NOVEL NEXT 46
Bang! Clatter!
A sharp pain shot through my shoulder.
“Ugh.”
Ouch, that hurts. It seemed I’d hit my shoulder on the corner of the wall as I fell. I looked at Han Mi-ae in my arms and asked,
“Are you alright?”
“I-I’m fine, but Woo-yeon, you…!”
“I’ll probably just have a bruise. It’s not serious.”
Apart from a slight throbbing, I felt fine. Maybe it’s because I’m still young. Thankfully, my body was quick to react.
“Who the hell are you?!”
The customer bellowed, his anger intensifying at my sudden intervention.
‘Alcohol breath.’
The stench of alcohol was strong even from this distance. His face was flushed, and his tongue slightly twisted – clearly drunk.
“Are you working here? You green little punk, how dare you glare at me! I’ll just…!”
The customer made a motion as if to strike. I stood my ground, not flinching.
“Oh? Look at this!”
Seemingly more provoked by my lack of fear, the customer stepped closer.
As he raised his hand once more,
Thwack.
“That’s enough.”
Jung Da-on grabbed the customer’s wrist. Nice timing. I was prepared to take a slap or two if necessary.
‘Taking a hit would make it easier to report to the police.’
But I can’t conduct business with a red, swollen cheek. Oh well.
“Sir, please calm down…”
“Calm down? To hell with calming down!”
Despite Jung Da-on’s attempt to pacify him, the customer’s rage only intensified. He didn’t seem intimidated by Jung Da-on, who was a full head taller than him.
He probably thought he had the upper hand, seeing Jung Da-on’s
Bang! Bang!
The customer pounded on the table, threatening to break it, and shouted,
“Get the owner out here! How do you train your staff?! Bring out the owner!”
“I-I am the owner!”
Han Mi-ae cried out with a trembling voice.
“If you continue like this, we’ll have no choice but to call the police!”
“What? Police? Lady, watch your mouth. Who do you think should be calling the police here?!”
The customer pointed his finger accusingly, seething with anger.
“I clearly ordered dakbal, so why did I get tteokbokki? Huh?!”
“You confirmed the order several times and said tteokbokki was correct! And you’ve almost finished it, how can we refund you?”
“Almost finished? What do you mean almost finished!”
The customer held up the tteokbokki bowl defiantly.
“Look, there’s still some left!”
“……”
Sure, if even one piece of tteokbokki remains, I suppose it’s not finished. But isn’t it a bit shameless to demand a refund after eating that much?
Murmur, murmur.
Other customers, drawn by the commotion, seemed to share similar thoughts and began whispering among themselves.
“What’s that? He calls that leftovers?”
“That’s too much. It looks like he ate it all.”
“Shouldn’t they call the police?”
“What a troublemaker.”
Hearing this, the customer became even more enraged.
“Who are you calling a beggar?! Do I look like someone who’d try to get a free meal with such a cheap trick?”
Yes.
“Look, if you made a mistake and brought out the wrong menu, you should either give a refund or bring the original order. Your customer service is abysmal!”
The customer stomped his feet, unable to contain his anger.
‘This is why selling alcohol makes business difficult.’
Given the nature of the menu and the fact that evening business was crucial in this area, it was an unavoidable choice. Still, seeing the consequences firsthand was disheartening.
“What should we do…”
Han Mi-ae was flustered and at a loss, while Jung Da-on, uncharacteristically subdued, watched the situation unfold.
They must have seen their fair share of troublemakers nitpicking over trivial matters after drinking, but it seems they’ve never had such a big commotion like today.
‘This might actually be for the best.’
It’s better that this incident happens in front of me. It’s something they’d have to face eventually. Better to get the vaccination early.
“Do you know who I am?! I’ve lived in this neighborhood for over 30 years! The market here is my friend, my friend!”
Yes, I’m sure it is.
“If I put my mind to it, I could shut down your business here in no time!”
It’s remarkable how these troublemakers all use the same repertoire. I wondered if they all attended some sort of “Difficult Customer Academy” together.
“How long are you going to hold onto me? Let go, you brat!”
Thwack.
The customer shook off Jung Da-on’s grip on his wrist. Jung Da-on reluctantly stepped back and looked at me and Han Mi-ae.
After signaling that we were fine and uninjured, I stepped forward.
“Oh my, sir. It seems there was a bit of a communication error.”
One shouldn’t let their pride get hurt by bowing to such customers.
If you decide to do business, you must be prepared to endure a certain level of humiliation to last long.
As I bowed deeply, I could sense the customer’s aggression subsiding a bit.
“Hmph. Well, it’s better when you admit your mistakes like this? Everyone else holding their heads up high…”
“We sincerely apologize. We should have been more attentive, but we failed to do so. Our shop has only recently reopened, so there are many areas where we’re lacking. Please be generous and understanding.”
Most people become awkward when faced with such a submissive attitude.
“Well… I know the shop is busy. I’m not that unreasonable~.”
