"Hey, hey!" As he worked his way among the many authors, Editor Yamagami felt like his head was about to split. That Gyojin-sensei had actually just left like that?
Back when he first met Gyojin-sensei, he'd thought the boy was cheerful and had a pleasant smile.
He still remembered their first meeting.
Gyojin-sensei had smiled warmly. "You're the editor from XX Bunko, Yamagami-san?"
He hadn't used honorific language, but at least he'd been somewhat polite.
Even so, back then...
Yamagami hadn't expected much. It was the same old story: age, age. In a country like Japan, where seniority mattered so much, age was a real headache. Did people really think geniuses were a dime a dozen?
If they were, they wouldn't make such a huge deal out of every genius they discovered. Rarity made things precious, after all.
Then he read the first story Gyojin had submitted. At first, Yamagami felt as though his intelligence had been insulted. But then he burned with excitement. Looking at Sogo Doma (Gyojin-sensei), he marveled at the gulf between his own intelligence and a genius's, while also feeling a tiny bit jealous.
But...
The gentle smile that always seemed to linger on Sogo Doma's face made Yamagami feel ashamed of his jealousy. It also made him wonder: why was there such a huge difference between people?
Ordinary geniuses were either arrogant or taciturn. How could anyone be as gentle as Gyojin-sensei?
If Sogo Doma knew how Editor Yamagami had described his first impression of him, he'd probably go, "?_?"
And then—
He'd burst out laughing. Sorry, you're too naive. He'd only promised someone he'd always keep smiling.
Actually, he used to have a cold, haughty expression!
Yeah! Haughty and cold, definitely not gloomy. That stupid Imouto's damn description was way off. "Gloomy" had nothing