Against All Odds | Ran Takahashi

1

Soon after, the list of managers with respective sports assignments was announced. "...Oliver Campbell and Theo Nikola for Women's Volleyball. Yasemin Feriha and Ryann Ysabel Natividad for Men's Volleyball..." the speaker enumerated.

To be honest, it mattered little to me which team I would be assigned to, as I had never been much of a sports enthusiast. My duty was simply to fulfill the work that was required of me.

After the four-hour meeting, I met with my colleague and partner, Yasemin. She possessed a vibrant personality and proved to be quite the chatterbox because as soon as we sat down together, she couldn't stop talking about her overwhelming excitement at having been assigned to men's volleyball. She's Turkish and is a big fan of this sport.

I just listened to her because I was unsure of how to contribute since my knowledge of sports was rather limited.

I was happy that the whole meeting got dismissed so I could escape the constant chatter of my talkative partner. Managing her energy levels for the upcoming weeks seemed an insurmountable task for me.

Before we started packing up, the executive said his last words, "Your partners will be your roommates for the Paris Olympics."

Oh my.

I went back to my hotel to do my homework. I had to research the qualified volleyball teams to know the operations and my work-around during the event.

After a rigorous background check, I've come to know one of the most celebrated teams in men's volleyball, and it's the Japanese team. I found them interesting, reading through English and translated articles.

Of course, effective marketing thrives when the spotlight is cast on the most prominent figures. Thus, I made sure to highlight the key players of this renowned team:

Yuki Ishikawa, Yuji Nishida, and Ran Takahashi.

My work does not end here. We must ensure that our company flawlessly executes the timely delivery of all necessary supplies and resources.

Since I will extend my stay here in Europe, I called my brother over the phone. "Marco, please look over Papa while I'm not there," I requested.

"Yes, Ate," Marco replied.

"Also, don't do anything stupid, please. Focus on your studies."

"Stop scolding me, Ate. I know what I'm doing."

"You know, yet you just had one week of suspension? I'm telling you, Marco, I know you are intelligent, but please use your brain for more sensible things. Stop meddling yourself with whatever your frat is engaging in."

"Argh, I don't wanna hear you anymore. I'll take care of Papa. Just do your work there," he said irritatedly.

"You're still under my guidance, Marco. You should listen to me," I warned him.

"I gotta go, Ate. Bye!" He abruptly ended the call.

Taking a deep breath, I attempted to let go of my frustration. It seemed as though my words rarely resonated with my stubborn little brother.

---

Two weeks prior to the official start of the Olympics, teams from all corners of the globe began arriving in Paris. Our team, too, had made its way to France.

Once we arrived, we immediately began coordinating with the sports teams we were assigned to work with. For the men's volleyball teams, they got straight into practicing at the arena. Yasemin, and I were there to witness every practice and even had the chance to interview some of the players. Alongside that, we also had the responsibility of overseeing the setup of our brand campaigns throughout the event preparation.