The Cafe Bully's Humiliation
Jeonghye stared at Minjun with a completely dazed expression. Yeonju still couldn't seem to process the situation either; she was sniffling hard with tears and snot streaming down her face, looking utterly lost. Minjun spoke to Jeonghye in a grave, authoritative voice. He needed to make her taste bitterness for tormenting Yeonju, the girl who would soon belong to him.
"Why are you making such a scene when the victim himself says he's fine? That woman is clearly someone's precious daughter. Why were you yelling at her and forcing her head down? Is it really okay to harass a new employee like that just because she spilled some coffee?"
"Harass? I wasn't... I didn't mean..."
"Do you want to get sued for workplace bullying? Should I call the police right now? If we check the CCTV, it'll show exactly how violently you behaved. Are you confident about that?"
At his words, Jeonghye's face turned an ugly shade of dark. Minjun himself was secretly surprised. He wasn't the type who could normally rattle off words like a machine gun. This was actually the first time he'd ever unleashed such aggressive language directly at someone. Yet it felt strangely familiar and natural. It probably came from all the keyboard battles he'd fought in games. It seemed a bit crazy, but this was far more exciting and fun than any online argument.
Whether it was adrenaline or endorphins, he could feel something exploding in his brain as it registered the combat phase. His pulse raced upward. Thanks to that, the term "workplace bullying" he'd only half-heard in passing suddenly came to mind, and his fighting spirit kept surging. He had both justification and ability on his side. The momentum of this fight had already tilted completely in his favor.
Yeonju, you're touched, aren't you? Good. This is exactly what I was aiming for.
The sight of Yeonju staring at him with wide, sparkling, moist eyes pleased him immensely. Even without checking the Sectaechang, he could feel her favorability skyrocketing in real time. Not only had he defended her, but he'd personally crushed the senior bully who had been tormenting her. Yeonju's reaction was only natural.
"A new employee on her first day is bound to make a few mistakes. Does it make any sense to curse at her and even get violent?"
"I-I'm sorry..."
"Don't apologize to me. Apologize to her. She looks really shaken up."
Minjun pointed at Yeonju as he spoke. Jeonghye's expression began to rot even further, reaching a point where it couldn't possibly look any more miserable. Well, having to apologize to someone you despised was about as shitty as situations got. But what could she do? This time, Jeonghye had clearly been in the wrong.
"...Seriously. If you don't want to do it, why don't you just give me the boss's number?"
"Excuse me??"
"I'll tell the boss to file a formal police report. Just so you know. When an employer learns of workplace bullying, they have an obligation to take active measures and report it to the police. I didn't want to go this far, but since you show zero willingness to improve your attitude, what choice do I have?"
He wasn't actually sure if that obligation existed. But since no one else would know either, it didn't matter. Confidence sometimes looked more truthful than the truth itself.
"Um... sir... please calm down for a moment..."
"I don't think further conversation is necessary. Either give me the boss's number or apologize to her. Pick one."
Minjun forced Jeonghye into an ultimatum. But he already knew exactly which choice she would make. Earlier she'd complained about how much trouble she'd gone through just to get into this cafe, so telling the boss was never really an option. Regardless of how the incident played out later, the mere fact that it reached the boss's ears would be a massive loss for her. There wasn't a single boss in the world who liked an employee who caused 'incidents.'
To protect her position, Jeonghye had no choice but to bury this. And there was only one way to do that.
"..."
Jeonghye bit her lower lip hard, as if seething with resentment, and glared at him with pure venom in her eyes. She kept clenching and unclenching her fists, her body trembling slightly. But after a moment, she slowly began turning her body toward Yeonju.
Before her body fully turned, the expression of humiliated rage that lingered in Minjun's vision like an afterimage was truly a masterpiece. The situation was deadly serious, yet his cock twitched at the sight. They said arrogant bitches only tasted right when you crushed them. He didn't know who'd said it, but they were absolutely right.
"I'm sorry... I apologize. Yeonju."
"Huh? No... um..."
