[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-raised-yandere-superstars":3,"chapter-i-raised-yandere-superstars-i-raised-yandere-superstars-chapter-22":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","I Raised Yandere Superstars",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},730226,968,"Chapter 22: Trust Me","i-raised-yandere-superstars-chapter-22",22,"\u003Cp>Thursday. Two days after the ’boyfriend-stalking’ scandal broke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nozomi Sakura rested her chin in her hand and let her gaze roam over Alan, dissecting him feature by feature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brows. Eyes. Nose. Mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment, she frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure, he looked handsome when he was focused, but he wasn’t breathtakingly handsome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So why had Akari Hojo dated him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could those sugar-baby rumors actually be true?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a day and a half of mulling it over, she’d finally forced herself to accept that they really had been a couple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What are you thinking about?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alan finished marking up the class schedule and looked up to find Nozomi scowling, her lip caught between her teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caught mid-thought, she flinched, then pasted on a soft smile. \"Nothing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their eyes met. Hers darted away and landed on the paper in his hand. She took it and noticed several of her courses circled in red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do these mean?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They mean you’re getting an A or higher in every one of these finals.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her lips parted in disbelief. Her expression screamed, You can’t be serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alan tilted his head, as if fluent in silent sarcasm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Problem?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She tugged at the corner of her mouth and scanned the list again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was so much to study.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s... a lot.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is it? Looks normal to me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She swallowed a sigh. \"It’s hard.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Psychology. Aesthetics. Just reading the titles made her head spun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Humanities were her natural enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright,\" he said. \"If you pull it off, I’ll add another million yen.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes lit up like slot machines. She swallowed hard. \"Seriously?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t lie.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His look said trust me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Deal.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She slipped the paper into her bag. Hard was one thing, but hard plus a million yen was doable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She closed the bag slowly, then risked another question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re not scamming me, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alan didn’t answer. He just rolled his eyes, slung his bag over his shoulder, and headed for the door. He still had two song-licensing contracts to sign that afternoon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey, wait!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nozomi grabbed his sleeve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Um... there’s something else I wanted to ask...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned back. She let go, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, straightened her posture, and put on her gentlest smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So... as your current girlfriend, may I pry a little?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Current girlfriend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A week into the relationship, and it was the first time she’d said it out loud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A real girlfriend wouldn’t sound so formal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afraid he’d refuse, she looked up at him with pleading eyes—the exact expression she’d practiced in the mirror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alan simply sat down beside her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’ve got questions. Spit them out.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uh...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His bluntness made her wonder how anyone tolerated him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still smiling, she asked softly, \"The girl who came to see you the day before yesterday... was that really Akari Hojo?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What did she want?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No idea.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He answered so casually that Nozomi bit her lip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When did you start dating?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Middle school.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced at her sideways. \"This feels less like girlfriend talk and more like a TV interview.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Heh... just curious, that’s all...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She laughed dryly, swallowed, then said, \"One last question.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why did you go out with her? Was it... the same kind of deal as me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She phrased it carefully, but Alan understood the unspoken meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was she your sugar baby too?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He let the silence stretch before replying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She never borrows from shady apps to buy things she can’t afford.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nozomi’s smile froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any other day she would’ve cursed him internally, but now a wave of self-loathing washed over her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So she really is better than me...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before she could respond, Alan spoke again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What you really want to ask is why she ever looked at someone like me, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nozomi waved her hands, forcing a laugh. \"Haha, no, that’s not what I—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He cut her off. His dark, bottomless eyes locked onto hers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"People obsess over being ’worthy’ or ’unworthy.’ All that proves is they’re not strong enough yet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pointed at her blue sundress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Take that dress. You know you’re beautiful, so you wear it without caring what anyone thinks. Anyone who criticizes it just looks ignorant to you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But if you’re unsure of yourself, you start thinking, I can’t pull this off. I’m not good enough, before anyone even says a word.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I never felt unworthy just because I dated Akari Hojo.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nozomi’s smile vanished. Her emotions twisted into a knot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She clenched her fists. \"Then why... why are you with me? When you said I could be a star, were you comparing me to her?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice cracked, two days’ worth of frustration spilling out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alan didn’t look surprised. \"Comparing? Why would I?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under his gaze, her throat went dry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He studied her for a moment, then seemed to understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I told you already, you have no idea what you’re capable of. You assume you’re hopeless, so the only explanation you can come up with is I’m just a substitute for Hojo. Dummy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Being called a dummy to her face made her flush. She bit her lip, eyes shimmering with indignation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The truth is, you don’t know your own potential. And if you won’t believe me, repeating myself is pointless.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you’re convinced you can’t do it, then stop thinking.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She blinked. \"What does that even mean?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When a goal feels impossible, people give up before they start. So don’t make ’becoming a star’ your first goal.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lifted a finger and tapped her forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t ask whether you can do it. Just do exactly what I tell you, with everything you’ve got. One day, you’ll look up and realize the dream is within arm’s reach.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So trust me, like I trust you. Without hesitation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meeting the steady light in his eyes, something warm and nameless swelled in Nozomi’s chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone like me... can be trusted?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After driving Nozomi home, Alan sat alone in the car, planning his next steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their conversation had revealed the real issue. He’d assumed Nozomi Sakura was simply vain and scatterbrained, a girl who loved attention and had no long-term plans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t considered that she might be hiding a deep inferiority complex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While they talked, her self-doubt had practically leaked out through her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By all logic, a girl that beautiful should’ve been the center of attention since childhood. She shouldn’t have felt the need to prove anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet she did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alan frowned, thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment, he sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s Akari Hojo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That single trigger had detonated everything. Until Nozomi’s reputation matched Hojo’s, she’d keep shrinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, the problem wasn’t unsolvable. Handled properly, it could even become fuel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, though, she needed to feel her own talent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time to move the acting classes up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Buzz. Buzz.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His phone vibrated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caller ID: Akari Honne\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bad feeling crept up his spine, but he answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey. What’s up, Honne?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hi, brother-in-law~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She dragged out the words in a syrupy sing-song that made Alan roll his neck to shake off the goosebumps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ve got super exciting news!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His stomach dropped. He nearly hung up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honne giggled at his silence and continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sis said I can come visit for my birthday!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, how is that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alan sat bolt upright. \"She agreed?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yep! She says it’s dangerous for me to go alone, so when she heads back to work, she’ll drop me off~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t worry, brother-in-law. Sis knows you don’t want to see her. She’s just coming to deliver me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh. God.\u003C\u002Fp>",1254,"2026-06-02T11:07:19.981Z",1,"novelbin.me","ee58b324e07b85d370ae229cb7e43ac073b5c30dc1d79ec6c11202b2e36e7cde","i-raised-yandere-superstars-chapter-23","i-raised-yandere-superstars-chapter-21",76,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-raised-yandere-superstars-cover.jpg"]