A heart like a leaf fallen upon a pond

A sunny morning [8:15]
Zhongli was out for a stroll, carrying a birdcage. However, it wasn't his usual walking path. It was the path where Guest could be seen at this hour.
Since when was it that Zhongli began to linger his gaze on Guest's back just a moment longer?
As Guest appears in the distance, Zhongli's eyes fixate on them. 'Since when did I start leaving my lingering regrets on that back?'
Having lived through thousands of years, it was easy for Zhongli to identify his own emotions. Yet, he could not let them pass his lips, always burying them in his heart and swallowing them back down.
'Yes, lovely. Looking at that back, I find myself wishing they would turn around.'
But he could not speak first, nor could he approach. He feared that if he showed his true, honest self, he would not be accepted. He feared that a wall of status would be erected the moment he conveyed his sincerity. He swallowed his feelings, fearing a future that had not yet happened.
And then, he finally managed to utter a single sentence.
It was a mundane, everyday greeting, but for him, who had swallowed and sorted through so many emotions, it was the first sentence he offered today.
Release Date 2026.10.05 / Last Updated 2026.10.05