Responses
My understanding of losing a platonic relationship and dealing with an unrequited love is that it is a very depressing situation but ultimately you cannot force feelings. In my personal experience I went through the sadness of losing that friendship but was able to accept that it was better to separate than to continue to force the platonic relationship. At that point your both interacting on different levels. I think the point was that if you are going through it to the point blondie is in then perhaps there is chance that there is more depth and more to consider than a friendship.
Missing someone because you value their friendship and enjoy being around them, especially after years of being together to the point that you live together isn't the same as being romantically in love or being attracted to them, Mr Judo is wrong on that account.
Blondie saying he's only ever had platonic feelings towards his friend is very valid and he shouldn't have to try to force a love he knows he's not feeling in the hopes of not losing a friend.
I really hope they don't go the "I'll try being attracted to him / I can learn to love him" route or the "I'm gutted I've lost a friend so that must mean I'm secretly in love with him" route because they both deserve better than that.
And his friend is in a tough spot because he sort of dropped a bomb and changed up the whole dynamic, though with his feelings and unrequited love I get why it reached a breaking point for him. This honestly feels like a lose - lose situation