共通テスト英語 2024年度（令和6年度） 追再試験 第5問
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Everlasting Journey

I was restless throughout the seven-hour flight. Soon after turning 20 years old, I had decided to travel to a foreign country for the first time. Next to me was my good friend Shinji, eagerly gazing out the window. I had asked him to be my travel companion because he was always willing to listen to others and consider their ideas. He had agreed with me that we would not arrange detailed travel plans before leaving Japan, but rather experience the thrill of choosing what to do each day while we were in the country. I was sure that this experience would help me grow as a person, and my heart felt like it might burst with anticipation!

At the exit of the airport terminal, we had no idea how to get transportation into the city. Then, a Japanese traveler spoke to us. He told us the best way to get there and gave us a lot of useful travel advice. We thanked him. “Instead of just thanking me, be kind to other travelers,” he said. Nodding, we acknowledged his request and said goodbye.

The next day, we visited some places. I left everything up to Shinji. Thanks to him, we had little trouble getting to our destinations. We enjoyed the morning, visiting some fascinating museums. In the afternoon, though, trouble struck. I realized I had left my travel pouch somewhere, and I was in a panic. Shinji, however, calmly urged me to think carefully about what we had done and we decided to go back to the restaurant where we had lunch. There, the staff was waiting for us with my pouch! I was impressed by how Shinji took the initiative to resolve the situation. Our last destination was a temple, which was famous for its statue of a mysterious Buddha. The Buddha looked angry from one angle, but seemed to be laughing from another. I felt uneasy because I could not understand the emotions it was supposed to show.

The following day, we decided to go to a waterfall. After a 30-minute walk from the nearest station, we were almost there, but the map was hard to understand and we were confused. Although we had to ask for directions, I enjoyed interacting with the locals. Shinji, on the contrary, spoke less and less. Before the trip, I did not think Shinji could be irritable. I had no idea how to handle the suddenly annoyed Shinji and tried to make myself believe that time would improve the situation. Coming back to the guest house, Shinji suggested that we spend the next day apart. I felt a little hurt but accepted it.

The next day, I visited the ruins of an ancient kingdom outside the city. I managed to take the bus there. While I was waiting for the bus to go back, I saw another traveler asking locals about which bus he should take. He seemed frustrated that he could not communicate with them. After some hesitation, I asked him if I could help and we figured it out together. “You were very kind to help me,” he said. “Not really,” I replied, and then I told him the story about the traveler that had assisted Shinji and me. After my story, he said, “But, it was you who decided to help me. Sometimes when we find ourselves in challenging circumstances, we can discover a part of ourselves we didn’t know existed.”

That night, over dinner, Shinji told me he had visited six places. It made me feel a little down because I was only able to visit two places; I had really poor planning skills. I felt better, however, after Shinji, sensing my disappointment, showed his empathy and said, “I was only able to stay at each place for a short time because I felt bored being alone. I would’ve had more fun with a friend.”

A few hours before our departure for Japan, I stopped in a souvenir shop to get something for myself. After looking through a variety of goods, I found myself buying a little figure of the Buddha I had seen on the second day. Its face did not bother me that much; in fact, I thought it symbolized my trip.

Looking back on this trip one year later, I can say that I did not experience the great personal changes I thought would happen. But this trip did cause one change: my friendship with Shinji has become stronger even though we sometimes have disagreements. This is because I learned to look at Shinji the same way I looked at the figure of the Buddha. Thus, if I continue to find lessons from my traveling experiences, and apply them to my life, I will someday become closer to being the kind of person I want to be. My journey is just beginning.