The Hero is Too Busy Paying His Rent!Chapter 6: The Author is an Absolute Menace (And I Demand a Refund)I have a problem.

  And no, it’s not my minimum-wage job, my psychotic coworkers, or the fact that our company mascot is an eldritch horror that eats customers.

  It’s worse.

  I am trapped in a story.

  A comedy light novel, to be precise.

  And the author—yes, you—is an absolute menace.

  Everything Was Fine (Until the Narration Betrayed Me)Today started like any other shift.

  I walked into Burger Castle, clocked in, and prepared to survive another day of suffering.

  That was when I heard it.

  [READER, LOOK! OUR MAIN CHARACTER, RENTO, HAS ARRIVED!]

  I froze.

  My coworkers stared at me.

  Kenji scratched his head. "Uh, dude, why is there… text floating above you?"

  [LOOK AT HIM, FOLKS! A TRUE UNDERDOG! A MINIMUM-WAGE SURVIVOR, TRAPPED IN A STORY OF CHAOS AND PAIN!]

  I spun in circles. "WHO SAID THAT?!"

  The Demon King sipped his coffee. "Ah. The narration's sentient again."

  "Again?!"

  Kenji shrugged. "Yeah, it happens. Just ignore it."

  [LOOK AT THEM TRYING TO IGNORE ME! HOW PATHETIC! HOW FUTILE!]

  I grabbed Kenji. "DO YOU NOT HEAR THAT?!"

  "Eh." He pulled out a burrito. "I choose peace."

  [MEANWHILE, PRINCESS MELODIA IS ABOUT TO ENTER THE SCENE IN THE WORST WAY POSSIBLE.]

  I immediately tensed.

  The kitchen doors burst open.

  Melodia, holding three knives, screamed:

  "WHO ATE MY SECRET CAKE?!"

  Kenji hid his burrito behind his back.

  Melodia’s eyes locked onto him.

  [DRAMA UNFOLDS! BETRAYAL! TREACHERY!]

  Melodia lunged.

  I dodged. Kenji parkoured over the counter. The Demon King watched calmly, sipping his tte.

  I grabbed my head. "MAKE IT STOP."

  [OH, YOU POOR FOOL. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING.]

  The Author is a Sadist (And I Have Proof)I did my research.

  Since I am trapped in a story, I decided to track down the author and demand answers.

  First, I checked the official synopsis.

  The Hero is Too Busy Paying His Rent! follows Rento, an underpaid fast-food worker, as he struggles against overwhelming odds—including an overpowered Demon King, a violent princess, and an oblivious eldritch horror—while just trying to afford rent.

  I stared at it for five minutes.

  Then I screamed into a pillow.

  This wasn’t a story about victory, about overcoming challenges, about heroic triumph.

  This was a glorified sitcom about my suffering.

  The Proof That My Life is ScriptedI ran several tests to confirm the truth.

  Test #1: The Coincidence TrapI told no one I wanted a break.

  Seconds ter, my manager walked in.

  "Rento, we’re short-staffed today," he said. "You’ll have to work overtime."

  I squinted at the sky. "Yeah. Okay. This is rigged."

  Test #2: The Genre LockI tried being serious.

  For one full hour, I avoided jokes.

  I acted like a respectable adult. I even wore a tie.

  Then, Melodia tripped and accidentally stabbed me.

  With a spatu.

  That somehow caused an explosion.

  [OH NO! ANOTHER CLASSIC MISUNDERSTANDING!]

  I screamed into my apron.

  Test #3: The Ultimate DefianceI tried quitting.

  I stormed into my manager’s office.

  "I QUIT!" I decred.

  He sighed. "You’ll be back next chapter."

  I blinked. "What?"

  He pointed at the title of Chapter 7:

  "Rento Learns You Can’t Escape Capitalism (Or The Plot)"

  I smmed my head against the desk.

  A Direct Message to the AuthorDear whoever is writing this,

  I know you can hear me.

  I know you are watching.

  STOP MAKING MY LIFE WORSE.

  Give me a normal day. A peaceful moment. A single afternoon where no one throws knives at me.

  Is that too much to ask?!

  [YES.]

  I hate you.

  The Author RespondsThe moment I finished ranting, the lights flickered.

  A single piece of paper floated down from the ceiling.

  It read:

  "Dear Rento,

  No.

  Sincerely, The Author."

  I grabbed a chair and threw it across the room.

  Conclusion: I Am DoomedKenji, watching me spiral into madness, patted my back.

  "Yo, just chill," he said. "You could have it worse."

  I gred. "HOW?!"

  The kitchen exploded.

  The Demon King walked out, covered in soot.

  Melodia chased him with a fmethrower.

  N’zra appeared through a hole in reality and devoured a milkshake.

  Kenji finished his burrito. "See? At least you’re not on fire."

  I y on the ground, staring at the ceiling.

  "…I give up."

  [AND THUS, RENTO EMBRACED HIS DESTINY AS A PERMANENT VICTIM OF COMEDIC TORTURE!]

  I swear, if I ever meet the author, it’s on sight.

  To Be Continued…