BL Library - Eve’s Faves

Manga Review | The Man in the Mirror by Eight Hisamatsu

Title: The Man in the Mirror

Artist(s): Yukibayashi

Sal is the next head of the Senba clan. The family is well-known for their talents in Ikebana, the art of flower arrangement. Every year, the Senba clan takes part in a competition where they display their art and always come out with high praise. It's Sal's turn to participate, and his victory will mark his official takeover as head of the Senba clan. While Sal loves flowers and enjoys arranging them, the pressure from his father is almost too much to bear, and his arrangements are suffering as a result.

While in his workroom, he is stressed out and puts his hand against a floor-length mirror in the room. To his surprise, the mirror's surface gives way beneath his touch, and when he completely passes through, he finds himself in an entirely new place. It's full of beautiful, and in some cases tropical, flowers, but the most beautiful thing by far is the man standing among the blooms. He is the prince of the country Sal finds himself in, and before he can learn who the prince is, he is told of a cultural custom: if they share each other's names, they will be officially engaged.

Sal and Prince Shaal come up with nicknames for each other and go back and forth to each other's countries through the mirror. Shaal gives Sal the thing he was missing for his work: inspiration. More than that, Prince Shaal stirs something else in Sal. Could this be love?

Title: Married to the Dragon God

Author(s): Shogo Ikegami

Artist(s): Shogo Ikegami

Tsuwabuki, the illegitimate child of the head of the wolf family to a lion-dog mistress mother, is a lion-dog. His life as a young child starts out well enough with the protection of his mother, but when she dies, his worth to the family severely declines. Though he's related to the legitimate children of the family head, he is treated just like any other servant, except by his half-sister, who bullies him incessantly just because she can. Tsuwabuki does his best to ignore her taunts, serving the wolf family as best he can while honoring the god of the mountain they live on, just as his mother taught him when he was a small child. He's perfectly content with his life, though he secretly longs for a bit more freedom and the affection he lost when his mother passed.

The members of the wolf family are considered the divine messengers of god, so it only makes sense that they are called upon to offer a bride to the god in order to heal him of his impurities. The god specifically requests the youngest child, who happens to be Tsuwabuki's cruel older sister. She doesn't want to marry the god and is disgusted by the idea of having to cleanse the impure god, as it requires having sex. Instead, she demands that they offer Tsuwabuki, as he is also a child of the wolf family. Without a word, Tsuwabuki accepts his new role.

After being taken underwater, a gateway to where the mountain god Shuro resides, Tsuwabuki is married and bedded. Though Tsuwabuki doesn't feel worthy of being Shuro's bride, Shuro assures him that no one else could be worthy enough to be by his side. Still, Tsuwabuki is sure that there is a better bride for Shuro. As it happens, his elder sister is sacrificed to marry Shuro after the wolf family is destroyed. Tsuwabuki is sure his sister would be better for Shuro, but deep inside, Tsuwabuki loves Shuro and wants him all to himself.

Does Shuro really need Tsuwabuki? And even if he doesn't, can Tsuwabuki let Shuro go?

Title: My X Report

Author(s): Golden Egg

Artist(s): Golden Egg

Seon Seorim got a job working under the prolific Professor Jin. Unfortunately, while on the job, Seorim pressed a button that caused an expensive piece of equipment to explode, leaving nothing of it behind. Seorim thinks the worst thing to happen to him will be getting fired, but then Professor Jin drops a bomb on him: he has to pay Professor Jin back for the damages. The piece of equipment that was destroyed is almost priceless and will undoubtedly bankrupt Seorim. However, Professor Jin has an alternative solution: get hired by Professor Jin's rival, Gong Woon, and steal and sabotage as Professor Jin commands.

With no other choice, Seorim does as he's told and is hired on as an assistant to Professor Gong. While Seorim feels guilty and nervous, he's ecstatic about this opportunity as Professor Gong is touted as a genius and one of the greatest innovators of the time. Seorim is looking forward to seeing what Professor Gong is working on until he sees the storage room packed full of unique sex toys. Surely this is a mistake, right?

Not at all. As it turns out, there is a lucrative market for sex toys, and Professor Gong is all too happy to capitalize on it. The only problem is he needs someone to test them, and who is better than his new assistant? Maybe this plan of espionage is a bit more than Seorim anticipated.

Title: My Dearest Cop (Renta!) | My Dearest Patrolman (SuBLime)

Author(s): Niyama

Artist(s): Niyama

Seiji is living his best life, relaxing and lazing about with his pet cat while watching over his family's shop. As a former police officer, this is a much easier life than he had before, and he has no problem living it to the best of his ability. A nice reminder of his more active life comes around occasionally in the form of a current officer, Shin. As it turns out, Shin is a former rough-and-tumble teen from Seiji's old beat. They had many encounters, with Seiji lightheartedly trying to coax Shin back on the right path, acting more as a friend than an authority figure.

