Lee Jihoon had never been a morning person.
For years, his mornings had followed the same exhausting routine—wake up feeling like a zombie, groan at his alarm, force himself out of bed, and drag his feet through the motions of getting ready.
But today… something felt different.
As he stepped out of his apartment, he realized he wasn't rushing mindlessly toward the subway station. Instead, he was noticing things—small details he used to ignore.
That's when he spotted her.
His elderly landlady, Mrs. Song, stood at the bottom of the staircase, struggling to lift a heavy bag of groceries.
Her frail hands gripped the handles tightly, her posture slightly hunched as she tried to pull herself up the steps.
Before the system, Jihoon would've done what most people did—pretend not to see. Maybe he'd reason with himself, thinking she didn't need help, that she'd be fine on her own.
But now?
Now, he didn't hesitate.
Jihoon quickly approached her. "Let me help you with that, halmeoni."
Mrs. Song blinked in surprise, then smiled warmly. "Oh, Jihoon-ah, you're such a good boy. Thank you."
Jihoon gently took the bag from her hands and carried it up the stairs with ease.
As soon as he placed it in front of her door—
Ding.
[Small Act of Kindness Completed!]
Reward: 5,000 KRW
Mrs. Song patted his arm. "You young ones are always in such a rush these days. It's nice to see someone still has manners."
Jihoon chuckled. "I'll help anytime, halmeoni."
She grinned. "Then next time, I'll cook you some homemade kimchi as thanks."
At that, Jihoon's stomach rumbled.
Homemade kimchi? Totally worth it.
As he walked toward the subway, he checked his phone. His total balance was now over 200,000 KRW.
That's almost my weekly food budget.
But strangely enough, the money wasn't the most important part.
What felt better was the fact that someone smiled because of him.
And Jihoon realized… he liked that feeling.
Jihoon decided to stop by a small café near the subway station to grab coffee.
As he joined the long line, he noticed the familiar morning rush—tired employees rubbing their eyes, checking their phones, and sighing at the slow-moving queue.
Right in front of him, a young woman in a sharp office suit kept glancing at her phone with an anxious expression.
When it was finally her turn at the register, she froze.
"…Oh no."
She quickly patted her pockets, rummaged through her bag—her face turning pale.
"I think I left my wallet at home," she mumbled, looking absolutely mortified.
The barista hesitated, clearly unsure of what to do.
Jihoon didn't even think.
"I'll cover it," he said, stepping forward.
The woman whipped around, her eyes wide with shock. "W-What? No, it's fine, I can just—"
Jihoon shrugged. "It's just coffee. Don't worry about it."
The barista, seeing the situation resolved, quickly processed the payment.
The woman still looked completely stunned, as if no one had ever done something nice for her before.
"I… I'll pay you back—"
Jihoon waved her off. "Just do something nice for someone else later."
She stared at him for a moment, then smiled—small at first, then genuinely warm.
"…Thank you," she said softly.
As Jihoon grabbed his coffee and turned to leave, he heard the familiar ding.
[Small Act of Kindness Completed!]
Reward: 7,500 KRW
Jihoon took a sip of his drink, hiding his smile.
This was starting to feel natural.
The moment Jihoon arrived at work, he sensed something was off.
The usual buzz of conversation and the clacking of keyboards were missing. Instead, the air felt heavy.
Kevin walked up to his desk, looking serious for once.
"Dude… did you hear what happened?"
Jihoon frowned. "What?"
Kevin lowered his voice. "The manager… he's been yelling in the conference room for thirty minutes."
Jihoon raised an eyebrow. Their boss, Mr. Choi, was strict but rarely this angry.
"What happened?"
Kevin sighed. "It's about Jisoo."
Jihoon's brows furrowed. The new intern?
"What about him?"
Kevin exhaled. "Apparently, he made a mistake in the financial report. Mr. Choi is furious. He's threatening to fire him."
Jihoon clenched his jaw.
He's just an intern. Mistakes happen.
Without another word, Jihoon stood up.
Kevin's eyes widened. "Wait, where are you—"
"I'll be back."
Stepping In
Jihoon walked straight to the conference room.
Inside, Mr. Choi stood towering over Jisoo, his voice sharp and unforgiving.
"Do you even know how much this mistake could cost us?" he snapped. "This company doesn't have room for incompetence."
Jisoo looked pale. His hands trembled as he held onto a stack of papers, his lips pressed into a tight line.
Jihoon pushed the door open.
"Sir, I think this is just a small error."
Mr. Choi turned, his gaze narrowing. "Excuse me?"
Jihoon held his ground. "Jisoo is still learning. Instead of punishing him, wouldn't it be better to guide him so it doesn't happen again?"
Mr. Choi's glare darkened. "And who are you to tell me how to manage my employees?"
Jihoon remained calm. "Just someone who believes in second chances."
A tense silence filled the room.
Finally, Mr. Choi let out a sharp exhale.
"…Fine." He turned to Jisoo. "Fix the report and submit it again by the end of the day."
Jisoo visibly sagged in relief. "Y-Yes, sir! I'll fix it right away!"
As Jihoon stepped out, he heard the familiar ding.
[Meaningful Act of Kindness Completed!]
Reward: 15,000 KRW
Jisoo ran after him. "S-Sunbae! Thank you so much!"
Jihoon gave a small smile. "Just focus on learning. Don't let one mistake ruin your confidence."
Jisoo bowed deeply. "I won't forget this, sunbae."
Jihoon simply nodded, walking away.
For the first time, he realized—
The true reward of kindness wasn't just the money.
It was knowing he had made a difference.
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