"I'm so sorry... It was my fault. I yelled at you, Yeonju... and forced your head down... I'm truly sorry. I won't do it again..."
Jeonghye's voice as she apologized to Yeonju sounded incredibly satisfying. Her throat seemed blocked with emotion, yet she forced the words out one by one, eventually starting to sob. But it still wasn't enough. The more he humiliated Jeonghye, the more Yeonju's favorability would soar. So Minjun went one step further, throwing Jeonghye's own earlier words right back at her.
"Don't you know how to apologize properly? You were so eager to force other people's heads down, yet your own head stays so stiff when it's time to apologize?"
"Tch..."
Jeonghye shot him a furious glance. Minjun didn't back down, staring her down with an even stricter gaze than some old-fashioned tutor from Cheonghak-dong. What are you looking at, you bitch? Hurry up and bow your head to Yeonju.
Seeing that look, Jeonghye seemed to finally give up. She withdrew her gaze from him and slowly lowered her head and waist toward Yeonju.
At least she knows how to read the room.
Her personality had issues, but Jeonghye was indeed a bitch who knew when to submit. She understood that when it was time to bow, you bowed deeply. Still, it clearly wasn't easy for her. Even from the side, Minjun could see transparent tears dripping from the corners of her eyes.
"...I'm sorry, Yeonju. I was really wrong."
"I-It's okay. Th-thank you for apologizing. So you can straighten up now. Your back... must hurt..."
Yeonju immediately accepted the apology from Jeonghye, the very person who had tormented her. It was a merciful response, but she didn't seem to realize that her presence was the reason Jeonghye couldn't straighten her back. Yeonju might not know, but Minjun fully understood Jeonghye's position. There was no way a senior employee would want to show a hated new hire the sight of her crying.
Oh dear, why is she looking at me?
Yeonju fidgeted helplessly in front of the still-bowed Jeonghye, then suddenly turned to Minjun with a pitiful, tearful face.
Yeonju, all you have to do here is read the mood and look away for a bit... Well, of course someone like Yeonju wouldn't have that kind of sense... Wait a minute. Could this actually be an opportunity?
He'd been so taken with Yeonju that he hadn't considered it, but if he thought about his original tastes, Jeonghye was actually much closer to his type. That sharp, cat-like face. The perfect body that turned her neat uniform skirt into an H-line silhouette. And above all, the expression on Jeonghye's face when drenched in humiliation looked like an artwork painted stroke by stroke solely to arouse him.
Yeah. Jeonghye wouldn't be a bad sex partner either. Should I help her out a bit?
Minjun grabbed a few napkins and approached Jeonghye. He positioned himself to block Yeonju's view, then reached one hand behind his back and held out the napkins in front of the still-bowed Jeonghye. He wondered if she'd slap them away in her rage, but he felt her hand quickly snatch them.
She really was a bitch through and through.
"Could you give me your name and phone number? I think things will feel cleaner if I receive compensation for the dry cleaning."
"Yes? Yes! Of course."
While still shielding the tear-wiping Jeonghye from view, he asked Yeonju for her number as a pretext to turn his attention. Yeonju nodded brightly.
Minjun immediately took out his phone.
"What's your name and number?"
"My name is Ha Yeonju, and my number is 010..."
Yeonju recited her number. Meanwhile, he sensed Jeonghye behind him slowly straightening her back now that the situation had resolved.
"I'll call you so you can save it."
Minjun dialed Yeonju's number, confirmed her phone vibrating, then hung up.
"I'll contact you at this number, so please answer. And..."
He spoke while looking at Yeonju, then turned to face Jeonghye, whose eyes were still moist with tears.
"I was really angry earlier and acted a bit harshly. But seeing you apologize so obediently puts my mind at ease. I hope nothing like this happens next time I visit."
Jeonghye looked at him with a complex mix of emotions in her eyes before giving a slight nod.
"I trust you'll handle things well... Then I'll be going."
"W-wait! The coffee... you've already paid for it. Would you like me to make you a new takeout?"
As he was saying goodbye and preparing to leave the cafe, Yeonju stopped him.
