I was standing and reading magazines at a convenience store. For some reason, I was feeling irritated and frustrated that day for no particular reason. Right next to me was the copy machine, and an elderly man was trying to make a copy. But either because it was out of ink or had a paper jam, it wouldn't work properly, so he went to call a clerk.
Since he was taking a while and didn't come back, I took a look at the original document the old man had left behind (it was sitting right on top of the copier). It was a drawing and handwriting that looked like it belonged to a child. The drawing was strangely cute and heartwarming, so I ended up taking it home with me. Then, once I got home, thinking it would be bad if I got caught, I looked at it very, very closely before throwing it away.
A few days later (maybe it was the next day), when I went to that convenience store, a flyer was posted.
"To the person who took the child's letter from the copy machine: That was the first and last letter given to me by my grandchild, who had just learned how to write, and it's the only one we have. My grandchild passed away from an illness, so I can't receive a new letter anymore. Please, please return it."
I have never regretted something I did as much as that. There's no way you would normally imagine something of that magnitude... right???
After that, I saw the old man and a woman who looked like his wife several times. When I asked a store clerk, since they were regulars, I heard that the child's parents had also come by a few times. Apparently, the old man had been crying and saying, "Please give it back." Since it was an irreplaceable treasure he couldn't afford to lose, he had intended to make a copy and keep the original (the real letter) safely stored away.
I blamed myself, realizing how much my careless actions had hurt people, and that I had done something that could never be undone. Ever since then, I haven't pulled any mischievous pranks that hurt people, no matter how small. It's something I will definitely have to take with me to my grave.
When I first read this, I thought it was awful, but it made me deeply reflect that maybe I've done similar things myself without ever knowing the outcome. That's what makes this such an unsettling story.
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