Episode 2 | The Day I Drew the Assignment Gacha, the Sense of Unease Had Already Begun

—The assignments decided from the start, and the people who disappear

Welcome to the Unpaid Overtime Clinic.
Today's patient is a woman in her 50s (me) who, on her second day back in the workforce,
was immediately caught up in the "gacha of fate."

*This is also a story for those who have been telling themselves,
"Assignments are just luck, so it can't be helped."

💡 Today's Theme

The theory that the assignment gacha isn't actually about "luck."
When I was young, I used to think this:
"Assignment? It's just luck, right?"

……However, once you hit your 50s, you realize.
No,
that isn't luck.

“It might have been a performance designed to place convenient people in convenient positions.”

### 1 | The Assignment Announcement, Unnecessarily Dramatic Problem

The first day of training.
The director suddenly started calling us into a separate room one by one.

The atmosphere was,
rather than an assignment announcement,a political strategy meeting from a historical drama.

No, we don't need that kind of gravity.
It's just deciding departments, right?

And my assignment was—
“Rehabilitation Department”

I had only one wish.
“A department that uses computers as little as possible… please…”

Yeah, rejected in a second.
Neither God nor the director is kind.

When I returned to the waiting room, the young staff were in full-blown meltdown mode.

Person A
“I wanted to be at reception!
Why am I in outpatient rehab!?”

Person B
“I specifically said I wanted to pass on reception!
Why am I at reception?”

Person C
“I’m aiming to be a physical therapist, so I requested to be a rehab assistant!”
Everyone was told during their interviews that

“you can submit your preferences,”
and they had received reasonably positive responses.
At that moment, a lightbulb went off in my brain.

“Oh, this is… completely a gacha system.”

And what’s more,

the kind with a lot of dud pulls.
I found out later that
the three people here that day whose "preferences were ignored"
all left this workplace early on.
It wasn't because the assignment didn't fit.

It was because from the start,


it was an assignment that didn't treat them like human beings.

### 2 | The Gentle Trap of “Pretending to Listen to Preferences”

This clinic,
they do listen to your “preferences” during the interview.

……However,they only listen.

But

・They ignore your feelings
・They ignore your aptitude

The flow after that goes like this.

● Everyone is assigned to the department opposite to their preference

● Mental suppression by saying “Assignments are just luck~”

● Inducing you to process the dissatisfaction within yourself

The me of my youth:
“Was I just unlucky?”

The me in my 50s:
“No, this isa performance.”

Listen to preferences → Ignore them → Say “it’s just luck”
＝ A structure to make you swallow your dissatisfaction

This is
a technique unique to toxic workplaces with a friendly face.

### 3 | Rehab Department, But We Use PCs a Lot?

So, training.
Setting up the rehab equipment was peaceful.

“Maybe I can do this!”
……That thought didn't last long.
The true nature of this department was revealed.

—We use computers like crazy.

● Electronic medical record entry

● Appointment management

● Data organization

Young people's typing: Rhythm game
My typing: Slow motion playback
Just following the screen drained my stamina gauge to red.

My inner voice:
“Oh… I don't meet the ‘recommended specs’ for this department.”

But I couldn't say it.
Because—

the “repayment mode” had been activated.

“They hired me, so I have to do my best…!”

……Yes.
From the toxic side's perspective, that's exactly the thought process they wanted.

And then I realized.
Even here, the question I really needed to ask was,

“Are this department and I a good match?”

But I had skipped over that again.

🔍 Today's Lesson

If an assignment has a “luck-like face,” be careful.
That is usually not luck.

If you ignore the sense of unease during the interview,
you will definitely pay the price when it comes to your assignment.

And above all, what's important is
whether the department suits you = “compatibility.”

A place that doesn't fit
is poison to your heart, no matter how hard you try.

If you are feeling
“I might not be able to do this anymore” right now,
it's not because you aren't trying hard enough.
It might just be that the placement is wrong.

Thank you for your hard work today, too.

Moving forward,
how I realized
“this is not my responsibility,”
and reached the decision to quit.
I would be happy if you followed me so you don't miss the rest.

👇 Read the series summary here

*For first-time readers
This story starts in the middle of the series.
It is easier to understand the overall flow if you read from [Episode 0].
▶︎ Episode 0 is here

Thank you for reading this far.
I would be happy if this series could be a time for you to take a breath.

⭐ Next Episode Preview | Episode 3

Reporting-Communication-Consultation Crashes and the Imposition of 'Invisible Responsibility'
— The small hell and great chaos caused by extinct reporting, communication, and consultation

I get scolded the moment I arrive at work.
……Even though I wasn't here yesterday.

When reporting, communication, and consultation break down,
responsibility walks on its own and crushes the 'weak'.

Furthermore, a major accident occurs due to the clash between Showa and Reiwa values.
A 'Reporting-Communication-Consultation Crash Story' that is funny yet hits home.
There is surely someone in your workplace who comes to mind……!