I Just Wanted a Peaceful Life After Transferring, but I Fell into a Rom-Com Trap and a Hidden Battlefield No One Knows About

Chapter 22: Opening Countdown—Preparing for the Café’s Grand Opening

“Tadaima~”

I had no idea how much time had passed, but at last, Sasaki-chan returned to the café, carrying a bag.

What’s inside that bag? Fruits, maybe? It’s round—kind of like a watermelon.

“Phew~ I’m exhausted…”

“Good work. Want to take a break?”

“No need! This is where I get to shine!”

What’s with that overconfident tone? It’s like a hero responding to a citizen’s plea for help.

Sasaki-chan, still holding the bag, strode toward the counter without hesitation. Then, without delay, she started preparing something. Was it food? A drink? What exactly was she making?

I tried sneaking a peek, but I couldn’t see a thing. Guess I just have to wait.

As I sat on a chair, flipping through a manga, my gaze was suddenly drawn to Sensei’s long legs.

The manga was engaging, but at the same time, those slender, elegant legs kept catching my eye. I wasn’t sure which one to focus on.

Was this heaven or hell…?

After who knows how long, Sasaki-chan’s voice finally rang out.

“It’s ready!”

She carefully carried her creation, stepping toward us at a measured pace. It looked like a drink.

A watermelon-flavored smoothie, maybe? Mixed with milk and other fruits?

Hmm… I wasn’t sure, but it looked incredibly refreshing!

Just one sip, and I could already imagine a cooling sensation spreading through my body. What kind of divine drink was this? I needed to try it—now!

“Misaki-kun, your face is screaming, ‘I can’t wait any longer…’”

Crap! Nakano noticed!

“N-no way! I was just thinking it looked pretty good, that’s all.”

“Yeah, sure. You totally can’t resist, can you?”

I tried to deny it, but the truth was—I was dying to taste it. I had never seen a drink like this before, but the mere sight of it had already captivated me.

Could Sasaki, the usually reserved one, really have made this? Unbelievable…

“Not bad at all! Yuki, you’ve really leveled up!”

Sensei admired the drink before her, unable to hide her excitement. Sasaki, on the other hand, blushed furiously at the praise.

“E-eh? It’s really not that special… I just tweaked the recipe a little…”

But the drink really did look amazing. It practically screamed “delicious.”

“The presentation is top-notch. You made this yourself? I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

“Yeah, I just came up with it on the spot.”

“I see… Sasaki-san, you might have a hidden talent for this.”

“No way, it’s nothing impressive…”

We stood there admiring the drink for a while, completely forgetting our original purpose.

Of course, I already understood what Sasaki-sensei was aiming for. She had sent Sasaki out to buy ingredients to create this drink, probably as a “promotional item” for online advertisements and flyers.

And if we paired this with the café’s top-tier “beautiful waitress trio,” the marketing impact would be maximized.

After all, the main goal of a promotion is to highlight the product—the cute waitresses were just a bonus.

But let’s be real—most customers would probably come just for the three girls.

“So, um, should we get started?”

Clearing my throat, I spoke up.

“Yeah, let’s do it.”

Sensei fished around in her pocket for a moment before pulling out her smartphone and handing it to me.

“Misaki, you’re in charge of taking photos.”

“Why me?”

“Someone has to do it. These three are the models, so they can’t be the ones taking the pictures. And Yuki just made the drink, so that leaves only you.”

“But Sensei, you haven’t done anything either.”

“I still have to print out the flyers! I have a ton of work to do!”

I couldn’t argue with that. Honestly, I wasn’t too keen on the task, but in the end, I had no choice but to accept it.

Since these were promotional photos, I had to capture the best angles possible. If I didn’t, the pictures wouldn’t be as appealing, and fixing them later would be a hassle.

I carefully adjusted the smartphone, searching for the perfect angle.

And finally—I found it.

“Alright, here we go. One, two, three—cheese!”

With that, the promotional photoshoot wrapped up, and I left the flyer printing to Sasaki-sensei.

For the next week, after school, Itsukawa and the others were busy promoting the café.

At this point, the grand opening was just around the corner.