Why does changing the children's font size cause the flex container to offset from original place

This issue is weird, acts differently on normal containers and flexbox.

Changing the font-size of the FIRST children:

• for NORMAL CONTAINER, why is it changing the container's height?
• for FLEXBOX, why is it making the flexbox move down or up for some distance?

How do I resolve this? I want the FLEXBOX not to move.

To be said, it's only happening when changing font-size of first children. Changing the second doesn't matter... why?

<!-- begin snippet: js hide: false console: true babel: false -->

<!-- language: lang-css -->

* {
  margin: 0;
  padding: 0;
  box-sizing: border-box;
}

body {
  background: #121212;
  color: #fff;
  font-size: 20px;
}

.container {
  line-height: 48px;
  font-size: 36px;
  border: 1px solid #f90;
}

.first {
  color: #ffe47e;
  animation: change1 3s linear infinite;
}

@keyframes change1 {
  0%,
  100% {
    font-size: 0.1em;
  }
  50% {
    font-size: 1em;
  }
}

@keyframes change2 {
  0%,
  100% {
    font-size: 0.1em;
  }
  50% {
    font-size: 2em;
  }
}

.c2 {
  display: inline-flex;
  column-gap: 5px;
}

.c2 .first {
  font-size: 0.5em;
  animation: change2 3s linear infinite;
} 

.c3 .first {
  font-size: 0.5em;
  animation: none;
}

<!-- language: lang-html -->

<div style="margin-bottom: 50px;">
  <div class="container c2 c3">
    <span class="first">first</span>
    Second
  </div>
  
  <div class="container c2 c3">
    Second
    <span class="first">This doesn't matter</span>
  </div>
  
  (flexbox) How to make the first flex container align with the second one?
</div>

<div style="margin-bottom: 50px;">
  (flexbox) Animation illustration
  
  <div class="container c2">
    <span class="first">first</span>
    Second
  </div>
  
  <div class="container c2">
    Second
    <span class="first">This doesn't matter</span>
  </div>
</div>

(normal container) Animation illustration - Why is height changing?

<div class="container">
  <span class="first">first</span>
  Second
</div>

<!-- end snippet -->