BL Library - High School

Manhwa Review | Checkmate by TAN

Title: Checkmate

Author(s): TAN

Artist(s): TAN

Lee Soohyun’s life has been guided by one thing: his inferiority complex. But this inferiority really only took root when he was in high school. It was then his position as first in academics was shaken by Jung Eunsung. Suddenly, Soohyun goes from first to second, and when this only source of pride he has left is gone, he becomes nothing more than a pariah among his classmates, who incessantly pick on him for being a social outcast and the fallen first place. Soohyun has no choice but to focus all of his hate and sorrow on the source of all of his trouble: Eunsung.

For the remainder of their high school careers, Soohyun is in a one-sided rivalry with Eunsung, never once able to trump him. So, this grand rivalry ends with a whisper as the two graduate, attend different colleges, and presumably move along with their adult lives. But even after all this time, Eunsung is never far from Soohyun’s mind. So, when Eunsung suddenly makes headlines as an art thief, Soohyun drops everything to reconnect with his rival. He quits his job, gets one as a reporter, and starts hunting down Eunsung and how he fell so far. But Soohyun doesn’t plan on stopping there.

Soohyun wants to save Eunsung from all his problems, only so Soohyun can tear Eunsung down into the mud with him. But Soohyun soon finds out that the art world that Eunsung has been sucked into is much darker and more deplorable than Soohyun could have ever imagined. Will Soohyun even be able to keep himself safe?

Title: Park Hanhoo's Manager

Author(s): KIM TAC

Artist(s): KIM TAC

Baek Chansol has finally moved back to his home country. The only reason he left was because, as a teenager, the infamous serial killer August murdered everyone at his orphanage, leaving him as the sole survivor. Fearing August might return to finish the job, Chansol was carted out of the country. But Chansol didn’t spend that time hiding. He’s spent all of his time looking for information about August because he plans to get revenge for the family he destroyed, and now that he’s back in the country, his first step is to get a job at weapon manufacturer UM.

Why? Because there is an employee there that supposedly has been hunting for information on August, too, and Chansol wants to steal as much of that information as possible. But that isn’t the only mission Chansol has. Before Chansol had to escape the country, he had a friend named Park Hanhoo. Chansol promised Hanhoo he would be by his side forever, but he obviously had broken that promise. So, Chansol wants to find his one and only friend to finally make amends for this broken promise. While Chansol is determined to achieve both goals, his new boss at UM might make it rather difficult.

Han Yooem is violent and unrestrained. He happily confines people, is willing to stab someone on a whim, and even tests out UM weapons on random citizens. Plus, most of UM’s top clients are either the government or mafia members, so every day is a risk for Chansol. But maybe the strangest of all is Yooem’s weird obsession with Chansol. Everything seems to be a game to Yooem, and even when he’s aware of all of Chansol’s plans to steal and invade his privacy, Yooem only encourages him. Just what is Yooem up to? And will Chansol ever be able to find August and his friend?

Title: Can an Otaku Like Me Really Be an Idol!?

Author(s): Wacoco Waco

Artist(s): Wacoco Waco

Takumi Suzuki is living a double life. By day, he’s an idol otaku who keeps to himself at school. By night, he goes online as Rumepi, singing idol songs and sharing his love for idols. He never intended to pretend to be a girl online, but because of his small stature and high tone of voice, all of his viewers just assumed he was, and Takumi couldn’t bring himself to correct them. Takumi’s love of idols is very public, in more ways than one, but this obsession leaves him pretty lonely in class. While cleaning his classroom solo, Takumi puts up a desk, only to discover some idol merch left behind. It isn’t his desk, which means that someone else in the class is a secret idol fan like him.

Wondering who it is, it isn’t long before Takumi’s fellow idol fan’s identity is revealed as they rush back in to get their missing merch. It is none other than Misaki Hayakawa, one of the popular boys in his class and none other than Takumi’s crush. Takumi is ecstatic. He can’t control himself and ends up spewing all manner of questions and compliments regarding idols and the merch, but Misaki is not interested in fanboying over their shared love. Instead, Misaki wants Takumi’s deepest, darkest secret. Why? So he can blackmail Takumi with it and ensure his secret love of idols stays a secret.

Takumi is very open about most of his preferences, so Misaki decides to create something. Misaki takes Takumi home, forces him into some girl idol costumes, and then takes pictures. But once Misaki sees Takumi dressed as a girl, he is mildly attracted to him. Likewise, Takumi, dressed as a woman, alone with his crush, finds himself wanting to take Misaki right then and there. Just what is stirring between these two idol otaku?

Title: Love or Hate

Author(s): Youngha

Artist(s): Bakdam

Haesoo is in a rut. He used to be highly praised as a young writer, considered a prodigy, and expected to do amazing things even at a young age. But after some good progress with writing smutty stories in a column, his work has become stale, and his column is gone. Frustrated but unsure what to do, Haesoo works freelance for a gossip magazine. His professional life seems to mimic his personal one, too. He’s also in a relationship rut with none other than famous actor Choi Joowon. But to Haesoo, Joowon isn’t an actor: he’s his stepbrother and casual sex partner.

The two have gone from mortal enemies in their teens to each other’s firsts, only to become whatever this cold and casual situationship is as adults. Haesoo loves Joowon, but he hates him, too. He hates that Joowon is more successful than he is, that Joowon still has this hold on him, and that he won’t ever love him. Haesoo jumps from relationship to relationship, but in the end, he runs back to Joowon – or Joowon runs back to him. It’s a neverending cycle of pleasure and pain that Haesoo can’t see a way out of.

