"Editor Iida, you're overthinking this. I've never believed that talent alone can determine one's future path. Sure, having talent makes the road easier, but interest is the ladder of human progress. Whether she becomes an artist or a manga artist, it's Mashiro's own choice. No one else has the right to interfere..."
Sogo Doma was quite easygoing about such things. Even if his useless little sister chose the path of being a lazy couch potato, hadn't he refrained from interfering?
"Sogo..." For some reason, Mashiro's heart skipped a beat as she relaxed. She felt a little upset about the doubts she had just harbored.
"That sounds nice, but that's not what you've shown at all. Just look at your attitude toward getting Mashiro's manga published..." Ayano Iida seemed determined to press the point. She stirred the coffee in front of her without giving an inch.
"I'm telling Mashiro not to aim too high. You can't become fat with one bite. She needs to build up her fundamentals first..." When it came to theories, Sogo Doma always had one argument after another.
"What do you mean, aiming too high? You simply don't understand Mashiro's potential. Of course, as an ordinary person, you can't understand a genius..." Ayano Iida, who regarded Mashiro as a treasure trove, refused to back down.
Back when Mashiro first submitted her work to her, Ayano had been stunned by the art style. If Mashiro's story hadn't been so terribly written, she could have signed her on the spot. Even if the story had merely been average, as long as Mashiro's background and identity could be used for promotion, Ayano could have signed her directly!
Unfortunately, the storytelling in Mashiro's work had been truly unbearable. Ayano could only guide her while trying to keep her interested, but... guidance