One week later.
Same morning run as always.
Monica was absent.
"Don't bother calling her," Chandler said, waving his hand when he saw Adam about to check on Monica. "She's in a bad mood."
"What happened?" Adam asked curiously. "She was fine yesterday, wasn't she?"
"Her credit card bill arrived yesterday," Chandler explained. "After paying it off, she only has $127 left in her account."
"That little?" Adam suddenly understood.
As the saying goes: When you have food in your hands, you won't panic in your heart.
In modern society, money is that food.
It's completely normal to feel anxious when you're broke.
Adam knew this all too well from his past life, so he could empathize with Monica's frustration at having only $127 left.
"She really hasn't worked in a while," Adam recalled. Ever since Monica impulsively quit her chef job, deciding she didn't want to serve people anymore, two months had already passed.
Americans do have savings habits.
Take Monica, for example—she saved 10% of her salary every month. Otherwise, she wouldn't have lasted this long.
Of course, most people were like Joey—if they weren't working, they had to borrow money to survive.
Quitting had felt great at the moment, but that feeling had lasted for two whole months.
If she still had savings left, Monica would probably still be in her "this job isn't good, that one isn't either, let's wait and see, no rush" phase.
"Yeah," Chandler said with a sigh. "The problem is, she still hasn't figured out what she wants to do. She's in the same state she was when she quit—maybe even worse."
"Being a chef is actually pretty great," Adam mused. "With her skills, if she gets the right opportunity, she could be the head chef of a restaurant. That would mean good pay and respect—but that kind of opportunity is rare."
There wasn't much he could do to help with that.
He often dined at high-end restaurants, but their head chefs were well-established. He couldn't just go up and ask if they needed a new one.
Chef positions were like puzzle pieces—one person per slot.
Monica had quit on impulse. Unlike Chandler, who simply disliked his job, Monica actually loved cooking. She had only left because of issues with her coworkers and boss.
That was why Adam hadn't been as supportive as he had been with Chandler—offering comfort, encouragement, and financial help.
Monica had a brother, parents—if it really came down to it, Ross and their family would step in.
Besides, her current state was mostly due to staying at home too long, getting too comfortable, and being unwilling to leave her comfort zone.
Too much help wouldn't actually be good for her.
Later, After Their Run
After a lap around Central Park, Adam and Chandler were ready for breakfast. Since Monica wasn't in the mood to cook, they decided to stop by the Central Perk café.
As Adam was about to enter, he noticed Chandler looking around nervously.
"What's up with you?" Adam asked, curious.
"N-nothing," Chandler mumbled, glancing inside before sighing in relief and following Adam in.
"Seriously, what's going on?" Adam pressed after they ordered coffee and breakfast.
"Okay, okay," Chandler said, seeing Adam's persistent stare. He smiled bitterly and admitted, "Ross and I ran into two bullies here. They warned us not to come back, or they'd beat us up every time they saw us."
"Pfft!" Adam almost spit out his coffee. "How old are you? Still afraid of bullies?"
"Easy for you to say," Chandler retorted. "We've been bullied since we were kids. It leaves a psychological scar, okay? And these guys are huge and mean."
"Oh yeah?" Adam grinned. "Now I kinda want to meet them."
"Let's not," Chandler shook his head. "Joey wanted to help too, but Ross and I don't want to have to call you or Joey every time we grab coffee."
"Why would you need me or Joey?" Adam asked with a sly smile.
"If we don't, what if we run into them again?" Chandler replied, confused.
"Silly boy," Adam patted Chandler's head with mock pity. "You've been bullied so much you don't even realize—do you really think I'd just be there for moral support?"
"...Wouldn't you?" Chandler looked even more confused.
"Of course not." Adam smirked. "They said if they see you at Central Perk, they'll beat you up every time, right? Well, I'll just make sure they never set foot in Central Perk again. Problem solved."
"You mean…" Chandler's eyes widened. "An eye for an eye? We scare them off so they don't dare come back?"
"I scare them off," Adam corrected. "You wouldn't be convincing."
"Can you even do that?" Chandler was skeptical. "They're really big. And there are two of them."
"A real man never says he can't," Adam said confidently. "I could take ten of them!"
Outside the Café
As the two stepped out, Chandler suddenly gasped, "Look, look! That's them! He's even wearing my hat—they stole it from me!"
Chandler quickly ducked behind Adam, pointing at two approaching white men while whispering in panic.
"Relax. Watch me," Adam said, dragging Chandler forward to face them.
"Well, well, look who it is—the cowards!" The two men sneered, clearly seasoned bullies.
"Oh?" Adam raised an eyebrow and smirked. "I think you two are mistaken."
The bullies froze, glancing at Adam's lean frame. They couldn't process what was happening—he was standing up to them?
"Kid, you looking for trouble?" they growled, stepping forward to intimidate him.
"Let's not make a scene in the street," Adam said coolly. "Come on, let's talk in that alley over there."
Before they could react, Adam grabbed both of them by the shoulders. With a slight squeeze, he controlled them effortlessly and led them toward the narrow alleyway.
The two men looked ready to cry.
"Come on, you're bullies, right?" Adam mocked. "Where's your backbone? Don't start acting like crybabies now."
"Big guy, we're sorry! Please, let go—this hurts!"
"AHH! IT HURTS!"
The bullies, unable to withstand the pain, actually started tearing up.
"Bullies don't cry, do they?" Adam teased, easing his grip slightly. "Tell me—what did you do wrong?"
"We—we shouldn't have messed with you—AHH! I mean, we shouldn't have messed with your friend!" They quickly corrected themselves, looking pitifully at Chandler. "We're sorry!"
"Uh… it's fine?" Chandler, completely stunned, could hardly believe what he was seeing.
"You didn't want to see my friends at Central Perk, huh?" Adam asked with a smile.
"We were wrong! We'll never go to Central Perk again!"
"And you won't bother my friends behind my back, right?" Adam added.
"No! Never!" The bullies shook their heads frantically.
"Good," Adam grinned, finally letting them go. "Now, give me your business cards. Let's stay in touch."
The bullies, nearly in tears, handed over their cards, internally vowing never to return to this part of town.
"And the hat."
Adam held out his hand, retrieving Chandler's stolen hat before waving them off. "See you around."
The bullies bolted.
"See? Simple as that," Adam said cheerfully, placing the hat back on Chandler's head.
Chandler: "…."
Who's the real bully here?
And what does it feel like to have one as a friend?
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