That is until he’s tasked with interviewing mysterious and provocative photographer K. K, whose real name is Song Taekyung, is strange. He stares at Haesoo as if he’s looking at something Haesoo wants to keep hidden. But there is a strange magnetism between the two of them that Haesoo just can’t seem to shake. Is the photographer Haesoo’s chance to break out of this rut, both professionally and personally? Or will his obsession with Joowon hold him back?

Title: Third Ending

Author(s): chovom

Artist(s): chovom

This review is for Third Ending, the all-ages main story, and Third Ending – Extended, the mature side story. The main story can be read without the extended content.

Yoonseul is being haunted. No, not by a ghost. His past is haunting him. Back in high school, Yoonseul was unnecessarily cruel to a fellow classmate, and ever since, the boy has haunted his dreams. It’s not every night, but on the nights the boy does show up, Yoonseul is cursed to have a bad day. Whether it’s something as small as spilling his coffee or even more major like having his work files deleted, the day is bound to go wrong when he sees that boy in his dreams.

As expected, after a night of haunting dreams, he spends the day fielding problem after problem, leading to Yoonseul working well into the night. But even when he’s done with work, it happens to be his turn to pick up sandwich bread for his siblings whom he lives with, so his night gets even longer as he goes out to shop. Almost every bakery nearby is closed already, but by chance, a bakery a few minutes away is on the cusp of closing for the day.

Relieved that the end of his day is finally in sight, Yoonseul goes in, grabs the first loaf of bread he sees, and then goes up to pay. But as he’s about to pull out his card, he finds the cashier staring at him. Yoonseul can’t begin to understand why until he realizes that the cashier is none other than Kang Jun, the boy, now a man, who haunts his dreams. Is this just one more curse from his dreams? Or is this the key to finally ending the nightmares for good? Yoonseul wants to know, but Kang Jun doesn’t seem at all interested in getting to know Yoonseul again.

Can Yoonseul win Kang Jun’s favor so he can finally apologize? Or is their past too painful to overcome?

Title: He Calls Me Every Night

Author(s): Bond Mitsuya

Artist(s): Bond Mitsuya

Sumito Tokitsu has returned to his rural hometown after being sent to his grandmother’s house to attend school while his father works back in the city. He isn’t excited or upset, having very little recollection of his time there, and his relationship with his parents is tenuous at best. But his relationship with his grandma is very close, and he’s glad to be doted on for a change. Unfortunately, his peaceful days are followed by less-than-peaceful nights. When he leaves his window open one night, he ends up with an uninvited guest. The guest doesn’t seem to want to steal or hurt Sumito, but he has an odd obsession with touching him instead. What’s even stranger is how much Sumito enjoys their nightly romps.

The village Sumito has returned to praise a being known as the crow demon. It’s a silly story that Sumito doesn’t put much stock in until he meets his nightly visitor at school. The stranger introduces himself as Gaku, the next head of the crow demons. Sumito quickly dismisses such a claim, even as Gaku shows off his wings. But after some magical nudging, Sumito has no choice but to accept that crow demons are real. However, what he can’t accept is that, by Gaku’s claim, Sumito is his fiancee. Sumito has no intention of marrying a strange demon, but as a love rival makes himself known, Sumito finds himself wanting to defend his unwanted position; all the while, his body reacts to Gaku like it knows something Sumito doesn’t.

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: You Just Can't Beat A Guy With A Double Face

Author(s): Saori Nobana

Artist(s): Saori Nobana

Kaname is your classic delinquent, and that’s precisely what he wants to be. Kaname was inspired by movies where men used their fists to protect others. That has set up his life on a trajectory of violence, but he sees it as a way to protect himself and those he holds dear with his fists, just like those he admired in those films. Unfortunately, he has yet to find someone worth protecting, and he’s constantly fighting with the school’s A+ student, Katagiri. It’s another day of arguing with the “perfect” student in class, leaving Kaname frustrated on his way home.

Unfortunately, Kaname runs into some other delinquents looking for a fight. With three against one, things aren’t looking good for Kaname until a stranger with glasses comes in to beat them off. Soma is this stranger’s name, and if anyone is worthy of Kaname’s protection, it’s Soma. But as Kaname tries to get closer to Soma, Soma does something that Kaname couldn’t have anticipated. Soma kisses Kaname. Kaname can’t begin to understand why. But what’s even weirder is that Katagiri has started avoiding him at school.

Just what is going on?

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: Banana Scandal

Author(s): Dolsha

Artist(s): Dolsha

Dojin is a college student from Korea who is attending university in the States. He enjoys it, but it hasn’t always been smooth sailing. Even though he’s no longer in Korea, the experience of rumors and judgment is just as rampant in the tight-knit Korean community on his campus. Dojin does his best to stay out of the drama while still enjoying college life, but when his roommate Taehwan goes off to intern in Hong Kong, Dojin’s peaceful college life is thrown into disarray as Taehee, Taehwan’s younger brother, comes to stay in their apartment.

It’s not so bad at first. Dojin has known Taehee since they were young, and despite being taller and a bit gloomier, he’s still the introverted boy who loves cartoons for kids. Taehee, however, is no longer that innocent young boy. While Dojin is sleeping in their room, he happens to hear something odd. It doesn’t take much to realize that Taehee is playing with himself behind Dojin’s back. Dojin should be repulsed. He should get up and tell Taehee to get out.

But for some reason, all Dojin wants to do is see how Taehee looks in the throes of passion.

High School

Manhwa Review | Checkmate by TAN

Manhwa Review | Love or Hate by Youngha

Manhwa Review | Third Ending by chovom

Manga Review | Hitorijime Boyfriend by Memeco Arii

Manga Review | You Just Can’t Beat A Guy With A Double Face by Saori Nobana

Manhwa Review | Recipe For Disaster by COM

Manhwa Review | Banana Scandal by Dolsha

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