokyo scenery pass by as the limo drove along. 'He must have a motive.'

Before thinking of any possible reason why Mr. Ashiya had demanded he come back to the past he didn't even want to remember, the limo drew to a stop and the door beside him immediately opened, letting in screams of the large crowd that had gathered around the front of the hotel.

"Smile?" Erika said, looking at him with a pleading look.

Syaoran sighed and smiled, making her grin. Of course Syaoran's smile was the same as it had been for the past five years, just that tiny curve at the end of his lips without so much as a peek of his perfect white teeth. But that was enough for everyone. It was even more than enough for all his fans who thought he was just being cool that way, and not knowing the exact reason why they never saw their favorite actor smile.

*****

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Pleaaaaasseee?"

Sakura looked at the round amber orbs of her twin boys before sighing exasperatedly.

"If Mona says its okay with her," she agreed, giving in to their request, and smiled as the pair's faces brightened up almost immediately.

*****

"Are you finished now?" Syaoran said with a scowl on his face. It's been three weeks since he's arrived in Tokyo and his mood still didn't improve.

"Yeah, you can take a break now Li," the photographer said before giving his camera to his assistant.

Sighing, Syaoran jumped down from the elevated set where he was having a promotional shoot for the upcoming movie. It was ridiculous, they've been filming for only two and a half weeks and already they intend to do so much promotion when not even 1/8 of the entire movie was filmed yet.

"Syaoran, where are you going?" Erika called as she saw him heading out the studio.

"I need fresh air!" he replied without turning back but instead held up a cap and a pair of sunglasses for her to see.