I Was a Rental Human.

Working as a temporary employee.
I think now that it is very similar to becoming a "rental conference room."

You rent the space for a specific purpose, by the hour.
The inside is clean and the facilities are well-equipped. You are free to use it within the allotted time.
But no matter how much you use that space, it will never become your own "room."

When the time is up, you tidy it up and return the key.
And the next day, someone else might use that space.

If you are currently working as a temporary employee and feel an indescribable sense of "not belonging."
Today, I would like to talk a little bit about the "true nature" of working as a temp, which is what I eventually arrived at.

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When I was a temp, the hardest part wasn't the salary or the job content.
It was the feeling that I could no longer be myself.

At the office, I was often called "Temp-san" rather than "Sumi-san."
Of course, I know there was no malice in it. But every time I was called that, I felt as if my name, my personality, and my life up to that point were all becoming transparent.

That invisible wall that kept me from joining the circle of full-time employees chatting happily in the break room.
That unique anxiety that made my heart tighten every time the contract renewal period approached.

• "Why am I so lonely?"

• "Why am I here?"

The answer was in a very simple place.
My employment registration was not with the company I was currently working for.

My employer was, after all, the staffing agency.
The place I was in was my "workplace," not my "affiliation."
I was not a "member" of this company, but "human resources" being lent out by the staffing agency.

When I realized this fact, it hit me all at once.
The loneliness and lack of belonging I felt were not because of my personality or my abilities.
It was the structural, unavoidable fate of this "rental" way of working.

So, if you are feeling lonely or anxious like I was, please don't blame yourself.
That feeling is not because you are weak, or because you aren't trying hard enough to fit in.
It is a very natural and expected emotion.

So, what should we do?
In my opinion, what is important is to have the strength to accept that "I am just renting for now".

This is not your final home.
Think of it as a "fitting room" to find the place where you truly want to "belong."

So, let's learn as much as we can in this place.
Steal skills, gain experience, and above all, listen to the voice of your own heart more seriously than anyone else, asking, "What kind of place do I want to work in?"

The rental period will end someday.
But what you gain during that time is up to you.

I stopped being a rental human.
Now, I work in a place where I am properly registered, and I am called "Sumi-san."
The me from back then could never have imagined that just that little thing could fill my heart so much.

The place you are in now is just a few pages in your story.
It's okay.
Your true "place to belong" is waiting for you ahead.