Tyler glanced through the store's window, then glanced back at the register next to him repeatedly while scratching his head.
"Tsk." He clicked his tongue and walked out of the store to check the commotion outside.
Just by stepping out, Tyler could hear their voices beyond the parked cars.
"What did the old fuck say?"
"Get him!"
"Fight back! Fight back!"
Seven drunk guys who seemed slightly older than him were beating up an old man.
Despite his instincts telling him not to meddle, Tyler ended up walking up to them.
Two minutes later,
"Fuck..." Tyler muttered as he wiped the drop of blood going down his nose.
He was on the ground, having taken a good beating.
"Next time, you'd better mind your own business, dumbass!" One of the delinquents shouted while helping another walk away.
Tyler let out a long sigh and only got up once the seven were out of view.
'What the hell am I doing getting beat up for an old man?' Tyler thought to himself as he stood to his feet. 'If at least it was baddie that I was helping, or if a baddie was watching...' He sighed again before turning towards the old man, beaten up slightly worse than him. "Are you good, old man?"
"What's wrong with you, kid?" The old man grumbled, barely able to sit upright. "Are you a masochist or something?"
"Huh?"
"You just took a beating for no reason. Actually, hehehe... That's pretty funny?"
"My bad." Tyler stared with a frown. "Should know better than to help a bum. Why are you going around getting into fights with a group of 25-year-olds anyway?"
"How old are you?"
"Nineteen, why?"
"Oh." The old man nodded multiple times. "You put up a good fight, even clocked three of them."
"Yeah, well... Still got beat up in the end."
"You should be proud of your performance, though. Really not bad."
'First he was insulting me cause I came to help him, now he's complimenting me?' Tyler shook his head. "Anyway, you should probably leave in case they come back. Don't make a mess in front of my store, it scares the customers away."
The old man noticed the uniform.
"Oh, you own that store?"
"No, I just work there."
"..."
"What?"
"It's funny, that's all. You take a beating that isn't yours to take, and now you're talking about a store that isn't yours as if it were."
This encounter was certainly turning out to be the strangest and most annoying of the night.
"Well," The old man stood up while dusting himself off. "Even though I didn't want your help, you did help me, so I owe you one."
"Yeah, just forget about it." Tyler sighed. "There's no one working in the store right now apart from me. I need to go back."
"Young man, I must repay this debt."
"I said don't worry about it-"
The old man grabbed Tyler's arm as he was about to walk away.
"I'll grant you..." The old man raised an index finger. "One wish."
At this moment, Tyler understood that the seven guys weren't the only ones drunk. In fact, the old man might have taken something stronger than alcohol. The thought that the fight might have been the old man's fault also passed through Tyler's mind.
"I don't need anything in particular," Tyler said, trying to get this encounter done with as quickly as possible. 'Fucking unskippable NPC dialogue.'
"I'm no NPC, kid."
Tyler raised an eyebrow and, for a moment, the old man's eyes seemed to shine golden.
"And I'm not a bum either."
The old man reached into his pockets, and Tyler expected the worst.
Fortunately, it wasn't a shiv that exited the old man's pocket but,
Click- Beep- Vroom-
Tyler's gaze suspiciously moved from the old man to the started-up car and back.
"Did you steal that Bentley?" He asked. "Look, old man. I just want to get back to work..."
"Did I steal it? Hahaha! Because you stole the beating meant for me, you think everyone's a thief, huh? Or maybe there's just something about taking someone else's belongings that gets you going!"
"Alright, that's enough bullshit, have a good night-"
"I can see that it isn't money you crave. It isn't fame either, no. You're surrounded by multiple women, aren't you? Women that you haven't made a move on, women that you won't even admit to liking... But deep down, you crave them, you want them. Isn't that the case?"
Tyler raised an eyebrow.
"Is this some stupid psychological scheme? I'm pretty sure this is true for everyone."
"It's more true for some than others, hahaha!" The old man laughed out loud. "So, tell me. What is your wish?"
"Phew..." Tyler sighed and scratched his head. "Surprise me, how about that?"
The old man's eyes lit up. "Surprise you, I will!"
His hand finally let go of Tyler's arm, and the latter started walking away.
"Surprise you, I will!" The old man shouted as Tyler crossed the street. "It won't be easy, but I'll help you, just like you'll help me! It won't be easy, but you'll be able to have them! They all will be yours! All will be yours!!"
As Tyler arrived at the store's door, he turned to give the old man one final look.
'All will be mine?' He chuckled internally. 'What a load of bullshit.'
Tyler took his seat back behind the register.
Despite minutes passing, he couldn't help but chuckle from time to time.
'Like it could be that easy.'
This short and simple encounter would end up changing Tyler's life forever.