It’s crucial not to mention monetary compensation at this point. There are too many onlookers.
“You said you originally ordered dakbal, right? Please wait a moment. We’ll bring you a fresh order right away.”
“Woo-yeon.”
I felt Han Mi-ae gripping my arm tightly beside me. Ignoring her, I continued,
“Could you wait just a moment?”
“Hmm, well. If you insist…”
The customer sat back down, clearing his throat.
“Thank you.”
I bowed once more and headed to the kitchen, with Han Mi-ae and Jung Da-on scurrying after me.
“Woo-yeon, are you really going to serve him dakbal?”
“Of course. He said he wanted it.”
As Han Mi-ae fidgeted nervously, Jung Da-on, standing nearby, spoke up.
“That person is lying.”
“Is that so?”
“I confirmed the order several times, and he definitely asked for tteokbokki. Isn’t it obvious he’s just trying to cause trouble after eating almost all of it?”
“It is obvious.”
I replied with a smirk.
“You think I don’t have eyes to see that? I know.”
“Then why are we giving in?”
Jung Da-on asked brazenly.
“That person lied and is being a nuisance, so why do we have to apologize and give him free food?”
“Because other customers are watching.”
“What?”
I repeated myself.
“Other customers are watching.”
“…Why does that matter?”
“When there’s a disturbance like this in the shop, the priority is to defuse the situation as quickly as possible. Human memory and emotions are easily distorted, and if scenes with raised voices like this get imprinted in their minds, they’ll be reluctant to come back. Consciously or unconsciously.”
Even if it’s not the shop’s fault.
It’s unfair, but that’s how it is.
“I’ll prepare the dakbal as service, so don’t charge him when he leaves.”
I said as I started preparing the dakbal in the kitchen.
“…Okay.”
Han Mi-ae replied with a dejected expression.
“I mentioned this when we decided to sell alcohol. That things like this could happen.”
“You did.”
“This kind of incident will become commonplace. In this business, you encounter all sorts of people. It’s easy to become disillusioned and start disliking people in general.”
Quite a few franchise owners had quit, saying they were sick of seeing the worst in people. Each time, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for their haggard faces.
That’s why running a business is so challenging.
“So we have to keep bowing and scraping to people like that from now on?”
Jung Da-on asked in a sharp tone.
“Mom, let’s just not do this.”
“Jung Da-on!”
“Mom, why do you have to bow down to people like that? What are you lacking? I hate this.”
“Why is this child acting like this?”
This might be heartbreaking for Jung Da-on to see. Well, what child would enjoy seeing their parent mistreated by customers?
“Woo-yeon. I’m disappointed in you too.”
Jung Da-on looked at me with reproachful eyes.
“I didn’t expect you to say things like that. When Mom said she wanted to try running the shop again, I agreed because I thought I could trust you.”
“……”
“Jung Da-on! We’ll talk when Mom’s work is done.”
“Why? I have nothing more to say.”
Jung Da-on took off his apron and placed it in a corner of the kitchen.
“I’m against this. I don’t think Mom should have to go through this.”
“Jung Da-on!”
I could sense Han Mi-ae constantly glancing at me, clearly flustered by Jung Da-on’s sudden outburst. She must be thinking about how she could possibly quit after receiving investment for the interior renovations.
Whoosh!
Just then, flames rose, imparting a smoky flavor to the dakbal. With practiced hands, I seasoned the dakbal appropriately, then transferred it to a serving dish.
“Jung Da-on, you take this out.”
“…I said I don’t want to. Didn’t you hear what I just said? I’m quitting, and Mom shouldn’t…”
“You need to remember his face well so we can keep him out next time.”
“……!”
Jung Da-on looked surprised at my following words.
He must have thought I’d tell him to unconditionally placate that person.
“Next time he lurks around here, kick him out. You’re the first to receive customers in the hall, so it’s your job.”
“……”
“Keeping customers like that will only lead to losses. Even in a neighborhood business, you need to weed out the rotten roots.”
“But then, why are we serving this…?”
Jung Da-on asked, looking at the dakbal.
“I told you. Because other customers are watching. Troublemakers like that are like natural disasters. You can’t predict them, and it’s hard to prevent them in advance.”
It’s not like I enjoy catering to such troublesome customers. There’s always a reason.
“But if there’s a fire in the shop, can you just ignore it saying it’s not your fault? You need to take measures to prevent the sparks from spreading and causing more damage.”
Han Mi-ae and Jung Da-on’s eyes widened at my analogy.
“Are you going to let that person keep shouting and throwing things? You’ll lose all your real customers that way. But constantly appeasing such people isn’t a good strategy either. If you get labeled as an easy target, more ill-mannered people might flock here.”
So this dakbal serves just that purpose.
It’s like a fire extinguisher to put out a sudden fire.
“Here.”
I held out the bowl of dakbal to Jung Da-on.
“Go. And remember his face clearly.”