BL Library - Love Triangle

Manhwa Review | Hotel Pharus by BINGO

Title: Hotel Pharus

Author(s): BINGO

Artist(s): BINGO

Daniel is down in the dumps. His long-term lover has left him to get married, his boss is closing the bar down, and without much direction, he has no idea what to do with his life. More bad news arrives at his door when someone delivers a letter announcing that Daniel's estranged father has passed. But hope is waiting in the wings as his father has left him the hotel Daniel once grew up in. Seeing this as his new start and a chance to revisit his happy childhood memories, Daniel takes the leap and moves out to the countryside to find his childhood home worse for wear but still in running order.

It might be best to just sell the building or demolish it and move on, but Daniel is determined to establish a life for himself, so with the help of the hotel manager, Daniel delves into the hotel and its current state. Things are in need of repair and some minor maintenance, but everything seems fine except for the newest addition to the hotel: the west wing. Supposedly, it's in great disrepair with a significant mold issue. But a plaque on the wall suggests something more paranormal, warning people to stay away and, if they see something, to report it to the staff. When Daniel happens upon his father's hidden study, a ledger full of payments far exceeding the price of a stay makes the west wing seem all the more suspicious.

Things only become stranger when a guest, whose stay has been paid for months in advance, arrives and turns out to be a child of the Creston family: Alexander Creston. And for a generous fee, Daniel is tasked with reporting all of Alexander's movements to a mysterious caller. The caller mentions that Daniel, the former owner's son, has inherited this task. Just what was his father doing in the hotel? And why is Alexander now part of it?

Title: Return of the Prince

Author(s): Junko

Artist(s): Junko

This is a collection of three BL shorts by Junko.

Return of the Prince (plus A Ring's Tale)

Adult life isn't all it's made out to be for Kou. He works all the time, is constantly berated by his boss, and ends up home alone. While at a relative's wedding, as if to rub salt in his wound, Kou runs into his cousin Fumihiro, whom he always picked on in their childhood. But as an adult, Fumihiro has become a handsome prince and is charismatic on top of that, causing all of their mutual family members to compare them, often leading to insults toward Kou. Frustrated, Kou takes advantage of the festivities and drinks himself silly. Fumihiro offers to care for Kou, leading to a steamy liaison between the two. Though it was only meant to be a one-night stand, Fumihiro seems to have no intention of leaving.

Metamorphosis

Ritsu Kitagami and Yasuhiro Adachi have been friends for as long as they can remember. Ritsu has always been quiet and considered a bit odd by those around him, but Yasuhiro cares for him all the same. Nothing has changed, even in high school, or so Yasuhiro thinks. While walking around campus, Yasuhiro sees Ritsu in a screaming match with someone, even going so far as to threaten to fight them. Yasuhiro doesn't even recognize Ritsu. Although Yasuhiro doesn't want to believe it, Ritsu has changed. But has Yasuhiro?

Beside Him

Haijima believes his best friend Shimizu might be in love with him, and in realizing this, he finds that he is in love with him, as well. But then Shimizu comes to school, announcing that he has a new girlfriend, and though Haijima believes Shimizu doesn't really love the girl, over time, he discovers that Shimizu never loved him in the first place. Heartbroken, he goes to their mutual friend, Hachiya, for comfort, only for Hachiya to admit that he loves Haijima. But Haijima still loves Shimizu. What will this mean for their friendship?

Title: Your Wish Is My Command!

Author(s): Sagold

Artist(s): Sagold

Chiwoo longs to be with Hwan. Unfortunately, Hwan and Chiwoo were raised together as brothers after Chiwoo's parents passed away when a bridge collapsed. Chiwoo has always felt guilt as a result. He feels guilt for having survived when his parents died. He feels guilty for troubling Hwan's mom when she was already a single mother. And, of course, he feels guilt for sullying his relationship with Hwan, making it lustful when he knows it's anything but for Hwan. So, as soon as he can, he moves out of Hwan's home to live independently, but even with distance, he still finds himself drawn to Hwan.

Chiwoo orders a special toy for himself to try and sate his lust, but upon opening it, the toy lights up and summons a strange pink creature. As soon as it appears, it introduces itself as Sunny, and his goal is to grant Chiwoo's wish. Chiwoo can hardly believe it, and already, he imagines his one true wish coming true: being in a romantic relationship with Hwan. But surely it can't be that easy, and, of course, Sunny explains how his wish could come true. If Chiwoo joins Sunny in his war against his counterpart, Moony, Chiwoo will gain magical powers, which he will use to fight monsters sent by Moony.

