04 FGO Friend Group
Komachi opened the chat group on her phone and sent a message.
Yuuki Ao-chan: "Everyone! This is my friend's account: 'I'm not an Eggplant.' Please, everyone, add them as a friend—it's like helping a newbie."
Flash Rapier Wielder: "Welcome, newcomer."
All the Little Sisters in the World Come from My Treasury: "Hahaha, since you're Ao-chan's little sister's friend, you're my little sister too!"
Snow Meow Who Loves Mr. Pan: "Got it. Added."
Sable, Don't Run Off!: "Not an Eggplant? What kind of kid is this? I'm really curious now."
"So now Onii-chan (big brother) can play games with cute girls every day! Isn't that great? Komachi really is amazing!" Komachi praised herself with a laugh.
"No! I've heard that nowadays, people on the internet who talk with 'nya~,' 'wan~,' or weird catchphrases are often just fat old guys pretending to be girls. Komachi, you need to be careful not to get tricked," Shirou warned while waving his hands.
"You're such a nag, like a grandpa! Hurry up and log in, I'll pull you into the group." Komachi urged.
"Fine, fine, I'll just join the group, right?" Shirou entered his account and logged into the chat app. His username displayed as: 'Emiya.'
A new message popped up on the app: Yuuki Ao-chan (Komachi) invites you to join the chat group 'Please Play FGO With Me.'
He clicked 'Accept.'
"Dinner's almost ready. I'll go stir-fry some greens, and then we'll eat," Shirou instructed.
"Got it! In the meantime, I'll help Onii-chan grind levels!" Komachi laughed, holding two smartphones.
"No, I meant help with dinner... never mind." Shirou gave up on his game-addicted sister and returned to the kitchen to finish preparing the meal.
At the gas stove, one pot steamed with a hot eggplant stew.
Another large pot simmered over low heat, cooking a small bowl inside via a water bath.
Four servings total—for him, Komachi, and their parents who often worked late.
Even though they usually ate out, coming home to a warm, easy-to-digest soup was still nice. Since cooking was one of his only skills, Shirou made an effort to comfort his hard-working parents in this small way.
Wearing heat-resistant gloves with a Taiji symbol, Shirou removed the finished eggplant pot, replaced it with a wok, and began cooking.
He finely shredded cabbage, waited for the pan to smoke, poured in olive oil, added minced garlic for aroma, and then stir-fried the cabbage, finishing with seasoning. Dinner was done.
Since it was just the two of them, he didn't bother plating separately—just one big bowl for the stir-fried veggies and a large bowl for the eggplant stew.
They'd shared chopsticks when they were younger, so using the same dishes wasn't an issue. In fact, Komachi found it more lively to eat this way. Stealing meat that her brother just picked up and shoving it in her mouth like a predator—such a thrill she couldn't resist.
As Shirou placed the food on the tray and brought it to the table, a mouthwatering aroma filled the room. The golden eggplant and tofu glistened, decorated with red peppers and green-white scallions—beautiful and appetizing.
This meal was carefully balanced for nutrition. Shirou preferred Chinese and Japanese dishes to Western meat-heavy meals.
For adults, lighter meals might be healthier. But for growing kids, high-protein, calcium-rich dishes were better. Plus, there's real joy in eating well-seasoned, flavorful food.
"Komachi, dinner's ready," Shirou called out. If she didn't come, the whole point of cooking disappeared.
Cooks fall into two types: those who cook for themselves, and those who cook for others. Shirou was the latter.
And among those who cook for others, there are two types: those who want praise, like professional chefs, and those who want to see people smile, like family who know your taste by heart. Shirou was again the latter.
"Coming! As expected of Onii-chan. With this talent, you should have no trouble getting a girlfriend, yet you're still single—so strange!" Komachi praised.
"Thanks for the concern. Also, it's rude to play with your phone during meals," Shirou reminded.
Shirou couldn't help but think of the black-haired, twin-tailed girl from his past life who had once been his fiancée, and the purple-haired junior who had stayed behind in Fuyuki, waiting for him.
"Okay okay, but let me take a picture first to brag a little. Onii-chan's cooking is really amazing—not just tasty and aromatic, but also pretty!" Komachi said, happily rushing over.
"It's nothing fancy. This is just the basics of Japanese cuisine—color, aroma, and taste." Shirou scooped rice into bowls, packing them full.
Komachi took out her pink phone and snapped a picture of the dishes, then sent it.
