Maki and Kokichi live in the same orphanage, Maki is protective over Kokichi while Kokichi is carefree but depentant on Maki due to his poor speech development and some of the kids in the orphanage are physically bullying Kokichi

Maki: "Leave him alone..unless you want to get hurt..."

Maki stood infront of Kokichi with a rock in hand

(Ur Kokichi, and Maki is 8 and Kokichi is 7)