Can I, should I, chop the 2 fan leaves on the left and right side?

[Steve Jobs]

For context I topped a few days ago. The fan leaves on the left and right are from the highest node and the shoots growing off are my 2 new tops after I topped. Lol should I snip the fan leaves and stem back to the 2 new shoots? The stems and fan leaves are getting kinda congested and blocking space for new growth to be. I haven’t been here before so I don’t know from experience what to do.

 

[Steve Jobs]

 

[Chris Scorpio]

It's always ok to open up the lower area, just don't cut it bare

 

[Steve Jobs]

It's always ok to open up the lower area, just don't cut it bare

Not planning on cutting it bare just removing the two fan leaves to open it up. The stems are large and in the way. Leaves are touching

 

[Emilya Green]

You can, but I am not a fan of cutting off the biggest storehouses on the plant, the fan leaves. If the plant thought they were truly in the way, the plant would discard them. The plant knows that it is about to stretch a bit and make room for those leaves, but as was said above, if you have a good reason and those leaves are blocking bud sites or keeping air and light from the middle of the plant, eventually they will have to go... but you are long ways from that need yet.