Free Schooled: The Mastered Series by Lorelei James Page B

brother will always be revered as the man who taught traditional Japanese jujitsu in its purest form. But the time has come for him to rest on his laurels and for you to move on.”
    Stunned, Ronin didn’t know what to say.
    “You, Ronin-san, are his proudest accomplishment. You’ve surpassed all the goals and expectations he had for you. He saw so much of himself in you. A loner who defied family expectations. A man who rose above mediocrity by sheer will and hard work. A pupil intent on mastering two different disciplines and succeeding. A true Master who defines himself as a teacher above all else.” Yasuji paused. “While you will continue to be a great teacher and a leader for years to come, that one-dimensional description doesn’t fit you anymore. You are also a husband.”
    “So because I married Amery he feels I’m somehow . . . lesser?” Ronin said through clenched teeth.
    “No man can understand the power of finding the woman who completes him unless he experiences it himself. I have. You have. Daichi has not. His first love is martial arts. He never needed a woman because he felt complete with his first and only love. And because he’s trained you from a young age, he saw a kindred spirit within you.”
    Ronin slumped against the outer wall of the spider climb. “The last thing I’ll ever regret is having a life with Amery. And not to be harsh, but I don’t care if he’s disappointed in me for that.”
    “He’s disappointed in your need to fight past the point where you injure yourself. In all the years you trained with him, did you ever wonder why he never asked you how you’d earned the money to start your own dojo in America?”
    “Because ignorance is easier.”
    Yasuji smiled. “Yes. You fought unknown opponents for money and other reasons he couldn’t condone if he asked you outright.”
    “Well, it was a dirty little secret for me too.”
    “You don’t miss it? The fighting?”
    Ronin fidgeted.
    “Be truthful in all things—but above all be honest with yourself,” Yasuji advised.
    Sometimes these proverbs Masters Daichi and Yasuji spouted off were fucking annoying. And unhelpful. Like he was supposed to be honest now and confess that he still dreamt of getting in the ring and beating the fuck out of someone? Right.
    The only person he talked to about his need to prove his superiority in the ring was Deacon—because he was the only person who understood. “I’ll admit I miss the physical challenge. Or thought I did until I got here and Sensei reinforced the idea that training should always be more rigorous and consistent than the random outcome of three, three-minute rounds.”
    “Agreed.”
    Ronin pushed off the wall. “Thank you, as always, for your insight. Now that I’ve had my break, I’d better get back to it.”
    Yasuji shook his head. “You’re done.”
    He bristled. “No offense, Master Yasuji, but Sensei says when I’m done. Not you.”
    “Ronin-san. Master Daichi walked away from you. Has he ever done that before?”
    “No.”
    “That’s because disarming your teacher is the sign you’ve completed your last level of training.”
    “You mean when I stopped his belt from making contact?” Ronin frowned. “But that was a reflex.”
    “You’ve never done more than block him. You’ve certainly never bested him. The fact you did it when you were too exhausted to remain on your feet proves you’ve learned all you can from him.”
    “But . . .” Dumbfounded, Ronin could only stare at the man. “How do I know that’s what he wants? He didn’t say a damn word.”
    Yasuji draped Daichi’s belt over Ronin’s shoulder. “He didn’t have to. He left this for you because it belongs to you now.” He gave Ronin a deep bow. “Wear it with pride, Hachidan. You’ve earned it.”
    Although Ronin was stunned by this turn of events, he bowed back, remaining in the position until he schooled his features and got a better grip on his emotions. Then he tied