Photo/Illutration A message she wrote 15 years ago in Nintendo’s game "Animal Crossing: Wild World" (Provided by Haruka)

A 24-year-old painter turned on her Nintendo DS for the first time in 15 years and, to her surprise, discovered a message she wrote to herself at the age of 9.

“Dear future Haruka, are you working as a painter? I hope you are. It’s all right if you are doing something else ... but be yourself and try your best, from Haruka,” it read.

Haruka is now working mainly as an oil painter based in Sapporo and gives live performances of watercolor and acrylic painting.

On June 4, she stopped by her parents’ home and turned on her Nintendo DS to play "Animal Crossing: Wild World." She wanted to check how it differed from the latest game in the series, "Animal Crossing: New Horizons," which she plays on her Nintendo Switch.

Then the letter appeared. She did not even remember writing it.

For Haruka, who has struggled to make a living as a painter, the letter melted away all her stress and tension.

“(Seeing it), I could let my stress go away,” she said. “I felt I could express myself through painting more than ever.”

Haruka dropped out of a high school specializing in arts and enrolled at a vocational school that focuses on making movies. But she cannot remember a time when she ever considered giving up painting.

While her classmates were job hunting, she started working as a painter in April 2019, keeping herself busy by holding a personal exhibition and painting commissions.

Sharing the picture of the message with her story on Twitter, she has received more than 250,000 likes.

“So, the dream actually comes true,” one person replied.

“Picturing you smiling 15 years ago, I could not hold back my tears,” another comment read.

Expressing her gratitude for the support from her partner, family and friends, she said she feels 9-year-old Haruka is also encouraging her.

Asked how she would reply to the message, she said: “Thank you for the message. As you said, I kept following my heart and became a painter. Whatever happens in the future, I will keep pursuing my dream. I feel very happy now.”

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