Dear Kato,

I've often been on the verge of telling you this, but never really gotten around to it. Maybe because it sounds so silly, or maybe because we're more comfortable masking sentimentality with memes and racism (for anyone else reading this, that is a joke.) But in this indirect way I can finally admit that I think you saved my life. I can remember the very day actually, early on in our first year at uni. I was sobbing on my bedroom floor for some reason or another (funny what we choose to remember, isn't it?) on the brink of fatal collapse when I got that text from you. I think I might have laughed through the snot. You asked if I wanted to watch some movie or TV show. I can't even remember what it was now, but it was the first of many on that blue campus-issued sofa in the kitchen. I don't think you intended it to be so, but for me it was such a radical act of kindness, and one that I had long needed. Its never been easy for me to make friends, but we clicked almost straight away, and I'd like to think after 3 years of binge-watching and dumb jokes we've formed a friendship even Troy and Abed would be jealous of.

That's not all I owe to you, either. Your creative spirit and willingness to share has been infectious, and you're largely responsible for me rediscovering my love for writing. I'd all but abandoned any artistic endeavours for the longest time, until you sharing your ideas with me (starting with the suicide note story) reminded me of the stories locked away in my own mind. I've loved engaging with your work over the years, and am always so hungry for more. Your manuscripts are always so fascinating, especially because of the breadth of genres and plots you engage with. I hope you're proud of how many worlds you've managed to create, even if they aren't fully finished pieces. Its an incredible skill which I often find myself envying. I can never thank you enough for your encouragement of my writing either, without which I doubt I'd have ever picked up a pen again, let alone write a whole book. A book which is yours almost as much as mine, with how your presence and advice has shaped it.

I guess all this to say, I'm really grateful to have you in my life. Its rare to find a friend as good as you and I am probably the least deserving. My life has only changed for the better since I met you, and even if I never say it outright, I think I want you to know that.