The Outcome of a Bet

The confident Max made a bet with a woman in shorts, but she got knocked out by another woman, ending the bet. After a brief episode, Max finally returned home.

"We're here, and with the bet, it's a total of $600!" After stopping the taxi, the driver pointed to the meter and announced the amount, adding the bet.

"You're lucky!" Max touched his pocket with a confused look, but his face darkened when he realized his wallet was missing.

"What happened?" Max's face grew serious as he tried to recall where he might have lost it, though he couldn't remember.

After careful reflection, the more he thought about it, the more Max smiled. He had his credit card saved on his phone, so he paid first and then planned to figure out where his wallet might be.

"That was a good bet," Max said with a grin as he unloaded his things from the car.

He thought about cooking some food and then heading out for some nighttime fun with his cars. At the very least, he would enjoy himself until school started.

...

After showering and grabbing something to eat, Max decided to go out for a night drive. It was his way of unwinding, as usual.

Tonight was no exception. He felt bored—very few things satisfied him. Max had grown so accustomed to the adrenaline of fights that he felt almost intoxicated by it, making it hard to enjoy the peace of staying home all the time.

So far, the only activity that provided him with a rush of adrenaline comparable to fighting was racing. Though he hadn't participated in many races, he knew he needed to find more hobbies before starting school.

Extracurricular activities were a last resort, but for now, he intended to explore other things that piqued his curiosity.

For some time, Max drove through the streets of Los Angeles, pondering his future. After a long while, he wanted a drink and noticed a convenience store to his right. He parked his Lamborghini Aventador SVJ Roadster and grabbed a wad of bills, stuffing them into his pocket before heading into the store.

Inside, Max noticed a boy and a dark blond-haired man talking to a Hispanic cashier.

Ignoring them, Max picked up a few bags of chips, candies, and cold drinks before heading to the counter. "Hey, man, think you can sell me a pack of cigarettes?"

"The minimum age to buy them is eighteen. Are you that old?"

Max placed several bills on the counter and said, "Let's assume I am. Nobody will bother you about this, and you'll get a nice tip in return."

The Hispanic cashier glared at Max but begrudgingly tossed him a pack of cigarettes.

Max put everything into a bag, turned, and walked toward the exit.

"Hey, I was here first. I just want my pizza," a voice called out.

Max turned to face the man and squinted. "Hey, man, do I know you?"

The man stared at Max, thinking for a moment before replying, "Who are you, kid?"

Max stared back and asked, "Who are you asking me that?"

After this awkward exchange, Max left the convenience store and walked to his car. He stashed most of the items in the car and stepped out to enjoy the fresh air while sipping his drink.

The blond-haired man paid for his pizza, still mulling over what Max had said, and walked out of the minimart.

Max leaned against the wall, attempting to smoke a cigarette. He noticed the boy, who seemed about his age, paying for a bottle of Pepto Bismol at the counter.

The blond man sat on the curb, eating his pizza while observing the scene.

"Want one?" Max asked the man with a mocking tone, thinking he looked even more miserable than himself.

"No."

Max smirked, drinking in silence, wondering if his actions were as foolish as they seemed.

Smoking was awful—he barely managed to suppress a cough after his first drag. He considered tossing the cigarette but decided against it when he noticed the man watching him. He didn't want to appear like someone who was merely experimenting, even though he was.

Everything was quiet until the boys who had entered earlier shoved the boy who had been speaking Spanish to the worker.

Max wasn't sure if this was the life he wanted, experimenting with everything just to avoid martial arts. He certainly didn't want to end up like the idiotic boys who had just entered the store, nor did he want to ruin his body smoking cigarettes.

"What the hell are you doing? Why did you rat us out to the worker?" An Asian boy shoved the Spanish-speaking boy.

"I…"

"He thought we were in college."

"I didn't know you were buying beer, sorry," the boy stammered, terrified by the Asian boy's aggressive attitude.

But, as expected, an apology wasn't enough for the boys who had been exposed. They pushed the boy again, laughing.

"Ha, ha, ha!"

"Yeah, let's go."

"What's in your bag?"

"What is it? Pepto?"

"Damn, someone's got diarrhea."

"It's Pepto Bismol for my grandma. Give it back."

The Asian boy sneered, "It's for your grandma? Damn, my bad."

"Hey, want it back? Take this…"

Max watched the scene unfold from a distance, sipping his drink with total disinterest. Honestly, he'd also be annoyed if that boy had exposed him while trying to buy cigarettes, even though he had bribed the cashier.

"Hey, kid, I'll take one of those cigarettes," said a homeless woman, noticing Max's calm demeanor amid the chaos.

