The Moon, Mom, and a Home Run | Weekly Short Shorts note

Written by Tsumugi Shirai

Lately,
my partner has been praising my voice a lot.

I was wondering why,
and then it suddenly came back to me.

It was when I was a child.

My mom
used to make me practice my comedic retorts.

Why would you do that!

"No!"
"Louder!"
"More resonant!"

And then suddenly,

"Scare off those crows!"

Am I Hamada?!

"You have to finish it in one shot,
like a home run by Ohshita!"

……Who is that?

The old guy next door
said through the wall,

"You're working hard, aren't you."

What are you looking at, old man💢

"Something's not quite right..."
Mom tilted her head.

A pause.

"You have to hit it up toward the moon."

Tsumugi
nodded once,

took a breath,

and in an unnaturally high,
tricky voice, shouted:

Why would you do that〜!

Then,

the crows were startled and flew away.

The old guy next door ran out of his house.

A pause.

"See, you can do it if you try."

That night,
in my room,
I ended up paying for

helium gas.

It's a secret
from Mom.

But you know...

My comedic retort
is my weapon.

Thanks, Mom.

(366 characters)

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