Monday mornings at the office were always the worst.
As soon as Lee Jihoon stepped into the office, he could feel the Monday blues hanging over the workspace like a heavy cloud.
Employees shuffled in like exhausted zombies, their eyes still half-closed.Coffee cups were clutched like lifelines, steam rising into the air.The sound of furious typing and sighs of regret filled the atmosphere.
At his own desk, Jihoon casually set down his coffee and observed the usual morning routine.
Across from him, Kevin Park, his ever-dramatic coworker, looked half-dead, already leaning back in his chair.
"Why," Kevin groaned, dragging out the word, "do we do this to ourselves?"
Jihoon smirked. "Because capitalism."
Kevin let out a long, exaggerated sigh. "I should have married rich."
Jihoon chuckled as he took a slow sip of his coffee. Unlike before, when he dreaded coming to work, things felt different now.
Ever since his Kindness System had entered his life, he had started seeing things in a new light.
Instead of just going through the motions, he now had something to look forward to.
Ding!
A soft, familiar notification appeared before his eyes.
[New Kindness Challenge]
Someone is struggling silently. Offer them a helping hand.
Reward: 12,000 KRW
Jihoon raised an eyebrow.
Someone is struggling?
His gaze naturally drifted around the office, scanning the faces of his coworkers.
That's when he noticed her.
At a small corner desk, Han Minji sat hunched over her laptop.
She was the company's newest intern, having joined a few weeks ago.
Most people in the office either ignored her completely or treated her like free labor.
She was quiet, always keeping her head down, and never really interacted with anyone unless necessary.
But today, Jihoon noticed something different.
Her hands were shaking slightly as she typed.
Her desk was a mess, covered in crumpled sticky notes and loose papers.
Her coffee sat untouched and cold, completely forgotten.
Her face, usually neutral, was pale and full of quiet panic.
Jihoon's eyes flickered to the clock on the wall.
11:15 AM.
A realization hit him.
The monthly report.
If Minji was the intern, that meant the responsibility of preparing it had probably fallen on her.
And judging by her expression—she was drowning in work.
Ding!
[Kindness Opportunity Detected!]
Sometimes, all someone needs is a little support to keep going.
Jihoon smirked.
This was an easy one.
An Unexpected Offer
Jihoon casually stood up and strolled over to Minji's desk.
As soon as he gently knocked on the desk, she flinched in surprise.
"Oh! Sunbae— I mean, Jihoon-ssi?" she stammered, quickly sitting up straight.
Jihoon smirked. "Relax. I don't bite."
Minji let out an awkward chuckle, her voice slightly shaky. "S-Sorry! I was just… really focused."
Jihoon casually leaned against the edge of her desk.
"You okay?" he asked, keeping his tone light.
Minji froze for a second, as if debating whether to tell the truth.
Then, she forced a tight smile. "Yes! I'm fine!"
Jihoon raised an eyebrow.
"You sure?" he asked, tilting his head slightly. "Because you look like you're about to pass out."
Her smile faltered.
Minji hesitated, then let out a deep sigh.
"It's the monthly report," she admitted, her voice filled with frustration.
"I think I messed up some calculations," she continued, speaking faster now. "But I don't have time to check, and if I don't submit it by noon, my supervisor will—"
She stopped mid-sentence, biting her lip.
Jihoon glanced at the clock again.
11:18 AM.
It was obvious she wasn't going to make the deadline on her own.
Jihoon smirked. "Alright. Let me help."
Minji's eyes widened. "H-Huh?"
Jihoon shrugged. "I used to do that report when I was an intern. I know the format. If you want, I can double-check the calculations while you organize the data."
Minji stared at him, blinking rapidly.
It was like she was trying to process the fact that someone was actually helping her.
"…Really?" she asked hesitantly. "You don't mind?"
Jihoon smirked. "If I minded, I wouldn't have offered."
For the first time that morning, Minji smiled.
For the next forty minutes, Jihoon and Minji worked together.
Jihoon rechecked the calculations, fixing any mistakes.Minji organized the data, her hands no longer shaking.They fell into a smooth rhythm, the stress in Minji's posture slowly disappearing.
At exactly 11:57 AM, the final report was complete.
Minji leaned back, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"I… I did it," she whispered.
Jihoon grinned. "Correction. We did it."
Minji turned to him, her eyes shining with gratitude.
"…Thank you, Jihoon-ssi. Really."
Jihoon smirked. "No problem. But next time, don't wait until you're about to have a breakdown before asking for help."
Minji laughed softly, a genuine laugh.
"I'll remember that."
Ding!
[Kindness Opportunity Completed!]
Reward: 12,000 KRW
Jihoon felt a warmth in his chest.
This was why he liked doing this.
Not for the money.
Not for recognition.
Just… because it made a difference.
When Jihoon returned to his desk, Kevin was watching him suspiciously.
"What?" Jihoon asked.
Kevin narrowed his eyes. "You. Helping the intern. Voluntarily."
Jihoon raised an eyebrow. "And?"
Kevin leaned forward. "Are you trying to get promoted?"
Jihoon laughed. "Why would I want more work?"
Kevin frowned. "Then why did you help her?"
Jihoon smirked. "Because I felt like it."
Kevin stared.
Then groaned loudly, collapsing into his chair.
"You're so weird these days, man."
Jihoon chuckled. "Maybe I've always been weird."
Kevin pointed at him dramatically. "Or maybe you're secretly a nice person."
Jihoon smirked. "Don't spread rumors."
Kevin shook his head. "Too late."
Jihoon laughed as he took another sip of coffee.
Just another normal day.
As the day went on, Jihoon noticed something.
Minji seemed different.
She was less tense.
She greeted people more.
She even smiled freely.
Jihoon leaned back in his chair, a satisfied smile on his face.
Yeah.
Today was a good day.
Ding!
[Daily Kindness Reflection]
"You never know how much a small gesture can change someone's day. A kind word, a helping hand—these moments create ripples. Be the reason someone smiles today."
Jihoon smirked.
One small act at a time.
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