I flinched when I heard the slightly annoyed voice. Uh, that sounds familiar.

But he’s not supposed to be here. There was something strange about the situation. I was dubious and muttered the name that came to mind.

“Kir?”

“Long time no see.”

Instead of saying that it was him, he said hello. Gorgeous blonde hair, purple eyes that emit a mysterious light that cannot be confused. A slightly obstinate gaze. Standing there was Kir, who had matured a little more than the child I knew, and who was familiar but had a strangely unfamiliar atmosphere because he had grown up in a year.

I was bewildered. It’s clear that it’s Kir, but it’s not like Kir. First of all, I don’t know why Kir is here. I blinked stupidly like a broken robot.

“Are you going to do something dangerous? Why are you being so careless?”

However, those rare purple eyes that disappeared and reappeared every time he blinked, was clearly letting me know that the man in front of me was Kir.

What happened in one year? Seeing Kir’s changed appearance, nothing but admiration came out. He doesn’t feel like a grown-up. Still, he doesn’t feel like the original Kir? Anyway, I got a strange feeling. That’s Kir.

“Where have you lost your mind?”

As I stood blankly, Kir’s index finger pressed hard against my forehead. He must have gotten stronger during that time, that I stumbled, and my body shook. Then Kir, the person who caused it, was even more surprised and lightly grabbed my shoulder and supported me.

“Are you okay? Where are you hurt?”

“Are you really Kir?”

I couldn’t believe that Kir was in front of me, so I asked back. Kir then burst into laughter.

“Yes.”

I heard the answer with my own ears, but it doesn’t feel it. Kir was acting so natural, like he saw me yesterday, that it made it feel even more unrealistic.

“How did you get here?”

“I came because I had something to do. I came with Father for an imperial event.”

Kir bent down to pick up the book that had fallen on the floor and handed it to me.

The Grand Duchy was the imperial family’s collateral, so they participate whenever there was an event in the empire. So it made sense why Kir was here. It just makes my heart go crazy. Instead of accepting the book, I thrust my fist into Kir’s belly. It felt hard to touch, so I quickly let go of my hand.

“Why didn’t you reply to my letter?”

I was petty and angry at Kir, so Kir was really bad for acting so casually. How could he be so confident after reading my letter and ignoring it? I puffed out my cheeks as much as I could to express my displeasure.

But instead of answering, Kir reached his hand toward my cheek. I was surprised to see that the hand that had suddenly approached me was bigger than before. I knew he wasn’t trying to harm me, so I didn’t avoid it.

The touch on my cheek was rough, as if he had trained hard. The palm completely wrapped around one of my cheeks moved slowly as if stroking it. It was a familiar contact, but was it because it had been a while? Or was it because Kir’s gaze was deeper than before? Strangely, my spine seemed to tingle.

His long fingers skimmed the lines of my face and lifted my chin. I held my breath at the slightly strange feeling. Today, Kir’s purple eyes shone mysteriously.

“Were you waiting for my letter?”

Kir’s languid voice made my ears tingle. Every time he moved his head, his thin blond hair fluttered lightly.

Even if he had grown, his appearance itself has changed slightly, but it doesn’t feel like the Kir I know. The little guy who was always nervous and acted out when things didn’t go his own way was now calm. He had grown so much in one year.

I removed my hand as I felt the heat rushing to the place where Kir’s fingers touched mine. I felt strangely conscious. The inside of my mouth feels dry.

“You didn’t reply on purpose, did you?”

I reverted to a question instead of an answer. Kir stared at me with a relaxed gaze, then smiled again. Then he lightly pressed the top of my head with his palm.

“How come you don’t seem to have grown up at all?”

Even though I know he was changing the subject, it was the subject I cared about the most, so I fell for it.

“Yes! I didn’t grow up at all! I’m glad you’ve grown up!”