Clear Sky Crystal Cakes

The devastating winds of the typhoon had finally vanished, leaving behind a crisp, sunny Saturday morning. Pretty Lyn—with her neat bangs and long, light brown hair securely tied with a bright blue ribbon—stepped out onto the veranda. She was dressed for hard work in a light blue t-shirt and sturdy blue jeans. Beside her stood Linda, looking equally ready in a light brown t-shirt and jeans, while Star the Akita Inu and Pinkysan the calico cat eagerly wagged their tails.

"Alright, team," Lyn said, looking out at the yard. "We need to clean up today; our garden is a total mess."

Just as they stepped onto the grass to evaluate the damage, the garden gate clicked open. Handsome John walked in, his face filled with relief. He had hurried over the moment the storm cleared. "Good morning, everyone! I was so worried about you, Lyn, and the pets. The typhoon last night was incredibly heavy," he said.

Lyn’s face lit up with a brilliant smile. "John! You came at exactly the right time," she said happily. "We really need a man's help to fix this mess. Look, one of my favorite young trees fell down completely!"

John rolled up his sleeves with a confident nod. "Leave it to me."

With John’s strength, they carefully lifted the fallen tree and secured it back into the soil. Meanwhile, Star and Pinkysan proved to be excellent helpers. Working together, the two pets picked up fallen leaves that almost covered the entire ground, carrying them away in small piles. Everyone was completely happy cleaning under the warm sun, turning a difficult chore into a joyful group effort.

Once the garden was pristine again, Linda wiped her forehead and smiled. "Since we have such a helpful visitor today, Lyn and I are going to bake traditional mizu shingen mochi—raindrop cakes! They look exactly like giant, crystal-clear drops of water."

Hearing this, Star and Pinkysan literally stood on their hind legs and clapped their paws in pure excitement. "Wow, that will be a delicious snack! We like that!" they seemed to cheer in perfect harmony.

While John, Star, and Pinkysan took a well-deserved rest in the cool living room, Lyn and Linda gathered the ingredients in the kitchen. Making raindrop cakes is a delicate art. They dissolved special agar-agar powder into mineral water, heated it gently, and poured the clear liquid into spherical molds to chill.

An hour later, everyone gathered around the dining room table. On the plates sat the magnificent raindrop cakes, wobbling elegantly. They looked just like beautiful, giant water droplets resting on green leaves, served with sweet roasted soybean flour (kinako) and black sugar syrup (kuromitsu).

John took his first spoonful, his eyes going wide with delight. "Wow, Lyn, Linda! This is amazing! It literally melts in your mouth," he said gladly. He was so impressed by the delicious, refreshing treat that he ate many of them, making Lyn blush with pride. Surrounded by good food and great company, the remnants of the stormy typhoon were completely forgotten.