Captured Hearts: The Substitute Bride's Gambit - Chapter 156 - Wrongly Accused

Ren Arakawa thought getting stabbed by his psycho ex-girlfriend was the worst way to die, and it would end his story. Turns out, it was just the prologue. He wakes up in a parallel earth full of dungeons, monsters, hunters and way too many women with clingy tendencies and knives.To make things worse, the goddess who reincarnated him? Yeah—she's the Yandere Goddess, the divine creator of obsessive love and the world he is going to reincarnate is female-dominated world, and she’s mad Ren called his ex “crazy.” So she curses him:“Every girl who likes you will become yandere. Like, explosively, murderously, loyalty-soaked yandere, to them you will be their oxygen. Good luck, idiot~ Go ahead and realise how amazing this yandere love is.”BUT—plot twist—the God of Creation, who’s been hiding in a broom closet in heaven since the beginning of the universe to escape his yandere stalker (guess who?), snatches Ren’s soul mid-reincarnation and gives him a cheat skill:[Heartsteal] – Absorb one power from any yandere girl who's obsessed with you.“My guy...you should help me...this bitch is driving me crazy..”Now Ren just wants to survive dungeons and not die from accidental love. Instead, he’s collecting powers:A healer who murders teammates because they looked at him wrongA pop idol who sends her fans to the shadow realm for shipping her with someone else other than RenA plant mage who grows garden clones of him to cuddle and possibly do other thingsArmed with sarcasm, trauma, and increasingly dangerous girlfriends, Ren must climb the power ladder, level up, and eventually punch a literal goddess in the face to break the curse and destroy the concept of Yandere and be a free man.Love? Nope. Power through emotionally unstable women? Absolutely.

Xin Xiu exclaimed, “Master is a panda!”

His muscles screamed, his body begged for rest, his mind ordered him to stop. But Bakugo couldn't. Not while Izuku hadn't arrived. So, he pushed forward. Every explosion, every strike, every movement was pure determination, a reflection of his unwavering will to win.For a moment, he felt beyond himself. Fast. Precise. Almost invincible.And then, in the blink of an eye, everything changed. The battlefield vanished, and the pain ceased.It was in that moment that Katsuki Bakugo understood... he had died.Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, images or songs featured in this fic. Additionally, I do not claim ownership of any products or properties mentioned in this novel. This work is entirely fanfic.

The night before we obtained our marriage certificate, I asked him, “When did you start to develop feelings for me?”

He answered, “I don’t remember.”

“But, why me?”

“Why not you?”

“I’m very petty, and I get jealous very easily.”

“So am I.”

“I’m afraid I’m not worthy of you.”

“So am I.”

“I haven’t really dated, so I don’t know what love is.”

“I don’t know either.”

He held my hand gently, “But I know this. When I think about spending the rest of my life with you, I feel that my future is filled with hope.”

At 16, we used the same class desk, with less than 10cm between our arms. My peripheral vision was full of him.

At 26, I woke up in the morning, and saw the sunlight softly shining on his face. I thought, this is how I want to grow old – gradually, together, with him.

I guess this must be love.