Chapter 2 – The first guest

In a blink of an eye, a month has passed.

Dropping out of Totsuki was a massive tragedy for students aspiring to become chefs. But for Sadao, it was just a thing. The world didn't end, humanity didn't perish, and Earth continued its usual rotation around the sun.

So, he—Sadao, the dropout from Totsuki—wasn't really the protagonist of this world. However, ordinary people have their own way of living. Life doesn't need to be exciting; it just has to be carefree enough.

So, Sadao opened a coffee and Chinese restaurant that doesn't serve coffee.

To highlight his personality, he used his somewhat eye-catching calligraphy to write "Leisure Coffee and Chinese Restaurant" on a piece of white paper, then stuck it on the sign in front of the store.

With neither antique decor nor the ability to evoke a sense of history for anyone who stepped in, the Leisure Coffee and Chinese Restaurant, with its only advantage being tranquility, was born.

...

Although the above introduction is well-crafted and completely showcases someone's personality, the reality is that, even on the first day of opening, Leisure Coffee and Chinese Restaurant didn't have a single customer.

"How leisurely..." Normally, faced with such a despairing situation, a shop manager would definitely let out a desperate howl. But not Sadao. Not only did he not do that, but he even enjoyed the peace and leisure.

"This is life..." Sadao sighed. He felt he had lived in vain all these years. If he had known that a carefree life was so enjoyable, he wouldn't have gone to Totsuki for the elusive Miss Erina.

"But, it's not too late to realize it now." With a sigh, a wave of fatigue washed over him.

Maybe a little nap...

However, unexpected guests always catch you off guard. The door that shouldn't have been pushed open suddenly was.

"Manager, give me a cup of coffee!" The visitor seemed uninterested in the interior and didn't want to bother the manager. After finding a seat, she sat down.

Sadao, who was napping on the counter, instantly woke up. Could it be? Even at this point, with the shop in this state, there's a customer!?

Should I remove the seats in the store?

Although he didn't want to bother with this so-called guest, as the manager, he had to fulfill his responsibilities, right?

After much deliberation, Sadao finally made up his mind and decided to have a good conversation with the first customer on the opening day.

"I'm sorry, we don't have coffee here..." Although he thought the customer would be furious after hearing this, unexpectedly, the guest fell silent for a moment and then spoke again, "In that case, I'll have tea!"

The customer's voice was crisp and pleasant, likely a very lovely girl. But Sadao didn't have time to think about that.

Seriously? You can endure this!?

He was puzzled and didn't understand. A coffee shop not selling coffee seemed absurd. In a way, this was a kind of false advertising.

Even so, Sadao dutifully brewed tea for the customer. After all, he was the manager, and as the manager, it was necessary to meet the customer's requests.

Fortunately, Chinese cuisine is closely related to tea, so his tea-making skills were not bad.

The premise was whether the other party could accept the taste of Chinese tea...

Of course, regardless of acceptance, Sadao didn't care. Despite his slow and leisurely movements, his actions were precise—from boiling water to adding tea to the teapot and finally brewing the tea.

Soon, a mouth-watering cup of tea was ready.

Maybe I should drink it myself!

However, this thought existed in his mind for only a second before disappearing without a trace. He planned to take a short nap later, and this tea couldn't be consumed.

Although Sadao was slow and unhurried, he still handed the cup of tea to the customer, "Please enjoy."

"So slow..." Just as he was about to leave, the customer sitting in the corner finally shifted her gaze from the window to him.

"Slow and steady..." Sadao, who intended to offer some explanation, was dumbfounded when he saw the charming face. The name of someone popped out of his mouth, "Utaha Kasumigaoka?"

"Do you know me?" The guest was a bit surprised, clearly not understanding why the manager would know her.

"I'm your kohai, how could I not know you!" As a working adult, Sadao obviously mastered the skill of talking nonsense with his eyes open, and he immediately started bluffing.

"Kohai?" Utaha showed a bewildered expression, "Aren't you the manager of this store?"

"Of course not!" Sadao decisively denied, "I'm just here to watch over the store."

"I see..." Utaha nodded and didn't intend to say anything more, "Then I won't disturb you at work."

Having said that, she lifted the tea cup and took a sip of the hot tea. Suddenly, an indescribable taste made her whole body tremble, prompting her to subconsciously stop Sadao, who was about to leave, "Wait a moment!"

"What else does Senpai have to order?" Sadao, somewhat surprised, turned back. Did his brewed tea not suit her taste? That would be great.

"Uh..." Utaha quickly caught on, and after pondering for a moment, she asked, "This isn't black tea, is it?"

"Yeah, it's oolong tea..." Sadao nodded. "Is it not to your liking?"

"No!" Utaha instinctively denied it. In fact, she had never tasted such delicious tea before. Originally, she had no plans to have lunch, but after drinking this cup of tea, she changed her mind. "Kohai, do you sell food here?"

"Uh..." Sadao was speechless. What the heck? Can't you recognize those big Chinese characters outside the door?

It was only at this moment that he suddenly realized: Could Utaha Kasumigaoka understand those Chinese characters?

Or maybe she recognized each character individually but didn't understand the meaning when they were combined?

Sadao sighed inwardly but still patiently answered, "Only Chinese food. Is that okay?"

"Chinese food, as in Chinese cuisine?" Utaha asked with curiosity.

"Let's just say it's the ancestor of Chinese cuisine..." For the people of this country, Chinese food and Chinese cuisine are basically the same. But for Sadao, Chinese food is just Chinese food, not the so-called Chinese cuisine.

"Ancestor?" Utaha was confused. Did they really use that term!?

Her interest was piqued, and an expectant expression appeared on her face. "Please let me taste it."

Well, it's either good fortune or misfortune you can't escape!

Sadao sighed again but politely asked, "What would you like, senpai?"

"Just order your specialty here, and, well, let me fill my stomach."

"Got it..." Even though there weren't any so-called specialties, Sadao still agreed. He could just whip up something to satisfy her.

****

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