I have a close friend whom I’ve been friends with for 11 years. Her name is Gockmi. “Gock” means a very beautiful and precious gem, and “Mi” means beautiful. True to her name, she is a beautiful, intelligent, and talented person.

We became friends in the 2nd year of middle school when we joined the same dance team at our school’s sports festival. During middle school, we were in the same class, and she was the class representative for four years. She was smart, had a beautiful singing voice, and was a cute girl, so she was popular among teachers and friends. On the other hand, I was just an ordinary student at that time, with average grades, a plain appearance, and I didn’t stand out. So, when we entered high school, she got into the advanced class, while I remained in the regular class. Despite being in different classes for three years, we lived close to each other, so we often went to school and came back together. In the evenings, we would study together at her house. To prepare for university entrance exams, we attended evening cram schools together. After the cram school ended around 10 PM, I would go back to her house, where we would take showers together and have dinner. She was skilled at cooking and made various delicious dishes. After eating, we would study together until late at night.

Her family was wealthy, and she was wonderful, so I always wondered why she was so close to me, an ordinary girl from an average family with no special qualities. I worried about what would happen if her grades started dropping because of her association with me. However, she never cared about such things and stayed by my side.

Because my family was financially struggling, my grandparents and parents strongly opposed my going to college. During my third year of high school, when I was feeling lonely due to their opposition, I cried in her room many times. At those times, she was always by my side, comforting me and supporting me. She taught me math, literature, and English. So, I decided to work hard and not let my parents’ opposition deter me. As a result, she was accepted into her first-choice prestigious university, and I also got into the university I aimed for. Even now, I sometimes wonder what my life would be like if I had followed my parents’ wishes back then. I might be leading a completely different life, possibly married with children.

For the sake of our futures, I dropped out of my second year of college and decided to come to Japan. She understood my decision and supported me, even though it meant we would be apart.

I wanted to be with her forever, but we have been separated since last year. Even after coming to Japan, we still keep in touch. Sometimes, she says things like, “I want to go shopping, but you’re not here,” or “Come back soon, I want to travel to various places together,” or “I want to eat delicious food together.” At such times, I feel sad and nostalgic, and I wish I could return home soon. But for the sake of our futures, I have decided to stay in Japan for a few more years.

This year, she also graduated from university and started working at a bank. In April next year, she plans to come to Japan, and we will go see the cherry blossoms together. I am extremely excited about the prospect of meeting her in Japan, and I can’t wait for the cherry blossom season to arrive.

I am grateful for being able to become friends with her. I want to continue being close friends with her forever. She is the essence of my youth.