A story about an obscure singer who handed a young worker taxi fare and sang for her on the spot after finding her in tears at a bus stop in the early hours has gone viral online.
A post titled "Let me share one heartwarming story" appeared on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday and has since racked up more than 2.5 million views, spreading across online communities and social media.
The author, identified only as A, wrote that she had been drinking after failing to convert from an intern to a full-time employee, and was sitting at a bus stop crying while waiting for the first bus of the morning.
A man approached her and asked why she was crying, then told her he would give her taxi fare so she could go home somewhere warm and cry.
"The moment he spoke to me, tears burst out like a faucet had been turned on," A wrote. "I poured out all the hurt I had been carrying inside and rattled off every painful thing that had happened to me during my internship."
The man then introduced himself in a playful tone as a "singer with 30 years and still no fame," adding that he had not given up yet. He proceeded to sing one of his own songs right there on the spot.
"The whole situation was both hilarious and touching," A wrote. "He belted it out with everything he had, veins showing in his neck — I was so sorry I didn't recognize the song."
Even after A said she was fine and tried to decline, the man transferred 38,540 won ($29) in taxi fare directly to her bank account.
"It felt like he had scraped together every last won he had, which made me feel even more sorry," A wrote. "Thanks to him, I got home safely by taxi. I'm so grateful for the warm encouragement."
At the end of the post, A revealed the man's name, writing: "Thank you for the 38,540 won, singer Lee Hyeon-seop."
Readers who came across the story left comments including "I was surprised to find I actually knew the song the moment it started playing," "This is so heartwarming — I hope things go well for both of them," and "I hope this gives his music a second wind."
Lee Hyeon-seop is a singer known for "My Love," the original soundtrack from the SBS drama series "Something Happened in Bali." He also appeared on JTBC's singing competition "Singer Again" in 2020 as contestant No. 46.
bbo@heraldcorp.com
