Responsibility, surprisingly, becomes part of the dynamic. New friends who step in as true allies subtly steward the situation—reminding their mate of boundaries, reading the other person’s cues, or gently reframing the boasting into something less transactional. They might whisper a joke, offer a graceful exit, or position themselves so that the pursuit remains humane. This is where a fledgling friendship can prove its worth: not in echoing bravado, but in tempering it with respect.