Before Sojung realized, she was not in 2006 anymore. She got back to her room. She cried her heart out soon after she knew she can’t see Eunbi again from that time forward. She held her chest right where her heart is as if she prevented it from scattering. Tears kept flowing like a waterfall. She shouted without sounds.

And just when she thought nothing will happen to her again that night, someone knocked on the door. She knew who is it. The very person who made her doing everything. Her boss.

She opened the door without wiping the tears on her cheeks and found her boss standing straight in front of her. Before Mrs. Park can say anything, Sojung said something to her.

“You came to erase my memory?”

“Right.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t do it anymore. It was too painful for me. Let me go back and be with her. Even if it means that I have to lose my existence.” She begged with tears coming out again from the corner of her eyes.

“Losing your existence is something bigger than just dying Sojung, you should know that.”

“Is this look any better for you?” asked her while pointing at herself. “Please…I just want her. Even if I have to die, I’ll die with her.”

“I won’t let you. You’ve done your job. Let me erase your memory and everything will be okay. You won’t even know she exists.”

“How could you…” Before Sojung can finish her sentence, Mrs. Park has erased her memory. She won’t remember anything after it. Just like before.

Morning came after her journey to 2006. With no trace of Eunbi left in her memory, she became the gloomy Sojung again. The 23-year-old Sojung lived alone and worked for Mrs. Park in a laundry place. Waking up with no energy, Sojung went to wash her face and prepared for breakfast. Even though she didn’t remember the days she spent in 2006 with Eunbi, she felt the empty space inside her heart getting bigger. Another piece of the puzzle was missing from her life.

Days went by and sometimes she would dream about going back to the past or meeting the smaller girl, but it was all so blurry she couldn’t even tell who is who. And it also came in random pieces, it came out really weird and couldn’t be connected.

One day, she went to work and did everything just as usual. Then also went home at the same time as always. But when she passed the bridge, there was an old woman looking at her from the opposite direction. She thought at first that the woman was looking somewhere behind her, but she was not. Her eyes were always locked on Sojung even until she passed by her. The lady was probably in her 60s, but she didn’t really look like 60. Sojung felt something unusual when she looked at the woman closer as she walked by. She felt like she saw her somewhere before but couldn’t recall.

The thought of the old lady bothered her so much somehow, she looked back. The lady still looking at her. She decided to get closer and asked if she knows her.

“Are you from around here?” asked Sojung even though she was 100% sure that the lady was not from anywhere around there.

She didn’t say anything for a while.

“Sojung.”

Sojung was surprised when the lady called out her name.

“Do I know you?”

“You probably don’t remember about me.”

It was true Sojung didn’t remember. No matter how hard she tried to dig her memory.

“I’m Eunbi’s mom.”

‘Eunbi? Eunbi…Eunbi… who is Eunbi?’ That name gave a strong impact on her. Sojung got an immediate headache. It was like her head had been slammed to the wall. She held her head with her left hand. The pain wouldn’t disappear and even got stronger.

‘Aaarrgh…who the hell is Eunbi?’  Sojung thought, dropping the plastic bag of her dinner to the ground and held her head with her both hands because she couldn’t endure the pain.

Just then, a set of a memory came to her. Eunbi, the high school girl who gave her a lollipop when she was little, Eunbi who then she met again on 2006 after Mrs. Park sent her to the past, Eunbi the very girl that she ever loved.

“Eunbi…” Sojung felt on her knees as she called the name.

Mrs. Jung quickly bent down and grabbed Sojung’s hand.

“Are you okay?”

“Mrs. Jung.”

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