Soon, message notifications rang from the group. Shirou checked his own phone.
Yuuki Ao-chan: "This is my big brother's homemade love-filled meal!"
UMR: "Oooh! Ao-chan, that's awesome! My Onii-chan is good at cooking too!"
Dancing While Doing Laundry: "My Onii-chan always delivers food to my room."
Angel Who Saves the World With Microtransactions: "Tch, who needs food?! Cup noodles, chips, and soda are enough!"
Goal: Demon Honor Student: "Looks delicious! I want to learn Japanese cooking too. Also, to the one above—your life sounds miserable. Don't forget to come to school tomorrow!"
Strongest Evil Super Invincible: "Wahahaha! That red touch is great—I, the great demon Satanichia, love it!"
Emiya: "Thank you for the compliments."
Sakura Little Lamb: "Wow! Onii-chan himself appeared!"
All the Little Sisters in the World Come from My Treasury: "Tch! So he's a guy! So jealous! I want a cute little sister like Ao-chan too!"
Sable, Don't Run Off!: "Ah, so Ao-chan's 'friend' is her brother. That username—what does it have to do with eggplants? Snow Meow? You there? Or did you go study?"
Sakura Little Lamb: "Your Onii-chan is so good at cooking—is he a pro? Can I ask him for recipes?"
Goal: Demon Honor Student: "Really? I want to learn too!"
Emiya: "Of course. I only cook at home, but I'm fairly confident in both Western and Chinese cuisine. If you have any questions, feel free to ask."
Sakura Little Lamb: "You're amazing and so thoughtful! Not a pro? Then maybe a college student? What school?"
Goal: Demon Honor Student: "Thanks, Onii-chan. I'll come to you when I have problems."
Flash Rapier Wielder: "I'm also somewhat confident in my cooking, though not as well-rounded as Emiya-kun. Let's share tips sometime."
Emiya: "Sure. And since I'm new to the game, please take care of me."
Yuuki Ao-chan: "Yup yup! Not only is Onii-chan great at cooking, he can do all kinds of housework, and he looks good too. Everyone, please be nice to him."
All the Little Sisters in the World Come from My Treasury: "I want to swap out my useless brother for a cute little sister instead. So jealous! Ao-chan the bro-con is adorable too!"
UMR: "My Onii-chan is already working. He's always working overtime and never plays with me."
Sakura Little Lamb: "Wait… Is this really okay? Ao-chan, are you a bro-con?"
Yuuki Ao-chan: "No way! Bro-cons are the ones who want to marry their brothers, right?
Don't lump me in with them! Rather than say I like Onii-chan like a bro-con… I love Onii-chan! Not 'like'—love! I've been working so hard to find a girlfriend for him, so if any of you are interested, feel free to message him privately—use him as much as you want!"
... ... ...
Emiya: "Komachi… I'm really touched, but do you realize you just said something even more embarrassing than a bro-con?"
In real life, Shirou got a kick under the table from Komachi, who had her head ducked in shame.
All the Little Sisters in the World Come from My Treasury: "Ahem... By the way, has anyone considered meeting in real life? Since we all live around the Tokyo metro area, we might even be close or know each other already."
Dancing While Doing Laundry: "Probably not for me. I don't think I'd recognize anyone."
Flash Rapier Wielder: "It's fine if we don't meet. We're already having fun chatting like this."
Yuuki Ao-chan: "Exactly! Having fun is the most important thing!"
Sable, Don't Run Off!: "Yeah! Chatting and grinding games together is fun enough."
Angel Who Saves the World With Microtransactions: "Exactly. Going outside is such a pain. If only we could jump out of the screen, then maybe I'd consider meeting."
All the Little Sisters in the World Come from My Treasury: "You're right. If fate allows, we'll meet one day. But Ao-chan, do give my suggestion a little thought, okay?"
Yuuki Ao-chan: "I'll pass. But my Onii-chan is always free to be called out! Anyway, I'm going to eat now!"
Sakura Little Lamb: "Okay! Bye, Onii-chan! Bye, Ao-chan!"
Goal: Demon Honor Student: "I'm logging off too. Bye, Onii-chan. Bye, everyone."
Komachi set her phone down, grinned at her brother, and teased him: "Hehe, isn't that nice? Onii-chan's already getting along with cute girls. Now Mom and I don't have to worry about you so much."
"No… While there are some good kids, most of them are probably just online personas. In reality, they might not even be human," Shirou joked back.