For years, Lee Jihoon had dreaded mornings.
The loud, shrill sound of his alarm, the groggy struggle to get out of bed, the cold splash of water on his face—all of it was just the start of another exhausting day.
But today was different.
Instead of dragging himself through his morning routine, he found himself feeling lighter.
Not because his workload had decreased. Not because he had magically become a morning person.
But because of a simple realization—
Today, he had the chance to make someone's day better.
That thought alone made getting up easier.
After getting dressed, Jihoon slung his bag over his shoulder and left his apartment, stepping out into the crisp morning air.
Time to see where today's kindness would take him.
As usual, the subway station was packed with commuters, most of them half-asleep, scrolling through their phones or simply enduring the ride.
Jihoon stepped onto the train, grabbing onto a metal pole for balance.
That's when he saw her.
A young mother, dressed in office attire, standing near the door with a small, sleepy toddler in her arms.
She looked exhausted—her body slightly swaying with the train's movements, one arm wrapped around her child, the other clutching a bag.
Jihoon could tell she was struggling, but no one offered their seat.
Most people pretended not to notice, their heads buried in their phones or staring out the window.
Without a second thought, Jihoon stood up.
"Ma'am, you can take my seat."
The woman blinked in surprise. "Oh! Thank you so much."
She carefully sat down, shifting her toddler in her lap. The little boy stirred slightly before settling comfortably against his mother.
Ding.
[Small Act of Kindness Completed!]
Reward: 5,000 KRW
Jihoon felt a small tug at his sleeve. He looked down—
The toddler was gazing up at him with sleepy eyes, his chubby fingers gripping Jihoon's coat.
Then, out of nowhere—
The little boy grinned, flashing his tiny teeth before closing his eyes again.
Jihoon blinked.
He hadn't expected that.
The mother smiled warmly. "That's rare. He doesn't usually react to strangers."
Jihoon chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess he's just in a good mood today."
She nodded. "Still, thank you. It's hard holding him while standing."
Jihoon gave a small nod and leaned against the subway wall, watching the city pass by through the window.
Before the system, he probably wouldn't have even noticed her struggling.
But now?
Now, he was learning that small actions mattered.
A Different Kind of Problem
By the time Jihoon arrived at work, Kevin Park was already waiting at his desk, arms crossed.
"Alright, spill."
Jihoon raised an eyebrow. "Spill what?"
Kevin narrowed his eyes. "You've been acting weird. Helping interns, buying strangers coffee, standing up to the boss…"
Jihoon smirked. "And that's weird?"
Kevin threw his hands in the air. "Yes! You—Lee Jihoon—have been actively nice all week. Do you have a secret side job as a saint or something?"
Jihoon let out a chuckle, shaking his head. "I just figured… being nice wouldn't kill me."
Kevin scoffed. "Dude, this is corporate life. Niceness gets you stabbed in the back."
Jihoon leaned back in his chair. "Not always."
Kevin gave him a skeptical look. "You'll see. This place will chew you up and spit you out."
Jihoon didn't argue.
He just smiled.
Because he knew something Kevin didn't—kindness could change people.
And maybe, just maybe, it was already working on Kevin too.
Just as Jihoon was about to start his work, he heard a frustrated sigh from a nearby desk.
Turning his head, he saw Hana Yoo, the new intern, sitting at her desk, staring at her computer screen with defeat written all over her face.
Curious, Jihoon stood up and walked over.
He glanced at her screen and saw a rejected project proposal.
"Rough morning?" Jihoon asked.
Hana jumped slightly before turning to him. "Oh! Uh… yeah. My project got rejected."
Jihoon nodded toward her screen. "What was the feedback?"
"They said it was too safe, not innovative enough."
Jihoon smirked. "Welcome to corporate life."
Hana groaned, slumping back in her chair. "Does it ever get easier?"
Jihoon thought about it. Then he shook his head. "Nope."
Hana let out another dramatic sigh. "Great."
Jihoon chuckled. "But you know what does get easier? Learning how to bounce back."
Hana looked at him curiously.
Jihoon gestured at her rejected proposal. "Rejection doesn't mean you're bad at your job. It just means you're not there yet."
Hana hesitated. "So… you're saying I should try again?"
Jihoon nodded. "Exactly. Use the feedback, make adjustments, and submit it again."
Hana was quiet for a moment. Then she straightened, her determined expression returning.
"…Okay. I'll do that."
Ding.
[Small Act of Kindness Completed!]
Reward: 5,000 KRW
Jihoon smiled.
Encouragement was free. But sometimes, it was exactly what someone needed.
At the end of the workday, Jihoon was packing up his desk when someone approached him.
It was Jisoo, the intern he had defended from Mr. Choi the day before.
"S-Sunbae!" Jisoo said, bowing deeply.
Jihoon blinked. "Oh. Hey, Jisoo. What's up?"
Jisoo held out a small gift bag. "I… I wanted to thank you for yesterday. So I bought this."
Jihoon hesitated. "You didn't have to—"
"But I wanted to!" Jisoo said quickly. "I was really scared I'd get fired, but because of you, I got a second chance."
Jihoon scratched the back of his head. "…Alright. Thanks, kid."
As Jisoo bowed again and left, Jihoon looked inside the bag.
It was a box of high-quality green tea.
Ding.
[Kindness Goes Both Ways.]
Receiving kindness is a reward in itself.
Jihoon smiled softly.
He was starting to realize—kindness had a way of coming back to you.
And that?
That was worth more than all the money in the world.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
🔥 Hey legends! Quick updates! 🔥
💥 Support me on👉 patreon.com/cyci07
✨ Power Stone Challenge! ✨
If we hit 100 power stones, I'll drop 2 bonus chapters! Let's see if you guys can make me suffer! 😂
💬 Enjoying the story? Leave a review and let me know your favorite moment so far! It helps the novel grow and reach more readers!
Thanks for all your support—you guys are awesome! ❤️