Chapter 15: The Child Who Never Grew

10 a.m., November 29th, 2018. Exactly one month prior to the untimely death of Shimizu Kei.

"I've never seen your place before; I'm kind of nervous..." Luke admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Why so anxious? As I've mentioned, it's just me and my grandpa. You'll be fine, just chill!" Kei reassured him, his voice soothing the mounting tension.

They found themselves on a public bus, the cityscape zooming past the windows, their destination being Kei's residence. Luke was seated next to Kei, who was engrossed in the passing scenery, a silent spectator to the world outside. The anticipation of meeting Kei's grandfather had Luke's nerves on edge.

"So, what's your grandpa like?" Luke ventured to ask, hoping to quell his nervousness with some knowledge.

Turning towards Luke, Kei pondered for a moment before responding. "Well... my grandpa is old and sick, but don't let that fool you. He's quite a friendly soul. Just make sure you don't buy into his peculiar tales, alright?"

Luke nodded, his expression slightly unnerving as he flashed a peculiar smile. "Can't wait to meet him!"

Kei had previously shared with Luke about his parents. His mother was a mystery he'd never had the chance to unravel, and his father had abandoned him long before he had any memory of him. His grandfather had been his sole guardian and companion for as long as he could remember.

The journey from their school to Kei's house was a brisk 15-minute bus ride, steering clear of the bustling city life into a quieter, more subdued neighborhood.

Upon arrival, Kei unlatched the gate, allowing both boys access to the property. Kei's grandpa was stationed on a garden bench, his eyes following the fluttering birds that flocked to an old birdbath for refreshments. Age had taken a toll on him, making him frail and noticeably sick.

"Grandpa! You need to be resting! This won't aid your recovery!" Kei's exclamation caused the startled birds to take flight, abandoning their water source.

Grandpa's toothless smile was broad and welcoming, radiating an infectious warmth that was hard to ignore. "Ah, Kei! And you've brought a friend!" His voice was filled with enthusiasm despite his frailty. His gaze shifted towards Luke as he added, "You should've informed me! I would've whipped up something special!" He attempted to stand, offering a proper welcome, but his back protested in agony, forcing him back down. Kei and Luke swiftly moved to assist him, his fragility becoming more evident.

"Apologies, kids... I'm too ancient to be roaming around..." Grandpa joked, leaning heavily on the boys as they guided him back inside.

The house, exuding a typical Japanese charm, was modest with two rooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom. It was surrounded by a wooden fence and boasted a small yet well-kept garden.

Once settled on his bed, his curiosity got the best of him. "Who might this young man be, Kei?"

Feeling slightly mortified at his oversight, Luke quickly bowed in apology. "Please forgive me, Sir! I'm Luke Jones, a classmate of Kei's..."

Kei rolled his eyes, finding Luke's excessive formality annoying. "Pleasure to meet you, son," Grandpa greeted, chuckling lightly at Luke's etiquette.

Kei draped a blanket over his grandpa's shoulders, informing him, "Grandpa, we need to tackle a school assignment. We'll be in my room. If you need anything, just let me know, alright?"

"Certainly, my boy, but be sure to whip up something for our guest! Have we forgotten our manners?" Grandpa retorted, nudging Kei's arm lightly.

Luke quickly declined the offer, not wanting to trouble them further. He was here solely to work on their class assignment. Nevertheless, Grandpa was insistent, urging Kei to prepare some tea for their visitor.

With a nod of acknowledgment, Kei slipped out of the room and headed towards the kitchen. Realizing they were short on sugar, he decided to run to the store, leaving Luke alone with Grandpa. "I'll be back shortly, Luke. Make yourself at home," he instructed before disappearing out the front door.

During Kei's absence, Grandpa engaged Luke in light conversation, asking about his home life, his parents, and his relationship with Kei. Luke, although not exceptionally chatty and particularly shy around the elderly, responded to the best of his abilities, albeit briefly and succinctly.

As he sat on a chair close to Grandpa's bed, Luke surveyed the room. It was a typical Japanese room: wooden flooring, paper walls, and lanterns aplenty. The most striking feature was the myriad of framed pictures strategically placed around the room. Rising from his chair, he sauntered over to a cabinet on the other side of the room, picking up one of the framed pictures atop it. It depicted a young man clad in a Japanese soldier's uniform. The wooden frame was engraved at the bottom with the words, "Shimizu Tenma, 1945". Astonished, Luke realized he was looking at a youthful rendition of Kei's grandpa.

"Sir, you were in the military?" Luke inquired, curiosity etched onto his face.

Grandpa extended his arm towards Luke, beckoning for the picture. With careful steps, Luke closed the distance between them, offering the photograph before retaking his seat. Grandpa scrutinized the picture momentarily before a soft smile crept onto his face. "Ah! The glory days..."

Luke watched uncomfortably as nostalgia washed over the old man. He felt at a loss for words but decided to push past the awkward silence. Just as he began to formulate a sentence, Grandpa's voice cut him off, leading him to withdraw into embarrassment.

