[1] Originally serialized in Hanaoto magazine, the individual chapters were collected and published in two tankōbon volumes by Houbunsha in March 1996 and February 2000, respectively.

A talented chef, Hashizume is planning to move to Kyoto to work at a famous restaurant and wants Ida to come with him.

Eventually he gets over the rejection and remains friends with Ida, visiting him at school and acting as his confidant about his relationship with Hashizume.

Hashizume and Ida begin searching for a place to live together, but no one wants to rent an apartment to two unrelated men, saying they would be messy and less reliable for payments and renewing.

Hashizume returns, bringing the adoption forms as well as an old marriage registry showing he had wanted the same thing for a long time.

As more time passes, Hashizume's restaurant grows popular and he hires a single female assistant, Kaori.

Two years after Toyo begins working at the Ministry of Finance, Kobayashi is now teaching world history at his old high school alongside Ida.

After his supervisor asks him about his box lunches, Toyo demands Kobayashi stop making them out of fear someone will find out that he is gay.

Originally serialized in Hanaoto magazine,[2] the individual chapters were collected and published in two tankōbon volumes by Houbunsha in March 1996 and February 2000, respectively.

[8] The Moon and the Sandals was nominated by the Young Adult Library Services Association for inclusion on its list of 2008 Great Graphic Novels for Teens.

[11] Holly Ellingwood at Active Anime commended the first volume its unique artwork, and praised the plot for its "bittersweet" poignancy, and for showing unrequited love rather than being a simplistic story about "winning the guy".

[14] Erin Finnegan of Pop Culture Shock criticized the story for Ida and Hachizume adopting each other, essentially getting married, before having sex, which she regarded as unrealistic.

[18] Johanna Draper Carlson felt it was novel for the treatment of sex in the first volume to consist of a character making sure they would be able to satisfy their partner.