Shape of a Miracle EP 2 - FreezeFrame

It's not just that.

"She's not here."

Staring at the entrance of a train station, Ishida opens his flip phone and checks the map. He sits back down on his bike and zips through the dark, icy streets of Ogaki, to his next destination: A house near the river.

"Ishida!" Tikki gasps, shaking around inside the bike's basket "Please don't give up. You were chosen for a reason, you must have the qualities of a hero."

Does she ever shut up?

"I already told you!" He huffs "I Don't. "

She awkwardly smiles "Well, who's to say?"

"Me."

He stops at a crossing and pulls out his flip phone.

"Don't doubt yourself Ishida." She whispers "You never know what you're truly capable of. That's the nature of the miraculous afterall, it can let its users be who they really are. At least give it a try. No fighting villains or anything like that, I promise. And if you still feel that it isn't for you, I'll accept it."

"Pass..."

"But-"

"I SAID-"

What feels like every bystander around snaps their heads to the disgruntled teen yelling at his basket. Not sure what else to do, he smacks his phone onto his left ear and yelps:

"UH YEAH, That... game last night was...a knockdown?..."

Someone, please , just kill him right now.

Suffice to say he belts outta there the second the second the lights go green.

"I just want to understand..." Tikki says "What is it about yourself that you feel isn't suitable for this?"

Ishida stays silent. He's done making a fool of himself. Tikki sighs and sits back down in the basket, hugging the little red box.

"It just doesn't make sense..." she whispers.

Still, he keeps his mouth shut.

"Y'know." she says, looking back up at him "I'm the kwami of this miraculous, so I can only exist in this reality while there's a holder for it."

Ishida pedals faster.

"If you truly didn't want to be its holder... I would have disappeared by now."

He turns a hard corner.

"So I don't buy it." she cries, flying up to sit on the bike handles "You weren't given this by chance, Shoya. You were chosen. Chosen, because you must have had all the qualities of a good hero. You're not afraid to take risks, you're a natural born leader, you have so much untapped potential! Deep down, you know this! You want this! I know you do! So why are you so against it?"

"WELL MAYBE I JUST DON'T WANT TO BE LIKE THAT ANYMORE!"

He pulls on the break and covers his face with his hand. Damnit. He opened his big stupid mouth and got himself all worked up. He can feel his other hand squeezing the handlebars tight while his throat begins to choke. Crap, not now, he needs to calm down. He's not gonna let himself become a blubbering mess in front of Tikki of all people. But He can't get it out of his head. He can't stop thinking about it.

He feels something leaning on the left cheek. It's Tikki, she's sitting on his shoulder. But she doesn't say anything. Neither does he. He just cups his face in both hands and stands there, in the middle of the street, on a cold December night.

"You want to know why? " he finally croaks "Why I can't be a hero?"

She nods.

He pulls his bike in the other direction and pedals so fast the bike might break. The snow around them zips by, burning his already frozen face and soaking his water proof coat, but he doesn't even flinch. Unlike before, there's no stopping to look at maps or backtracking, his eyes stay locked in front of him. He knows exactly where they're headed.