Ding-a-ling!
A small bell above the door rang. It was exactly 9 a.m.—my first client of the day.
"Hi... Is this the place that, um... erases memories?"
A woman entered, her voice already weary.Her name: Seo-yeon Kim. Estimated age: 29. She carried a luxury handbag, but her bitten nails and dark circles under carefully applied makeup told another story.
"Yes, you've come to the right place. Please, have a seat."
I guided her to the chair in front of the counter.The shop looked like an ordinary café, but it hid some extraordinary technology.Beneath the chair were fine-tuned brainwave sensors; embedded in the table was a memory extraction device.
"Would you like some tea? It's a calming herbal blend—"
"No, I'm okay. I just... want to get this over with."
Her hands trembled as she pulled a thick envelope from her handbag.
"I don't know how much is in here, but it's yours. Just… please, erase every memory of him."
"Let's take a breath first. Tell me slowly—what memories are you trying to erase?"
Tears welled up in her eyes and began to fall.
"My boyfriend. We were together for three years. Yesterday... I found out.That he'd been cheating on me. Not just with one woman... but several. Maybe five or more. One of them was even my friend."
It's a common story. But common doesn't mean it hurts any less.
"How did you find out?"
"His phone. Social media messages. So many of them.One was from my college friend. Su-jin. She's been seeing him for the last six months…Whenever I worked late or went on business trips, they were together."
Seo-yeon hung her head, voice trembling.
"I feel like such a fool. Everyone around me knew, and I was the last to see it.Maybe... maybe I didn't want to see it."
"You mentioned your friend was involved?"
"She was my closest friend in college. I thought of her like a sister.I even told her how sweet my boyfriend was, how lucky I was.I had no idea they were laughing behind my back."
I gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Her emotions flooded in—betrayal, rage, shame…And above all, a deep, painful scar.
"Seo-yeon, memory deletion is irreversible. You need to be absolutely sure."
"I don't care. I want to forget everything about him.From the day we met to the moment we broke up. All of it."
I opened the menu of services, but before that, an explanation was necessary.
"There's something important you should understand.Memories don't just disappear—they transfer.If you choose complete deletion, I'll carry those memories for you."
"Can you really do that? Is that... safe for you?"
"It's my job. But I don't usually recommend full deletion.Erasing three years of memories means erasing all the growth and lessons that came with them.Everything you felt, everything you learned—it'll be gone."
Seo-yeon sat silently for a long moment.
"Then... what do you think I should do?"
"There are three options.First: Selective deletion. I remove only the painful parts.Second: Emotional detachment. The memories stay, but the emotional weight is neutralized.Third: Memory storage. The memories are sealed away, and you can reclaim them when you're ready."
"What exactly is emotional detachment?"
"You'll still remember everything, but without the pain.The anger and sorrow will be gone. You'll recall it like you would someone else's story—calmly, objectively."
She pondered in silence. Then nodded slowly.
"Let's do that. The emotional detachment.I want to keep the memories... Some of them were beautiful.Like the first time we held hands. Our first kiss... Those moments are part of who I am."
A wise choice.
"Alright. Let's begin. You may feel a little dizzy—just relax and lean back."
I took both her hands.And soon, I was inside her memories.
First memory:A small café near campus. An accidental spill.
"Oh no! Are you okay?"
A man with an apologetic look handed her tissues.Jung-woo Park. Age 27. A grad student in business. Two years older than Seo-yeon.
"I'm fine. It didn't get on my clothes."
She smiled, and the spark of their first encounter lit up the scene.
Second memory:Their first date. A fireworks festival by the Han River.
Jung-woo placed his jacket over her shoulders.
"If you're cold, just say so. I'll hold you."
Her heart raced. It was the first time she'd felt anything like it.
Third memory:Their first kiss.
A quiet alley near campus, under a streetlamp.
Jung-woo gently cupped her cheek and whispered, "Can I kiss you?"
She closed her eyes and nodded.
I reviewed the memories carefully, leaving the beautiful ones untouched.And then, I began separating the painful emotions—one by one.
Fourth memory:The first suspicion. Six months ago.
A message buzzed on Jung-woo's phone at 2 a.m.
"Who's that?"
"Oh, just a colleague. Probably sent by mistake after working late."
But the message read: "Thanks for tonight ♥"
From that moment, doubt began to creep in.I absorbed her anxiety and dread like pulling poison from a wound.
Fifth memory:The truth, laid bare.
Last night. While Jung-woo was in the shower, a message popped up. From Su-jin.
"Oppa, when are you going to tell Seo-yeon? I can't keep doing this…"
With trembling hands, she opened the message thread.There were more women. So many more.
Her world collapsed in that instant.I took the crushing pain and betrayal into myself, like swallowing fire.
Thirty minutes passed.Seo-yeon opened her eyes.
"How do you feel?"
She sat still for a moment, then said softly:
"It's… strange. I remember everything, but it doesn't hurt.It's like… watching a movie I've seen before."
"What about the good memories?"
"They're still warm.That first moment, our first kiss… they still feel real. Just… lighter."
For the first time, she smiled.
"Thank you. Truly. I think I can finally move forward now."
She paid 3 million won and left the shop.Her steps were lighter than when she first arrived.
But now, I carried the weight of her sorrow.The sting of betrayal. The heartbreak.Three years of love, reduced to ashes.
I looked at myself in the mirror.Something had changed.Her sadness lingered around my eyes.
"One more burden added," I murmured.
And I waited for the next client.The day had only just begun.