To understand how "just friends" became a parasite, we must first understand its reproductive cycle. The term "friend zone" (a close cousin) entered popular vernacular in the 1990s, famously popularized by an episode of Friends ("The One with the Blackout") where Ross laments being stuck in the "friend zone" with Rachel.
It suggests that friendship isn't "enough" to sustain a story (or a life).
"Just friends" stories suggest that no time is wasted. Every moment of platonic friendship is actually a seed of future romance. This is deeply comforting to anyone who has ever longed for a friend. The parasite sells the idea that waiting is productive .
