Kazuma's eyes flicked over to Daigo as the highway stretched ahead of them. The gentle hum of the van's engine created a soothing backdrop for their tired thoughts. Only twenty minutes remained before they reached their hometown, yet the fatigue of the day pressed down heavily on Kazuma, wrapping around him like a weighted blanket. Victory felt exhilarating, but exhaustion weighed in, reminding him that the grind was far from over.
"Hey," Daigo murmured from the passenger seat, his gaze fixed out the window at the blurred trees racing past. "How about we pull over? Just for a bit."
Kazuma didn't hesitate. A quick break seemed wise after the intensity of the matches they'd played that day. "Good idea," he replied, turning the steering wheel as the van gently drifted to the side of the road, gravel crunching beneath the tires. He brought it to a stop on a patch of gravel near a grassy overlook.
I haven't been able to leave a note here because I've been pressed for time the past few days. But I'm back!
And yeah, a couple more days to go for the regional qualifiers... then the regionals, and then we have the nationals... if we get there ahhahhaha