A novel reader told me that apparently this specific dialogue was in the novel, but it was cut in the anime. Looks like they put in the chibi short as compensation.

AAAAA Shimao is making me feel so many bittersweet emotions, I still can't get over their goodbye

They're meeting again, the hairpin will return, trust🥲 In the school AU, they went to College together, Maomao for pharmacology and Shisui for entomology.

This made seem more depressing than how I read it, despite her passive attitude she really doesn’t want to be there and reminded me in Maomao’s perspective if she is in not ideal situation, Jinshi manages to find her again (whether he tries to or not)

Yes. This is in the novel. LN reader can confirm it

Where does one watch the chibi shorts

They're posted on the official Toho YT channel every Monday, there are no official subs, so I sub them and post it here and on Reddit. There is a drive folder in my Reddit account with all of them.