Max looked at her coldly and said, "You can go to hell."

The homeless woman glared at him but stayed quiet. Max turned his attention back to the group as they pushed the boy toward a car.

The blond-haired man stood up and said, "Hey, kid, watch the car."

The Asian boy and his group jeered, "Got a problem, old man?"

The blond man replied, "Yeah, that's my car."

The Asian boy chuckled and said, "What are you gonna do about it?"

The boy covered in Pepto looked on silently, while Max exhaled a puff of smoke unconsciously, watching the entire scene unfold.

The Asian boy glanced at him and asked, "You think something's funny, jerk?"

Max smirked and pointed at himself as he said, "Surely, you're not talking to me, are you?"

The Asian boy scoffed and asked, "And what if I am?"

"That'd be unfortunate..." Max closed his eyes for a moment, reminding himself that he had walked away from fights. If he acted now against these idiots, it would undo all the effort he'd put into leaving martial arts behind and wouldn't be fair to those who'd be affected.

The blond man, who had stood up, declared, "Hey, you're talking to me now."

"What did this bum say?" the Asian boy asked mockingly, completely forgetting about Max and focusing on the gaunt-looking man in front of him.

That's when a fight broke out, and Max, trembling as he tried to keep his composure, took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes, he observed the man's martial arts and unconsciously murmured, "Tang Soo Do... How does this old guy know the karate from that Korean dojo?"

Tang Soo Do was a martial art his uncle Terry had taught him many years ago. Max had mastered it, and when his uncle was about to send him to South Korea to learn more, he had instead joined Jean Roqua to train in more diverse martial arts.

Of course, he recognized Tang Soo Do—he could fight in that style himself.

Even so, to confirm his assumptions, he wanted to observe more of the fight, but suddenly, it ended, and the police took the blond man away.

Max sighed, tossing his cigarette to the ground. "This tastes like crap."

"Hey, man, thanks."

"I didn't do anything," Max replied as he finished his drink.

Still, the boy said, "I'm Miguel Díaz. What's your name?"

Max exhaled and said, "Max Jones. What do you want?"

Miguel seemed surprised and asked, "Jones? Like the player?"

Max squinted in confusion and asked, "What are you talking about?"

Miguel, however, said, "I live not far from here. I need to buy Pepto-Bismol for my grandma. If you want, we can talk there. I'm in a bit of a hurry."

Max nodded and said, "I don't have anything better to do anyway. Hurry up."

Miguel smiled and quickly bought the Pepto-Bismol before returning. He wanted to walk, but Max pointed to his sports car and said, "Take off your shirt, clean your hair, and wear my jacket."

"That's yours?" Miguel couldn't believe Max owned a Ferrari and was a little nervous about the idea of dirtying it.

But he didn't have much time to think because Max tossed his jacket at him, leaving himself in just his T-shirt, and said, "Get in once you're changed."

Miguel quickly nodded, changed, and climbed into Max's Ferrari.

They soon arrived at Miguel's apartment, and under Miguel's insistence, Max was invited inside to be properly thanked.

Miguel entered the apartment saying, "Follow me. You'll love my mom's hot chocolate."

Max looked around and followed Miguel. He didn't have anything better to do at the moment, so he didn't see any harm in clearing his mind while getting to know this kid, who might even become a future friend.

Miguel, oblivious to Max's thoughts, called out, "Mom, I'm back!"

At that moment, a beautiful woman with bronzed skin came out of the kitchen and saw Max standing stiffly, unsure how to act in front of an acquaintance's mother. She asked, "Miguel, what happened?"

Miguel explained what had happened at the mini-mart and introduced Max. "This is Max Jones! We're friends."

Max gave Miguel a strange look, and Miguel coughed, giving him a meaningful glance before looking at the woman and smiling kindly as he said, "Yes, my name is Max. Nice to meet you."

The woman smiled and said, "I'm Carmen. It's a pleasure to meet one of Miguel's friends. Would you like to stay for dinner?"

Max glanced at Miguel and said, "I don't know... I don't think it's very appropriate."

Carmen shook her head and said, "It's no trouble. It's a pleasure."

Max sighed and said, "Then, thank you."

Carmen smiled and told Miguel in Spanish, "Go clean up and get ready for dinner."

Miguel nodded and said, "Max, come with me."

Max sighed again and followed Miguel, walking into the apartment without fully understanding how he had ended up there.

Miguel led him to his room before going to shower. When he returned, he asked, "Do you go to school around here?"

Leaning against the wall and using his phone, Max replied, "I'll be transferring to the nearby school. Do you study there?"