Shin appreciated the company, having had a rough relationship with his father at home and very few friends otherwise. This odd relationship came to a head, though, when during an encounter on the street, Shin was going to be bludgeoned with a glass bottle until Seiji got in the way, taking the hit instead and, in turn, scaring off the assailants. At that moment, Shin decided to become a cop so he could pay back Seiji and protect him. More importantly, this is where Shin officially falls in love with Seiji, a love he carries even into adulthood.

Shin resigns himself to this unrequited love. That is until Seiji makes an offhand comment that he should try dating men, bemoaning his current bachelor lifestyle. With his impossible love now a possibility, Shin makes it his mission to make Seiji fall in love with him. Can Shin woo the laissez-faire Seiji, or will Seiji brush him off as a kidding young man?

Title: December Rain

Author(s): Kimon

Artist(s): Kimon

Suchae has just finished his required military service. Rather than going home to rest and plan his future, he hits the road to travel with no destination in sight. While at a bus terminal, in the public bathrooms, he hears a fellow traveler pleasuring himself in the stall next door. Though disgusted, when he sees the man on the bus, he finds that the stranger is exactly his type. Not that that means much since the moment Suchae gets off the bus, they will probably never see each other again.

Suchae heads to the nearest village, seeking a room, only to find the one place renting rooms is housed by an older woman who has dementia and cannot rent any longer. Suchae is just about to head to the next village when the older woman mistakes him for her grandson and demands that he stay with her. Though Suchae tries to explain that he isn't who she thinks he is, he finds that the woman could benefit from him being around and slips into the role of her grandson while helping ensure that she is being looked after. While picking up some things from the market, Suchae happens upon a person passed out on the ground. To his surprise, it is the stranger from the bus. He takes the stranger back to his grandma's house, where he nurses him back to health.

The stranger's name is Gusam. He's homeless and on the run, having woken up some time ago to find himself and the room covered in blood. He supposedly murdered someone after blacking out, and his only option was to run away. Unfortunately, he was caught on CCTV, and he has the police on the hunt for the mysterious killer. Gusam is desperate to get away, even from the warmth and kindness given to him by Suchae and his grandma, but after some intimate nights with Suchae, Gusam finds himself unwilling to part with him. Can these two find happiness despite the hopeless circumstances around them? Or are they destined for tragedy?

Title: Love for Sale

Author(s): Dal HyeonJi

Artist(s): Dal HyeonJi

Namwoo is struggling. He's broke 90% of the time, working all day every day when he isn't in class, and trying to keep it all under wraps from his sister, who desperately wants to help, but who he doesn't want to burden if he can help it. So he suffers in silence, living day by day as best he can on convenience store food in his shoebox apartment. The silence doesn't last for long, though, when all of his stress and desperation come to a head after a night of drinking. While trying to treat his coworker to a coffee for covering for him at work, he can't even afford the coffee. He breaks down right on the spot, crying and wailing no matter who might hear.

As it happens, a kind older man passes by, helps pay for Namwoo's goods, and tries to slip away, only for a drunken Namwoo to follow him out. That man feels compelled to help Namwoo get home, but in Namwoo's drunken stupor, he demands money from the older man. The man placates Namwoo, withdrawing that money, which is hardly enough to cover a month of Namwoo's expenses, and Namwoo, forgetting he had even asked for it, assumes that the man is giving him money for sex. So the moment they get back to Namwoo's apartment, he jumps on the man.

The following day, horrified by his actions and the fact that he's essentially stolen money from a stranger, Namwoo is prepared to go to jail when he meets the stranger. As it turns out, the man is Si-eon, CEO of a publishing company, and rather than being disturbed or offended by Namwoo's drunken antics, he's intrigued. Still, Namwoo wants to pay the man back, but Si-eon refuses, offering a different solution. Si-eon wants to date Namwoo and shower him with all the money he can desire.

Title: Surge Towards You

Author(s): Cheongyeon

Artist(s): Cheongyeon

Cheong-ho is a prolific athlete. He's an Olympic-grade swimmer, but his position is constantly questioned with his diminishing records. His condition would be better as an alpha if he would have sex with an omega, but his fear and repulsion toward omega pheromones make it impossible. Due to a traumatic event in his childhood, Cheong-ho can't stand being around omegas, which is part of why he loves to swim because they can't trigger him in the water. With suppressants, he can achieve his goal of being a professional swimmer, but with them being banned as performance enhancers and considered doping, Cheong-ho's future in the sport is bleak.

At the end of his rope, he tries exposure therapy to overcome his repulsion. While in a park, he encounters someone hanging out on a bridge. The person looks unwell, which leads to them passing out and falling into the water below. Without hesitation, Cheong-ho jumps in to rescue them, but upon pulling them out of the water, he discovers that it is an omega in heat. Strangely enough, he isn't put off by them, but the reason is even stranger still: they're odorless. The person he rescued is Olympic figure skater Yi-rim, a “defective” omega with odorless pheromones.

