FADE IN Act 1 INT. BEDROOM - 4:30 The room is quiet except for the distant, rhythmic tick of an analogue clock from another room. PETER is wide awake. PETER (V.O.): I'm tired, but my mind is already racing. He mumbles to himself. PETER (V.O.): I haven't done the roadworthiness test for the New Beetle. Its licence expires in mid-Jan 2026. Pausing. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): And yesterday, I missed my Duolingo German lessons due to a server error. He picks up an iPad Mini from the

FADE I N   Act 1   INT. LIVING ROOM - MORNING Sunlight streams onto a plush dog bed. KAJI is sprawled in a circle of light. KAJI (V.O.): This is as it should be: Breakfast with Peter, the sun shining, my fur flowing, and the air on my bellly. Recalling. KAJI (V.O.) (Cont'd): For the past few days, whenever we go out, the Pack Leader has been dressing me in festive red, white and green outfits. MONTAGE A. The Pack Leader pulls outs a small garment, primarily red with white str

FADE IN Act 1 INT. BEDROOM - 10:00 Winter light filters through linen curtains. PETER watches his WIFE, sleeping. PETER (V.O.): My wife has an owl-like nature. Before her retirement, she slept very little, and I often worried about how she could cope with her morning work. A small, peaceful smile touches his lips. He grabs one of his smartphones, and puts a pair of over-ear headphones around his neck. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I want to keep my wife company, but I don't want any

FADE IN Act 1 INT. LIVING ROOM - 21:30 PETER relaxes on a sofa with a smartphone in hand. PETER (V.O.): I just enjoyed a delicious meal lovingly prepared by my wife. Pausing. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I had hoped that we could have dinner with our pet at the waterfront park. Pausing. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The day wasn't what I planned. But what it needed to be. While checking WhatsApp messages, he notices a new one with a greeting card. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It's from Emily, f

FADE IN Act 1 MONTAGE - THE DAILY RITUAL A. Dining room. 08:00. Morning light cut across the table. PETER eats a triangle of toast. In the chair opposite, Kaji, the family pet, follows each bite with solemn eyes. Peter tears off a piece of crust and offers it. B. Public pool. 09:45. The rhythmic distortion of Peter's breath. He surges forward with a powerful butterfly stroke. He surfaces, gasping. C. Living room. 11:45. With a smartphone in hand, Peter diligently corrects the

FADE IN Act 1 INT. LIVING ROOM - 11:30 Sunlight streams through the windows at an angle. PETER sits on a sofa, glancing at the screen of his smartphone. PETER (V.O.): Another e-greeting, another virtual wish for the season. Pausing. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I received numerous X'mas greetings before the winter solstice. It's my practice to reply to each wish, but I do so only after the solstice has passed. Pausing. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I believe the best "thank you" is a pers

FADE IN Act 1 INT. LIVING ROOM - 08:30 Soft grey light filters through the windows. PETER strolls through a Facebook. PETER (V.O.): Today is December 22. Pausing. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It was Sharon's birthday 70 years ago. She complained to me that Dec 22 often concides with the winter solstice. Pausing. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The calendar worked out this year. Pausing. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Solstice yesterday. Family done. Today is clear. Peter closes his eyes, centering

FADE I N   Act 1   INT. BEDROOM - MORNING A silver of morning light cuts across the floor. The room is still. KAJI (V.O.): The sun is up. Kaji lies on the plush bed with the PACK LEADER and PETER. Her ears are perked, tracking the sounds outside the room. KAJI (V.O.) (Cont'd): I hear the distant clunk of the front door, the fading footsteps on the floor. Our maid has left home. Kaji's head turns. She looks at the human mound in the big bed. Peter is a fortress of blankets, br

FADE IN Act 1 INT. LIVING ROOM -11:30 A cluttered room. PETER reads an incoming mail on his phone. PETER (V.O.): Season's Greetings from John. Pausing. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): John was the former HKUST Council Vice-Chair. He's now the Council Chair of CUHK. Pausing. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): We first met in 2016 when I was asked to help out with HKUST's Knowledge Transfer Committee (KTC). Pausing. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When I retired as HKUST Council Member earlier this year, I

FADE IN Act 1 INT. LIVING ROOM -09:30 Morning light filters through the curtains. PETER holds a smartphone, scrolling through Facebook feeds. He stops at one. PETER (V.O.): It's about some of Lee Kuan Yew's thoughts. Reading. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): He opines that India can't surpass China because of its caste heritage. Reading. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Brahmins at the top. Dalits below. It wastes potential. Entrenches inequality. Pausing. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In China, a surn

