"I Want to Erase My Digital Tattoo" | Amano Writing Club

A small sign in the corner of a multi-tenant building read, "Specialists in Memory and Information Erasure—Digital Tattoo Removal Clinic."

"Is it really... possible to erase it completely?"

The man—Takashi—leaned over the white desk in the examination room toward the doctor.

There were dark circles under Takashi's eyes.

A few years ago, he had posted a video on social media in a moment of youthful folly. It was meant as a lighthearted prank, but it spread in an instant and went viral. He deleted his account and even moved to a new place to start over, but copies of the video made by someone else still drifted somewhere in the sea of the internet, periodically resurfacing to torment Takashi with his past.

The elderly doctor in the white coat offered a gentle smile and held out a tablet device.

"Yes, completely. We will erase every trace, not just from mirror sites on the internet, but even from copies remaining on personal devices. ...Now, please review these terms of consent and sign."

Takashi cast his eyes down at the screen. At the end of the long list of terms and conditions, there was a highlighted sentence.

> [Important] As part of the data erasure process, the memory area in the brain corresponding to the event will also be completely initialized.

"Um... will my memories be erased too?"

"It is a technical constraint to ensure consistency between the data and your memory," the doctor said calmly. "Is there a problem with that?"

"Not at all! It's exactly what I wanted," Takashi said, signing eagerly. "I don't want to remember that wretched memory for even a single second."

The procedure was surprisingly simple. He was fitted with a special helmet, and a blue laser beam gently stroked his head. The treatment was over in just a few minutes.

◇ ◇ ◇

When he opened his eyes, Takashi felt a refreshing sense of clarity. The heavy anxiety and shame that had been crushing his chest had vanished as if it were a lie.

"It's finished," the doctor said.

"Thank you! ...Oh, by the way, what kind of terrible video did I post, anyway?"

When Takashi asked, the doctor gave a wry smile.

"Well, I don't know either. The system processed it automatically. But you can rest easy now. That matter has been completely erased from your life."

Takashi bowed deeply and left the clinic with a bright, cheerful heart. Even the air in the city felt new. A bright future with no shadows awaited him from now on.

◇ ◇ ◇

A few days later. Takashi was in his room at home, facing his computer and opening his social media. It was a newly created account.

"I wonder if something interesting will happen."

Unable to bear the boredom, Takashi suddenly had an idea and took out his smartphone. He began filming a bit of a prank performance.

(If I post this online, everyone might be surprised—)

The memory of the "foolish mistake" that once plunged him into hell, and the bitter regret he learned from it, no longer remained in his mind at all.

Takashi pressed the "Post" button with a beaming smile.

Topic: Title: I Want to Erase My Digital Tattoo
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