Shape of a Miracle EP 2 - FreezeFrame

Everything I wanted

"Yuzuru, where did you get that photo?"

Standing on the balcony, Shoko doesn't repeat her question, she just stares at her. Maybe if she gives her enough time, she'll tell the truth.

Yuzuru looks down at the photograph of Mew on her camera "Online? You know, that blog you always look at." she signs "Freaky right?"

Shoko sighs, going onto her knees. It seems she wants her to say the truth first.

"I know you've been sneaking out at night." she signs.

Yuzuru's brows narrow " What? "

Shoko nods "And I know all those photos on that blog were taken by you.

In an instant her nose turns into a billion little wrinkles, and she defiantly holds the camera up "I don't know what you're talking about." She huffs "I got this online! ONLI-" Then it hit her. The very obvious hole in her lie.

The fact that the photo is being displayed on her camera.

"You have to stop doing this, Yuzu." Shoko consoles "Skipping school... going out in the middle of the night. Do you have any idea of how dangerous it is out there?"

"How would you know!" Yuzuru finally snaps "Don't you just stay in the house all day!? You've technically been skipping school for months but when I take a couple days off we need a family intervention?"

Shoko looks down, she can't stand seeing those adorable blue eyes turn sour because of her. Yuzuru just said it herself. She's been a terrible role model and a plague on the family. Even her indecisions prove to have nothing but a harmful impact to the people she claims to love.

She feels a tap on her shoulder. It's Yuzuru, looking a lot less furious but a lot more pained. "Look...I know you're worried, but I'm fine, really!" A grin comes across her face "I'm a lot more capable than I look, y'know!"

Shoko looks at her and without even trying, her face melts into a smile.

"Yes." She nods "you really are."

And now, she can't look away. It's been so long, too long , since she's seen a smile like that on Yuzuru's face. It's selfish, she knows but she wants to cement that awkward but genuine grin into the very core of her memory. She doesn't want to forget it. Not for a single second of her life. Not until the moment that she dies. Because in all likelihood, she's never going to see that smile again.

And then, like that, it's gone.

The air is cold. Yuzuru knows she's not out of the woods yet, but Shoko seems surprisingly calm; she knows what comes next.

"Yuzuru. Can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot."

This is it, this is the moment it all ends.

"I know this may sound a bit like I'm jumping to conclusions..." Shoko asks "...but do I have anything to do with the reason you are doing this?" She swallows "Trying to photograph this superhero, I mean."

Shocked, Yuzuru looks away. Confirming Shokos suspicions. She really is doing it all for her. To prove to everyone that her big sister isn't just a liability, that she's a superhero. Because Yuzuru is the sweetest little sister on the planet.

But she's wrong. Her sister isn't a superhero. She's the wielder of the cat miraculous. The embodiment of destruction. And it's finally time to let Yuzuru know what that means.

Still on her knees, Shoko bows so low her head touches the frozen balcony floor: A way of apology. Then, after a few seconds, looks back up at her confused but dear little sister. Truth is, she never wanted to say it out loud. She never wanted to be honest with her sister. Not for the greater good. Not for her duty. She just never wanted to admit it. But she has to. For Yuzuru.

So she takes a deep breath and says:

"This is it for me."

Tiny specks of frozen raindrops begin to fall. The only shimmering stars in the bleak cloudy sky. Yuzuru is frozen.

"Wh-"

"I'm never going to live a normal life." Shoko signs "I'm never going to make friends. I'm never going to get the job I wanted. I'm never going to fall in love or have a family of my own. I'm probably never even going to step foot anywhere outside this town. Everything I wanted, I'm not going to get."

She looks down at her silver ring. It's a hard truth to face. That the life Shoko wanted so much really is out of her reach.

"But that's not what I needed. That's not who I am... and I've finally come to peace with that."

She feels the miraculous around her finger, freezing from the winter air. As hard of a truth this may be, it's for the better really. She was never good at having a normal life, so now that she's been tasked with such a responsibility, it's an easy thing to give up and focus all her efforts on being a hero, even if it means cutting out all the good people in her life.

"So... It's ok...It's...ok... It's ok ." Finally, she looks up at her sister "Because without me, you can have a normal life. You can have as many friends as you want. Fall in love with whoever you want. You can become a world famous photographer. You can be anything! You can go anywhere! You'll never have to worry about me again. You can finally live your own life."

Yuzuru stands there, face completely white, shrunken pupils fixed on her sister kneeling below her.

" What? " her finger trembles as she signs "W-what are y-you t-talking about...?"

Shoko stays sitting, as still as a statue. Snowflakes piling up on top of her head.

"I mean, you know, don't you? My secret?"

Yuzuru grabs her arm, tears in her eyes and tries to pull her out of the balcony and back inside. She doesn't budge.

"Oh, I'm sorry Yuzu..." Shoko croaks "I wish I could've been the big sister you could look up to. That you could rely on...but I'm not."

Like nothing more than the winter wind. Shoko whisks her hand out of Yuzuru's grasp and signs:

"I never wanted to leave you alone..."

Shoko smiles.

"...But I always knew you were better off without me."

For a moment, everything is still. The only proof of the passage of time being the snow slowly piling up the balcony. Then, Yuzuru dashes away. She doesn't stop to put on shoes, she doesn't stop to close the front door, she just turns around and sprints out of the apartment.

"Don't think she's convinced." Plagg says, swooping out of Shokos pocket, patting snow off her head."Are you?"

Shoko stands up. She has to follow her! But didn't she just say she can't be a part of Yuzuru's life anymore? Well she can't worry about that right now! If she wants to use her destructive existence for good then she needs to find her and make sure she's safe!

"Plagg! CLAWS OUT!"