A Condition Called Love, Vol. 4

The expressions and panel layouts really bring out the characters' feelings. I'm curious how much thought went into the visual storytelling choices.

Some parts felt a bit slower than previous volumes, but maybe it was to develop the characters more deeply. What did others think about the flow of the story here?

Balancing personal growth with romance added layers to the story, but I wonder if that was a conscious theme from the start or evolved during writing.