Lee Jihoon never thought he'd be the type of person to actively seek out ways to be kind.
But as he walked into the office building that morning, something had changed.
His usual routine of trudging through the lobby with a tired expression was gone. Instead, his eyes scanned the busy entrance, noticing things he had previously ignored.
The security guard rubbing his sore wrist, likely from standing too long.The receptionist, her tired smile barely concealing her exhaustion.The intern fumbling with a stack of papers, struggling to keep them from falling.
Before, he would've walked past them, too focused on his own problems.
But today…
A familiar ding echoed in his mind.
[Kindness Opportunity Detected.]
Jihoon smirked. Alright, let's do this.
He quickened his pace toward the struggling intern—a young man named Jisoo.
Just as Jisoo's grip faltered, Jihoon grabbed the top of the stack, stabilizing it.
"Need a hand?" Jihoon asked casually.
Jisoo looked up in surprise, then quickly nodded. "Ah, yes! Thank you, sunbae."
Jihoon adjusted his grip on the papers. "Where are these going?"
"The conference room. The manager asked me to print all these reports for today's meeting," Jisoo explained.
Jihoon walked alongside him. "You're new here, right? First month?"
Jisoo nodded hesitantly. "Yes… It's a bit overwhelming."
Jihoon chuckled. "It gets easier. Just don't burn yourself out trying to impress everyone."
Jisoo exhaled, his shoulders visibly relaxing. "I'll try."
As they placed the papers on the conference table, the notification appeared.
Ding.
[Small Act of Kindness Completed!]
Reward: 7,500 KRW
Jihoon barely suppressed a grin. Too easy.
Jisoo bowed slightly. "Really, thank you, sunbae. I appreciate it."
Jihoon waved him off. "Don't mention it."
And just like that, his day had started with a small but meaningful gesture.
By lunchtime, Jihoon had already completed two more small acts of kindness.
Holding the elevator for a group of employees running late.Helping an elderly janitor push a cart full of cleaning supplies.
The system had rewarded him 5,000 KRW each time.
Jihoon couldn't help but wonder—if he kept doing this every day, would he eventually earn more money from kindness than his actual salary?
"Dude, what's with you today?" Kevin Park raised an eyebrow as they sat at their usual cafeteria table. "You're smiling like you just won the lottery."
Jihoon shrugged, hiding his amusement. "Just in a good mood."
Kevin studied him suspiciously. "You're never in a good mood. Did you get a raise?"
Jihoon snorted. If only. "Nope."
Kevin leaned forward, lowering his voice. "Then… did you finally start dating someone?"
Jihoon nearly choked on his water. "What?! No!"
Kevin sighed dramatically. "Man, you're a mystery today."
Jihoon just smiled, not bothering to explain.
But before he could take a bite of his meal, a commotion broke out nearby.
A group of employees were whispering and pointing toward the cash register.
Curious, Jihoon turned his head—and immediately saw why.
An elderly woman, the cafeteria's cashier, stood at the register with a distressed expression. She fumbled through some bills, apologizing repeatedly to a man in a black suit.
"I'm so sorry, sir… I must have made a mistake with the total…"
The man scowled. "I paid for two meals, and you only charged me for one. Do you expect me to just let that go?"
Jihoon's grip on his fork tightened.
Seriously? She's old. It was an accident.
The woman bowed repeatedly. "I-I will pay for the extra meal from my paycheck—"
The man scoffed. "You barely make enough as it is."
Jihoon stood up.
"Wait here," he told Kevin before making his way to the counter.
He reached into his pocket, pulling out 10,000 KRW.
"Here," Jihoon said, placing the bill on the counter. "This should cover the difference."
The woman's eyes widened. "Oh, young man, you don't have to—"
"It's fine," Jihoon said with a reassuring smile. "Mistakes happen."
The suited man glanced at Jihoon, unimpressed. "You don't have to pay for her mistake."
Jihoon met his gaze calmly. "And you don't have to make her feel worse about it."
The man scoffed, shaking his head as he grabbed his food and walked away.
The elderly cashier looked deeply moved. "Thank you, young man… People aren't usually this kind these days."
Jihoon gave a small nod before returning to his table.
As soon as he sat down—
Ding.
[Meaningful Act of Kindness Completed!]
Reward: 15,000 KRW
Jihoon blinked.
Wait. 15,000?
That was higher than the usual rewards.
His mind raced. So the system gives bigger rewards for acts that carry more emotional weight?
He smirked. Interesting.
Experimenting with the System
After work, Jihoon decided to test something new.
Instead of going straight home, he walked around the city streets, looking for people in need.
He bought a meal for a homeless man, earning 10,000 KRW.
He gave directions to a lost tourist, earning 5,000 KRW.
He left an encouraging note on a public board, earning 3,000 KRW.
By the time he returned home, he had made nearly 50,000 KRW in one day.
Jihoon collapsed onto his couch, staring at his phone balance.
This is insane.
He could literally live off kindness.
But… as much as he enjoyed the money, he realized something.
It wasn't just about the rewards anymore.
Somewhere along the way, Jihoon had started enjoying making people smile.
He wasn't just doing it because of the system—he wanted to do it.
And for the first time in years, Jihoon felt like his life had meaning.
As he drifted off to sleep, a new thought entered his mind.
If kindness could change his life… how much more could it change the world?
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