The room suddenly falls quiet after Nakahara finishes speaking. And almost immediately, that familiar sense of inferiority begins creeping back into Nakahara's chest.
The name Ronin is his idea from the very beginning. Maybe even one of the few things he insists on more stubbornly than everyone else around him. The philosophy behind it, the independence, the refusal to chain fighters down like corporate property, all of that matters deeply to him.
At first, hearing someone ask about the meaning behind the name actually excited him a little. It gave him the rare chance to make it public.
But now that the words are already out in the open, doubt arrives just as quickly. Maybe that sounded ridiculous. Maybe he talked too much.
And maybe everyone in the room thinks he is an aging gym owner romanticizing samurai philosophy to sound important.
