Late night in the student lounge. Mira sat alone by the window.
Sora passed by. "Mira, can't sleep?"
Mira nodded slightly. She looked paler than usual.
Leo came in carrying a book. "Oh, you two are here too"
"Leo, Japanese is fine," Sora said.
"It's practice," Leo sat down. "But midnight study group?"
Sora shook her head. "Mira seems unable to sleep."
Leo looked at Mira. "Something wrong?"
After hesitating slightly, Mira wrote. "Old memories returning"
"Flashbacks?" Sora asked.
Mira nodded.
Leo's expression became serious. "We learned about traumatic memories in psychology class."
"What kind?" Sora asked.
"Unlike normal memories, traumatic memories are sensory and fragmentary. They feel like they're happening now."
Mira wrote in her notebook. "Time feels stopped"
"Yes," Leo nodded. "Hippocampus function decreases, memories aren't properly processed. So past and present mix."
Sora thought. "But why do they come at night?"
"Defense functions lower," Leo explained. "During the day, you're busy, suppressing them. At night when it's quiet, they surface."
Mira quietly said, "Can't escape"
Sora gently asked. "Escape from what?"
"Past self. Emotions from when I was hurt."
Leo opened his book. "In psychology, there's a concept called avoidance behavior. But the more you avoid, the stronger the memory becomes."
"Why?" Sora asked curiously.
"Suppressed emotions remain unprocessed. And they surface at unexpected times."
Mira listened intently.
Sora asked. "So what should we do?"
Leo answered carefully. "Sometimes professional help is needed. But basically, acknowledge the emotions."
"Acknowledge?"
"I was hurt. I was scared. I was sad. Don't deny those emotions, acknowledge their existence."
Mira wrote in her notebook. "But acknowledging feels like losing"
"That's not true," Leo said. "Acknowledging isn't weakness. It's courage."
Sora supplemented. "I heard that naming emotions creates some distance."
"Emotional labeling," Leo acknowledged. "An effective technique."
Mira slowly wrote. "Now, I am feeling anxious"
"Good," Leo nodded. "Just that creates some objectivity."
Sora asked. "Do past wounds completely disappear?"
Leo shook his head. "They don't disappear. But you can change the relationship."
"Relationship?"
"The wound becomes not your everything, but a part of you. And you understand yourself including what you learned from that experience."
Mira quietly said, "Integration"
"Yes. In psychology, there's also a concept of post-traumatic growth," Leo continued. "Through wounds, gaining deeper self-understanding and empathy."
Sora looked at Mira. "Just talking to us like this, I think that's already amazing."
Mira smiled faintly.
Leo said, "Recovery isn't linear. Like waves, there are good days and bad days."
"Today is a bad day?" Sora asked.
"Probably," Mira wrote. "But talking made it a bit easier."
Sora suggested. "How about staying here tonight instead of forcing yourself to sleep?"
Leo agreed. "Loneliness strengthens memories. Being with someone helps."
Mira nodded. The three sat quietly.
"Past wounds sometimes speak to us," Leo said slowly. "But they're not enemies. They're part of us."
Sora looked outside. "Dawn always comes."
Mira wrote in her notebook. "Thank you"
Though words were few, that night, there was quiet understanding among the three. Even on nights when past wounds speak, you're not alone.