If You Start Hearing "Eye of the Tiger" in Your Head as you Read This, Then You Have Missed The Point

Last Time. . .

We Now Continue.

CUT TO:

INT, Makoto's Apartment

A close up of a plate of sushi. It looks delicious, and yet USAGI, the person eating it, can only manage to push the sushi around with her chopsticks.

We cut to a close-up of USAGI, alone in the dining room of Makoto's apartment.

MAKOTO(O.S.)

How is it?

USAGI

(turning toward Makoto)

It's great. . .

USAGI turns back to the food, prodding it some more with her chopsticks.

USAGI

Are you sure you're not hungry?

CUT TO:

Continuous-- The next room. We see MAKOTO looking over a stack of bills, more than a few overdue.

MAKOTO

No, I'm good.

From outside, we hear SIRENS. Makoto, nervous, walks over to the window and peeks outside. The sirens grow louder. . . and then quiter again. Makoto, relieved, turns around, only to see USAGI standing at the entrance to the room.

USAGI

I keep thinking it's the last one, but then. . .

MAKOTO

Yeah. . . I know the feeling. It never quite ends.

MAKOTO walks back to the bills.

USAGI

What do you think they're doing? I thought it was all over. That they found everyone.

MAKOTO

Usagi, given how these things go, they're not even close to finished. They're still looking for other bodies. The two hundred or so they found are just--

USAGI starts to cringe.

MAKOTO

Not. . . bodies. They're not dead. It just. . . slipped out.

(beat)

Listen, do yourself a favor. Don't fixate. You're still alive, I'm still--

(catches her self)

Jesus, I mean. . . just don't.

USAGI nods, doubtfully.

MAKOTO

You done eating?

USAGI

Yeah. It was nice, but I thought I'd save it for tomorrow.

MAKOTO

I've got a bit of homework to do. Make yourself at home. There's TV and PS2 in the living room.

(points to living room)

I can set up a bed, should you decide to crash.

CUT TO:

Living Room. Usagi is looking around. The apartment is messy, in the way you'd expect from a college dorm room-- disorganized, but functional. Looking around, Usagi sees PHOTOS of Makoto with her parents (Makoto is never older than ten or eleven years old in the photos) , a few trinkets from Northern Japan. Usagi gives a slight smile, one of the first we've seen from her since Big Sight. There's something about the place. . .

CUT TO:

Makoto, doing financial calculations. She's done the same calculation three times now. The results are the same each time, and they're not good. Makoto sighs and closes her eyes.

CUT TO:

USAGI, looking out the window. In the distance, we see the Tokyo Sky Tree. Usagi is immediately interrupted by MAKOTO.

MAKOTO

Beautiful, huh?

USAGI

(turning briefly to Makoto)

Yeah.

MAKOTO

This place had such a lousy view when we first bought it. Then they built the Sky Tree, right smack between those two buildings.

USAGI

I would love to live here.

MAKOTO

You--

(pause)

Really?

USAGI

No, I just mean. . . I dunno.

(beat)

It's new.

USAGI moves back to the pictures.

MAKOTO

"New."

USAGI

It's. . . Romantic. I guess.

MAKOTO

Ah.

USAGI

I wouldn't mind having a place like this when I move out.

MAKOTO

When you move out? You mean you haven't already?

USAGI turns around, shocked, only now realizing what she's said.

MAKOTO

(raises her hands)

Never mind. Forget I asked.

USAGI sighs, relieved.

USAGI

(trying to change the subject)

So. . . are your parents on vacation or something? I mean, I'd hate to think they're still out--

MAKOTO

My parents died a few years ago in a plane crash.

USAGI

(taken aback)

Oh. . .

MAKOTO

I'm sorry, if that seemed abrupt. It's just that I always felt better if I. . . said it. No tiptoe-ing.

(beats)

Beats worrying, at least.

USAGI

Probably. . .

MAKOTO sits down on the couch and turns on the TV. Every even numbered channel is blocked, while every odd numbered channel up to thirteen is playing news on the attack.

MAKOTO

And nothing's on.

We CUT TO a close up of the TV, seeing it turn off. Immediately, we then

CUT TO:

USAGI choking MAKOTO, much like she was choking BULLY earlier. MAKOTO grabs USAGI'S choking arms and twists it slightly, forcing her to let go.

USAGI

Ow!

MAKOTO lets go.

USAGI

Man, that does work!

MAKOTO

No kidding. It's a good thing you weren't fighting someone who knows what they're doing. Okay, now you try.

MAKOTO comes round behind USAGI and wraps her arm around USAGI'S neck, gently. USAGI waits for a cue from MAKOTO.

MAKOTO

What? Am I not chocking you hard enough?

MAKOTO tightens her grip. USAGI gets the point and tries applying the same move MAKOTO used. It's not working.

MAKOTO

No, no. Little bit further down, twisting up a bit more.

USAGI tries, but she can't quite do it.

MAKOTO

Okay. . . just elbow me.

USAGI elbows MAKOTO.

No, not there.

Usagi tries again. It's still not working. She tries again and again, harder and harder, almost to the point of desperation. MAKOTO lets go.

MAKOTO

Usagi! Usagi! It's okay! We'll try something simpler. Turn around.

USAGI turns around.

MAKOTO

Punch me.

USAGI gives the lamest girl-punch known to man. MAKOTO easily bats it to the side, simultaneously shifting her upper body to the other side.

USAGI

(frustrated)

. . . and?

MAKOTO

Now you.

Just as Usagi processes this, MAKOTO'S fist flies toward USAGI. USAGI instinctively backs off, nearly tripping over herself before MAKOTO pulls her up by her blouse collar.

MAKOTO

Dammit, Usagi! I said "now you"! Bat it outta the way!

MAKOTO jabs again, a little more slowly this time. USAGI does what Makoto asked her to, batting the fist to her left while shifting to the right. It works.

MAKOTO

Neat, huh? My hand instictively follows where-ever you guide it. Up to a point, anyway.

USAGI

No way. You're faking it.

MAKOTO jabs again, deliberately stopping short of USAGI'S nose. USAGI flinches, but doesn't bat it away.

MAKOTO

Come on!

MAKOTO punches, and USAGI bats the fist away. And again. MAKOTO punches with more force, but USAGI still manages to bat and dodge, to her own surprise. The two really start to get into it-- you'd almost think they were really fighting. USAGI'S actually beginning to get freaked out but all of this, but manages to keep batting MAKOTO'S fists away. Then, USAGI actually GRABS MAKOTO'S forearm, using Makoto's own momentum to pull her forward. MAKOTO briefly loses balance, but recovers. USAGI, a little afraid that she's pissed off MAKOTO, lets her go.

MAKOTO

What-? Why did you let go?!

MAKOTO punches again. USAGI bats the first away.

MAKOTO

C'mon, Usagi! Grab it!

MAKOTO punches again, but USAGI just blocks. USAGI'S no longer into it. MAKOTO lowers her fists.

MAKOTO

Usagi. . . You wanna tell me why you're not going home?

USAGI

You said you wouldn't ask.

MAKOTO

(sighs)

You're right. I lied.

USAGI lowers her gaze, not saying a word.

MAKOTO

Alright. Maybe we should go to bed. You can. . . I guess you can sleep in my room.

(beat)

I'll sleep in my parents' old bed.

MAKOTO walks off. We hold for a moment on USAGI, the outside window in the background. USAGI stands for a moment. We CLOSE IN on the window. . . on Tokyo Sky Tree. . . and then

CUT TO:

Next Time.