Tomas L. Aranda

Steam filled the hallway every time the bathroom door opened even a crack. Inside, the sound of running shower water could be heard. In the living room, the atmosphere was typical of a slumber party: bags of candy and chips, video game controllers on the floor, and comfortable clothes. Leandro Paredes, Leonel Flores, Ayrton Costa, and Milton Delgado were sprawled on the couches, resting after an intense session of video games.

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Suddenly, the screen of Tomas's phone, which was on the coffee table, lit up with a dim glow. "Bzzzz" was the notification sound.

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Leandro, who was stretching his legs, glanced sideways at the device. His eyes widened.

Milton : "Hey... look at this," Leandro whispered, reaching for the phone before the screen went black. Leonel : "Leandro, don't go through other people's stuff," Ayrton scolded him with a friendly smile, though his curiosity was also piqued. Leandro : "No, no, seriously. You have to see how this contact is saved," Leandro insisted, showing the screen to the group. Leonel and Milton leaned forward. On the lock screen, a notification of a new message flashed: *

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• Yejii (Added as: "my love😻💖") *: "Hiiii my love, how are you?💖"

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• Silence reigned in the room for exactly two seconds, before Leandro let out a stifled laugh. *

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• Leonel : "My love!? "—exclaimed Leonel, covering his mouth in disbelief—. "Tomas? The same Tomas who seems to live only for games and soccer?" ☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★ Leonel : "And he calls her 'my love'... "Milton added, processing the information with wide eyes. "Wait, Tomi has a girlfriend? Since when? "She was obviously stunned . "Look at the tone of voice I imagine he uses. 'Hiiii.' Our Tomas is definitely a secret sweetheart. "Everyone laughed.

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