Masako.
“So the sissy is playing with the girls again, eh?” said Hiro in a mocking voice. “What a wimp!”
Hisako opened her picture book and started to read it, hoping Hiro might go away. But Atsuko and Yoshio kept their eyes fixed on him as he came closer.
“If you keep playing with girls, you’ll turn into one, you sissy!” called out Hiro, teasing Yoshio again.
“I’m not a sissy!” shouted Yoshio, getting quickly to his feet.
Masako wanted to step out from where she was hiding and give Hiro a piece of her mind. But she decided to wait for a moment first to see what Yoshio would do. From behind the wall, she watched Hiro as he came closer and closer to Hisako and her picture book, and she wondered whether he might take it away from her, or kick it, or do something else stupid. But before he could do anything, Yoshio launched himself at Hiro with tremendous force, sending him crashing over backwards on the ground.
“Be careful!” called out Masako, giving herself away and rushing over to where the two boys had landed.
Hiro was shocked to see her come out of nowhere and quickly got to his feet.
“You sissy!” he shouted one more time, then he ran off back home.
“Masako!” said Yoshio, brushing the dust off his clothes and running to his big sister, who got on her knees and swept him up in her arms.
“Are you okay?” asked Masako, amazed to see her little brother put up a fight. “You’re not hurt, are you?”
“No, I’m fine!” said Yoshio in a surprisingly cheerful voice, then he gave her a little smile.
“Hee-hee,” he giggled. “I just got in a fight!”
Masako hugged her little brother as hard as she could.
“Oh Yoshio,” she said in a voice overflowing with kindness. “You’re not supposed to fight! But I’m glad you did. My brave and tough little Yoshio!”
