[Fiction] The Kuroda Manufacturing Story - Episode 12: Job Hunting

Just before the end of the morning homeroom for Class 2, Year 3 at Koriyama West Technical High School, the homeroom teacher, Watanabe, called out the names of two students.
"Ando and Yoshida, come to the staff room during lunch break. That is all."
As soon as Watanabe left the classroom for the hallway, everyone began to buzz. Voices saying "Good for you" and "Congratulations" rose from all around. Every student at this time of year understood that being called to the staff room during lunch was the ritual for being told where one had been accepted for employment. This ritual had taken place several times before, and there were only three students left who were hoping for employment but had not yet participated in the ritual. That fact led to the smiles of the two and the congratulations from their classmates.
And Tomizuka, who had not yet been called for the ritual, thought:
(I'm happy that the two of them have secured their jobs, but I just can't bring myself to go and tell them congratulations. Both of them must know that I haven't secured my job yet. If I show them the depressed face of a failure, it will just make them feel uncomfortable, so maybe I should just leave early today. But I have a perfect attendance record, so that's a bit... Was it really so difficult for a girl to become a welder? Should I have gone for a regular office job? But still...)
She was trapped in a cycle of circular thinking.
(I will properly change my mindset by lunch break and congratulate Ando-kun and Yoshida-kun.)
She told herself this and escaped from the melancholy maze.

Of the two who headed to the staff room without even eating lunch, Ando, who returned first, entered the classroom while doing a small victory pose, clenching his right fist in front of his chest. Yoshida, who entered a little later, made victory poses with both arms. Male students who were close to the two rushed over, trying to get the story while high-fiving them. Tomizuka, watching from a distance, smiled at the cluster of black uniforms where the male students had gathered and offered her congratulations in her heart.
Unable to bring herself to stand up, she cast her eyes down at the cold rice in her lunch box. Just as she was feeling a bit down about being a person with a small heart, she noticed Yoshida approaching her.
"Yoshida-kun, congratulations."
(Good, I was able to say it with a proper smile. I should praise myself, well done.)
"Thanks. The company is in Kawasaki, so it's a bit far, but I'll do my best. Also, Watanabe-sensei has a message for you, Tomizuka: 'Come to the staff room after school.'"
(Could it be that my job has been decided too? Maybe they got the notification of my hiring this morning.)
Her heart skipped a beat.
"Thank you."
(I think I replied normally, but I wonder if my voice sounded strained. If my job has been decided, I want to hear about it right now, even though I don't mind waiting until after school.)
Holding a slightly resentful feeling toward Watanabe, she reached for her lunch box with her chopsticks.

