Hiroki looked up nervously at the boy standing before him. In truth, he was only about a foot or so taller than the sixth grader. But, to Hiroki, he seemed to tower over him.

"Didn't you hear me? I said, give me that backpack." The boy named Nathaniel pointed to Hiroki's bag slung over one shoulder. Hiroki took hold of it in both arms and held on tight.

"No way." He said, sounding much braver than he felt.

"Well then, I guess I'll just take it." Nathaniel reached towards the smaller boy, but stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"You'll take a hike. That's what you'll take."

The young bully turned around and looked up to see Yumi standing before him. The bravado practically drained from his face at the sight of the older girl.

"Um, I er… um…"

Yumi didn't give him a chance to come up with an explanation. She leaned down, so that they were face to face, and said sharply,

"Beat it."

The boy nearly tripped over his own feet as he scrambled to get away. Once he was out of sight, Yumi looked to her younger brother.

"You okay?"

"What you have to go and do that for?" Hiroki put his backpack back on his shoulders and crossed his arms, his face set in a scowl. "I could have taken care of that guy."

"Yeah, right." Yumi put her hands on her hips. "Your knees were clacking together like a pair of chopsticks."

"Were not!" The boy turned on his heel and marched off towards the school yard. "Next time mind your own business."

Yumi exhaled through her nose and threw her arms skyward.

"Thank you for helping me Yumi. Don't mention it Hiroki. What's a big sister for?"

She picked up her own backpack and headed toward the main dormitory building. The day's lessons had ended but both she and her brother often stayed on the campus, for an hour or so, to hang out with their boarding friends.

Aelita was sitting on her bed, reading some of her favorite Norse legends, when there was a knock on her door.

"Come in."

Yumi entered with a friendly smile.

"Hey there, Aelita. Anything new?"

Aelita closed her book and gave a small shrug.

"Nothing much. We have a science test tomorrow. Jim injured himself trying to show us how to do a proper cartwheel. And it's been a couple of weeks since our last Xana attack, so I'm expecting another attempt on my life any day now."

Yumi chuckled and shook her head. She wondered exactly when they'd gotten to the point where they could joke about the constant threat to their existence posed by Xana.

"What about you?" Aelita patted a space next to her on the bed. "How was your day?"

"The usual." Yumi sat down next to her friend. "Although, on the way over here, I saw this kid bothering Hiroki."

"Is he okay?" Aelita asked.

"He's fine. I told the kid to get lost and he ran off. However, instead of being thankful, Hiroki was mad at me for helping him."

Yumi leant back against the wall.

"I guess it's only natural. He is nearly eleven. That male pride is starting to come into effect."

Aelita nodded in agreement.

"I know what you mean. Once boys reach a certain age, they feel they have to do everything by themselves. It's somehow belittling to ask for help; especially from a girl."

Aelita's door was opened and Odd stuck his head in. On seeing Aelita, he dashed over to her and got down on his knees.

"Aelita, you gotta help me. Ms Hertz said, if I get another bad score on tomorrow's science test, she'll put me in the remedial class! Please help me! Please, please please!"

Yumi and Aelita looked at each other.

"Of course some boys reach that stage later than others." Said Aelita.

Odd looked between the two giggling girls in confusion.

"Hey, was that the punchline to a joke or something?"

"We were just talking about my little brother." Said Yumi. "He doesn't want me helping him as much as he used to."

Odd hopped onto the bed between Yumi and Aelita.

"Oh, and that's bothering you, huh?"

Yumi raised an eyebrow.

"Why should it bother me? I'll finally be able to have some time to myself, without him following me everywhere."

Odd shrugged.

"It just seemed to me that you liked being the big sister. I mean, you're always telling me, Ulrich and Jeremie what to do – er – in a nice way, that is."

Yumi looked to Aelita.

"Do I do that?"

"Well… you do act a bit protective sometimes."

"I'll say." Odd added. "You always jump right in, when any of us are in trouble."

"And all the times you would sit and talk to me, especially when I was still getting used to life outside Lyoko." Aelita smiled at Yumi. "I often thought that that was what it was like to have a big sister."

Yumi's cheeks went slightly pink and she gave a half-shrug.

"Okay, so I like to look out for you guys. I am the oldest after all."

"Well, technically, I'm the oldest by nearly a decade." Aelita pointed out with a slight giggle.

"Alright Yumi, just answer me this." Said Odd. "Are you, or are you not, going to miss having your little brother need you like he used to."

Yumi crossed her arms and thought for a moment. Finally, she gave a sigh.

"Sure. I guess I'll miss it a little. But that's the way things go. It's not like I expected him to always want his big sister to hold his hand. It's good that he wants to do things for himself."

Aelita nodded.

"You're right. It is a good thing. But it doesn't mean that he won't need someone to show him how."

"Yeah. And even when he is all grown up -" Odd Added. "There's still a bunch of dunderheads here that'll need you."

Yumi gave a small groan.

"I'm still going to be babysitting you guys when I'm thirty, aren't I?"

The three friends shared a laugh before Odd turned to Aelita.

"Seriously Aelita, about that science test."

--

Yumi shut the front door behind her and took off her shoes. As she began to climb the stairs to her room, someone called to her.

"Hey, Yumi?"

She looked to see Hiroki standing in the hallway. He had his hands in his pockets and was deliberately looking at a corner of the wall.

"You know those kung fu classes that you and Ulrich go to?"

She turned to face him and crossed her arms.

"It's not kung fu. It's pencak silat; and what about it?"

Hiroki's foot shuffled along the floor, awkwardly.

"Do you think you could show me some moves?"

Before Yumi could answer, he quickly added,

"Not that I need your help or anything. It's just that, since you've been doing it a long time; I figure it'd be quickest to ask you."

Yumi allowed herself a small smile and walked down the stairs.

"How about you start coming to the classes with me? Jim's always looking for new students." She raised her eyebrows suggestively. "And I hear Milly's been taking an interest in it."

Hiroki looked up at this; his eyes wide.

"You'd… let me train with you."

"Sure." Yumi replied with a casual air. "Just don't expect me to stand next to you, talk to you or make any acknowledgement that you're there."

"Pfft, of course." Hiroki turned and walked into the living room.

Yumi went to head back up the stairs, but was certain that she heard a quiet,

"Thanks."