"This photograph was taken just before the culmination of World War II, on the eve of our final mission. My comrades and I... I was only 19 at that time..." Grandpa's voice took on a melancholic tone.

Seeking to alleviate the awkwardness, Luke opted for a more active participation in the conversation. "Are those your comrades?" He gestured towards the multitude of framed photographs adorning the room.

A prolonged silence followed before Grandpa finally answered, "Yes".

"Do you still maintain contact with them?" Luke inquired, keeping his tone respectful.

"They all perished during that last mission..." Grandpa's revelation sucked the air out of the room, causing the uncomfortable silence to return.

Promptly rising to his feet, Luke bowed his head in apology. "I'm truly sorry, Sir. I didn't mean to dredge up painful memories," he blurted out, his voice filled with regret.

Reassuring him, Grandpa admitted, "It's okay, it's all in the past. I just... I miss them occasionally... They were my family..." He handed the picture back to Luke, signalling for him to return it to its original location. Carefully cradling the photograph, Luke replaced it on the dresser. As he was doing so, he noticed another photo, significantly smaller and showing signs of age, tucked behind the others. It featured a younger version of Grandpa, probably in his 20s, alongside a child.

Luke studied the child's face, stunned by the striking resemblance to Kei. The similarity was uncanny, leaving Luke absolutely fascinated. He could've sworn that he was looking at a photograph of his friend.

"You've noticed the likeness, haven't you?" Grandpa's voice broke his train of thought. Startled, Luke faced Grandpa and queried, "Is this Kei's father?"

Grandpa averted his gaze, choosing silence over an immediate answer. After a long sigh, he gingerly turned around, mustering all the strength in his weak legs to stand. "Sir, you don't have to..." Luke protested, quickly rising from his chair to assist him. "You need to be resting..."

Grandpa gently patted his own head, signalling that he was fine. Laboriously, he made his way to the dresser, taking hold of the second photograph. "I was an orphan, I had no family... just my comrades." Luke was all ears as Grandpa recounted his past. "And when they were gone, I felt as if I had lost everything... I lived through years of depression and solitude. I eventually found work as a fisherman, but it felt meaningless!"

Grandpa pivoted towards Luke, continuing, "Until I met him!" He pointed at the child in the picture. "He was the best thing that ever happened in my entire life!". Considering that Grandpa was an elderly man, probably in his 90s, who had surely experienced various things in his life, for him to declare that this child was the most exceptional occurrence in his life was truly significant. At least, that's what Luke gathered. "Yes, loneliness can be disheartening, so having a child must've provided comfort," Luke voiced his thoughts.

"You're spot on... Life is about leaving a legacy, and that's not achieved by living selfishly, but by living for someone else, someone you deeply care about!" Grandpa elaborated. His heartfelt words resonated with Luke, establishing a sense of connection between them. "Indeed..." Luke echoed.

Returning the picture to its original spot, Grandpa's gaze remained fixed on the young child within the frame. His hand slowly descended as his eyes welled up with tears. "It has been the same for Kei and me... All these years, it was just the two of us... From the day we first met... The only change has been that I have aged... but he hasn't aged a day!" He let the statement hang in the air, his voice choked with emotion.

Luke found himself puzzled, unable to comprehend Grandpa's words. "Sir, are you alright?" He inquired, concern coloring his voice. "How would you feel if someone who once called you 'father', started addressing you as 'grandpa' as you aged? Can one person be a father and a grandfather?" Grandpa's voice wavered, his emotional turmoil evident. "How can one live without aging?" He uttered, seemingly more to himself than to Luke.

Luke was at a loss for words, thrown off by the abrupt shift in the conversation. Wiping away his tears, Grandpa forced a smile, slowly making his way back to his bed. "I'm sure Kei warned you about my bizarre stories, but this one is true!" He proclaimed. "You likely thought the child in the photo was Kei's father, but it's actually Kei himself."

"But... But this picture was taken years ago..." Luke stammered, grappling with the unexpected revelation. He wondered if Grandpa was genuinely serious or merely pulling his leg.

Grandpa heaved a sigh and elaborated. "70 years ago, when I was a young fisherman, I came across Kei. The war had left countless orphans, and Kei was one of them. As an orphan myself, I couldn't ignore him, so I took him in, and that's where our story begins!" Reaching into a hidden drawer next to his bed, Grandpa retrieved an aged photo album, which he then handed to Luke.

Eagerly, Luke flipped open the album, his eyes scanning through countless pictures of a young Grandpa and his 'son' over the decades. They captured ordinary moments like their first fishing catch together, enjoying a meal of ramen, and various other familial occasions. Luke's attention to detail didn't miss that each photo had the year written under it, but astoundingly, as the years progressed, the child didn't seem to age at all!

"1958... he looks identical, 1961... 1965... 1972.... 1983... 2003... 2012... he's unchanged in all of them!" Luke exclaimed in disbelief.

Could it be true? He kept questioning himself, eyes darting between the photos of an aging Grandpa and a child who seemingly defied time.

