Been a while

Catching up with Hideo Kino.

"Sure ya do." Doug said, tone mildly taunting as he snickered. "Go ahead and run away, ya lil' brat."

As far as he could... it would not matter. Math would catch up with him eventually.

"'twas quite the week. And it almost was for nothing, too! Someone nearly cost me the entire tournament." Doug said as he leaned back, laughing. "Maybe I should thank your parents next time I see 'em. Think your father would appreciate a basket o' wines?"

He waved his hand dismissively at the boy's words next, though obviously, the boy didn't see the gesture.

"Eh, it doesn't matter. I'll find a way to do what I want somehow." He said, grinning confidently. "Christmas' just 'round the corner. Just you watch- I'm gonna make every second of m'mandatory break count."

Unfortunately, the boy didn't bite his obvious bait, prompting Doug to pout his lips, huffing.

"Ya don't even have the clearance to look at m'papers anyway." He huffed, blowing a raspberry at the youth, before slowly dragging his tired gaze over to the desk, tongue still hanging off his maw as he did. "Urgh... And wish I wasn't either."

He had taken his promotion to Captain quite enthusiastically back when he first became a gym leader, but now, he wondered if he hadn't made a mistake and taken far too much into his plate.

... Well, too late for that now, his contract was signed and the only way he was getting demoted was absolute failure and disgrace- which even Doug's considerably tame pride would not allow.

"Well, kiddo." Doug said as he moved to stand, stretching his spine with a grunt and several pops from his discs. "Sadly, that's all my legally allowed fun time, if I want 'em papers over 'fore midnight."

Well, if he wanted the possibility, at any rate.

"... Got anything ya would like me to tell yer parents?" He said after a moment. "... They are very worried."

Surprise surprise, telling the parents of a blind child he was 'more talented than he seemed' did little to make them ignore the fact that he was still a blind child wandering on his own around a war torn nation filled with terrorists, gods and with a different calamity every week.