“Dear customer, the first thing we need you to do is collect everything you own that has some associations with him. Thank you.”

Yizhuo read the email for the nth time and finally decided to start packing up everything that reminded her of Chenle in the slightest.

She should’ve seen this coming, their love story was too smooth sailing and easy for it to last. Meeting outside of their home country and finding support in each other when things got rough, they eventually became more than friends.

She doesn’t blame him, she noticed the exact moment things started changing but refused to say anything for the fear of being left alone. Sadly for her, eventually life caught up, and she was left staring blankly at her white walls asking herself exactly what could make the feeling go away.

It definitely did not help that Chenle easily found love in Jisung. She wasn’t jealous, not at all, but she felt it was unfair that it had already been two years and she was still stuck third-wheeling for Minjeong and Jimin. She loved her best friends to pieces but she too deserved some love in her life. 

//

When she got off the elevator the first thing she noticed was just how many heartbroken people were around. Blame her for believing in love but she found it hard to understand why so many people would need their memories professionally wiped out just to forget about one person. Then again she was one of those people.

God, how much have things changed. 

“Yizhuo, get your head out of your and get moving! If you don’t do this today you know very well you might end up never doing it.”

Minjeong was going off on her over the phone and she was absolutely right. Even though her best friend thought the idea was ludicrous, she understood that Ning Ning had tried everything on the book.

She had been on several blind dates (all ending up being disastrous), she had gotten a new pet (Doongie, a pet lizard that even Minjeong and Jimin had fallen in love with), she had tried a new hobby and started baking (though she left it after that one time she almost burned the apartment down.)

The point was, she had run out of options, and after seeing Taeyeon’s add on tv she felt it wouldn’t hurt to try. 

Ning Yizhuo to room 6, Ning Yizhuo to room 6.

“Unnie, I have to go, they’re calling me already. Say hi to Jimin-unnie for me.”

She sighed and started making her way to the room.

//

She was happy she would get some privacy, she wouldn’t want anyone else noticing how she threw out a cactus her ex had given her for their first month anniversary. Yizhuo felt ashamed. 

When the door opened she was met with a sight that took her breath away, it was a japanese-looking woman wearing a white robe that one could easily mistake for a doctor’s, and don’t forget her eyes, she had beautiful kind-looking eyes that made Yizhuo momentarily forget about what had been bothering her for the past two years. 

“Hello, Ms. Ning. My name is Aeri and I’ll be you assistant for the day,” She threw in a smile for good measure, involuntarily making Yizhuo’s heart skip a few beats. 

“You can call me Yizhuo,” she offered her hand to the pretty assistant who seemed to be blushing, she mentally patted herself in the back.

“Why don’t we begin? If you ever feel uncomfortable or need more time just let me know, I’ve been through this as well and it never gets easier. Just remember that it all works out in the end," Aeri meant every word. It was different for every case, and she had seen plenty, but it always worked out well.

Yizhuo started taking items one by one out of the cardboard box she had brought in with her. 

Eventually they reached the point where Aeri would guide Yizhuo through her memories to slowly reshape them and hopefully change the way Yizhuo remembered her relationship.

“To be honest with you, doc. This is my last resort, I’ve done everything I could to try and start over but nothing has worked. For the past two years I’ve been stuck babying my pet lizard while drowning in memories that are so far removed, even I am well aware of how romanticized they are,” Yizhuo couldn’t seem to stop herself, Aeri’s presence was so calming, the whole thing became a therapy session. 

“And I love Doongie but it’s been too long! I really hope this works,” Yizhuo kept on rambling about everything and nothing.

Funnily enough Aeri never made a move for her to shut up, she just sat quietly, giving her opinion here and there, even smiling at times. Yizhuo felt reassured. 

Aeri knew she shouldn’t have been doing that, that she was crossing a line, the company had one rule and it was to maintain a professional attitude during the whole process. She noticed every single wink Yizhuo threw her way, responding with small smiles of her own and the occasional caressing of hands.

Lucky for them Aeri had sent in her resignation that morning and it was her last day at work. Plus, they weren’t going to see each other any time soon so frankly, she did not care.

//

“I’m free! and Minjeong-ah, I think I’m in love!” Yizhuo made a fuss over Aeri the second she opened the door to their shared appartment. 

“Yizhuo, how can you be in love when you barely threw Chenle’s out today?” Minjeong was laughing and meant it in the most lighthearted way, she was already too used to her friend’s weird ways.

“You don’t understand. Her name is Aeri and she is absolutely perfect and she was so flirting back! I probably won’t ever see her again but today was definitely the best day I’ve had in the past two years,” Minjeong hadn't realized how much she missed Yizhuo’s smile, it was nice to see it lighting up her face again.

“Okay okay, Romeo. You can be in love all you want but we’re going out today. Jimin told me one of her friends is single and she wants to meet you.”

Minjeong didn’t really care about Yizhuo's answer, they were going out and that was final. 

//

When Yizhuo looked up from where she was seating, Aeri's words started replaying in her mind.

Just remember that it all works out in the end.

Because right in front of her was the assistant, standing in all her gorgeous glory smiling down at her.

“Ning-ah, this is my friend-“ Yizhuo interrupted Jimin without even noticing.

“Aeri, hi,” she said in the softest voice possible making the older girl smile. Aeri’s pearly white smile suddenly becoming Yizhuo’s favorite thing in the world.

“That’s Aeri?! You gotta be kidding me. I can’t believe that weird add worked! I'll have to thank Taeyeon later,” Minjeong yelled making everyone in the restaurant stare at them. 

Jimin laughed at her girlfriend and saw how Aeri instantly went to Yizhuo’s side of the table. From then on it was their own story to tell.