The man became obsessed with “eating meals with just the aroma,” standing next to a curry shop, beside an eel restaurant, even in front of a French restaurant with a baguette in hand, or holding soba noodles outside a duck soba shop— simply savoring the smells and eating his plain rice or bread.

One day, in a back alley, he saw some homeless people happily sharing a meal. They said, “We’re lucky the shops sell us leftovers for cheap!” smiling gratefully as they ate.

The man paused and thought: “I’ve been satisfied with just the smells, but how hard must it be to get real food in the first place? How fortunate I have been, without even realizing it.”

From that day on, while still appreciating the days he “ate with just the aroma,” he started sharing his extra rice and bread with the homeless people around him, hoping to give a little of his good fortune to others.

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