INT. MIMI'S ROOM - NIGHT
GLOOMY.
A piano and a guitar GENTLY WEEP.
From her MACBOOK AIR.
A slideshow starts rolling.
MIMI smiling in tankini.
Wearing red yukata.
On MOMO's back.
At the pier.
On the hill.
With MOMO holding their trophies.
SLOW MOTION:
The photos are getting BLURRY. BLURRIER.
A PAIR OF TEARDROPS fall onto the keyboard's palm rest.
END SLOW MOTION.
INT. ITALIAN RESTAURANT, GLENDALE - NIGHT
MOMO sits alone at the table.
Having breadsticks with soup.
Staring at nothing.
EXT. BAKERY CAFE, GLENDALE - NIGHT
Standing at the sidewalk, MOMO faces the shop.
Staring at nothing.
EXT. BRAND BOULEVARD SIDEWALK, GLENDALE - NIGHT
MOMO strolls alone with bubble tea.
Stops.
In SLOW MOTION, turns to his left.
EXT. GRANADA AVE, SAN MARINO - MOMO'S CAR (MOVING) - NIGHT
The car pulls up to his house.
INT. MIMI'S ROOM - NIGHT
She's lying on her chest.
Tears DEVOUR her.
INT. MOMO'S ROOM - NIGHT
He's lying on his chest.
Eyes wide open.
INT. MOMO'S LIVING ROOM
Doorbell RINGS.
EXT. MOMO'S PORCH
He opens the door.
FREEZES.
                           MOMO
                MIMI?
She's DRESSED TO KILL.
                           MOMO
                You look very nice--
                            MIMI
                I broke up with him.
He FREEZES again.
                            MIMI
                Does she love you like I do?
She begins SOBBING.
                            MIMI
                Call me crazy. Call me blind.
                Tell Hazuki that I lost my love
                to someone better. But she can't
                stop me--
SLOW MOTION:
Her lips REACH for his.
His lips TAKE hers.
MOMO and MIMI lock lips.
Eyes CLOSED.
HER FOOT makes a step back.
She turns around.
Crying, she RUNS outside.
Into an Uber car waiting.
END SLOW MOTION.
INT. MIMI'S ROOM - NIGHT
Her iPhone GLOWS in the dark.
                       MOMO (TEXT)
                MIMI, please let me know if
                you need anything
INT. MOMO'S CAR (MOVING) - NIGHT
His phone BUZZES.
                        MIMI (TEXT)
                MOMO, can you come? I need
                to talk
FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER
EXT. CORAL VIEW STREET, MONTEREY PARK - MOMO'S CAR
The car is parked at MIMI's curb.
INT. MOMO'S CAR
MOMO and MIMI sit in quiet.
He GLANCES at her.
                            MIMI
                MOMO, I can't continue our
                channel.
                           MOMO
                          (frowns)
                What? You changed your
                mind?
                            MIMI
                What is wrong with that? People
                change their minds all the time--
                           MOMO
                         (red-faced)
                Don't speak. I know just what
                you're saying. So you quit?
                You know what quitters do?
She can't help but stare at him.
                           MOMO
                They quit. Like you.
                            MIMI
                MOMO, there are so many ping-
                pong YouTubers out there. Why
                me?
                           MOMO
                Cuz you're right in here with
                me--
She's FIGHTING BACK tears.
                           MOMO
                       (half-whispers)
                MIMI, please finish this. Give
                me four weeks and we're done.
She shakes her head.
                           MOMO
                I promise you won't see me
                ever again.
Her tears FALL.
                            MIMI
                I can not.
                           MOMO
                Can not or will not?
                            MIMI
                MOMO, I love your Mini Table
                Tennis idea and Killers Tips.
                But, they are not very realistic.
                           MOMO
                Which ones?
                            MIMI
                Everything. Tell me how we
                will market Mini.
                           MOMO
                We will recruit our ping-pong
                friends, start our own league,
                run tournaments, live stream
                them, post them on social media--
                            MIMI
                That costs a lot of money, MOMO.
                You say money is not everything,
                but everything costs money. That
                is the problem.
                           MOMO
                Anything that can be solved
                with money is not a problem--
                            MIMI
                If money is not a problem, then
                what is it?
                           MOMO
                A cost.
                            MIMI
                If you call them Killer Tips, why
                could not you ever kill me? I
                always beat you. Every time three
                zero. Your theory is just knowledge
                that does not work. My practice
                makes everything work and you
                don't know why--
                           MOMO
                       (glares at her)
                Listen, MIMI. I don't invest
                much time on table tennis
                like you and your folks do.
                Give me thirty days and I
                swear I'll smoke your bacon--
                            MIMI
                Prove it!
