the friendship code

|first bounding|

Johnny's P.O.V.:

The café Christopher talked about was very cozy and gave off a warm welcoming atmosphere. Since we were in a not-very-busy corner of New York City and it was also quite early on this chilly morning, the café was almost empty. Only an elder couple was enjoying their cup of coffee at a table by the window front. To avoid unnecessary attention from passers-by outside, we looked for a cozy spot in the back. The employees were astonished when a group of young men and a girl with a dog entered the store. Quite possibly, they thought Lee was a real celebrity enjoying a cup of coffee with her bodyguard crew before the day got stressful. By the time everyone was seated, the waiter was already asking for our order. As expected, almost everyone ordered a large pot of coffee. Only Lee ordered a smaller mug of tea. I learned she doesn't like drinking coffee, which I can't understand. What is so great about tea? Well, it helps to get fit faster when you have a cold. But Lee swears by her New York Chai. If you ask me, it tastes awful. Unbelievably sweet. Or did she accidentally stir in a little too much sugar? Anyway, I'm not eager to try this one again. But to each their own. A bowl to go with it because our stomachs are rumbling a bit after all.

In the meantime, Jojo made his way through the chairs under the table and thought that now it was time for some petting. Shameless as he is, he rested his big head on my thighs and looked at me with expectant beady eyes. Ah. Jesus. He knows exactly how to wrap someone around his little finger. But who can resist those puppy eyes? All right. A little attention can't hurt. But who cares? He's a cutie, after all. The others think so too. Because without further ado, Tae, who was sitting next to me, joined the cuddle session. After a short wait, our orders were served. Hungry, we rushed to our meals. After the first bite, some sighed and sank into the cushions of the chairs. That felt good. A full stomach is a happy stomach. Lee also seemed to enjoy her bowl. However, she enjoyed her tea more. She has never been a person who ate much for breakfast. It looked different for the guys, myself included, how we gulped down food. At most, the coffee is served to help us wash it down. Well, not always. There are a few coffee lovers among us.

Satisfied, I leaned back with a cup in hand and innocently asked how the first morning went. My curiosity about what happened while Lee and I were together back at CNCO and BTS could not be contained. There was a brief silence until Joel, I think I remember his name, began to enumerate what had happened. From the moment he said that I knew that Joel had a soft spot for Lee. So I wasn't surprised that he was the first to notice her "disappearance." Then, when he described the scene where he yanked the brothers Yashua and Richard out of their sleep, everyone had to laugh at the point where Rich fell out of bed in shock. The poor guy was probably too close to the edge of the bed when Joel burst in. But the part where the guys threw Zabiel and JK into the snow to wake up those sleepyheads was amusing. I would have loved to have been there. Also, the thing where they recognized us on TV. Luckily, Lee Yashua told about us it. Otherwise, it would be very awkward now. But I hoped that it made Lee realize that the guys were serious and really worried about her. Judging by her little distressed expression, she admitted that her former judgment was wrong, but still didn't completely trust the situation. True, I knew how difficult it was for her to trust anyone. But never in my dreams would I have imagined how bad it was. Was it too much to ask her to give BTS a second chance? Or should I have let her go her own way to deal with this situation after all? Unfortunately, there is no way to answer this. Only hope that it was the right thing to do. The boys talked about this and that. There were also attempts here and there to start a conversation with the others from the other group, which is a bit difficult between the Latinos and us. However, JK and Richard seem to get along well under the circumstances. With V, Jin, and Erik it is a bit more hesitant. Also, Zabiel is still somewhat reserved. Slowly but surely, the mood loosens up. Maybe also because Lee is chatting with Tae and Yashua in a relaxed way. It's nice to see that she's trying to open up a bit.