I Became a Genius Swordsman in the Pretty Girl Game

As I tearfully muttered those words, my party members paused for a moment before bursting into laughter, congratulating each other with unrestrained joy.

"Ha! We did it. We actually made Jin Yu-ha cry."
"I didn’t think this would work, but look at him!"
"Whew, can I finally take off this ridiculous headband now?"
"J-Jin Yu-ha, could you, uh, cry in three-part harmony next time?"
"Sophia, you’ve been watching way too many streams."
"Totally worth the effort."
"Wow… I’ve never seen a guy cry like this before, but when the instructor does it…"

I forced a smile in response to their teasing.

"Really… thank you. All of you. When did you even plan something like this?"

It was, without a doubt, one of the most heartfelt gifts I had ever received.

Lee Yuri stepped forward, her usual confidence nowhere to be seen. She clasped her hands tightly, her face flushed.@@novelbin@@

"Fuu—Jin Yu-ha!"

She bit her lip as if to gather her thoughts, then slowly opened her mouth.

"It… It doesn’t matter to us what kind of person you are. Just being Jin Yu-ha is enough. You’ve always watched over us, led us, and… because of you, we’ve made it this far. So… so…"

Her voice trembled as she struggled to continue.

"S-so! If you ever feel tired, y-you can lean on me, okay?"

As Lee Yuri stammered through her awkward confession, the other party members exchanged knowing looks, their gazes sharp.

"Seriously? Even in this video, you were the first to step in."
"And now it’s ‘me,’ not ‘us’? Abusing your authority as the deputy leader, are you?"
"Lee Yuri, saying something like that at this timing is kind of unfair, don’t you think?"
"So cheap."

Lee Yuri’s face turned beet red.