Zenki
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Sep 6
- 3 min read
FADE IN
Act 1
INT. BEDROOM - 22:00
Distant city hum. PETER is sitting by the bedside, researching on his mobile.
PETER (V.O.): What could make a guy so obsessed with my 1989 Nissan 200 SX that he'd follow it and to strike up a conversation with me?
Researching.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The 200SX is part of the Nissan "S-platform". The S13 is renowned for its near-perfect balance, lightweight rear-wheel-drive layout, and incredible potential for modification.
Researching.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The S13 is the undisputed king of the grassroots drifting scene.
Researching,
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My 1989 model is what enthusiasts call "Zenki" (Japanese for "early period") model. It has the classic, pop-up headlights. For many, this is the purest and most desirable form of the S13.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd):Most S13s have been crashed, rusted into oblivion, or modified beyond recognition. Is finding one that's still on the road like discovering a unicorn?
Act 2
FLASHBACK
EXT. BASEMENT CAR PARK - 15:00 (Today)
Concret echo. As he steps out of his S13, Peter hears a voice calling him.
PETER (V.O.): What is it?
MAX (20s), earnest, approaches.
MAX: I'm an old car enthusiast. I was hoping...could I take a few photos?
PETER: Go ahead.
MAX: No...to have a photo session of the coupe with you.
PETER: I do it every time I take it for a drive...How do you know about my car?
MAX: I...I saw it a while ago. At your place in NT. And then you parked a silver coupe there. Not this.
PETER (V.O.): OMG, he's up to date...Hmm, he's been keeping an eye out...and following my cars and me.
As Peter studies him, Max dabs at the sweat on his brow with a tissue.
MAX: I'd like to ask you what motivated you to keep the S13 for over 30 years.
PETER: It's been my love...Back in 1989, I mortgaged my urban apartment to pay for it.
Peter presses a button on the dash and the pop-up headlights rise.
PETER (Cont'd): You may like to press the button to turn them off.
MAX: Really?
Max presses the button happily.
PETER: About a week ago, while stopped at a traffic light, a boy and his mother in the car next to my S13 gave me a thumbs up.
Peter presses the button again.
PETER (Cont'd): I gestured my thanks and activated the pop-up headlights to show the coupe's appreciation.
Peter points to the gearbox console, highlighting the stick shift,
PETER (Cont'd): The other day, fellow enthusiasts expressed their preference for manual transmission and appreciated that my S13 is a moving antique.
Mas nods.
PETER: Would you like to check out the engine?
MAX: Yes! Please.
Peter pops up the hood. The engine bay is clean, original, a complex sculpture of pipes and the turbo-charger. Max stares.
PETER: The CA18DET.
MAX: Still original.
PETER: Maintaining this coupe has been expensive, and the insurance premium is several times higher than that of a seden.
Recalling.
PETER (Cont'd): Several years ago, it took the service provider six months to search for a replacement clutch.
MAX. Are you considering selling it?
PETER: No. Absolutely not. With the replaced clutch, I think I can enjoy driving it for many more years.
Mas appears disillusioned. They part.
PETER (V.O.): I never meant to own a classic. I simply never found a compelling reason to stop driving my other half.
RETURN TO PRESENT
Act 3
INT. BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS
Peter uploads an image, depicting his S13 in a basement car park to a draft on his laptop.
PETER (V.O.): Parked in a basement, my Zenki is an old metal. But in the mind of an enthusiast, it's a legend.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The value of a Zenki isn't on its odometer reading, but in its continued story. A preserved example is a narrative that has defied the fate of ending in a scrapyard.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The Zenki teaches me that legacy isn't always built through fame, but often through silent endurance, waiting for the world to develop the eyes to see it.
FADE OUT
END
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