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.

"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.

The night deepened. The cake was reduced to crumbs, and the candles were extinguished one by one. Yet, our conversation showed no signs of stopping.

"Honestly, at first, I thought Senior Ga-eul was this really mature upperclassman..."
"Mature? Yuri, are you saying I’m not now?"
"...I didn’t say that."
"Look me in the eye! Say it to my face!"

We reminisced about clearing our first gate, our first impressions of each other, and the fear we felt after slaying our first demon. There was even talk of the swimsuit festival fiasco. Everyone had stories to share.

However, the exhaustion from preparing for this day began to take its toll. Some members nodded off, while others simply closed their eyes.