BL Library - Childhood Friends

Manga Review | Re:BIRTH by Asou Mitsuaki

A Loving Alpha and Cold… Omega? Also, Murder.

Title: Re:BIRTH

Author(s): Asou Mitsuaki

Artist(s): Asou Mitsuaki

While Hunting a Serial Killer, Childhood Friends Kiss

Title: Park Hanhoo's Manager

Author(s): KIM TAC

Artist(s): KIM TAC

Title: Hitorijime Boyfriend

Author(s): Memeco Arii

Artist(s): Memeco Arii

Kensuke Oshiba has a problem. His high school life has been relatively peaceful despite being haunted by a painful event in his past when his best friend left him behind to attend a different middle school. He’s thankfully made friends since then, but that sad memory comes back to the forefront of his mind when that friend, Asaya Hasekura, suddenly transfers to his high school. He’s no longer that little boy Kensuke played with in elementary school. He’s now a handsome young man, taller than Kensuke, and he’s the talk of the school. Kensuke intends to just ignore Hasekura, but then they end up in the same class. Could things get any worse?

Thankfully, Hasekura seems ready to bury the hatchet, which Kensuke is all too happy to do. With their friendship rekindled, Kensuke’s life is back on track. But little does Kensuke know that Hasekura has no intentions of staying just friends.

Title: Recipe For Disaster (Lezhin) | Curious Recipe (TappyToon)

Author(s): COM

Artist(s): COM

Taesoo is a college student. His life isn’t exactly what he expected it would be, but it’s not too bad. He enjoys time with his friends, runs the taekwondo club, and makes the best out of everything. However, things get a bit more complicated when a new neighbor moves in. The man is very extroverted, which already turns Taesoo off, but somehow, this man knows Taesoo’s name. As it turns out, this stranger isn’t a stranger at all. It’s his childhood friend, Junghyuk, who used to be a chubby, bullied boy that Taesoo spent much of his time protecting.

Junghyuk is unrecognizable. He’s buff and unnervingly handsome. But more important than all of that, he bakes. Taesoo has an unquenchable sweet tooth, and while he’s a bit disturbed by how touchy-feely Junghyuk is, he craves more of those sweet treats Junghyuk makes. But while Taesoo is dealing with the obsessive man in front of him, another more obsessive man lurks in the background, waiting to strike.

Title: OmegaComplex

Author(s): GHOST (Manhwa), Oneulbom

Artist(s): HAGONG

Yoonwoo Lee is your average, run-of-the-mill, beta college student… or so he’s made everyone believe. Yoonwoo is actually an omega, and though there’s nothing wrong with being an omega, Yoonwoo’s first love and childhood friend, Taegyeom, was once assaulted by an omega during their time in grade school. As such, he ended up with an intense hatred for omegas. Thankfully, in their youth, Yoonwoo hadn’t manifested yet, and he could be there for Taegyeom. But it wasn’t long after that he ultimately manifested as an omega, and Yoonwoo made the painful decision to leave Taegyeom behind, pretending to be a beta so he never had to see Taegyeom hate him for something he couldn’t control.

It’s been years since they ran into one another, though not without great effort on Yoonwoo’s side. Though they go to the same university, they’ve never met, as Yoonwoo even decided on a different major to ensure they never encountered one another. Unfortunately, despite Yoonwoo’s careful planning, Taegyeom’s department also shows up during a department meetup. Thankfully, Yoonwoo has done some additional planning. To hide his pheromones, he smokes pheromone cigarettes, which are made for betas who want to put out pheromones like alphas and omegas. This does seem to fool Taegyeom, but for how long? It seems Taegyeom has no intention of letting Yoonwoo escape him again.

However, while Yoonwoo’s cigarettes might fool Taegyeom, they haven’t fooled Yoonwoo’s hoobae Dohyun, another alpha. Thankfully, Dohyun is willing to keep Yoonwoo’s secret, but he wants Yoonwoo just as much as Taegyeom. Pitted between two alphas, can Yoonwoo keep his identity a secret? Or will he succumb to all the alpha pheromones surrounding him?

Title: Lover Boy

Author(s): ZEC

Artist(s): ZEC

Eunho has loved Jaeha since he was a child. They’ve known each other for the majority of Eunho’s life, but Jaeha, being so much older, moves forward in life, leaving Eunho behind. Yet, no matter how far Jaeha goes, he always seems to find his way back to Eunho. Unfortunately, that changes when Jaeha announces he’s getting married. As much as Eunho loves Jaeha, he accepts that they will never be together in the way he wants. So, he swallows his love and sadness and congratulates Jaeha.

Years later, Eunho is now in college, and though he’s dated someone else, he still longs for the love that could never be with his childhood friend, Jaeha. By seemingly fate, they happen to run into each other. Jaeha is now running his own art studio, providing classes open to the public. But more importantly, he’s now divorced. Eunho had to let Jaeha go before, but with this new opportunity before him, he has no intention of letting Jaeha pass him by. Jaeha, however, has had a turbulent past, and though he cares for Eunho, that care and love he has makes him afraid.

He’s afraid of hurting the one most precious to him. Will Jaeha be able to find happiness? And can Eunho break through the cold walls Jaeha has built around himself?

