Chapter 8

Bonus: From the Perspective of the Bonus Heroines

In a room of the inn where the Stormbreaker group was staying, in the room assigned to the girls, everyone except Monog was gathered.

And for some reason, Rain, the leader, was made to sit in seiza, surrounded by the other three.

"Rain, do you have any explanation for this?"

It was Snow who delivered the cold words. Despite this, Rain had a dreamy and satisfied look on her face.

"…Why are you grinning like that?"

"Because Monog was so cool."

Rain, who usually doesn't show such a soft, melting, "lovesick girl" expression outside, looked genuinely happy. Snow's mouth twisted in anger as she tried to contain it.

"You… haven't forgotten what you said, right!?"

"I haven't forgotten at all. No sneaking around, right?"

Rain looked at Snow, Sunny, and Sandra and said clearly.

"Then why did you… hug Monog like that! That's so unfair!!"

"Because we're 'boys' together. We hug and have normal physical contact."

Rain wore a satisfied expression, undaunted by Snow's accusatory tone.

Before her emotions could explode, it was surprisingly Sandra who interrupted.

"Rain, you're a girl."

Sandra, who usually has little emotion, showed a slight hint of anger.

That's right. Rain, the dual-sword wielder who serves as the leader of Stormbreaker, is a girl. Only these three and a few others know this, and of course, Monog doesn't know either.

"No, I'm a boy. Snow and Sunny remember, right? When we formed the adventurer party, we decided that I would be a boy. A party of only girls would stand out too much."

"But, Rain, you like Monog, don't you?"

"Yes, I really do."

Rain nodded without hesitation in response to Sunny's question, or rather, confirmation.

"Isn't that the same for all of you?"

"…! Y-Yes, but!"

Snow's face turned red as she was directly confronted.

"It's strange, isn't it? That everyone, even childhood friends, likes the same person."

"Sandra isn't a childhood friend, but I like Monog too."

Sunny and Sandra agreed. They were not only comrades in the same adventurer party but also rivals in love. Despite the rule against sneaking around, they were constantly at odds with each other.

"I envy all of you. You can interact with Monog as girls."

"…That's true. Rain is pretending to be a boy for our sake."

As Rain had said earlier, a female leader in an adventurer party tends to stand out. While most adventurers don't care, there are some who tease or approach with ulterior motives.

That's why, from the moment they left their hometown to become adventurers, they planned and decided that Rain, the most suitable among the three, would pretend to be a boy and lead the party. Rain was even enthusiastic about it at the time, thinking it would save her from the hassle of romantic entanglements—she never imagined she would dive headfirst into love herself.

While it would be possible to have Monog as the leader to maintain the appearance of a male leader, the current harsh treatment of supporters makes this unwise. Therefore, Rain must continue to lead and pretend to be a boy.

"I'm seen as a boy by the person I like. I'm not even considered a romantic interest… There's no possibility of that."

"Rain… I'm sorry, I…"

Seeing Rain's shoulders droop and her head bow, Snow was overwhelmed by a strong sense of guilt. She couldn't imagine how difficult it would be if she were in Rain's position.

Not knowing what to say, the three of them remained silent, but it was Rain who broke the silence.

"That's why, the passionate physical contact I have with Monog as a 'boy' and pretending to be a fool to sleep in a bed that smells like Monog is all legal!"

"You were doing that!?"

It was the first time the three of them realized she was intentionally sleeping in the wrong bed.

"Hehe, sleeping in a bed that smells like Monog… it feels like he's hugging me—honestly, it's the best."

"Sleeping while being hugged by Monog…!?"

Sunny, who rarely shows her emotions, was visibly flustered and blushed.

"I'm a boy, so it's legal to have a lively bedtime conversation until just before sleeping! Enjoying his sleeping face is legal! Gently waking him up when he's half-asleep is all legal!!"

"Unfair…! Sandra will become a boy too…!"

"No way. This is my privilege!"

Rain, proud and provocative, made the other three's sense of guilt disappear.

"What do you mean by no sneaking around!? You're clearly doing something outrageous!!"

"Always as a boy, though."

"You think that's enough to say! It's not good at all!"

"It's not good."

"It's not good."

At that moment, jealousy completely overcame their guilt.

"But, you say it's not good, but I have something to say too, Sunny."

"Huh? M-Me?"

"Didn't you do something with Monog in front of the boss room today?"

Rain, now on the offensive, targeted Sunny. Sunny, who was the target of this attack, was visibly flustered and blushed as she looked down.

"I thought the same thing!"

"Sunny, you were looking at him with a woman's eyes."

"I-I wasn't! I just had my bowstring replaced!"

"Hmm, just the bowstring?"

Despite Sunny's defense, Rain looked at her with a skeptical half-closed eye.

"By the way, Sunny, you take really good care of your bow, don't you?"

"O-Of course. It's an important tool for me—"

"That's not all, is it? Sunny, you've always used the same frame, but that's because you've customized it with Monog, right?"

"U…!"

Sunny, who was two years older, was taken aback by the younger girl's insight. For someone who prides herself on being mature, this small obsession was something she didn't want to be touched upon.

"Sunny, are you… thinking of that bow as a child with Monog?"

"U…!?"

"Is that your real reaction!?"

"N-No! It's not a child, but I do take care of it and have a fondness for it. A child with Monog…!"

Sunny, whose dignity as the older one was shattered, groaned with teary eyes. Seeing this, Sandra, who had been quiet, stood up.

"I'm envious."

"Sandra?"

"Sandra will ask Monog to have a child."

"Wait, Sandra!?"

"That's not just sneaking around; it's a whole different level!"

Rain and Snow hurried to stop Sandra, who suddenly made such a bold statement. Despite the frequent shifts in the balance of power, they spent a lively time together.

When the night ends, they will head to the dungeon again. There is no rest for adventurers. Even if they survive today, a more dangerous situation might await them tomorrow.

That's why they live each day to the fullest.

To live without regrets. To savor the "now" they have won.

One day, to the deepest part of the dungeon.

To achieve a glory no one has ever seen.

They, the Stormbreaker, will keep running.

Thank you for reading Chapter 1!

This concludes the "The Support Mage Who Dreams of Being Kicked Out of the Party" section.

Initially, I planned to end this as a short story, but thanks to the overwhelming support and many requests for a continuation, I will continue to work on it.

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