Jung-Sup was tall for his age and very thin, with high, cramped shoulders, and he was good-looking. His eyes were remarkably brilliant. All of the students in our class thought him a charming guy, and we admired him. In the first grade of high school, he was our class president, and a demanding boss. One night, I walked dejectedly through the school hall. Jung-sup came over and put his arm around me. "Why does your heart sink?" he asked.
        "There were two subject in this mid-term examination," I replied, "and I got poor grades in both."
        "Don't worry, man," said Jung-Sup. "Somebody's got to be last. Just don't be last two months in a row."
        I was moved by Jung-Sup's lesson about handling disappointment. Soon he was helping me with mathematics homework. He'd show me where I went wrong and make me work it out myself. As my mathematics ability advanced, I could recover my confidence about everything. On our final examinations, I got high points in the mathematics examination. We could be more friendly and used to help each other when we were in a jam. My friend, Jung-Sup, offered access to opportunities and insights that I might never have discovered on my own. I learned a positive attitude toward my friend and what is the most important thing between friends and me. Also, I realized negative thinking never changes anything, and I was able to remove negative ideas from my mind.
        Here are some things I learned from my friendship with Jung-Sup. First, it's a good idea to choose your friends wisely, because a good friend is someone who is willing to listen to your thoughts and has time to work with you. Second, I was eager to pay attention to what he said and willing to give what he wanted. I tried to look at the relationship from my friend's point of view. I learned to ask myself the following questions: Am I trustworthy and loyal? Am I helping my friend realize his own goals?
        Some friendships are as brief as a few months. Even the best ones have some trouble because of a lack of appreciation and trust. One way to show gratitude to a friend is by our achievement. That confirms our friend's faith in us. Finally, I realized that there is no good teacher like a person who is a good friend in my life.