Title: Smoky Nectar

Author(s): Akira Minazuki

Artist(s): Akira Minazuki

Mitsuru has been friends with Annaka (nicknamed Anna) since they were in preschool, and though their lives have gone in entirely different directions, they remain close. Anna has become a successful real estate agent, while Mitsuru is often in the trenches as a field journalist, reporting on various local news. Mitsuru is currently on a story that leans toward the supernatural. Still, he’s determined to find the truth, whether based on reality or something harkening back to human imagination. A local woman was recently found dead, her blood completely clotted, and with two suspicious bite marks on her neck. The killer is called “The Biter,” a rumored vampire.

Mitsuru is actively seeking the killer, and as usual, he reaches out to Anna, who has a multitude of connections, looking for some information. Anna doesn’t have much and spends most of the time insisting that Mitsuru stop inserting himself into such a dangerous scenario. What Mitsuru keeps to himself is that Anna is suspected of being “The Biter,” and while he is looking for additional information from Anna, he’s also hoping that he’ll be able to prove Anna’s innocence. Anna is his closest friend, and Mitsuru wants nothing more than to protect him the only way he can. But if Anna is “The Biter,” what would that mean for their relationship?

More importantly, is Mitsuru safe?

Title: Living With Him

Author(s): Toworu Miyata

Artist(s): Toworu Miyata

This review includes the bonus story Living With Him: Heating Up.

Ryota Natsukawa, now in college, is ready to start his new life of independence. Well, really, he’s always been independent. While his mother often worked, Ryota, the oldest child, took on many home responsibilities, including caring for his younger sister. This has inadvertently made him the ideal homemaker, and while he doesn’t have a problem taking care of the house and others around him, he’s ready to focus on himself. Unfortunately, due to pressure from his mother, Ryota loses his chance to live alone and is forced to move in with his old childhood friend, Kazuhito Tanaka.

Ryota isn’t looking forward to caring for someone else again but quickly falls into his homemaker and parental role. As they interact with each other in close quarters, Ryota realizes that Kazuhito is more than capable of taking care of himself and seems to want to take care of Ryota. Maybe this living arrangement isn’t so bad? Even though Kazuhito is a great roommate and seemingly perfect in every way, he can’t seem to keep a girlfriend. Thankful for how great of a roommate Kazuhito is, Ryota offers to fake date him to identify the issue. As expected, Kazuhito is an excellent partner, and Ryota finds himself falling for him.

They’re great roommates. They’re great fake boyfriends. But what if they were real boyfriends?

Title: Let's Be a Family!!

Author(s): Tomo Kurahashi

Artist(s): Tomo Kurahashi

Chiaki and Kazuma have been friends with their mutual friend Tomoe since childhood. Tomoe is a photographer who travels around the world, often in warzones and dangerous locations, documenting happenings around the globe. That causes their trio to often be broken apart, though Chiaki and Kazuma, as a romantic couple, don’t mind waiting for her to return. They’re just trying to determine the next step in their relationship when Tomoe announces she’ll return to Japan. The two, excited to see their friend, go out to meet her. But what they find isn’t the Tomoe they said goodbye to before.

Tomoe is pregnant. She’s very pregnant.

Chiaki and Kazuma never expected their rambunctious friend to settle down with someone, much less have a child. As they pepper her with questions, she admits that she doesn’t know who her child’s father is, but she fully intends to raise her all the same. Chiaki and Kazuma are stunned but more than willing to support their friend on this new journey in life. The day comes when Tomoe gives birth to a little girl named Ayumi. To Chiaki and Kazuma’s relief, Tomoe settles well into motherhood, and the trio of friends are all happy with how their lives are going.

That is until Tomoe comes to them crying, begging that the couple take her one-year-old daughter and raise her so she can go back out into the field. Chiaki and Kazuma are once again surprised, but seeing their dear friend Tomoe and her young daughter, they can’t possibly say no. So begins a complete surprise for Chiaki and Kazuma. Not just as a couple but as fathers. Navigating a relationship is hard enough with two people, but what happens when you add a third?

Title: Knock on Wood

Author(s): Ga-myeong

Artist(s): Ga-myeong

Eunchae is as superstitious as they come. He wholeheartedly believes in horoscopes and fortune tellers, and when he’s offered a backscratcher made of the remnants of a tree that was struck by lightning multiple times for a premium price, he jumps at the chance. Because of the tree, the backscratcher has the power to knock away bad luck, and Eunchae plans to take full advantage. Apparently, the power of the backscratcher is made stronger when performed by someone with the word “tiger” in their name, which means his old childhood friend Jiho fits the bill.

Though hesitant, Jiho comes to Eunchae’s house and proceeds to hit him with the backscratcher. After a few days of this routine, Jiho becomes curious. He asks Eunchae to hit him with the backscratcher. Eunchae hits Jiho once, and surprisingly, Jiho moans. Thinking it was just a one-off, Eunchae hits him again, and Jiho moans. But Jiho isn’t the only one reacting. As Eunchae hits Jiho and he listens to his moans, Eunchae finds himself aroused. What new kinks is this situation creating for these college friends?

Childhood Friends

Manga Review | Re:BIRTH by Asou Mitsuaki

A Loving Alpha and Cold… Omega? Also, Murder.

Manga Review | Hitorijime Boyfriend by Memeco Arii

Manhwa Review | Recipe For Disaster by COM

Manhwa Review | OmegaComplex by Oneulbom

Manhwa Review | Lover Boy by ZEC

Manga Review | Living With Him by Toworu Miyata

Manga Review | Let’s Be a Family!! by Tomo Kurahashi

Manhwa Review | Knock on Wood by Ga-myeong

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