A Framework
本話では本文に加えて、設問も掲載しています。
QCの入門書を手に取ったことはありますか。
パレート図や特性要因図、管理図といった手法は、整然と並べられています。そこには感情はなく、ただ手順と構造があります。
けれど、それらの図を「いつ、なぜ」使うのかは、数式だけでは決まりません。
桜子が本を開いたのは、答えを知っていたからではなく、まだ分からないからでした。
設問は、出来事そのものよりも、その選択と視線に注目するためのものです。
解答は次回に掲載します。
She felt adrift, unsure where to begin.
Yamashita’s words lingered in her mind—“expectations,” “trust,” “student loans.” They had sounded supportive. They had also sounded definitive.
Before she realized it, she was walking toward the bookstore near the station.
Her fingers moved along the shelves of technical manuals until she stopped at an introductory book titled The Seven QC Tools.
(Mental strength alone isn’t enough. I need something concrete.)
She flipped through the pages—Pareto charts, scatter diagrams, control charts. Methods arranged without emotion. Data that neither praised nor accused.
She bought the book.
Outside, the streetlights had begun to glow. In the evening crowd, she noticed two familiar figures.
Yamashita.
And beside him, Hazuki.
“Oh, Section Chief Yamashita. Hazuki-senpai.”
Yamashita turned, smiling as always.
“Ah, Sakurako-san. Studying already? Good. Results come from preparation. If you need guidance, feel free to consult me.”
His tone was even. Measured.
Sakurako glanced at Hazuki.
When their eyes met, Hazuki looked away almost immediately. Her shoulders tightened, and she shifted her weight as if bracing for something unseen.
Sakurako remembered the company sports day during her first year.
Hazuki had volunteered for the tennis exhibition match. Even in borrowed sneakers on a temporary court, she had moved with effortless precision—balanced, alert, confident. The sharp crack of her serve had drawn applause from the workers gathered along the fence.
Back then, Hazuki had carried that same energy into the factory floor—direct, decisive, almost kinetic.
Now, that rhythm was gone.
“…Good evening.”
Her voice was quieter than Sakurako remembered.
After a few polite exchanges, Yamashita nodded and stepped away, Hazuki following half a step behind.
Watching them disappear into the crowd, Sakurako felt something unsettled—not yet a conclusion, not even suspicion. Just a dissonance she could not name.
Back in her apartment, she opened the book.
One method held her attention.
“Cause-and-Effect Diagram.”
A structured way to arrange complexity.
She wrote at the center of the page:
Cpk decline
From it, she drew four main branches:
Man.
Machine.
Material.
Method.
Under “Machine,” she recalled the maintenance logs she had reviewed earlier.
Under “Man,” she hesitated.
Her pencil hovered.
She did not yet know what she was looking for.
But for the first time, she had a structure.
And structures, unlike impressions, could be tested.
Questions (Episode: A Framework)
⸻
Q1. Why does Sakurako decide to purchase The Seven QC Tools?
(A) She wants to impress Yamashita.
(B) She feels emotionally overwhelmed and seeks distraction.
(C) She believes structured analysis may help her respond objectively.
(D) She is required to study the material for certification.
⸻
Q2. What contrast is drawn between Hazuki’s past and present?
(A) She used to avoid sports but now plays tennis professionally.
(B) She was once confident and energetic but now appears withdrawn.
(C) She used to oppose management but now supports Yamashita.
(D) She previously worked in maintenance but now works in procurement.
⸻
Q3. The description of Yamashita’s tone as “even” and “measured” most strongly suggests that:
(A) He is openly threatening Sakurako.
(B) He is unaware of Sakurako’s concerns.
(C) His words are carefully controlled rather than impulsive.
(D) He is indifferent to QC results.
⸻
Q4.
Why is the memory of Hazuki’s tennis serve significant within the narrative?
(A) It foreshadows a future sporting event.
(B) It emphasizes Hazuki’s physical strength.
(C) It establishes a contrast between past vitality and present restraint.
(D) It suggests Hazuki will confront Yamashita directly.
⸻
Q5.
What is the narrative significance of the final line:
“And structures, unlike impressions, could be tested.”?
(A) It indicates Sakurako has already identified the culprit.
(B) It highlights her shift from emotional reaction to systematic inquiry.
(C) It proves that the machine malfunction is minor.
(D) It confirms that the supplier change is illegal.
今回の場面では、問題はまだ解決されていません。
ただ、枠組みが置かれました。
感情や印象だけでなく、構造として考えるための枠組みです。
QCの本を読んだことがある方なら分かるかもしれません。図は冷静ですが、それを使う人間は冷静とは限りません。
設問の解答と解説は次回掲載予定です。
ご感想があれば、ぜひお聞かせください。
