Kota was sleeping peacefully, hugging his pillow like it was his long-lost treasure, when suddenly—
*Ruffle, ruffle, ruffle.*
Something was shaking him.
He groaned, scrunching his face. *Who dares disturb my weekend sleep?*
"Kota, wake up," a familiar voice whispered.
"Nnngh..." Kota buried his face deeper into the pillow. "Five more minutes..."
"Nope."
And just like that, Max ripped the blanket off him.
"Ack! What—!" Kota shot up, hair a complete mess, eyes barely open. He blinked blearily at his dad, then at the clock. "Wait... it's *Saturday*. There's no school!"
Max smirked, grabbing Kota's hoodie and tossing it over his head. "I know. Get dressed, we're going."
Kota sat there, blinking. "...Going where?"
Max simply turned on his heel and walked out of the room like a mysterious anime character.
Suspicious.
Still half-asleep, Kota stumbled out of bed, threw on some clothes, and groggily followed Max outside. But the moment he stepped onto the porch, he stopped.
The car was fully packed. Camping gear. Fishing rods. Even snacks.
Kota squinted. "...Dad?"
Max leaned against the car, grinning. "We're going camping."
Kota's lips parted slightly, then he deadpanned, "Oh wow. Camping. Yay." His voice dripped with sarcasm.
Max patted his shoulder. "I know. I'm the best dad ever."
Kota crossed his arms. "You *do* realize normal people plan this stuff *beforehand*, right?"
Max shrugged. "Surprises are fun. Now get in."
With a dramatic sigh, Kota climbed into the car, still trying to process what was happening.
### **On the Road**
At first, Kota was still grumpy about being dragged out of bed. But as soon as they hit the open road, he perked up.
Max turned on the radio, and the two of them started playing *The Ultimate Car Game*:
**Game 1: Spot the Weirdest Car Stickers.**
Kota: "'Honk if you love anime'? Dad, that's your people."
Max: "Respect."
Kota: "Oh! 'My other ride is a unicorn'? That guy wins."
Max: "No, no—look at that van! 'Trust me, I'm a magician.' That's not suspicious at all."
**Game 2: Race Challenge (Totally Illegal but Funny).**
At one point, they stopped at a red light, and an old guy in a rusty pickup truck revved his engine at them.
Kota gasped. "Dad... he's *challenging* us."
Max narrowed his eyes. "Oh, it's *on*."
The light turned green, and they *zoomed* forward—only for their car to make a weird *pop-pop-pop* sound.
Then came the dreaded *thump-thump-thump*.
Max immediately slowed down.
Kota looked back. "...Did we just—"
"*Yeah.*"
"*We popped a tire?*"
"*Yeah.*"
A beat of silence.
Then, in perfect sync, they both groaned, "*Noooooo!*"
The old guy in the rusty truck? He zoomed past them, laughing.
Kota flopped against the seat. "We lost to a *grandpa*."
Max sighed. "I hope he enjoys his victory lap to the retirement home."
With their car barely moving, they somehow managed to push it near a small auto shop.
Max wiped sweat off his forehead. "Well... at least it's *only* one tire."
Kota pointed at the second flat.
Max sighed. "...Two tires."
The mechanic walked over, took one look at their exhausted faces, and said, "Y'all good?"
Kota and Max: *"No."*
After getting their car fixed (*and Kota dramatically mourning their racing loss*), they were finally back on the road.
### **Arriving at the Camping Site**
As the sun started to set, they finally reached the campground.
Kota hopped out of the car and stretched. "Okay, so... we survived tire betrayal, got schooled by an old man, and now we're *finally* here. What's the plan?"
Max smirked. "Surviving in the wild, obviously."
Kota eyed the packed snacks and portable stove. "Yeah. *Real* wild."
Max ruffled his hair. "Shut up and help me set up the tent."
And with that, their weekend adventure officially began.
CHAPTER END 🫠