FADE IN Act 1 INT. LIVING ROOM - 15:45 Afternoon night slants through the window. PETER relaxes in a massage chair. He grabs his Honor 400 Smart. PETER (V.O.): I don't have a permanent SIM card for this phone. I only use it with a time-limited SIM provided by the travel agent when I travel in mainland China. The phone screen is glowing. A soft comtemplative smile plays on Peter's lips. On the lock screen, we see a stunning photo of a beautiful woman. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Sh

FADE IN Act 1 INT. LIVING ROOM - 08:30 Sunlight slants through the curtains. PETER stands at the cluttered sideboard, where a silver ten-cent coin rests on top. PETER (V.O.): Days ago, I purchased a small pack of big rabbit candies for $4.90 at a convenience store in a service station in Guangdong. I paid a $5 bill and received the coin as change. Peter grabs his swim bag, checks its content and sees a $2 coin. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I need this coin for the lock. I'm going t

FADE IN Act 1 INT. LIVING ROOM - 08:30 Sunlight streams onto a cluttered desk. PETER sips tea. He checks a folder containing vehicle registration papers. PETER (V.O.): My primary task today is to take my Previa to the car-testing center for a roadworthiness inspection. Pausing. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Should have gone last Saturday... Pausing. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I can't believe I forgot. I should have checked my diary even though it's Saturday. Pausing. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'

FADE IN Act 1 INT. BEDROOM - 07:30 Early sunlight, soft and honeyed, filters through the curtains. PETER wakes with a small smile touching his lips before his eyes even open. He reaches for his Honor 400 Smart phone. PETER (V.O.): I love this smartphone more than ever. With a press of his thumb, the screen blooms to life. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): And there she is. We see an actress in light blue qipao in a theatrical production frozen in the glow of stage lights, her head tilte

FADE I N   Act 1   INT. HOME - MORNING Sound of a kibble bag rustling. Sunlight cuts across the floor. The clink of a ceramic bowl on tile. KAJI lies on a massage chair, watching the PACK LEADER'S cue. PACK LEADER: Meal time. The Pack Leader places Kaji's bowl with brown kibble in the corner with a soft smile. KAJI (V.O.): But the routine is wrong. MONTAGE A. Dining table. Morning. Peter breaks a bread. His share. Kaji's share. B. Meal corner. Later. The Pack Leader feeds Kaj

FADE IN Act 1 INT. NOODLES SHOP - 15:30 A large bowl Chive Dumplings Noodles in Soup is in front of PETER. PETER (V.O.): I finished my December travel yesterday and just completed my daily swim. As he eats, he scrolls through Facebook feeds on his smartphone. Then his chopsticks freeze mid-air. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): What? In memory of Greg So? Peter looks unsettling. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Has he passed away? Peter explores the latest news on the web and then reads a headlin

FADE IN Act 1 INT. SKYLINE TOWER - 09:30 Sitting area. PETER sits on a sofa, a smartphone in his hand. PETER (V.O.): Completing my first task of the morning leaves me feeling relaxed and accomplished. Peter scrolls through Facebook feeds on his smartphone. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Inamori Kazuo's two ways to deal with a person who shows no respect for others, who is arrogant and disregards the dignity of those around them? Peter's face clearly shows his keen interest. He taps "

FADE IN Act 1 INT. LIVING ROOM -09:30 Morning light cut across the room. PETER holds a smartphone, reviewing papers on screen. PETER (V.O.): Although someone will bring the hard copies to me at the Centre, I prefer to print the legal visit letter myself to streamline my entry. Recalling. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Acting on last Friday afternoon's notice, we've secured a meeting on Monday afternoon, just before close of play. Pausing. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Since the matter is ti

FADE I N   Act 1   INT. HOME - MORNING (A WEEK AGO) The sky outside is soft. KAJI wakes. She stretches. Her ears then pitch forward, absorbing every faint sound from inside the apartment. KAJI (V.O.): The whole pack is home... Pausing. KAJI (V.O.) (Cont'd): It's bigger than before. Pausing. KAJI (V.O.) (Cont'd): The air is fuller. Every smell is a welcome. Kaji closes her eyes, absorbing the belonging. KAJI (V.O.) (Cont'd): No empty spaces. Only pack. The now is forever. Then

FADE IN Act 1 INT. LIVING ROOM - 7:30 Soft gray dawn light filters through curtains. Quiet order. PETER sits in a chair, a cup of untouched tea steaming on the side table. Holding his smartphone, he strolls through his Gallary. PETER (V.O.): I've taken many wedding photos last Sunday. Lots of right things were said and done that day. Recalling. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): On Monday, our younger daughter shared the news that she got an offer from a Tokyo studio. We were all so very