NOVEL NEXT Chapter 13: I Quit (2)
“Dammit. When business is over, I’ll have to eat meat and drink soju alone.”
He complained a lot, but he managed to make a living on weekends when customers came in. The owner also hired part-time employees at a cheap price.
“Haha, it was a good idea to hire high school students. They’re naive and easy to take advantage of, right?”
According to the law, high school students should be paid a minimum wage. However, the owner paid his part-time employees only about 80% of the minimum wage.
He cut their wages, claiming they were high school students.
“Students should be studying, not working part-time.”
If they didn’t like it, he told them to go look for another job. But they took the bait.
Thanks to that, the owner had been able to evade taxes.
“Well, if you think about it, that kid, Ryu Min, agreed to it, too. He should be grateful just for getting a job from me.”
He heard that the kid didn’t have any parents. He should be thankful for getting a job.
He’s not even good for the business.
“I guess it’s time to cut him loose and find another part-timer.”
Also, he would be an adult this year or the next one.
If he demands the money he hadn’t received or asks for a raise, it would be difficult.
“Before anything else, let’s quickly get rid of this scrawny guy and find a prettier female part-timer,” he thought. After all, wouldn’t that increase sales even more?
As he grinned at the thought, he heard the sound of the door opening.
The boss, who had been wiping down the tables, turned reflexively and smiled.
“Welcome…!” he was about to say, but to his surprise, it wasn’t a customer who walked in.
“Ryu Min?”
It was the high school part-timer he had been internally criticizing just a moment ago.
The boss’s expression changed instantly.
Gone was the smile on his face, replaced only by an irritated look.
“What are you doing here at this time? And who’s that next to you?”
“This is my younger brother.”
“Oh, hello there.”
Why would a high school part-timer bring their sibling during a weekday when they weren’t scheduled to work? The boss thought, his expression uneasy.
“What brings you here? You didn’t come here to work, did you…?”
“I’m actually quitting my part-time job here.”
“What?”
The unexpected announcement made the boss’s face scrunch up uncontrollably.
He had planned to let him go anyway, but the fact that he quit first left a sour taste in his mouth.
“What am I supposed to do if you quit suddenly like this?”
“It’s not sudden. It’s Monday, so you still have plenty of time to find a replacement until the weekend, don’t you think?”
“Who do you think you are to just quit like that? Don’t you want to make money?”
“Shouldn’t I have your permission to quit?”
“Who do you think you are brat?”
The boss narrowed his eyes at Ryu Min, but only briefly.
“Well, fine, I get it. If you want to quit, then quit! Got it? Now leave!”
“But I haven’t finished my work yet.”
“What else do you want?”
“You’ve been paying me only 80% of the minimum wage since I’m a high schooler, right? But you’re supposed to pay me based on the standard minimum wage.”
“You agreed to that so…”
“Do you have any evidence of me agreeing to that? I was a clueless teenager, I didn’t even know until recently.”
Ryu Min smirked, and the boss hesitated to reply.
Ryu Min continued, “Not only that, but you made me work past 2 am. Did you know that’s illegal? I found out that teenagers can’t work past 10 pm.”
The boss was taken aback, his face showing signs of the trouble that was about to unfold.
“You didn’t even provide meals, cursed at me for no reason, and abused your power… I didn’t realize until now, but you are really a trash human being.”
“What did you just say, you little brat? How dare you say that to an adult…!”
“I’m already 19 years old, I’m also an adult. If you keep using that language like before, I won’t be able to stand it anymore,” Ryu Min said firmly.
“……”
Surprisingly, the boss was at a loss for what to do when Ryu Min came out so strong.
“So, what do you want? Do you want me to apologize for my mistake?” the boss asked.
“Yes, I want to hear a sincere apology,” Ryu Min replied.
“This bastard… Do you really think I’ll apologize to this little punk?” the boss muttered.
“If you don’t, then I’ll have no choice but to report you to the labor department. We’ll also proceed with criminal charges for the illegal things you’ve done to me,” Ryu Min threatened.
The boss knew that what he did was illegal and that the threat of reporting him was terrifying. He might even have to close his business due to hefty fines.
“Alright, I got it. Just an apology, right?” the boss said.
“Not just any apology, but a sincere one,” Ryu Min insisted.
“Damn it, this little punk…” The boss’s pride was hurt, but he had no other choice.
If he could stop the report to the labor department with just one apology, it would be a cheap price to pay.
The boss’s head hung low. “I’m sorry, Ryu Min. I’ve been saving a few pennies and deducted them from your pay. I’m really sorry and I’m sincerely reflecting on my actions. Please don’t report me to the labor department.”
“That doesn’t sound like an apology, it sounds more like an excuse. And it doesn’t even sound sincere,” Ryu Min said.
“Damn it, then what do you want me to do…?” the boss grumbled.
For a moment, he couldn’t control his temper and was about to explode, but he managed to calm down and keep his mouth shut.
“See? You keep getting angry, it seems like you don’t really want to apologize,” Ryu Min pointed out.
“Fine…I’m sorry, okay? Isn’t that enough? What else do you want? Do you want me to pay you the wages I deducted from you?” the boss asked.
“No, I won’t ask for the wages. Instead…” Ryu Min’s face lit up with a smile as he sat at one of the tables, “Bring me something to eat. After I fill my stomach, I might not feel like reporting you anymore.”