It was the kind of breezy Wednesday afternoon that made the city feel softer. The sun filtered gently through the clouds, casting golden light across sidewalks and awnings. The wind carried a quiet rustle through the trees, and everything moved at an easy pace.
Jihoon had just stepped out of a small stationery shop tucked between a laundromat and a flower stall. A new notebook rested inside his tote bag—clean, unmarked, and full of empty pages. He didn't really need another, but something about the creamy, unlined paper and soft gray cover had pulled him in. Perhaps, he thought, it would be a good companion on quiet days like this one.
With no rush to be anywhere, he strolled leisurely down the street. The scent of blooming flowers mixed with the faint aroma of grilled skewers wafting from a nearby food truck. The chatter of students filtered from behind a café window. Jihoon took it all in as if the moment itself were a kind of poem—unwritten, but understood.
He eventually made his way to the plaza near the intersection. It wasn't a grand place—just an open space lined with benches, surrounded by local cafés and bakeries. Pigeons pecked quietly along the brick floor. A child rode past on a scooter, his mother walking close behind.
Jihoon took a seat on a bench shaded by a gently swaying tree. He placed his tote on his lap and leaned back with a quiet sigh, enjoying the breeze brushing against his cheek. The plaza was alive in that peaceful, effortless way—people going about their lives, unknowingly part of something quietly beautiful.
As he sat, his gaze drifted lazily to the bench across from him.
Something caught his eye.
There, near the edge of the bench, partly tucked beneath a wrinkled scarf, lay a smartphone. Face down, slightly askew, the reflective surface of its case catching the sunlight.
Jihoon stood and walked over. Gently, he picked it up.
The phone was warm. Recently used.
As he turned it over, the screen lit up.
1 New Message: Mom – "Don't forget to buy the milk!"
He glanced around. People were walking, chatting, sipping coffee—but no one nearby looked like they were searching for anything. No frantic hands. No worried expressions.
Jihoon waited by the bench, the phone in hand.
Two minutes passed. Then five.
Still no one.
The lock screen showed a photograph: a teenage girl posing with two young siblings. All three were smiling—genuinely. Jihoon felt something warm stir in his chest. There was a familiarity in that smile. A kind of everyday joy.
The phone buzzed again.
New Message: Dad – "Did you leave school already?"
Jihoon's brows furrowed slightly. School. That meant the owner had to be nearby—and young.
He scanned the edge of the plaza once more.
That's when he saw her.
A girl in a school uniform, maybe seventeen, walking briskly along the storefronts. Her ponytail swayed with each step. Her head turned left and right, searching. She retraced her path, then paused to check inside her canvas tote bag, her shoulders tensing.
She looked panicked—but trying not to show it.
Jihoon took a few steps forward and called out softly.
"Excuse me."
She turned immediately, eyes wide.
"Did you lose something?"
She nodded. "Yes! My phone—I think I left it here but I…"
Jihoon held it up.
"This one?"
Her face lit up with pure relief. "Yes! That's it! Oh my God, thank you!"
She rushed over, taking it gently with both hands, like she was afraid it might vanish again.
"I—I thought I left it on the bench," she stammered, "but then I thought maybe I dropped it near the café, and I was already freaking out. I need this for literally everything."
Jihoon smiled. "I figured you'd be back. It was still warm when I found it."
She clutched the phone to her chest. "I keep all my school stuff on it. My homework, attendance, my bus card… even my digital locker code."
He nodded. "That's the modern world. Everything in one small screen."
The girl laughed awkwardly, cheeks flushed. "I seriously owe you. If you hadn't stayed here, someone else might've…"
She paused and rummaged through her bag.
"I was saving this for after class," she said, pulling out a slightly squished chocolate bar, "but I want you to have it. I know it's not much but…"
Jihoon accepted it with both hands. "Thank you. I'll enjoy it with tea later."
She smiled, gave a quick bow, and waved as she jogged off, already typing a message to her dad.
Jihoon returned to his bench and unwrapped the chocolate slowly. The packaging crackled in his hands, and he broke off a small square, letting it melt on his tongue as the wind picked up slightly.
Ding!
[Kindness Opportunity Completed!]
Reward: 36,000 KRW
He tucked the rest of the bar in his bag and leaned back, letting the fading light spill across his face.
His phone vibrated in his pocket.
[Daily Kindness Reflection]
"Returning something lost is more than a gesture—it's a reminder that the world still has gentle hands."
Jihoon watched as shadows stretched across the plaza and the laughter of children echoed from the corner near the bakery.
Yeah.
That sounded about right.
One small act at a time.
End of Chapter 55
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