Exams
Kai sat in the silent exam hall, twirling his pencil between his fingers as if the math problems on the page were beneath him. Rows of students hunched over their papers, scribbling furiously. Sweat dotted brows. The air buzzed with stress.
Behind his shades, his eyes tracked every number, every line of text, with perfect clarity. Six Eyes made equations unfold like puzzles already half-solved. Ava whispered softly in his ear through the hidden earpiece.
"Question three: quadratic functions. You've already identified the answer. Stop overthinking."
Kai smirked and filled it in with a flourish. "Come on, Ava. Let me flex a little. It's my last test ever."
"Your ego is flexed enough."
He breezed through the exam, pausing only to doodle a cake on the margin of one page. When the final bell rang, students groaned and slumped in relief. Kai stood, stretched lazily, and sauntered out as if the test had been a warm-up jog.
"Exams completed," Ava noted. "Academic requirements fulfilled. Congratulations."
Kai popped a caramel candy into his mouth. "Finally. School's done. Time to start the next course of my life."
Graduation Day
The gym was sweltering, packed with students in gowns, parents waving phones, and teachers who looked far too proud for having survived a year of chaos. A podium stood at the front, draped in banners that read Congratulations Class of 20XX!
Kai sat in his row, shades still on, gown draped loosely over his lanky frame. He tapped his foot, bored already.
"Statistically," Ava murmured in his ear, "graduation ceremonies last ninety minutes. You will survive."
"Barely," Kai muttered. "I've survived cursed energy explosions, and this feels worse."
The principal droned about bright futures. Students fidgeted. Someone's hat fell off. When the names were finally called, applause erupted each time.
"Gojo, Satoru."
A ripple of whispers cut through the crowd. Kai rose, hands in his gown pockets, and strolled across the stage with the casual swagger of someone untouchable. He accepted his diploma with a lazy two-finger salute. Laughter broke out among his classmates.
"Matrix graduated!" someone yelled from the bleachers.
Kai grinned, unbothered.
After the Ceremony
Back at his apartment — his real apartment, spacious and sunlit, with a kitchen he adored — he tossed the diploma onto the counter and peeled off the gown. It landed in a heap on the couch.
He pulled a strawberry daifuku from the fridge, bit into it, and sighed happily.
"Well, Ava. That's that. School's over. Now what?"
"University," Ava said matter-of-factly. "You could attend any program. Business, engineering, literature. You have the money, the connections, the intellect."
Kai chewed thoughtfully, then shook his head. "Nah. I don't want a normal campus life. Too many people. Too many questions. I need flexibility."
"Then what?"
He grinned. "Culinary arts. Online. I want to learn properly. Bake. Cook. One day… open my own shop."
Ava was quiet for a moment. Then: "There are accredited online universities offering full culinary degrees. Flexible schedules. It would allow you to study while maintaining… other pursuits."
Kai popped another sweet into his mouth. "Hero work."
"Yes."
The Decision
He leaned back against the counter, arms crossed, mind replaying the years of small saves — the subway mugger, the alley thug, the wallet thief. Each time he had acted casually, almost carelessly. Just a kid helping when he happened to be nearby.
But the buzz in his chest had grown louder with each intervention. It wasn't enough anymore.
"I'm done waiting," he said softly. "Time to step it up."
He walked to the closet, pulled out the black JJK-style uniform folded neatly inside, and held it up. The fabric shimmered faintly with enchantments Ava had woven in.
"The optics-scrambling enchantments are stable," she explained. "No camera, drone, or satellite will capture your face. The hair-shift is reliable — from white to black instantly. In this, you are untraceable."
Kai tied the blindfold around his eyes. The mirror showed someone else — taller, darker, faceless and untouchable. His hair turned jet black, his aura sharper. He looked like a hero.
He smirked. "Now this is a vibe."
Hero and Chef
That night, enrollment confirmation pinged his phone: Culinary Arts Online University. Flexible. Accredited. Enrolled.
Kai sat on his balcony, city lights flickering like constellations below him. He balanced a slice of cheesecake in one hand, his phone in the other.
"Alright," he said. "Plan's simple. Cakes by day, heroics by night. Study while I save people. Feed the city in more ways than one."
"You are aware most people choose either chef or hero, not both?" Ava asked.
"Yeah, but most people aren't The Honored One." He bit into the cheesecake and licked his fork clean.
Ava hummed. "You will be busy. But… balanced."
Kai grinned. "Balanced diet. Sweets and justice."
Ending – The Honored One Steps Forward
The wind tugged at his blindfold as he stood on the balcony, city humming below. His new life was beginning: not just as an anonymous author or a student, not just as the sweet-tooth kid who stumbled into fights.
But as a hero.
The Honored One always delivered.
And now, he'd deliver hope, too.