Xiu Mei was saving his rear end for sure at the moment. Ko was moments from blurting out "We weren't doing anything!" when Zuma had barged in, Xiu was able to keep spinning the lies easily, where as Ko was still trying to think with the head attached to his shoulders. He was not a well practiced liar, this situation was far too much pressure for him.
"Yes," he agreed quickly when Xiu Mei began to speak of her brother. "He is only a year older than you, Zuma. Can you imagine?" He did frown a bit more deeply, a hint of a rumble touching his tone as he spoke again. "Then again, he is not being pressed into a marriage." He did not like the idea of Xiu getting married,and the entire situation suddenly seemed much, much worse than a few hours ago. Funny how that worked.
"Sato decided that after organizing the display... I needed to work on my personal form more. She pushed me pretty hard..." Not his usual speaking pattern, but not a completely unbelievable statement, Sato was known for pushing him hard. He absently rubbed his elbow as if on cue, nodding his head. "Master Sato only wants the best for me," he added. Defending Sato, as always. Though now, quite suddenly, he was not sure if he should agree about some time of in hopes that he and Xiu Mei might be able to slip away from a while, without the fear of little sisters appearing with little to no warning.