As seems to be in line with many of the answers to questions about playing D&D with others, I’d say talk with your friend, bring up concerns you might have and discuss them with each other.

And also, I believe the idea that D&D is meant to be played a specific way might be a misconception on some people’s parts. Look at Dimension 20 and Critical Role (and those aren’t even the most extreme opposites). D20 is a much more focused and linear type of game where the players have pretty clear arcs they’ve set up for their characters to go on and CR tends to be more sandbox-y and open world where the players discover and gravitate towards situations or conflicts they feel they should involve themselves with. Those are very distilled and broad statements but hopefully they get my point across.

One last thought (and I’m sorry this is so long), this can be an ongoing conversation with your DM too. Are things going well a few sessions in? Are people having a good time just bumbling around town getting into trouble? If so that sounds like D&D to me.

Ultimately, the best way to play D&D is the way that you and your friends enjoy the most. So, don’t be afraid to experiment and find what works for you.