the friendship code

~ Flashback~

Lee's P. o. V:

It was actually by accident that Yash and I met here in New York. Actually, Yashua and I have known each other for some time. Back in the beginning, I discovered him on Instagram and subscribed to him. Then once I posted a comment under one of his posts, he responded by sending me a DM thanking me for my support. After I received his message, I literally freaked out. Not only did he even notice my comment among the countless, but this post touched me deeply. But it was not to end with this one message. From the question of why it touched me so much, it was clear that we had something in common. Endless chats were followed by the first phone calls and then also the first Skype calls with each other. Unfortunately, we could never find the time to meet in person because Yash lives in America and I live in Europe. On top of that, our busy schedules didn't make things any easier.
Actually, Ahn and I could have stayed at Yashua's place. But we didn't know if Yash would be here or in Miami at the time of our New York trip. But as it coincidence would have it, we ran into each other a few days ago. On that day, Ahn really wanted to buy merchandise at a BTS pop-up fan store in the mall. Unluckily, I had to go along. After some time I got bored and told Ahn to meet me later at Starbucks. So I could at least meaningfully kill time without being constantly dragged through the aisles.
Just as I turned into the corridor to the café, I bumped into someone. Stupid of me. Why did I have to text with Yash now, instead of paying attention to my surroundings. Only my quick reflexes prevented us both from falling to the ground from the force of the collision. "Wow. Sorry. I wasn't paying attention to where I was running. Sorry." "That's okay. Was my fault too ..... LEE?" "Yashua? What are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to be in LA?" "Oh. Well, about that. The meeting got postponed. Besides, some of my relatives here in New York wanted me to visit them. Sorry I didn't let you know I was in New York right now. It was all pretty spontaneous and stressful," Yash said as he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "It's okay amigo.", I assured him. "Where were you going anyway?" "Oh, I was just going to get a coffee." "Cool. Do you want to come to Starbucks with me? We can chat there in private. Man, I can't believe we ran into each other today of all days." "Yeah. I can't believe it myself."
With that, we headed to the Starbucks coffee shop. After leaving our orders at the counter, we looked for a table as far back as possible. Especially with Yashua, you never know when you might run into some fans. Finally, we found a free spot in the back corner. Until our order is ready, we pass our time telling the little stories from our lives. Oh boy, it's been too long since we last talked and laughed so much. In the meantime, our order arrived, but that didn't stop us from continuing to tell each other how we've been lately. All of a sudden my cell phone rang. Ahn. It was obvious. When I picked up, a piercing voice greeted me on the other side of the line. " Yo, where are you?" "Ahn! Relax. I'm at Starbucks like I said I would be. Did you forget again?" In response, a nervous giggle could be heard from her. "Oh. Hehehe. Sorry. Didn't catch that. Must have had my mind on something else." In the meantime, it's not surprising that she didn't catch it. "UGH. That's typical for you again. If something has to do with BTS. Everything else you forget all about. Did you even notice how I left? Probably not." "Come on. It's not that bad. It's not like you don't have to listen to me play with your favorite bands," Ahn tried to make me feel guilty. But not this time. It's about time she realized her obsession. "Consider this payback if I ever get the chance. Come on now. I don't want to spend the whole day here.", I said finally annoyed. "Okay, okay, okay. I'm on my way. .... Um. Which way did you go anyway?" Frustrated, I slapped my hand in front of my forehead and sighed. " Turn left at the exit. Then right at the next corner. You'll find us in the back." "Okay. I'll see you in a bit. Wait. Us?" Without letting her talk further, I hung up. "Sorry. That was my crazy best friend Ahn. She should be arriving here next minute."
After a few minutes, she already came running towards us with countless bags in her hands.

"Jeez, do you always have to scare me like that?" "Sorry. I was bored. And you know very well that I don't like K-pop." Ahn rolled her eyes. She had to learn the hard way, that I wasn't into that music at all, I'm sorry to say. "Yeah. Oh! Who are you? I'm sorry I'm just noticing you now. My name is Ahn." she exclaimed when she noticed Yash. "Hi. I'm Yashua.", he introduced himself. "Ah, so you're Lee's online acquaintance." He laughed in response. "Yes. That's right. We've known each other for about two years. Never had the chance to meet in person though. Except for today, when we bumped into each other by accident." Later, we chatted three all over different topics until it was time to say goodbye. As we were leaving the café, I remembered that I didn't have anyone to watch Jojo when we went out for the evening tomorrow. Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed in the location. Plus, it gets pretty crowded in the stalls and I don't want him to get lost in the hustle and bustle. "Hey. Is something wrong?" asks Yashua, as my expression suddenly changes. "I just remembered that I have no clue where I'm leaving Jojo tomorrow night for the time of the concert. Ahn can't since she's coming along. And the thought of leaving him alone in the hotel room makes me uneasy. Sadly, I don't know anyone else here," I reply. "I can take care of him for the time being. I wouldn't be going anywhere tomorrow night anyway. That should be fine. That way you'll have someone to take care of Jojo and you won't have to worry," Yashua suggested. "Exactly. Give yourself a moment to relax and enjoy your life without worrying about anyone else." "Yes. You guys are right. So tomorrow I'll bring Jojo to you on the way to the concert. OK?" "All right. That's how we'll do it. See you tomorrow, adios.", Yashua said goodbye before our paths parted for the time being. "Yeah, ciao.", I still called out to him.
So it was that the next day, I dropped Jojo off at Yashua's place on my way to the concert. I did see Ahn again at the concert venue because I didn't want her to come with me. She always has the stupid habit to set me up with some guys that I find kind. Until now, however, without any success. Good luck? I don't know.