I have a secret that almost no one knows.
A secret I never wanted anyone to see. If it ever got out, I'd probably run off into the mountains and live there forever.I'm… a weeb.
…Well, I'm not that type of guy who plasters anime posters all over his room, or sleeps at night hugging a body pillow of his waifu.I just watch anime, read manga, and secretly hoard a ridiculous pile of volumes hidden away in my room. That's all. Just that simple. — A secret weeb, I guess?
Maybe only two people in this world know about my secret — my cousin brothers.
That day, my older cousin had just gotten back from work and was giving our younger cousin a ride home from school. On the way, they stopped by my house to see our grandfather. My older cousin was all hyped up about bragging that he'd started making money and had even traveled abroad.
Like a pair of ninjas — or maybe because I was too absorbed in reading manga on my bed to notice there were guests — they somehow snuck upstairs without making a sound. And, just as fate would have it, they barged into my room and caught me red-handed.
They saw what I was holding. Their eyes widened. Then, with a smirk, my older cousin pointed at the manga in my hands and said in a mocking tone:"Ah-ha! You're done for. I've found your little secret. I'm telling your mom you're the Ultimate Weeb."
The younger one, of course, jumped in for no reason other than to add fuel to the fire."I'm telling Auntie Tuna! You read manga!"
*Cousin #1 – Greya Corne: 23 years old, just finished college, currently job hunting.* *Cousin #2 – Heri Corne: 16 years old, a sophomore in high school, same school as me but we rarely meet.*
I froze in shock. My heart nearly leapt out of my chest as embarrassment flooded through me. Panicking, I hastily shoved the manga under my pillow, my face heating up. I couldn't believe it — my secret exposed by these two! My brain scrambled for an excuse, any excuse. "T-That's not what it looks like… I was just, you know, reading for fun!"
After a while, my older cousin casually plopped himself down on my computer chair, spinning around lazily as if to lighten the awkward mood. Meanwhile, the younger one sat at the edge of my bed, watching silently. Then, out of nowhere, my older cousin burst into laughter and said cheerfully: "Why hide it? I already know what my quiet little cousin is into! I'm an anime fan too."
Both me and Heri's jaws dropped. "Huh!?"
He reached into his backpack and pulled something out — a keychain. Not just any keychain, but an anime character keychain. A limited edition one at that. He dangled it in front of me proudly. "See? Took me forever to get this one. And that manga you just shoved under your pillow? Please. I've already read the whole series. Not really my type, though."
My mind went blank. A chill ran down my spine. No way… This guy — who's always too busy with work, too busy to even call family — is also… an anime fan!?
He burst out laughing again. "What's with that face? You thought you were the only one?"
I sat in silence for a moment, then awkwardly forced a laugh. Strangely enough, the suffocating embarrassment I felt earlier slowly melted away. His words somehow made me feel… lighter. So, I wasn't the only one after all.
He stopped spinning the chair and leaned forward, his voice suddenly serious. "If you love anime that much, why not try making your own manga someday?"
I froze, caught off guard by the suggestion. Make my own manga? I wanted to, sure… but I couldn't draw, I wasn't talented, I wasn't professional. "Easier said than done. You think it's that simple?"
The younger one just sat quietly, watching us bounce words back and forth.
But Greya nodded firmly. "As long as you don't give up and keep trying."
In that moment, I realized — his words weren't teasing anymore. They were encouragement. Genuine encouragement. Maybe… being a "weeb" wasn't as shameful as I thought.
…But still. If a fourth person ever found out, I think I'd die of embarrassment on the spot.