A story about getting drenched in sweat in December

You know December?
It's Christmas, right?
The time of year that's the most sparkling, glamorous, and exciting✨

…Is it?

Is everyone in the world feeling that way!?

For food companies, the year-end sales season starting from Christmas is basically

like a torrential downpour.

I can't go into details, but our company is really the epitome of that.
In December, production volume increases like crazy.

It's only natural that people from indirect departments are thrown onto the production line.
It's not so much that it can't be helped, it's our destiny.

Since our department is positioned close to the factory in terms of work content,
to put it bluntly, we are used quite freely.

At times like this, the production floor (in our company's case)
naturally has longer production hours because of the mass production.
To ensure quality doesn't drop, the temperature on the floor is set lower than usual.

Well, this isso cold!!
During the day, it's colder than outside, really.

Even the skilled part-timers who are used to working on the floor
stick on heat packs during this period.
People like us from other departments who come in like short-term temp workers
stick on so many, you'd wonder how many we're using.

Lower back, upper back, and stomach are the defaults.
The places I recently discovered you should stick them are the calves and upper arms.
It makes a world of difference whether you have them or not!!

A few years ago at the end of the year.
There was a request for help with production as usual,
and I entered the factory with my heat packs perfectly prepared.

The floor manager announced the assignments for the day,
and the members from other departments took their respective positions.

Huh?
My name wasn't called.
Wasn't it today??

“Alright, Kaora, you’re on external setup.”

…W-wait, what did you just say?

“External setup.”

Let me explain☝
External setup refers to the person responsible for transporting and replenishing materials while monitoring the floor's movements to ensure the production line runs smoothly.
It is generally handled by production staff who are accustomed to the floor.

What!?

I am just a help resource who came from an indirect department.
I'm just here to help.

Why would you do that!?

That’s a job for the production department staff, isn't it!?
You’re really going to make me read the flow of the line and act accordingly!!

Then, one person approached me with a smirk,
patted me on the shoulder, and said:

“Well, you’ll be fine, right!?”

A long time ago, I was part of the startup staff for the Kanto factory.
The entire factory was struggling immensely with inexperienced people and unfamiliar systems.
Even back then, I wasn't in the production department,
but I was called in to help more than I could ever imagine.

The person who approached me was the Kanto line manager from back then.
A few years after the startup, they had transferred to the head office in Kansai.

To put it nicely, we were “comrades who shared joys and sorrows.”
To put it bluntly, we were “partners in crime.”

Oh no, they know.
They know that I’m more used to the floor than someone from another department should be.

“No, but seriously!?” I protested vehemently.

“No, no, no, come on, come on.
You were on the floor all the time back then, right?
Kaora, you’ll be fine! Good luck!”

You move around a lot, doing external setup.
Moving cases weighing several kilograms, pushing and pulling fully loaded carts, and so on.
Because that's what setup is.
Since it's "external," the movement even extends outside the room,
so you're really moving the whole time.
There's never a moment to stand still.

Which means.
I had prepared myself for such a cold workplace.
My body, covered in heat packs, naturally started to sweat.
In a room where everyone says they're freezing cold,I was the only one drenched in sweat.
I couldn't stop sweating, seriously.

Well, of course, I had heat packs on, right?
And I was wearing layers of Heattech, too??
I was fully prepared, after all!

I don't mind the movement itself,
it's way better than just standing still and working.
Watching the overall progress and adding what's needed,
I'm actually pretty good at that.

But for heaven's sake,

It was ridiculously hot!!

They serve a late-night snack during the break, you know?
The helpers were all shivering while having hot tea and food.

I was drenched in sweat.
I was chugging cold water.
Even though everyone else was shivering, I even ate ice.

If you're going to have me do external setup, tell me beforehand!!

The production manager at the time came to inspect the site, saw me doing the setup, and
"Huh!? Why is Kaora doing that?"
they asked, acting all oblivious.

I was set up by your subordinates!!

That's what I told them.

From the following year,
the person in charge of setup started getting notified in advance.
I'll say it again,

Of course they did!!

Because if you put on too many heat packs, you'll sweat!

That was my memory of being hot and drenched in sweat, despite it being December.

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☀This article is a participation piece for Nao Kurosaki's project☀
#KurosakiNao2024WinterWonderland
https://note.com/kurosakina0/n/n86f19d957efd

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At the NPO Kozue no Tsubomi,
we hold discussion groups for "school non-attendance," "developmental differences," and "siblings (*)."🍀

(*) Please see the article below for information about siblings.