"Just give me a free coffee next time I come. I'm really not in the mood for coffee today... It feels a bit dirty."
Minjun lightly pinched the coffee-stained part of his shirt with his index finger as he spoke. It really did feel dirty, but it was mostly a performance to add more guilt to Yeonju's conscience.
"Ah... um... I'm really so sorry..."
"It's fine, Yeonju. I can just change my clothes... Take care~"
Giving Yeonju a light, playful smile that said not to worry, he said his goodbyes and walked out of the chaotic cafe. Seeing Yeonju's puppy-like face flush bright red at his sleazy, lame smile at the end, it seemed the day he would devour her wasn't far off.
That aside... now that I'm actually out of the cafe, this really isn't okay.
He'd kept saying it was fine, fine, so he'd actually believed it was. But it wasn't. As he stood on the street in his heavily coffee-stained shirt trying to hail a taxi, he could feel every passerby giving him obvious side-eye. He didn't know what they were imagining, but it definitely wasn't anything good. Either a pathetic bum without a proper shirt or some poor guy who'd gotten dumped by his girlfriend at a cafe and received a coffee shower as payback. Either way, it was fucking embarrassing. Where were all the taxis?
There were usually so many, but they were never around when you actually needed one.
Shit.
A taxi finally came while he was loitering by the roadside, but because this was Cheongdam-dong, it was inevitably a luxury taxi. He briefly considered lowering his arm once he realized it was a premium one, but by then the luxury taxi had already pulled up in front of him. Between the coffee-stained shirt and the embarrassment, he thought screw it and just got in.
You idiot. It's just taxi fare. Whatever. I've never ridden a luxury taxi before, so I guess it can't be helped.
He didn't know the exact rates for luxury taxis, but he knew they were more expensive than regular ones, which was why he'd never taken one. In other words, this was his first time.
He casually glanced at the meter without being too obvious. The number showing was 6,500. It was much cheaper than he'd expected. With a relaxed mind, he confidently told the driver his destination.
"Samsung-dong XX officetel, please."
"Sure~"
The distance from Cheongdam-dong to Samsung-dong was less than two kilometers. It would definitely be the base fare, so Minjun stopped paying attention to the meter and took out his phone to message Mihee.
After their second time having sex, he'd asked Mihee for her number. She'd grumbled that you weren't supposed to ask for that, but she'd still taken his phone and quickly entered it.
The reply came incredibly fast, as if she really had nothing to do.
He almost asked why sex was okay but dating wasn't, but held back. That would lower her favorability. Wait, but hold on. If he lowered her favorability and then raised it again, could he get another 500,000 won...? If the system worked that way, he could make a fortune just by playing push and pull with women. It was tempting, but experimenting on Mihee while she was on her period seemed wrong, so he'd save it for later.
Web Transfer - Sehan Bank
Deposit: 500,000 won
She said that, but her favorability was honest as always.
Okay, taxi fare earned.
Maybe it was because he'd earned money, but the discomfort from the sticky feeling on his shirt completely vanished.
Web Transfer - Sehan Bank
Deposit: 500,000 won
Seeing the deposit message pop up again, Minjun smirked. She really can't be honest, can she...
"Sir, we've arrived."
"Ah, yes."
Minjun paid the fare and got out. He hurried into the house, stripped off all his clothes, and headed straight for the shower to wash up. Only after rinsing away the coffee scent that had been clinging to his body with hot water did he finally feel alive again.
"Hm? Is that Mihee?"
After roughly drying off with a towel and coming out of the bathroom, he saw his phone on the table filled with message notifications. He immediately unlocked it and checked them.
"...Is this a jackpot?"
He'd already lost half his motivation for life because Mihee was on her period. Yet here came a pumpkin rolling right into his lap—no, a puppy with its shit neatly wrapped, presenting itself before him.
"Sorry for the late reply. I was in the shower."
He used the late reply as an excuse to subtly emphasize that he'd been showering. It meant he was ready for anything. Ready to embrace his Yeonju puppy and ravish her everywhere.
"Where should we meet?"