The screen flickered as the group settled into their familiar rhythm, the camaraderie and teasing already palpable through their video call. Lando, Charles, George, and Alex were gathered for another round of a quiz, this time focused on testing their knowledge about each other. It was Lando’s turn to be in the hot seat, and the playful tension in the air was thick as the interviewer prepared the next question.

“…Okay, next question for Lando,” the interviewer said. “What was the last emoji he used on his phone?”

Alex’s hand shot toward the smaller buzzer.

"Alex," the interviewer acknowledged him, signaling for an answer.

Alex hesitated, smirking. “The, uh… the eggplant aubergine emoji,” he said with an exaggerated shrug.

Immediately, George burst out laughing. "I was gonna say that!" he said, throwing his hands up, clearly amused by Alex’s guess.

Lando’s face scrunched into a mock scowl, but he couldn’t hide his grin. “Come on then, Lando,” the interviewer prompted, eager for the truth. “Can we see?”

Lando reached for his phone, quickly pulling up his messages with a dramatic sigh. "It was a red heart," he admitted, holding the screen to the camera.

The reaction was instant. All three of his friends erupted into a chorus of noises—Charles raised an eyebrow, George widened his eyes, and Alex broke into a mischievous grin. The teasing was palpable, even across the digital divide.

“Who was that to?” George asked, leaning into the camera as if he was demanding an interrogation.

Lando chuckled, shaking his head. "George, you can’t be asking those questions when you’ve got a girlfriend, all right" He paused, looking at the camera with a glint in his eye. “Actually, all three of you have girlfriends. So maybe it’s you lot who should be under the spotlight!”

The group laughed, but George was quick to retort, unable to resist pushing further. “Mine was a love heart because I’ve got a girlfriend. So who’s your love heart to, Lando?” His voice was innocent, but the grin betrayed his intent.