Yi-rim has never been able to attract an alpha since no one can smell his scent, and, as such, he assumed his life would be lonely until he met Cheong-ho. Cheong-ho needs Yi-rim, and Yi-rim will give anything to be with Cheong-ho, even at the risk of his heart.

Title: DEAR. DOOR

Author(s): Pluto

Artist(s): Pluto

Kyungjoon is struggling. He's doing everything he can to keep it together while out on the beat as a police officer, but the moment he gets back to his empty apartment, he's forced to remember that his girlfriend and fiance have died. He spends evenings mourning her death while recreating moments of their life together and tending to the plants she left behind. Kyungjoon is stuck, with no sign of moving forward, not that he even wants to, to begin with. Thankfully, the rising threat of a cult keeps him busy, but the nights are still lonely.

He's at home alone, as always, when something comes flying in from the balcony, breaking into his apartment. Rather than fearing for his safety, he's more worried about the plants that have been destroyed. He can't focus on this new loss for long, though, as a strange, humanoid, demonic creature appears before him alongside another demon. They're discussing all kinds of things like “doors,” “mana,” and “war,” but none of it makes any sense to Kyungjoon. Then, before he can even begin to wrap his head around this chaotic scenario, Kyungjoon feels immense pain, so strong he feels that he's ripped apart from the inside out.

As it turns out, he has become the door for the king of the western faction of hell, Cain. What does it mean to be a door? He is the way the demon king can go to hell and back to the earthly realm. Cain can open the door with a spell, which is the terrible pain Kyungjoon was subjected to. Or, he can use much more… pleasurable methods. Will Kyungjoon be able to maintain his dignity and sanity amid this civil war in hell, or will he meet the fate of every cultist that has been a door thus far and die?

Title: Pian Pian

Author(s): HAESIN

Artist(s): HAESIN

This occurs in the nameverse, where individuals eventually manifest their soulmate's initials somewhere on their bodies. If the two ever meet and consummate their connection, they will be bound to each other forever, unable to be with anyone else for the remainder of their lives. The connection is so deep that being separated from your soulmate can cause irreparable health issues. This is a scary but romantic notion that Suha wants to live for himself desperately.

It's especially important to Suha, as he has saved himself for his soulmate since their initials manifested on his body as “GHB.” Most people get the initials on a normal body part, like their arms or legs. Maybe even their back. Suha, however, has his in a particularly unique and embarrassing spot: his genitals. That made the intensity of his need for his soulmate all the more vital, hoping that one day he'd be able to give his first time to his soulmate and have them be the first person to see their initials on his body.

While Suha's dream has always been to be with his soulmate, after seeing Chef Calix online, he also wants to become a chef. He feels so strongly about this dream, particularly about Calix, that he goes right to the restaurant where Calix works so he can learn under his tutelage. Working with Calix is just as amazing as Suha imagined, but it has an odd side effect. For some reason, Suha can't stop having wet dreams with Calix as the star of the show. As a result, working alongside the chef has been awkward, to say the least, and with Suha always imagining himself with a woman, it's even stranger that he would be so drawn to Calix like this. Can Suha refrain from giving into his lust, or will he forgo his promise to his unknown soulmate and pursue Calix instead?

Title: PAID

Author(s): Fujoking

Artist(s): Fujoking

Heejae is known as the conglomerate prince. He is part of the Jinhwa group, founded and controlled by his family, the Yeon family. His elder brother, Heekyum, is a chairman, and Heejae is a board member. For most people in Heejae's position, this would afford him all manner of luxuries. However, while he does have the title and the money, he isn't nearly as well-off as one would assume he should be as a person of his standing, living in a studio apartment and being left out of most significant decisions regarding the company. But Heejae doesn't care all that much, just happy to live his life the way he wants… as much as he can under his brother's thumb, that is.

Unfortunately, Heejae isn't the brightest bulb in the box, and when his closest friend and secretary, Haeju, mentions a chance to get back at Heekyum by embezzling one million won, Heejae is more than happy to go along with it. Unfortunately, they don't consider the bag with their contract and ledger, all with the evidence of their embezzlement inside accidentally getting swapped with someone else's on public transportation. Thankfully, the bag was taken by a regular guy, Taekyung, who would probably have no idea what he had.

Paranoid and desperate to keep himself safe, Heejae decides to tail Taekyung, but when he is inevitably caught, his only excuse is that he is attracted to Taekyung. Thankfully, Taekyung is happy to go along with Heejae's whims, and to keep Taekyung close, Heejae asks him to move in with him. With Taekyung agreeing, Heejae assumes everything is in his control. Unfortunately, he doesn't anticipate Taekyung wanting to consummate their new relationship, and if Heejae wants to stay under the radar, he will have to go along with everything. Everything.

Eve’s Faves

Manhwa Review | My X Report by Golden Egg

Manga Review | My Dearest Cop by Niyama

Manhwa Review | December Rain by Kimon

Manhwa Review | Surge Towards You by Cheongyeon

Manhwa Review | Pian Pian by HAESIN

Manhwa Review | PAID by Fujoking

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