When I look back on my life,
there are several irreplaceable people who come to mind.
I have not seen any of them for decades,
and we have long since lost touch.
However, the memories I have of them still give me
strength today.
One of them is my friend S from my junior high
and high school days.
Eventually, S dropped out of high school.
The last time I saw him was several months after
he had left school.
At that time, he and I would have been near
the end of our second year of high school.
He was riding a motorcycle with his girlfriend on the back.
We had not arranged to meet.
We simply ran into each other by chance in town.
We exchanged a few greetings,
and then they rode away.
I was on a bicycle, while they were on a motorcycle.
All I could do was watch them disappear into the distance.
When I first heard that S had dropped out of school,
I took it rather lightly and thought, “Oh, I see.”
But when I saw the two of them riding away,
I suddenly realized that we would probably not
see each other very often anymore.
That realization created a large empty space in
both my daily life and my heart.
I threw myself into studying for university entrance exams.
I really threw myself into it.
I wanted to fill that empty space.
Looking back now,
I think that was a turning point in my life.
Until then, I had never been particularly serious
about studying.
But from that moment on, I began to study with
genuine dedication.
I have so many wonderful memories with S.
The last thing he did for me was to leave my life
at a time when I needed to think seriously about my future.
Thank you, S.
I hope you are still doing well.