Love that grows

Yumi hurried through the long corridors of the palace, her mind set on one goal—finding Johan. It had been a while since they last spoke, and the growing unease within her continued to rise. However, in the midst of her hurried steps, an unexpected figure suddenly appeared before her.

"Eh...? You...?" Yumi halted for a moment, her eyes widening in surprise.

Before her stood a classmate she hadn't seen in a long time—someone who, somehow, had seemed to vanish from their lives in this world for two months. His hair was slightly longer than the last time Yumi saw him, and his gaze was sharp yet weary.

"Yumi?" her classmate responded, a hint of astonishment in his voice, as if he hadn't expected to encounter someone from their past life.