Strangers were miffed at man prepping for date inside elevator until they joined in to help him nail first impression
Kai Lee was going on a date but was running late when he decided to turn an elevator into the most wholesome party.
Getting ready for dates at the last moment can be nerve-wracking, but not when you have kind strangers helping you get ready. Well, if that sounds too specific, Kai Lee's (@hwaniee) video will tell you that "It takes a village to raise a child," and sometimes even an adult! On November 11, the Instagram content creator shared a wholesome video of strangers helping him get ready in an elevator after initially casting judgmental looks.
Kai Lee was going on a date but was running late. He decided to get ready inside an elevator as he filmed the entire process. Initially, the other occupants passed judgmental glances at him — all of it caught on camera. While they were miffed at him for getting ready there, one question broke the ice-cold barrier. When Kai Lee, visibly overwhelmed, asked for help with his skincare, they did not hesitate to assist him. Lee was putting on his sunscreen when one of them offered to blend it for him, while another moved his hair back from his face. Another woman helped him with his tie, while a man hilariously applied the excess sunscreen onto his own face! In the end, they helped him put on his jacket as he asked them to approve his date look, to which they said, "Perfect!" Sharing the video, Lee's caption read, "'It takes a village to raise a child,' But in this case, it’s a whole group effort to help someone in need, and I really, really do believe in the small gestures go the longest way so..."
A 2025 study by Yan Li and Zhiwei Liu explored how people offer help to strangers and how accurately they predict the emotional responses of those they assist. The researchers found that helpers often underestimate the level of gratitude felt by the recipients, which reveals a gap between perceived and actual emotional reactions in helping behaviors. By stepping forward to help Lee, the kind strangers in the elevator not only helped him get ready for his date, but they also turned an ordinary moment into a heartwarming new friendship. Although they may not have realized it, their small gestures of kindness left a lasting impression on Lee and thousands of people online, making them feel so much less alone in the world.
Soon after the video went viral, many online users reacted to the wholesome content. @cheritre wrote, "Keep that guy in the back as your friend, man! He seems like he'll have your back." @itspiya_03 commented, "Those people passed the vibe check." @akarui_ay wrote, "That guy took the opportunity to use your skincare, bro."
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