The monotonous hum of fluorescent lights filled the small office space as Lee Jihoon sat hunched over his desk, eyes glued to his computer screen. The harsh white glow reflected off the endless rows of emails demanding his attention, each one a reminder of deadlines he had yet to meet. His fingers hovered over the keyboard, but his mind was sluggish, weighed down by exhaustion.

His phone vibrated next to him—another notification from his manager. Urgent: Need the report by tomorrow morning.

Jihoon clenched his jaw. He had already been working overtime for the past two weeks. His back ached from sitting too long, his head throbbed from staring at the screen, and his stomach growled in protest from skipping dinner yet again. But in this company, complaining wasn't an option.

Across the room, his best friend and coworker, Kevin Park, leaned against his desk, sipping on an iced Americano. Unlike Jihoon, Kevin still had the energy to joke around.

"Hey, Jihoon, you good?" Kevin's voice was lighthearted, but his eyes scanned Jihoon's face with mild concern. "You look like you just lost a year of your life."

Jihoon let out a dry chuckle. "I think I did. At this rate, I might not make it to thirty."

Kevin whistled. "Sounds about right. You've been looking like a zombie lately. When was the last time you ate an actual meal? And don't say convenience store kimbap."

Jihoon sighed, rubbing his temples. "Does instant ramen count?"

Kevin groaned. "Dude, this company is sucking the life out of you. If you keep this up, you'll turn into one of those soulless salarymen."

"Too late," Jihoon muttered, dragging his fingers through his messy black hair.

Kevin shook his head. "You need a break. Come on, let's grab some food later. I heard there's a new Korean BBQ place nearby. My treat."

Jihoon hesitated. The idea of a warm, proper meal sounded tempting, but—

"I can't," he said, gesturing toward his screen. "I have to finish this report before tomorrow."

Kevin sighed dramatically. "You know what, Jihoon? If overworking was a sport, you'd be a gold medalist."

Jihoon smirked slightly. "At least I'd be good at something."

Kevin patted his shoulder before heading back to his desk. "Fine, but don't die at your desk, alright? You still owe me drinks."

Jihoon gave a weak wave in response, but as soon as Kevin was gone, the weight of exhaustion settled on his shoulders again.

Another late night. Another missed meal. Another reminder that his life was an endless cycle of work, exhaustion, and sleep.

That night, Jihoon finally stumbled into his tiny apartment, his body feeling heavier than ever. He barely had the energy to remove his shoes before collapsing onto his bed, face-first into his pillow.

His small studio apartment was dark except for the dim glow of the city lights filtering through the window. The air was still, filled only with the faint hum of the refrigerator and the occasional honking from the streets below.

Jihoon didn't bother changing out of his work clothes. His muscles ached from sitting all day, and his mind was foggy with fatigue. His phone, still in his hand, slipped onto the floor with a soft thud, but he was too tired to care.

His eyelids grew heavy, and sleep was just within reach—

Ding.

A crisp notification sound rang in his ears, cutting through the silence of the room.

Jihoon's eyes fluttered open. "What...?"

He turned his head, expecting to see a message on his phone, but instead—

A floating translucent screen hovered in front of him, glowing softly in the darkness.

[Kindness System Activated.]

Jihoon sat up with a start. "What the hell?!"

The screen remained, flickering slightly, as if acknowledging his shock.

Welcome, Lee Jihoon.The Kindness System has been activated.Perform acts of kindness to earn rewards.Your first mission: Help someone in need.

Jihoon blinked. Once. Twice.

Was he dreaming?

He rubbed his eyes and looked again. The screen was still there, floating in the air like something out of a sci-fi movie.

"This... can't be real."

He glanced at the empty beer can on his desk. Did he drink too much? No, he hadn't touched alcohol in weeks. Maybe he was hallucinating from lack of sleep.

He pinched his arm—hard.

"Ouch!"

The screen didn't disappear.

Jihoon stared at the glowing text, his heart pounding. He had read enough webnovels to recognize a system, but those were just stories.

"...Okay. Maybe I'm going insane."

Still, curiosity gnawed at him.

His gaze drifted back to the mission description. Help someone in need.

That was it? No complicated quests? No impossible challenges? Just... being kind?

Then, another line of text appeared at the bottom.

Mission Reward: 10,000 KRW

Jihoon's brows furrowed. He wasn't sure what to think. Ten thousand won wasn't much—just about the price of a cheap meal—but if this was real...

Could something as simple as being kind actually earn him money?

He scoffed, shaking his head. "No way. This has to be a joke."

Still, the idea lingered in his mind as he lay back down, staring at the screen hovering in the air.

If this was real...

Then maybe, just maybe, something in his life was about to change.

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