obi crying actually means so much to me. it ties in perfectly with his arc earlier on in the story where zen and shirayuki have to spell out to him that they care about him and don't want him to do things on his own/get hurt. this moment of it sinking in that he's wholeheartedly wanted and that he found the people who accept him and want him by his side. the title given to him by zen. shirayuki asking shinsu jiran to let him stay. it must mean so much to hear that from shirayuki since he's had feelings for her for a while but repressed those feelings for her sake. also the fact that he asked permission to stay just a moment earlier, which he might've done partly because he feels like it's his duty (given to him by zen) in addition to his own personal feelings, makes her reassuring both of those sides by asking herself so comforting. the emotion he has when he hears what she says shows that he still struggled to fully understand that his company is wanted and that shirayuki cares for him. him gathering the courage to say what was on his mind and showing that vulnerability is so important. he deserves this and i'm so happy he got to cry.