After school, when Tomizuka entered the staff room, she immediately met the eyes of Watanabe, who had a slightly stiff expression.
(This feels like a bad sign.)
"Sorry to call you in so suddenly, I wanted to talk to you as soon as possible. ...I'll be blunt. All the job openings that came to the school have been filled. I consulted with several companies about 'one more person,' but they wouldn't accept a female welder. I'm sorry for my lack of ability. It's unfortunate, but as a school, there is nothing more we can do."
Watanabe bowed his head deeply. His voice was trembling. It was the first time she had seen Watanabe like this.
(Teacher, you don't need to be depressed. My parents have told me it's fine if I spend a year as a ronin or enter school a year late, so I will take a year to think about my path slowly. I don't know if I can give up on my childhood dream of becoming a welder like a magician who can connect various metals in just one year. I might live a life of frustration without being able to give up, but it's not because of your lack of ability or anyone's fault. It's just bad luck that I was born a woman.
Ah, the newspaper article the other day said that this year's high school employment rate was almost 100%, but am I just a tiny existence that doesn't count in the numbers? It's true that I'm the last one in the class whose path hasn't been decided, and maybe even the last in the grade. Is this the punishment for having the dream of a female welder, which is beyond my station? Maybe it's called a dream because it can't be realized in reality.)
Tomizuka couldn't say anything and bit her lower lip in silence. Unconsciously, both her hands had formed fists.
"So, here is a proposal. Can I show your resume and report card to a company president I know? It's a company that isn't planning to hire for the next fiscal year, and since it's forbidden for the school to independently contact companies to arrange employment, this isn't job hunting. I'm just going to have a casual conversation with the president of a business in the city about how I have a student who hasn't found a job yet. It's a strategy where I might happen to show him the materials I have on hand at that time. If the president becomes interested in hiring you, then it will be a discussion between the president and you, Tomizuka. You can trust that company; I guarantee it. It's not a large company and generally not famous, but they have been in business for over fifty years, their technical skills are among the best in the industry, and I believe it's a good company that does good work. They have accepted students for internships for a long time and have been very helpful, and they have also hired them. You might not know about it because female students couldn't be accepted for internships due to facility reasons, but have you ever heard the boys talk about 'Kuroda Manufacturing'? I want to tell that president that there is an excellent student like you."
Tomizuka squeezed out a small voice while keeping her stiff expression.
"Is there a possibility that I can be hired as a welder?"
"I can't go so far as to say there is a possibility, but I want to believe it's not zero. If we follow the hiring rules, we can't ask them to hire you. We have to hope that the president will pick up on your desire to 'work as a welder' between the lines, that the company will create a hiring slot, and that you will pass the hiring exam—we have to hope for a probability as low as winning the lottery. But I want to believe that the possibility is not zero. If it were any other student, maybe, but I have a feeling that you might be able to do it."
"By doing something like that, will your position be okay, Teacher?"
Watanabe's expression softened slightly.
(Even in a difficult time when she is the only one whose path isn't decided, she doesn't forget to care for others; that's the kind of person she is. It's not just that her grades are excellent, it's not just that she has a sense for welding technology. You are a person with the precious quality of kindness toward others and the ability to value the other person. That's why I want President Kuroda to know about Tomizuka.)
"Well, as a teacher at a public high school, acting in a way that favors a specific student and creates a debt to a specific company isn't something to be praised. But if I end up without being able to get you hired as a welder, I will regret it for the rest of my life. This talk is less for your sake and more of my own struggle, or selfishness. You could say I'm using you to convince myself that I did everything I could. So you don't need to worry about me."
Seeing Watanabe answer decisively, Tomizuka added words while naturally wearing a small smile.
"Thank you. Then, can I go with you to see the president?"
If there is even the slightest possibility, she wanted to carve out her own future.
"Wait a minute."
Watanabe brought his right hand to his chin from the two hands he had raised to stop Tomizuka, then looked down slightly and spoke.
"I'll confirm this, but we are only going for a casual conversation, so we cannot ask for employment from our side. That's okay, right? Well, our ulterior motives will probably be obvious, so in that sense, it might be better to go together so he can see you. But since there is another party involved, it's not guaranteed that we can visit after school. Since it's not a hiring exam, it can't be treated as an official school absence. I'll use my paid leave, but if you leave early for personal reasons, your perfect attendance record will disappear. You should discuss that with your parents."
"Please, let me accompany you. If the possibility isn't zero, let me be selfish. Let me struggle too. Please."
Tomizuka bowed deeply. She prayed that the tears gathering in her eyes would not spill over.
"I understand. But, can you decide this alone right now?"
Tomizuka answered with a beaming smile.
"A moment ago, you said it was a 'good company that does good work.' I would be happy if I could become a member of a company that the teacher I trust also trusts, and do good work."
Watanabe placed both hands on his knees and said,
"I understand. If I can get an appointment, let's go see the president together. Kuroda Manufacturing is in the Koriyama Central Industrial Park. They have a website, so please take a look at it. Also, keep this a secret from everyone."
"Understood. Then, excuse me."
Tomizuka bowed, turned her back to Watanabe, and left the staff room with a light step.
Nothing has been decided yet, but there is someone who thinks about her this much. There is a small light toward the future. Thinking about that, she couldn't suppress the feeling welling up in her heart.

At the graduation ceremony of Koriyama West Technical High School, the name "Megumi Tomizuka" could be confirmed on the list of recipients for the perfect attendance award. In the staff room, with the graduation ceremony coming up the following month,
"Tomizuka decided her employment brilliantly on her own; that early departure in December for job hunting should be treated as an 'official school absence.'"
It was rumored in the school that the vice principal and principal silently stamped the document in front of Watanabe, who had insisted with a passionate tone.

(Episode 12 - End)

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