"This is impossible!" Luke finally managed to say.

"Of course it is! I've never understood why or how this happens," Grandpa responded.

Throughout his life, he'd tried to uncover the reasons but to no avail. The pain of watching his son not grow older, not become stronger was tormenting. But his love for him was so strong, it gave him the strength to endure the heartache. Having Kei refer to him as 'Grandpa' instead of 'Dad', due to the increasing age difference, was a heartbreak. Yet, he bore it. Now, however, he faced a crueler reality: an old man who didn't have much time left, living with the anxiety of leaving his only family member, a perennial child, alone in the world.

"I don't know if it's a curse, an illness, or anything else! I just want to help him, but he won't tell me why, why he doesn't age!" Grandpa exclaimed.

All this was beyond Luke's comprehension. He was in shock, unable to fathom what he should say or even what he should believe. He just stood still, the photo album in his hands, frozen.

Suddenly, the door opened, and Kei was back.

"I'm back!" he announced.

He quickly moved to the kitchen, placing the grocery bag on the counter. Then, he came to join the others in Grandpa's room. Upon entering, he saw Luke's pale face and realized that his grandpa had shown him the album. Kei glanced at his grandpa, then back at Luke, fell silent for a moment, then burst into laughter. "khkhkhkhkh! He pulled that prank on you too!" he said, pointing at Luke.

"What!?" Luke asked, utterly perplexed. He turned to Grandpa, who was now also laughing heartily. Luke watched as they laughed at his expense, feeling more than a little duped.

"So this was all a joke?" he asked, a blush of embarrassment staining his cheeks.

"Of course it's a joke! Did you seriously believe that I don't age?" Kei chuckled, slinging an arm around his friend. "I created that album for Grandpa to prank people!"

Grandpa, having finally ceased laughing, added, "I'm sorry, son, but you should've seen your face!" Then he began laughing again.

Luke, too, started laughing. He couldn't believe he'd actually fallen for it. "Your acting was superb, Sir! You really got me!" he exclaimed.

They chatted about it for a while longer, until Kei asked Luke to wait for him in the kitchen. He planned to prepare the tea they'd initially intended to make before starting work.

As Luke moved to the kitchen, he left Kei alone with his grandpa, helping him get comfortable in bed and assisting him with his socks.

"You have to stop telling people about our secret!" Kei told his grandpa seriously.

"Our secret? Son, you've been keeping this from me my whole life. When will you explain it to me?" Grandpa countered, gripping Kei's hand. "I don't want to die not knowing what will become of you. Please, son, tell me! Why don't you age?"

Unable to meet Grandpa's gaze, Kei looked down, responding quietly, "We've been through this for years now, I can't tell you, Grandpa, I'm sorry." He stood and left the room.

"I'm sorry, Grandpa, but if I tell you... I'll have to kill you afterward..." Kei thought to himself as he exited the room.

After enjoying some tea, they moved to Kei's room to work on their assignment. It was psychology homework, where one of them would brainstorm questions, and the other would answer.

"I think I've finished my questions. Are you ready for your therapy session?" Luke asked, twirling his pen around his finger.

"I guess so... Let's get this over with," Kei responded.

Luke had prepared a long list of questions and was bombarding Kei with them. He was taking the assignment very seriously.

"Oh my God, how many more of these are there?" Kei asked.

"Don't worry, this is the last one!" Luke responded. He quickly wrote something down, then picked up his textbook and read the final question. "What is the thing you want most?"

Kei fell silent for a moment and didn't answer. When Luke repeated the question, he still didn't respond. Kei got up and walked over to the door, closed it, and asked, "Do you want the real answer or an answer for the assignment?"

"Does that mean you haven't been serious this whole time?" Luke responded, his eyes showing his irritation.

"Answer me!" Kei demanded.

Intrigued by the prospect of hearing the real answer, Luke asked, "What's the real one?"

After hesitating briefly, Kei admitted, "I want to meet my brother again!"

"You have a brother! You never told me!" Luke responded in surprise.

"There are a lot of things I've never told you, idiot!" Kei retorted.

"So where is he now? Why doesn't he come to visit?" Luke asked, curiosity piqued.

Kei explained that he didn't know where his brother was or how to reach him, but his brother had promised that he'd find him someday! And Kei was still waiting.

"What's your brother's name?" Luke asked.

"You want to know his name, huh?" Kei replied. Excitement bubbled up in him as he climbed onto his chair, standing tall. He had wanted to talk about his brother to someone, and now was his chance. "My brother has the coolest name ever!" he proclaimed.

"Then spill! What's his name?" Luke asked, grinning at Kei's excitement.

With a grand flourish, Kei beamed a smile that spread across his face, lighting up the room. His arm shot up, as though reaching for the sky, as if he were a conqueror claiming his throne. His eyes shimmered with uncontained excitement and a fierce determination. Drawing in a deep breath, he bellowed the answer with such conviction and intensity that it echoed around the room. The single word hung in the air, a testament to a bond unbroken by time and distance.

"RUSTER!"