Chapter 2

**The Thing Called Destiny** is the second chapter of the *Iris Zero* series.

## Summary

 File:The Slap that started it all.png
The chapter begins with Asahi Yuki in a future career plan meeting with her homeroom teacher Fugimura, discussing Asahi's plan to become a police officer. After stating that the career is perfect for her, Asahi stands and slaps the teacher, to the shock of her friend Koyuki Sasamori listening outside.
Later on rumours begin to spread about Asahi slapping the teacher, and the students are heard discussing her possible suspension. At the same time, as Asahi attempts to enter the staff room, she is approached by three girls who express their concern about her predicament, as they talk Asahi sees, through her Iris, a devil's tail grow out of each of them. They leave soon after, with Asahi having a sad look on her face. Hijiri Shinozuka then takes the opportunity to appear suddenly. After having a mostly one sided discussion about Asahi's power, stating that she can: "see through lies", he leaves saying that: "someone won't leave you alone".

We cut to Toru Mizushima eating lunch alone in his classroom, he starts to feel that something bad is coming, when Koyuki suddenly, and very loudly, throws open his classroom door and asks him to go out with him again. This shocks everyone in the class, including Toru who's expose rate climbs to 100%.

 File:Toru walks away.png
Later, on the rooftop, Toru complains that he is not Koyuki's maid. After apologising, she explains that her friend might get suspended for slapping a teach, and she wants to know why. After making a snarky comment, Koyuki begins pulling Toru's sleeve explaining again her reasons for asking him outside. Hijri, for the second time, then takes the opportunity to appear suddenly. While Koyuki continues to explain that her friend wouldn't slap the teacher without god reason, and she wants to know why. Hijri surmises that Toru is again the one qualified to help. Koyuki then unwittingly reveals the identity of her friend: Asahi Yuki, learning this Toru flat out refuses and leaves, with Koyuki calling after him to no avail. She then turns and questions Hijri, after the later makes a comment about Toru. The other boy then begins to explain how Toru adopted the Minimal Exposure motto after an incident with Asahi.

 File:Iris Zero reveal-0.png
Ten years ago, two children in Toru and Asahi's elementary school class are complaining that they were caught lying. Hearing rumors that it was Asahi who knew they were lying, they enlist the help of Toru (who is masquerading as having an Iris that tell others Iris'). After explain their predicament, and that all their lies were exposed, Toru, using his skills, guesses that Asahi has an Iris that can see through lies. One of the boys, being cocky, immediately approaches Asahi and asks if her Iris can see through lies. Asahi, growing very angry asks who told him, the boy freely admits it was Toru. Marching straight over to Toru, she pushes him, and then tells everyone in the classroom that Toru has been hiding his own Iris and is really an Iris Zero (having already known, or guessed using her powers). Hijiri ends his story by explain that things got very bad for Toru after that, and he had hoped that Toru would have gotten over the incident in his childhood, before stating to a sad Koyuki: "don't you think he's an "unqualified person" this time"?

Later on after school, Toru finds Koyuki waiting for him at the gate. After explaining that she heard his story from Hijiri, Toru asks if she understand why he won't help Asahi. To which she responds in the negative, shocking the boy. She explains that Toru, of all people, should understand that Asahi wouldn't hit someone without a good reason, and that she wanted to keep her Iris a secret just like him. Toru then has a short monologue on how the world revolves around lies, and that exposing someone who can see through them would mark her out as "creepy", and that he doesn't want any more of his lies exposed either. Koyuki refutes that notion, asking if Asahi would really have been happy staying in hiding forever? And that she's her friend, and she wants to know what she's thinking, worried about, and suffering over, that she wants like Asahi as a whole, good and bad. These words spear Toru to turn back around and walk back into the school, explaining that he forgot something, this delights Koyuki. Meanwhile in his head Toru confirms Koyuki's way of thinking about himself and Asahi. Before he leaves Toru asks her what Asahi sees when someone lies, explain that it's a devil's tail, Toru continues on his way, leaving behind a visibly happy Koyuki.

 File:Toru lies.png
Shortly afterwards, Asahi leaves a classroom, and seeing Toru waiting for her, she immediately becomes defensive in front of the boy whos life she ruined. Toru explains that Koyuki asked him to help her, shocking the girl. But he then explains that he hasn't forgotten what she did to him all those years ago. Declaring that, because of what she did and the fallout because of it, he could never help her. This very much upsets Asahi, until she looks up just as Toru walks away from her and sees a devil's tail growing from him; surprising her.

## Characters In Order of Appearance

1.Fugimura

2.Asahi Yuki

3.Koyuki Sasamori

4.Hijiri Shinozuka

5.Toru Mizushima