Canned Moon Spin-off 1

Between the crescent and the full moon of longing and reality

Back when the moon's voice was still between that of a boy and an adult.

"Hey, hey. Humans have an event where they look at the moon, right?"

The moon, having just passed the half-moon phase, asked with great curiosity.

"You mean moon viewing?"
"That thing called the Chushu no Meigetsu."
"Oh, you said that without knowing what it meant, didn't you? It sounded like katakana."
"Isn't that just your imagination?"
"Chu as in middle, shu as in autumn, so Chushu. Meigetsu as in famous moon."
"...To us, it's always a famous moon. I don't know anything about that."

The voice that had been so cheerful turned sulky.
Even so, it continued as if it had immediately pulled itself together.
It seems curiosity won out over the desire to pout.

"More importantly, I heard that people make dumplings for moon viewing."
"Ah. That is a custom, yes."
"I want to see that. The thing that sits on a stand."
"The kind you see in picture books."
"Miharu. I want to see it."
"It's atmospheric and something to long for, isn't it?"
"Miharu."
"...No way. I've never made or bought moon-viewing dumplings, and I'd never be able to finish them alone. Plus, I don't have a stand."
"I think there's a stand. This is your grandparents' house, right, Miharu? Old houses seem like they'd have things like that."

Even though it doesn't know about the Harvest Moon, it is strangely well-versed in the human habit of "old houses tending to keep old things without throwing them away."
I sighed and headed to the storage room.

"Found it..."

It turns out the thing I found after searching the storage room for a bit is called a sanpo.
Since I've found it, I have no choice but to live up to expectations and prepare the dumplings.
The moon is overjoyed at me saying it can't be helped.
Ignoring the moon, I started searching for how to make the dumplings.

"In the first place, what are those dumplings made of? Are they sweet?"

I hope it's something I can make easily and without much effort using ingredients I have at home.

"Ugh. Those white dumplings aren't flavored at all... And if I try to make enough to stack on that stand, it's going to be quite a lot."

I muttered quietly that I wouldn't be able to eat them all alone, and groaned.
While I was looking for a way to make it work, I found a very convenient... no, a good article that lets me learn about the history of moon viewing.

"This is it!"

I folded my hands in my heart toward the moon, which was rolling happily on the newly found sanpo, and solidified my plan for my first moon-viewing dumplings.

The night of the moon-viewing finally arrives.
I sit on the veranda next to the moon.

"Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever consciously done moon viewing before."

When I muttered that, the moon started getting angry.

"That's betrayal! You do cherry blossom viewing, don't you!"
"I do indeed do cherry blossom viewing. Because the food you eat under the cherry blossoms is delicious, you see."
"It's delicious under the moon too, you know!"
"I think it would be delicious, but I have this image that by the time for moon viewing, I've already eaten dinner."

When I followed up, feeling sorry for Moon, who had finally gone quiet from the shock, its voice brightened.

"But you know, for cherry blossom viewing, the food is the main event, right?"
"I know that. That's the 'dumplings over flowers' thing. Moon viewing lacks atmosphere."
"You're the one who prefers dumplings over the moon, too."
"That's enough of that. Miharu, give me the dumplings already!"
"Yes, yes."

I stand up with a grunt and head to the kitchen.

"That grunt sounds like an old lady."

It stings because I thought so myself.

"...If you're going to say things like that, I'm not bringing them."
"No, no, no! Miharu is a young lady. When Miharu says it, even a grunt sounds cute."
"You're so smooth-talking."

I hide the sanpo (offering stand) I prepared behind my back and return to the veranda.

"Don't tease me, show me already."
"Ta-da!"

I present it with a flourish.

"...Eh?"
"Look, it's the moon-viewing dumplings you wanted to see, right?"
"I feel like this is somehow different from what I was imagining."
"Really? As far as I've researched, these are the traditional, old-fashioned moon-viewing dumplings."
"They aren't white. And besides, they aren't even dumplings! That's not a moon-viewing dumpling!"

In front of Moon, who was uncharacteristically raising its voice, what I had presented were taro potatoes with skin and dirt still on them, neatly stacked on the sanpo.

"Those are potatoes! Where are the dumplings?"
"No, when I looked it up, the Harvest Moon is for celebrating and giving thanks for the harvest, and it's also called the 'Potato Moon.' Originally, it wasn't dumplings, but potatoes that were offered."
"That's a scam."
"Why? This is the most correct moon viewing, isn't it?"
"No matter how you look at it, those are just a bunch of potatoes..."

Moon's excitement cooled down, and it finally looked dejected, which started to make me feel genuinely sorry for it.
I also felt a bit guilty for having tricked it, so I gently presented the small plate I had prepared.

"Here, have this too."
"Dumplings!"
"I couldn't eat them all if I made a huge pile, so forgive me for this."

Seeing the small plate with three little white dumplings on it, Moon's voice brightened.
It rolled around the dumplings, excited, while murmuring with deep emotion about whether this was a moon-viewing dumpling.
With that amount, it should be able to finish them as a snack if there's kinako (soybean flour) and sugar.

Well, shall we go inside now, I said as I stood up, and Moon said in its usual soft voice.

"Miharu, thank you."
"You're welcome."
"But the potatoes are a no-go."
"Hey. Actually, potatoes would have been easier to use, but I went out of my way to get taro for you, so be grateful."
"Doesn't it still lack atmosphere?"

Complaining that peeling taro is a hassle, I simmered them and enjoyed them later.

It's been several full moons since Moon returned to the sky.
Just like that time, I sit on the veranda and gaze at the moon, which is waning into a familiar shape.

"Since I have no choice, when you come back properly, I'll make you some moon-viewing dumplings piled high on a stand."

Please find the original story here.