"I remembered it again."
Kaito held his head.
Sora asked worriedly. "Remember what?"
"Yesterday's failure. I want to forget it, but it keeps coming to mind."
Leo asked with interest. "That's a phenomenon psychology can explain."
"What do you mean?" Kaito looked up.
"What happens if I tell you not to think about a white bear?"
"I think about a white bear," Kaito answered.
Sora noticed. "Oh, that's..."
"Ironic process theory," Leo explained. "The more you try not to think about something, the more that thought surfaces."
Kaito was surprised. "Why does that happen?"
Leo drew a diagram in his notebook. "The brain has two processes. A conscious suppression process and an unconscious monitoring process."
"Monitoring process?"
"It keeps monitoring what you want to forget. But monitoring means paying attention to that target."
Sora understood. "So the more you try to forget, the more you remember."
"Exactly," Leo nodded. "Especially when there's stress or fatigue, conscious suppression weakens. Then only the monitoring process remains, and memories intrude."
Kaito was convinced. "That's why I remember it at night or when I'm tired."
"It's called intrusive thoughts," Leo continued. "Thoughts that repeatedly surface even though you don't want them."
Sora asked. "So what should we do?"
Leo thought. "Paradoxically, don't try to forget."
"What?" Kaito was confused.
"Don't fight the memory as an enemy, acknowledge it. Observe it like 'oh, it came again.'"
Sora supplemented. "Like mindfulness?"
"Yes. Without judgment, just notice. Then the memory's power weakens."
Kaito tried it. "I'm thinking about yesterday's failure."
"Good," Leo acknowledged. "Just that changes your relationship with the memory."
Sora asked. "Are there other methods?"
"Writing out the memory is also effective," Leo said. "Stop it from looping in your head, get it outside."
Kaito took out his notebook. "I'll try writing."
After writing for a while, Kaito said. "Strange. Writing it down makes me feel I can see it more objectively."
"That's a technique called externalization," Leo explained. "Separating the problem from yourself."
Sora noticed. "But we can't completely forget, right?"
"Yes. But we don't need to forget," Leo answered. "The goal is to change the relationship with the memory."
Kaito thought. "Treat it not as an enemy, but just as information?"
"Exactly," Leo nodded. "Past events can't be changed. But our reaction to them can be changed."
Sora summarized in her notebook. "Trying to forget makes us remember. So acknowledge and observe."
Kaito laughed a little. "The brain is kind of clumsy, huh?"
"The human brain isn't perfect," Leo agreed. "But understanding its mechanisms helps us cope."
Sora asked. "What should people with many intrusive thoughts do?"
"Cognitive behavioral therapy is effective," Leo answered. "Working with a specialist to change thought patterns."
Kaito asked seriously. "Does that cure it?"
"Rather than cure, it's more like learning to live with it well."
Sora supplemented. "We don't have to aim for perfection."
"Right," Leo smiled. "Memory is part of being human. It's natural that we can't completely control it."
Kaito closed his notebook. "I won't forget what I learned today."
Leo and Sora laughed.
"No, it's okay to forget," Leo said. "If you remember again, just deal with it then."
Kaito laughed too. "Right. I won't try to forget, just let it flow."
Sora looked outside. "Memories flow like a river."
"Good metaphor," Leo acknowledged. "Don't try to stop it, just watch it flow."
The three sat quietly. Even things we want to forget will eventually flow peacefully away.