Chapter Text
Imagine a life where you are born normally. You age and grow up and develop emotionally, physically, and mentally. And then you turn 18. And you suddenly stop growing. There's nothing wrong with you. According to the doctors you're not sick or anything. You just seem to not be able to age. But everyone around you is. They're aging and dying while you remain 18. No, sorry, the doctors were wrong. You are aging. You feel it in your head as you continue to live your life and make memories. Oh yes you are 73 and yet 18 at the same time. It's your body that refuses to age. You're physically stuck in a young body for what it will seem like forever.
And then you meet them. The most beautiful person you have ever met. They light the whole world for you and smile as they hold your hand and kiss you. You feel at ease as they whisper sweet nothings in your ear. And like magic, you start to age. You're 75 but 21 at the same time. You're 100 but 46. Your partner too, is old. They might be just as old as you. They're your soulmate. And they couldn't age either until they have found you.
Imagine a world where you are 18 until you find your soulmate. You don't age, you don't get wrinkles on your face, and you can't die of old age until then. You get to spend the rest of your life with your soulmate once you meet them. Why would you not want to be with them when you're immortality had been taken away? This world loves this concept. 60 year old women can walk down the street in high heels and tank tops with long healthy hair and appear to be not a day above 20. Many others love the concept of being able to live through so much history. The world is constantly changing of course.
For Haruka 'Haru' Nanase this gift is a blessing and a curse. He is commonly known to the world as the eldest man to have ever lived. He's turning 1,000 years old soon. Yup he has lived and traveled throughout the world had been able to witness and experience 1,000 years of history. But it's only because of one reason: he hasn't met his soulmate. Haru thinks that his famous title is just a nice way to say that he's a helpless cause.
He doesn't really mind it, being the oldest guy to have ever lived. It's just the people oh the people that annoy him. Some people believe his soulmate had died of disease or was killed in battle. Others believe his soulmate hasn't been born yet. God how he wants them to shut up and leave him alone. He is not some world mystery he is just merely a man who likes to travel and is finally settling down to live his life.
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Haru likes Washington D.C. in the spring. The cherry blossoms are in bloom and they remind him of home. He was born and raised in Japan in the year 1016. For all his life he had gotten used to the seasonal cherry blossoms and their beauty. During Japan's isolation period the only thing that kept him from going insane of not being able to travel were the trees. As ridiculous as it sounds, Haru loves them.
He sits back on a bench and examines the scenery before him. The grove of cherry blossoms surround a lake creating a whimsical scenery. Haru, using the sketchpad on his lap, begins to imitate the scenery before him. As he draws he realizes how close it is to the start of his college years.
In all of his life he's never really been to a school. In the year he was born in, education was a word he didn't even knew existed. In the 1300s he was taken in by a rich noble family where they educated him. In the 1500s he traveled across Europe and explored the monarchies of Spain, France, England, and the Netherlands. He had learned everything he could of all the cultures and brought back to Japan everything he learned, especially books. In the 1600s though Japan had basically closed their country to the outside world due to the invasion of missionaries. The trade they allowed was with China and the Dutch. Haru had heard rumors of Dutch men bringing European goods and the latest news in the world. Although Haru was not allowed to leave Japan, he wanted to know about the outside world and it's belongings. Because of this Haru worked as a merchant on the ports of Nagasaki.
Haru enjoyed being able to obtain books and artifacts from all over the world. He had made acquaintances of many Dutch merchants that would last for decades. Even though he was not able to witness them, Haru was able to get information on what was going on in the West.
He did admit that he loved hearing the stories. Especially about the New World. He had heard from the Dutch that the place was like a paradise and the inhabitants of the place were caring and gave away riches "beyond your wildest dreams". He heard about the Revolutionary War and the rise of a new nation that did not serve under a king. Haru wondered about the place and how the people who created such an odd nation were like.
Turns out they were pretty crazy. Although the Dutch kept trading, the Netherlands began to fall back in riches and the Japanese fell into a lack of technology. They were certainly primitive compared to the ones the people of the new nation had. They called themselves Americans and spoke a strange variation of English than what Haru had remembered. They had these big black vessels that couldn't be destroyed. They started demanding in Japanese that the ports be opened to the whole world again. When the Meiji government took over Haru took it as his cue to leave and travel the world again.
He revisited all of his favorite places and studies the new cultures and ideals of the nations. When the first World War began Haru was in the United Kingdom exploring the new and rich London. In World War II Haru was in South America exploring the New World he had been told about by the Dutch merchants. In recent years he has been in America.
Now here he is, in Washington D.C. the day before he returns to New York. He'll be attending an elite college in August. The college is one of the best and is known for many rich, and smart people or for those that truly want to perfect a profession as its students.
For Haruka he wants to excel in art. He's always loved it since he was 300 years old when the noble family began to teach him. He has made some money off of a few paintings of his but he wants more.
After drawing the outline of the cherry blossom trees surrounding the body of water, Haruka set down his pencil and closed his sketchbook. Tomorrow morning he'll be in New York City in search of an apartment close to the college. He doesn't have a lot of money for being unemployed for over a 100 years due to travelling so he'll need to share it with someone else.
Placing his things in his bag and standing up he took in one more time the view in front of him. It still amazes him how he can feel in a whole different world just by a simple view. Haru didn't like using his phone but he thought that he should take a picture feeling like a sketch would not be enough. After taking the picture he lifts his bag and places it on his shoulder and begins to walk away from the orchard.
Tonight he'll be on a plane to New York. Tomorrow he'll begin his search for an apartment to live in. Next week he'll explore the area. In May he'll travel to Japan for his birthday in June. July he'll come back to New York and move in with his roommate and begin preparing for August. August will start with college.
The life of the eldest man on earth continues.