This picture pretty much says it all.
The only difference is that the nice guy was briefly in the friend zone, and then went abroad.
The moral of the story is, the friend zone, in reality, is a brief stopover for nice guys before they go abroad or even their own way. Why? Because there is no incentive for them to remain in the friend zone, pondering rejection or hoping that the woman who was once thought as special, will change her mind. No need to mope around in the "dungeon", pack your shit, get to the airport, and find your way to a more enlightened zone.
Have a nice day.