They glare at each other.
                           MOMO
                      (half-whispers)
                I know your game all too well,
                MIMI. You're not very good at
                reading serves, you hate side
                spin, you're very impatient,
                you have temper and you can't
                keep it under control--
                            MIMI
                How dare you criticize my game!
                It takes sweat for me to work hard
                but it only takes spit for you to judge--
                           MOMO
                Your game's just muscle memory,
                MIMI. For years you've been
                programmed to hit whatever's
                thrown at you like a robot. You can't
                adapt and make adjustments cuz
                robots have zero creativity and their
                ping-pong IQ's so so--
                            MIMI
                So what? What you got?
                           MOMO
                       (half-whispers)
                Play on Mini. Fair and square.
                Live stream it on October
                twenty second.
She GLARES at him.
                            MIMI
                        (in Mandarin)
                Let your horse come here.
                           MOMO
                     (points to her nose)
                If I lose, take this Prius. If you
                lose, take down your stupid
                channel forever--
                            MIMI
                You insult my channel--
                           MOMO
                You want the truth, MIMI?
                Huh?! Shut up and listen to me!
                Your channel sucks and blows!
                You heard me...
She GIVES him the eyes of a tigress.
                           MOMO
                You've betrayed table tennis, MIMI.
                You made the channel for yourself.
                Not for the sport, not for the fans--
                            MIMI
                MOMO stop...
                           MOMO
                You started your crap channel
                cuz you needed attention, not
                respect. And I partnered with
                you cuz you needed help, you
                hear me?!
They STARE each other down.
Gradually lower their eyes.
                           MOMO
                       (half-whispers)
                MIMI, please. Please stop doing
                like those social media people,
                those peacocks...
                            MIMI
                      (half-whispers)
                Peacocks?--
                           MOMO
                So much on the tail, so little
                on the head.
                            MIMI
                How dare you insult me...
                Get out!
                           MOMO
                You're in my Prius.
She STORMS OUT.
HEADS to her porch.
                            MIMI
                Get your stuff out of my room!
He JUMPS OUT of his car.
TURNS his head to her.
                           MOMO
                Coward!!
She STOPS.
                           MOMO
                You're scared of God and death
                cuz you're scared to face the
                truth!
                            MIMI
                Bullshit!!
                           MOMO
                Hypocrite!!
                            MIMI
                Shut up!!
                           MOMO
                Don't you dare to call God when
                you're face to face with death!
                Text your ancestors instead!
                            MIMI
                I'll kick your ass!!
                           MOMO
                I'll smoke your bacon!!
                            MIMI
                I hate you!!
                           MOMO
                I hate you back!!
INT. TABLE TENNIS CLUB, ROSEMEAD - DAY
BALLS everywhere.
MOMO works on his forehand loop.
Backhand loop.
On MINI.
With a female coach.
INT. TABLE TENNIS CLUB, EL MONTE - NIGHT
BALLS everywhere.
MIMI works on her forehand loop.
Backhand loop.
On MINI.
With a male coach.
INT. TABLE TENNIS CLUB, ROSEMEAD - DAY
MOMO carries a bucket of balls.
Practices forehand serves.
Backhand serves.
INT. TABLE TENNIS CLUB, EL MONTE - NIGHT
A BUCKET OF BALLS.
MIMI practices her serve returns.
From her coach.
INT. TABLE TENNIS CLUB, ROSEMEAD - DAY
MOMO serves to his coach.
ATTACKS.
INT. TABLE TENNIS CLUB, EL MONTE - NIGHT
MIMI works on her blocks.
Against her coach's forehand and backhand loops.
INT. TABLE TENNIS CLUB, ROSEMEAD - DAY
Sweating, MOMO works on his smashes.
With a PING-PONG ROBOT.
INT. TABLE TENNIS CLUB, EL MONTE - NIGHT
Sweating, MIMI competes in a high-octane match.
Against her coach.
INT. TABLE TENNIS CLUB, ROSEMEAD - NIGHT
SLOW MOTION:
Camcorder's light is ON.
MOMO and MIMI face off at Mini.
She tosses the ball HIGH.
Serves it SHORT and LOW.
He returns it a bit long.
She RIPS it with her forehand.
SCORES.
She clenches her fist.
She tosses the ball LOW.
Serves it FAST and LONG.
He unleashes his forehand loop.
She counterloops it FAST with her own.
A RALLY begins.
The exchange gets FURTHER and WIDER.
He REACHES for the ball.
ROLLS his right ankle.
His body COLLAPSES.
                            MIMI
                          (screams)
                MOMO...!
                   (with an endless echo)
END SLOW MOTION.
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