I'm so happy you enjoyed the story! I'm about to post part 2 of what happened after I returned - still had the car for a few days and the side quest distribution system really sent me loads of adventures on what otherwise would be normal days at school!

Thanks for the feedback as well - I realized that I basically wrote a book with this one, it was a great cathartic process for me. However, I love your advice on making the posts and writing more digestible - given the fact that I'm sharing these on Hive, I want to take into account making these stories easier for the people to actually enjoy!
Also, shorter writings are going to be more sustainable long-term. That way, I can perhaps post more consistently too! Even when I sit down and write a lot, I can perhaps just break it up and make it into a few posts. Really appreciate the suggestions.