Atlantis was a strange place.
Not the cute kind of strange—like a cat sleeping with its paws over its face.
But the kind of strange that made people stare at the sky and ask:
"Dear heavens… is this a test or entertainment?"
Despite all the beauty of the nation—
its blue oceans, lush forests, and soil said to grow anything except money—
lived a group who called themselves…
The Atlantean Celestial Nobles.
Let's be clear from the start:
They weren't nobles.
They weren't holy beings.
Some of them probably didn't even pass night school.
But their arrogance?
Ah. Don't get me started.
Their arrogance was like someone who just bought a motorcycle on a three-year loan but immediately slapped on a giant sticker:
"Daily Sultan."
Not human-level arrogance,
but livestream influencer who suddenly gains +300 viewers.
Some claimed to be descendants of ancient prophets.
Others shouted:
"Sacred blood flows through us!"
Even though, technically… blood is still blood.
Tomo may not be a scholar, but he knew at least that much.
Some claimed they were descendants of ancient kings.
Some had such massive followings that their supporters protested every week—
complete with loud chanting, motivational posters, and power banks for charging the idol's phone.
But once their "aspiration funds" arrived?
The protests vanished instantly.
As tidy and sudden as an ex who's already married before you even move on.
The people of Atlantis could only sigh and say:
"Heavens… we're already poor, now we're gullible too."
And their stories got more absurd every year.
Some followers claimed their idol's urine smelled like luxury perfume.
Others believed they could turn leaves into money—
which sent housewives searching for dry leaves like a treasure hunt.
But the worst?
Some of these "Celestial Nobles" loved to marry without providing any responsibility—
their excuse:
"Sacred blood does not need to work."
If there were a competition for the most ridiculous made-up stories,
they would win without a final round.
---
Meanwhile, in a corner of Atlantis,
a man named Sai Tomo—known as Kang Tomo—
was quietly mourning his life.
As an alumnus of Crows Zero High School of Atlantis,
his youth was nothing but brawls.
Even before the famous Genji was born,
Genji's father was already out fighting—
while carrying marbles in his pocket.
The fights were scheduled, too:
Class vs. Class,
School vs. School,
Alumni vs. Alumni,
and even WhatsApp Group vs. WhatsApp Group.
Tomo was never a real fighter.
He was the guy who carried the unconscious ones.
His biggest achievement:
Running the fastest when chased by gangsters.
If that had trophies, he'd need a special display cabinet.
And now, as a half-ripe adult surviving on odd jobs and the luck of free gacha pulls,
Tomo felt like his life resembled a broken flip-flop:
Unbalanced and ready to snap off at any moment.
As he sat there reflecting on his misery,
he suddenly saw two figures that made him choke on his own breath:
Rindaman and Bouya Harumichi.
Two legendary fighters of Crows Zero.
Two monsters of the school whose arrival was usually accompanied by heavy metal music and breaking glass.
But today, they were just… sitting.
Calmly drinking milk coffee at a roadside stall.
No brawls.
No chaos.
Just two beasts sipping beverages.
Tomo approached, nervous.
"Bro Rindaman… Bro Harumichi…"
Both legends stopped drinking.
Slowly, they turned to him—
as if seeing a ghost from the past appear without notification.
"Sa… Sai Tomo..?" Rindaman stuttered.
"Tomo, the Shadow Ruler of Crows Zero?" Bouya added.
Tomo gave a cool smile.
That title was, of course, a lie.
He wasn't a ruler of anything.
He once challenged the leader of Housen, lost spectacularly, and wet himself.
Before the lie unraveled, Tomo cut straight to the point:
"Bro… lend me a hundred. For the sake of brotherhood."
Rindaman opened his wallet.
Bouya reached into his bag.
Hope filled the air.
But before the money could reach his hand—
BOOM!!
Two shadows appeared.
Takiya Genji.
Serizawa Tamao.
Two names so big that when they showed up, schools started repairing windows preemptively.
"We've been looking for you!" Genji barked.
All four legends stood.
Tomo stood too, afraid of being mistaken for a chair.
Genji pointed at each of them.
"We're going to play… hide and seek."
Tomo frowned.
"Bro, we're ex-delinquents, not kindergarteners."
Serizawa stepped closer with a strange grin.
"The location is special."
"Where?" Tomo asked.
Genji pointed at the massive building Tomo had been avoiding all day.
HTR – Hall of Turbulent Representatives.
The building covered in dark aura.
The birthplace of all national troubles.
The place where corrupt officials walked around like overpriced NPCs.
"Hide and seek at the HTR courtyard," Genji said firmly.
Tomo turned pale like an empty ATM receipt.
"You're insane! The aura there is like unpaid electricity bills, the statues move, and those wannabe Celestials claim their pee smells like perfume!"
Rindaman patted his shoulder.
"We need you, Tomo."
"Why me?
I'm just the guy who carried unconscious friends!"
Bouya stared into his soul.
"Because… you're the only one who can see the aura coming from that building. You're the eater of…
the Tuyul-Tuyul Nomi fruit."
Since when do these guys know I ate that fruit?
Tomo wondered while casually picking his nose.
His life had shifted from comedy novel to adventure live-action without briefing.
He wanted to refuse.
Go home.
Eat instant noodles.
Forget all this nonsense.
But Genji looked at him with absolute determination.
"Tomo… this is your chance to redeem your shame as a Crows Zero alumnus."
The words hit his pride like entering the wrong ATM PIN three times.
Tomo took a deep breath.
"…Fine. I'm in."
Then quickly added:
"But after this… lend me a hundred."
Everyone nodded.
A gentleman's agreement.
---
That night, the legends of Crows Zero—
and one poor bachelor who ate a cursed fruit—
stood before the HTR building.
The night wind blew softly.
From inside the building, dark aura seeped out like burnt kitchen smoke.
Faceless statues stood still…
then trembled slightly.
Tomo shivered.
"Are we really playing hide and seek or committing suicide?"
Genji smiled.
"Both are possible."
Rindaman tied his hair.
Bouya cracked his neck.
Serizawa stretched.
Tomo adjusted his broken flip-flop.
And thus began…
the most absurd game of hide and seek in Atlantean history.
A voice echoed from inside:
"WELCOME TO THE HTR GAME…"
Tomo stiffened.
"…LOSERS WILL BE FILED AS FICTITIOUS REPORTS."
Tomo trembled.
"I chose the wrong major in life," he whispered.
But it was too late.
He had stepped forward with the legends.
Tomo finally realized:
The Tuyul-Tuyul Nomi fruit wasn't just for spying on girls.
It might be…
the only power capable of saving Atlantis from corrupt chaos.
Or dragging it deeper.
Either way—
He still needed that hundred.
---
To be continued…