Shape of a Miracle EP 2 - FreezeFrame

She knows...?

"If you wanna talk to her, then talk to her."

Shoko flinches at the scratchy voice and swings her head to the kitchen table. There, Plagg lies on an empty cheese platter, rubbing his belly and sucking up any crumbs left on the plate. She places her finger on her lips and peaks back at the door on the other side of the room: It's still closed. So she turns to the desk next to her and types something on the computer. Then, she carefully turns the screen towards him.

"I'm watching her bedroom door in case she suddenly comes out" it reads "I need time to hide you."

Plagg looks back at her and raises an eyebrow.

She sighs, holding tight onto her yellow pleated skirt. She types "I'll admit, there is something I want to talk to her about. I think..." her hands halt and she awkwardly glances back at Plagg "I think Yuzuru has been skipping school for the last few weeks, possibly even months. today she came home early, impossibly early, she didn't even have her school bag with her."

Plagg shrugs "eh, let the girl play hooky."

She shakes her head "It's not just that." she types and looks down to the silver ring around her finger, her miraculous. "She's skipping school to look for Mew."

Plagg perks one ear up but he doesn't seem convinced.

"Last night, while I was transformed..." she continues " I saw her! She was at the entrance of my middle school, taking a photo of me."

Then Shoko minimises the word document she's writing on and opens the Mysterious Mewsing Blog front page, where a huge candid photo of her superhero identity is displayed on the website's banner.

" She's the one who's taking these photos!" She types, reopening the word document "That's why Yuzuru isn't going to school. She's spending all day and night trying to find me, she's trying to take my picture."

Finally, Plagg sits up and hovers over to her. Plunking himself onto the computer desk, he whips out his long, thin tail over the keyboard and types

"Looks like you have another fan then ;3"

She bites the inside of her cheek; he's still not taking her seriously.

"She can't be wandering around in the middle of night." she types "it's dangerous!"

"Don't you do that too?" He types.

"I only do it while I'm transformed. I'm useless without the miraculous."

"Ok, How exactly are you gonna ask her to stop? Tell her you saw her last night?"

He's not wrong. The only one who saw her last night was the mysterious cat themed superhero. As far as Shoko Nishimiya is concerned, Her little sister simply left school early today. She doesn't have a single reason to make such an outlandish accusation. Why would Yuzuru do that in the first place? She has snuck out and skipped school in the past, but not to this extreme, not to go around chasing superheroes. Maybe she's taken an interest in them? That would be nice. But it still isn't safe to go out alone at night. Besides, this is very uncharacteristic of Yuzuru. The Yuzuru she knows wouldn't go out of her way to do something for her own enjoyment. At least that wouldn't be her main reason. No, she would do it for her. For her older sister.

Shoko winces to herself. It's an incredibly self centred thought. But to not admit it would be even more selfish. It's her own fault Yuzuru is like this, after all.

Ever since they were kids, No matter how hard she tried, Shoko was never successful at actually making any friends. She would always eat lunch alone, get rocks thrown at her and quickly become nothing but the rotten egg in the chicken coop. But she always had Yuzuru. No matter what, when she came home she was always greeted with Yuzu's silly little grin, with something fun planned. She would play with her, eat with her, and talk with her. She was never really alone, not with Yuzuru.

But Yuzuru was. Slowly, she started to notice her little sister didn't have any friends either, that she had rocks thrown at her too, and was known as 'Deafo's sister' by her peers. She tried confronting Yuzuru about this, but she would always deflect. She would always just tell her that she didn't want to be friends with other people who hurt her. Truly, Shoko had been blessed with the sweetest little sister someone could ask for, but it was nothing but a curse for Yuzuru, whether she realised it or not.

So then, why do this? Why unknowingly take photos of her sister as a superhero and post them online?

Unless she isn't doing it unknowingly .

Unless she knows full well that the girl dressed in a cat-like costume running around town every night is her sister. A sister, who she's always trying to support.

Shoko flinches; she can feel something rubbing her hand. It's Plagg, Who's looking up at her in a very confused yet concerned look.

"I'm sorry Plagg..." she sniffs, struggling to keep the calm smile on her face " I think I messed up..."