After realizing he could turn invisible just by holding his breath, Tomo's brain started working hard.
Not in a positive, heroic way like "how do I save this country from corruption,"
but more like the brain of a heartbroken guy who suddenly discovers a cheat code in real life.
Tomo stared at himself in the mirror—messy hair, tired eyes, and cheeks that could maybe glow up if he ever committed to skincare.
He whispered to himself:
"I'm not gonna spy on anything weird… just wanna see their faces when they don't know I'm there."
Which, obviously, still qualifies as a bad idea.
But humans sometimes need a bit of stupidity before they find the right path.
And Tomo… is about to start his stupidity arc.
---
Target #1: Maya — The Girl Who Said Tomo Was "Too Realistic"
Maya is the type of girl who always claimed she liked "visionary men,"
yet her last boyfriend was only visionary when it came to borrowing money.
She once rejected Tomo with the legendary line:
"You're too realistic, Tomo."
Tomo never understood what that meant.
As if being realistic was some kind of national crime.
With the thin spirit of revenge—about as thin as a cheap hotel tissue—
Tomo held his breath.
PLOP!
His body vanished.
Cool, right?
Unfortunately, Tomo chose to use this power for… petty missions.
He approached Maya's house.
The night breeze blew, leaves fell dramatically—perfect setting.
Tomo stood in front of the gate… adjusted his breathing…
And—
"HEEEKPP!!"
A cough.
A small one.
But loud.
A cloud of dust floated right into his nose at the worst possible moment.
In a fraction of a second, Tomo popped back into visibility like low-budget CGI.
Maya's father, who happened to be sitting on the porch, stared wide-eyed at the man who had appeared out of thin air.
"MALING!! THIEF!!"
Tomo reflexively ran for his life.
Invisible earlier, very visible while fleeing.
He sprinted 300 meters in pure panic.
If there were an Olympics category for "running while losing dignity," Tomo would be the national champion.
---
Target #2: Lala — The Girl Who Said "Let's Just Stay Friends"
Lala was kind, gentle, always smiling…
except when she rejected Tomo.
Back then she said:
"Let's just be friends, Tomo. You're nice… but I'm not ready."
A week later she started dating a guy who livestreamed games every night.
Tomo didn't hate her.
He was just… curious.
That day, Lala was mopping her porch.
The scent of soap filled the air.
Tomo held his breath.
PLOP!
Invisible again.
He stepped in quietly. Smooth. Perfect. Safe.
Until he forgot one important detail:
When the body disappears…
foot odor doesn't.
Lala stopped mopping.
She sniffed the air.
Her expression twisted in confusion.
"Why does it smell like dorm socks…? I live with my parents…"
Tomo panicked.
His brain screamed:
"Oh no… I forgot foot spray!"
He tried holding his breath longer, hoping to escape before she noticed.
But there's a limit.
His vision darkened.
Camera blur effect: ON.
Then—
THUD.
Tomo fainted.
Still invisible.
Lala screamed when Tomo suddenly appeared—passed out—on her porch the moment he ran out of air.
Tomo later woke up in the neighborhood security post, splashed with cold water by local uncles.
One uncle sighed:
"Son, what kind of stress are you dealing with? Don't pass out in front of people's houses. They'll think you're a thief."
Tomo just nodded.
Inside, he blamed his feet.
---
Target #3: Citra — The Girl Who Said Tomo "Has No Future"
Citra was ambitious. The type who spoke in bullet points.
She rejected Tomo with the sharpest line:
"You're sweet…
but I need a man
who has a future."
Tomo could only respond,
"Future hasn't even happened yet…"
But fine.
Tonight he wanted to prove he at least had a future in petty revenge.
He held his breath.
Invisible.
He sneaked into her yard.
Quiet. Calm. Safe.
Until—
MRAAOOOWW~
A street cat climbed onto Tomo's back and started kneading him.
The cat happily massaged the air.
Citra, walking by with her laundry basket, stopped.
"Why is my cat floating… and massaging… nothing? Is there a ghost?"
Tomo panicked.
His breathing shook.
The cat grew more comfortable.
Tomo wanted to push the cat off but feared making noise.
Finally—
"HAAAH—!"
He exhaled.
He reappeared.
Bent over.
With a cat sitting proudly on his back.
Citra screamed.
The cat screamed.
Tomo also screamed because the cat screamed.
It was an incident fit for the "national embarrassment archives."
---
Conclusion of the Night: TOTAL FAILURE
Late that night, Tomo sat alone on the sidewalk.
Exhausted face.
Exhausted soul.
Dignity missing.
After three attempted revenge missions—all disasters—Tomo realized one thing:
"Maybe this power… isn't for stalking girls who rejected me."
He looked up.
"Maybe… it's meant for something bigger."
Right at that moment—as if the universe wanted to give him a clue—a strange glow appeared in the distance.
A massive building:
DPR — the Council of Complications
It looked dark.
Covered in a strange shadow.
An aura so creepy even a ghost would avoid it.
Tomo swallowed hard.
If this were an anime, dramatic music would start playing.
Maybe…
The fruit didn't come to help him with trivial heartbreak.
Maybe it came for something bigger.
Something connected to the country…
the people…
the mystery of Atlantis' wealth…
And maybe…
the massive corruption hidden within that very building.
Tomo stood up.
His breath steady.
His gaze firm.
For the first time in his life…
Tomo felt like he had a future.
Even if that future would probably be messier than his love life.
---
Author's Note (End of Chapter)
Before you laugh, allow the author to clarify—
like the closing disclaimer of a soap opera or a celebrity apology video.
This story is purely fictional.
If you find any resemblance to real names, places, institutions, or public figures—
whether respectable or fond of unnecessary meetings—
it is purely coincidental.
There is no intention to mock, criticize, or insult any party whatsoever.
The author has only one goal:
to entertain the people of Atlantis,
who are currently battling rising prices, chaotic economy,
and unemployment that spawns at every corner like NPCs in an open-world game.
And about my single status?
Yes, that part is real.
Just like Tomo, the author is also single and unsure when fate will stop buffering.
If finding a partner was as easy as writing a story,
Atlantis would already be peaceful and prosperous.
Anyway, let's move on to the next chapter.