The office was already alive with activity when Lee Jihoon arrived.
The rhythmic clacking of keyboards filled the air.
Phones rang in the background as people rushed to answer them.
Printers whirred continuously, spitting out stacks of documents.
It was a typical start to the workday.
Jihoon walked in with his usual hot americano in one hand, his bag slung over his shoulder.
As he made his way to his desk, he glanced over at his coworker, Kevin Park, who was leaning back in his chair, staring at his computer screen with a dazed expression.
"Morning, Jihoon," Kevin muttered, rubbing his eyes.
Jihoon smirked. "Rough night?"
Kevin groaned. "Man, I went down a rabbit hole watching cooking videos. Ended up learning how to make a perfect steak at 3 AM. I don't even cook."
Jihoon chuckled as he sat down, placing his coffee on the desk. "At least you learned something useful."
Kevin sighed dramatically. "Yeah, if only I had the motivation to actually try it."
Jihoon shook his head in amusement before turning to his computer.
Just as he was about to start his morning tasks—
Ding!
A familiar notification popped up before his eyes.
[New Kindness Challenge]
Someone is feeling unappreciated. Show them gratitude in a way that brightens their day.
Reward: 20,000 KRW
Jihoon blinked.
Unappreciated?
He glanced around the office, scanning his coworkers.
Everyone seemed busy, but fine.
Kevin was back to scrolling through his phone.Minji, the intern, was chatting with another coworker, looking much more confident these days.His boss was furiously typing away, probably composing another aggressive email.
Jihoon frowned.
If it wasn't one of his coworkers, then…
His eyes wandered toward the small pantry area.
That's when he saw her.
Near the pantry, Mrs. Choi, the office's cleaning lady, was quietly refilling the coffee machine.
She was always there early, making sure everything was set before most employees arrived.
She restocked the coffee supplies.She wiped down desks.She handled all the office trash and cleaning without complaint.
And yet…
Most people barely noticed her.
They took the clean workspace and freshly brewed coffee for granted.
Jihoon realized something.
No one ever thanked her.
She wasn't ignored out of rudeness—it was just that her work was silent, invisible.
But Jihoon knew better now.
Ding!
[Kindness Opportunity Detected!]
Some of the most important work goes unnoticed. Show appreciation where it's due.
Jihoon smirked. Alright then.
Jihoon stood up and made his way toward the pantry, casually pretending to refill his coffee.
Mrs. Choi had just finished loading a new bag of coffee beans, carefully adjusting the machine's settings.
Jihoon noticed the slight stiffness in her shoulders as she stretched, probably from standing too long.
She let out a small sigh, rolling her shoulders before wiping her hands on her apron.
Jihoon cleared his throat. "Good morning, Mrs. Choi."
She looked up, startled for a second, before smiling.
"Oh, good morning, Jihoon-ssi," she said politely, stepping aside so he could use the coffee machine.
Jihoon smirked. "You're always working hard this early in the morning."
Mrs. Choi chuckled lightly. "Well, someone has to keep this place running, right?"
Jihoon nodded. "And you do a great job at it."
She paused, blinking in surprise.
"…Oh," she said, laughing softly. "That's kind of you to say."
Jihoon took a slow sip of his coffee before speaking again.
"You know," he said casually, "I think most of us take the coffee machine for granted. We just assume it magically refills itself. But in reality, it's because of you that we have coffee to survive the workday."
Mrs. Choi let out a genuine laugh. "Well, I suppose that's true."
Jihoon smirked. "So, thank you. For always making sure we have our much-needed caffeine boost."
Mrs. Choi paused.
For a moment, she just stared at him, as if processing his words.
Then, her lips curved into a warm smile.
"…You know," she said, "I don't think anyone's ever thanked me for the coffee before."
Jihoon raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? After all these years?"
She shook her head, still smiling. "People always drink it, but no one really notices who keeps it ready."
Jihoon leaned against the counter. "Well, they should. You basically keep this office alive."
Mrs. Choi chuckled, but there was something different in her eyes now.
Like a small weight had lifted.
Ding!
[Kindness Opportunity Completed!]
Reward: 20,000 KRW
Jihoon felt a quiet satisfaction settle in his chest.
Who knew a simple "thank you" could mean so much?
A Small Ripple Effect
As Jihoon returned to his desk, Kevin looked at him curiously.
"What were you talking about with Mrs. Choi?"
Jihoon smirked. "Just thanking her for keeping the coffee machine stocked."
Kevin blinked. "Huh. Never thought about that before."
Jihoon raised an eyebrow. "Exactly."
Kevin paused, frowning slightly.
Then, without a word, he stood up.
Jihoon watched as Kevin casually strolled toward the pantry.
A moment later, he heard Kevin's voice:
"Hey, Mrs. Choi, thanks for keeping us caffeinated."
Jihoon grinned to himself.
One small act… and now someone else was doing it too.
Later that afternoon, Jihoon was deep in work, typing away furiously to finish a report before the deadline.
Then—
A warm cup of coffee was gently placed on his desk.
Jihoon looked up, confused.
Mrs. Choi stood there, smiling warmly.
"I made an extra cup," she said. "Thought you might like one."
Jihoon blinked in surprise. "Oh… wow. Thank you."
Mrs. Choi patted his shoulder lightly. "It's nice to be noticed sometimes."
Jihoon watched as she walked away, a smile slowly forming on his lips.
Ding!
[Bonus Reward Unlocked!]
When kindness is returned, it creates a cycle of goodwill.
+5,000 KRW
Jihoon chuckled softly as he took a sip.
The coffee was perfect.
As Jihoon leaned back in his chair, sipping his unexpected coffee gift, he thought about something.
Sometimes, the people who do the most… are the ones we notice the least.
A simple "thank you" was all it took to brighten someone's day.
Ding!
[Daily Kindness Reflection]
"Gratitude is powerful. The people who make your life easier—baristas, janitors, delivery workers—deserve to be seen and appreciated. A simple thank you can brighten someone's day."
Jihoon smiled.
One small act.
One warm cup of coffee.
And the world felt just a little bit better.
One small act at a time.
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