The Danger of the Second Dimension (Big Fog)

As a secretary, what should you do when you see your young mistress lacking confidence?

Hisako will tell you: praise her with all your might.

"Erina Nakiri, Love Metronome is practically a trending topic on Twitter right now. Plus, with that book review from Sogo Doma, even if you don't believe in yourself, you should at least believe in Sogo Doma, right?"

"That guy..." At the mention of a certain someone, Erina Nakiri gritted her teeth in frustration.

Hisako seized the opportunity.

"Actually, Sogo Doma still cares a lot about you. Otherwise, he wouldn't have written such a long book review just because of a single word from you."

"That's only because he promised to grant me three requests when he left. Making Love Metronome a hit was my first request..." Erina Nakiri's tone softened slightly.

Hisako: "..."

My dear young mistress, what on earth are you doing?

"I, I will never forget the humiliation that guy put me through!" As if remembering something, Erina Nakiri's expression returned to normal, turning as cold as ice.

"Heh, hehe..." Hisako let out a dry laugh. "Erina Nakiri, I think Sogo Doma was just joking back then; there's no need to take it so seriously."

Two years ago.

"Hey, Sogo Doma, why did you say the first step was to escape Japan back then?" Having been completely won over by Sogo Doma's culinary skills, Erina Nakiri asked the question that had been weighing on her mind.

Sogo Doma: "..."

This again? To be honest, when he had first woken up after merging with his golden finger, he was quite happy—a second chance at life, plus the prospect of going abroad.

However.

As he kept recalling his memories.

Umaru Doma, Sawamura, Spencer, Mashiro Shiina, Erina Nakiri...

Not to mention a whole bunch of colorful hair.

Damn it, he hadn't transmigrated into Japan; he had transmigrated into an anime world.

Perhaps, to others, transmigrating into an anime world might seem like a joyous occasion, but Sogo Doma didn't see it that way. Even if it seemed like a slice-of-life series—safe, even—there were issues:

First, until you encounter her, you can't be sure if there's a woman named Kobayashi who is currently flying on a dragon, being served by a dragon. You can't afford to mess with that.

Second, until you are certain, you don't know if there might be a lazy angel who will suddenly blow a horn signaling the end of humanity. Damn it, daily life is truly more of a headache than combat.

Finally, you have to see if this world has a PK Academy. If you were to anger the Saiki within, you wouldn't even know how you died.

Of course.

That was just the general situation. When you think of anime worlds, you think of transmigrators.

Who knows if he was the only transmigrator?

If a Schrödinger's transmigrator were to pop up, that would be real trouble.

As the saying goes:

Transmigrator meets transmigrator, Two dragons shall not meet.

If they ever cross paths, One must surely perish.

Who knows what kind of golden finger the enemy transmigrator might have? Regarding this, Sogo Doma could only say: I admit defeat. I'll run back to the Celestial Empire; do you dare follow? If you come, you'll be attacked by the River Crab Divine Beast.

However.

Transmigrators were only a minor problem.

What he feared most was indigenous forces joining a Schrödinger's chat group. It was said that those chat groups were organizations spanning the heavens. He, Sogo Doma, a lone transmigrator, what else could he do besides flee back to the Celestial Empire?

Besides...

Just as he was pondering these questions, who knew the head of the Shinomiya Family would suddenly ask him a question?

At that time, someone had also patted him on the shoulder, claiming it was a greeting.

Stimulated by that pat, Sogo Doma had subconsciously blurted out, "Of course it's to escape Japan." Would anyone believe that?

But how was he supposed to voice such a truth?

"Ahem," Sogo Doma coughed twice and cast his gaze into the distance.

"Erina Nakiri, do you know about glowing cuisine?"

"Glowing cuisine?" Erina Nakiri looked surprised. Perhaps to others, glowing cuisine was just a joke, but the Nakiri Family had governed the Japanese culinary world for years, and they had indeed found records of glowing cuisine in ancient texts.

"That's right, glowing cuisine." As he spoke, Sogo Doma kept his gaze fixed ahead with a smile, as if lost in some memory.

At this moment.

Hisako was on her way.

"It was the winter I turned seven. The weather was freezing, and snowflakes were everywhere. An old gentleman was lying in the snow right in front of my house. Being kind-hearted, I helped him inside and fed him some ginger soup to warm him up..."

Does Sogo Doma really have a side like this? Erina Nakiri thought to herself.

"However, this is what he said to me: 'I haven't had such terrible tea in a long time. You call this ginger soup?'"

"How could that be?" Hearing this, Erina Nakiri looked astonished. In that situation, anyone would be grateful, right?

Sogo Doma waved his hand, signaling her to be quiet.

"Then, the old man said, 'However, I felt your sincerity in this bowl of ginger soup. Thank you. It's just that this country cannot unleash your talent.'"

Hearing this, Erina Nakiri crossed her arms, though the way her fingers kept tapping her arm betrayed her agitation.

Sogo Doma continued his story with a smile.

"Japan is truly too small. The existence of Totsuki is already a miracle for chefs, but those who truly want to learn real skills go to Hawaii Vocational Training School. While their culinary arts might not match Totsuki, they teach essential life skills like firearm handling and helicopter piloting..."

Erina Nakiri: "..."

What the hell kind of essential life skills are firearm handling and helicopter piloting? You have a serious misunderstanding of life! And besides, does Hawaii really teach those?

"Perhaps it was because of that bowl of ginger soup, but after the old man chatted with me for a while, he asked, 'Do you know New East and Blue Shit?'"

"What did you say, Sogo Doma?" Erina Nakiri grew curious.

Sogo Doma smiled: "Naturally, I shook my head. After all, I wasn't familiar with either of those places."

"It's just that..." As he spoke, Sogo Doma cast his gaze into the distance again, aiming for authenticity.

"The old man handed me a book. 'I drank your bowl of ginger soup, so I'll give you a cookbook. We're even. But, if you ever manage to leave Japan, take this cookbook back to New East and tell them: Er Gouzi was wrong in the past. Er Gouzi shouldn't have stolen the cookbook and run away, to the point where now, not even a shadow of glowing cuisine can be seen.'"

"Glowing cuisine..." Erina Nakiri muttered to herself, lost in thought.

Watching Erina Nakiri fall for his trap, Sogo Doma wiped away a non-existent bead of sweat and, never one to shy away from chaos, continued to bluff: "That day, after the old man drank the ginger soup at my house, he insisted on cooking a meal, claiming it was to repay the favor."

"What did it taste like?" As the God Tongue, this was the first time Erina Nakiri had ever asked such a question.

"Slurp~!" Sogo Doma timed his reaction perfectly, looking greedy: "A taste that belongs only in the heavens, rarely heard of in the mortal realm..."

"You~!" Erina Nakiri gritted her teeth.

Sogo Doma chuckled: "Alright, it's time to explain why I want to leave Japan."

"Hm?" Erina Nakiri seemed a bit slow to react.

Sogo Doma fell silent for a moment. After a long while, he let out a sigh and said:

"Because, in Japan, it is impossible to make glowing cuisine..."

"Na-Nani!?" Erina Nakiri looked shocked.

Sogo Doma looked at Erina Nakiri with a grave expression: "That's right. It is precisely because Japan can no longer produce glowing cuisine that I want to leave this place."

"Running away?"

"That is a prejudice!" Sogo Doma replied with a stern face.