Friends

http://www.zerochan.net/2061910#full

I haven't posted anything since last year!? Nah, really it was only a few weeks ago. 

Actually I had a half-written draft that was roughly about reflections on the past year, thoughts about how overrated new year countdowns are and hopes for 2017...but I lost motivation part way through when I got tired of seeing those (albeit shorter versions) as I scrolled through social media. Don't get me wrong, I'm not belittling the reflections and aspirations of others. But a part of me somehow tries to resist following the masses - at least until the current hype dies down. (Yes, I'm more often than not that person who gets excited over something everyone else has already gotten over.)

On Tuesday afternoon, I saw Dawn off at the airport before she flew off to Canada for her exchange studies there. Part of me was excited for her, another part was a little sad that she'd be away for so long, and yet another part was worried about how she'd fare over there. And I thought, this muddle of feelings must really be part of what being a long-running, true friend is. Because when I think about how I'd feel if just about most other people I know fly off, and I end up with indifference. 

I don't have many of such friends for whom I care so deeply about. Dawn and Iggy come to mind first when I think about it. Dawn and I met in VJC, while Iggy and I go all the way back to secondary school days in BPGHS. I've probably said this many times, but I'm grateful for these friendships. The reason probably is because I find that it's generally hard to be close friends with me. I can still be friendly and sociable to most people I meet, but I tend to get all defensive and distant the more people try to reach out to me. 

So how did Dawn and Iggy wind up being such close friends? Well since it's friendship we're talking about here, it goes both ways so I can't exactly give you the full picture. But for my side of the story, it went like this. 

Dawn was extremely (yes, extremely) extroverted and outgoing when I met her during our orientation in VJC, so I was initially a little put off by all the energy that threatened to suck away mine (the horror of all introverts!). But because she hung around and persistently talked to me all the time, she somehow slowly established her place in my life and I got used to her. In fact, her extreme candidness made me feel comfortable around her, since I'm usually guarded due to my insecurity of people talking behind my back. She was the first friend since primary school that I would actually quarrel with and ignore, before easily reconciling again. It felt nice to thrash it out with someone instead of having to silently grin and bear with the misgivings of others. Sometimes when I need my own personal space I'd not reply her messages, or decline meeting up. But she knows when I'm in those phases (and never lets me hear the end of how unfriendly I'm being when we eventually talk/meet).

Iggy on the other hand has a different story altogether. We were classmates for all of lower secondary, but we only really got to know each other much better towards upper secondary. Even though we went to different JCs, we'd still meet up sometimes. This all sounds very normal, but I felt that the crucial factor was timing. We didn't chat everyday or meet up very often. In fact, like Dawn, we could go on a couple of months without interacting and suddenly just talk again right after as if time hadn't passed. This made me a lot more comfortable knowing that we could both have our own space without compromising our friendship. It also helps that Iggy and I share many interests together like anime, theme parks, Star Wars etc., so it makes it easier to talk without having to struggle coming up with a topic. He calls me mean things like "fat" and "old" now, and sometimes makes me feel bad about not going jogging, but I'm glad that we're just close enough to tease each other without offending.

Anyway I thought about "Friends", because I chanced upon a trailer/music video for 『一週間フレンズ。』Ishuukan Friends (One Week Friends). 

Rough Translation:

Hase (Yamazaki Kento):

Fujimiya-san!

Please be friends with me! (killer smile)

I'd definitely not do anything undesirable or troublesome.

Every Monday as usual - whatever happens I'll continue as usual,

so please be friends with me.

Fujimiya (Kawaguchi Haruna):

You're Hase-kun, right?

Hase:

(Adorable AF smile) Yes!

First of all the music Kanade by Sukima Switch is awesome!! And gosh Yamazaki Kento and Kawaguchi Haruna look so good?! But really, Yamazaki Kento has been monopolizing all the anime turned live-action film main roles. He did Heroine Shikkaku, Kuro Ouji to Ookami Shoujo, Orange, Shigatsu Kimi no Uso, and now Ishuukan Friends. And I heard he's gonna do Saiki Kusuo too :O But he's ikemen (Japanese for good-looking guys) and acts really well too, so I don't mind :3

Fujimiya has anterograde amnesia that resets every Monday, causing her to lose memories of the previous week. As such, she does not make friends in school and initially rejects Hase's attempts to be friends with her. However, he persists in being friends with her despite her forgetting him every week. I was thinking "How nice" when I saw this, but it really isn't easy at all. While it's nice that there are people out there who would go out of their way to be friends with, it won't work if the other party just doesn't want to. But I guess we all need at least one good friend to share such priceless experiences with.