Before he can even decide, a tentacle monster attacks, but to Chiwoo's surprise, the monster isn't as interested in destruction as it is in defiling Chiwoo. Thankfully, before he loses his innocence, he gets Sunny's power and defeats the tentacle creature. Having experienced the power of a magical guardian prince, Chiwoo sees this as a one-way ticket to having his dream come true. But what Chiwoo doesn't know is that the power of light he uses isn't so different from the power being used against him.

Title: A Dominating Prince and His Naughty Habits

Author(s): Owal

Artist(s): Owal

Kadri was once an abandoned child in the Gulf state where he lives but was adopted by Grandma Jedda. Grandma Jedda raised Kadri as her own, teaching him all of her recipes and cooking techniques, and as a result, he started helping her run her restaurant. Now, he spends his evenings making his famous biryani while commanding the kitchen, living life to the fullest. However, his idyllic life goes a little off course when a wealthy man and relative to the king named Fati comes by. Fati wants to buy the restaurant so he can redevelop the area.

While it would mean plenty of money for Grandma Jedda and Kadri, they aren't willing to give up their precious restaurant. Since money doesn't seem to be enough to sway Kadri, Fati recommends another method of negotiation: sex. Kadri, a virgin, is stunned but is willing to do anything to keep his grandmother's restaurant open. So, he meets the wealthy Fati and intends to take him up on his offer. But when Kadri tries to take the lead, Fati laughs in his face.

Fati had no intention of being the bottom.

But for a sweet virgin like Kadri, the great Fati makes an exception.

Title: The Words In Your Snare

Author(s): Chepali

Artist(s): Aeju

Jooin is just trying to enjoy his life. He's running a little cafe in the middle of the country, enjoying spending time with the locals. But more than anything, he enjoys the words, and that doesn't mean conversation. One of the main reasons Jooin enjoys the conversation so much is because he can read minds. His ability is limited to physical words that spawn off people and linger around where they hang out. In the city, Jooin was often bombarded with negative and positive thoughts. In the rural areas, Jooin sees more positive words than any other kind, and there are fewer, making his life much more peaceful.

However, that peace is disrupted when a strange bag of coffee beans appears at his cafe. Not long after, a group of police officers and a handsome man in a suit come looking for that bag of coffee. It's an odd scenario for a random bag of coffee, but nothing is stranger than the man who, for whatever reason, doesn't give off any words at all. Jooin has never encountered anyone whose thoughts he couldn't see, but no matter how much he looks, he can't see any of his thoughts. Things only get stranger as the man returns time and time again, lingering around Jooin for a reason he can't even fathom. The man then makes a request, one that Jooin has no intention of complying with.

This stranger, Mookya, wants to date Jooin.

Thankfully, Mookya works hours away in the city, so Jooin plans to let their odd relationship fade away. But then a young man with a knife drops by, looking for drugs. Jooin can only assume that the random bag of coffee beans was actually a bag of drugs, and after subduing the young man, Jooin has no choice but to go back to the city. He ends up right back where he started, working alongside the police to read possible criminal's minds. Unlike before, though, Mookya is there, too. As Jooin spends more and more time in the city, with the gangster Mookya wooing him, Jooin feels himself softening up to the mystery man, but love can't cover up the dark feelings and thoughts lurking around the city Jooin has left behind.

Title: Bye Bye

Author(s): SORIM, Wildcat

Artist(s): Kang Pu Con / Kangpucon

Seoyu is standing on the edge of a bridge. This bridge was where his happy life ended years before, when he survived a plunge in the river below, while his parents and brother did not. Ever since, he's lived with survivor's guilt, doing the bare minimum to get through day after day. Now that he's the same age his brother was when he died, Seoyu sees no point in continuing on in life. Just as he's about to climb over the guardrail, a car comes flying up, crashing into it.

Seoyu rushes over to help the driver, only to find a perfectly fine young man. As it turns out, he wasn't supposed to drive the car yet. Fearing his brother's reaction, he begs Seoyu to help him lie and get out of any trouble in exchange for a nice chunk of change. Though only a few moments before, Seoyu was ready to move on from life. But his determination has waned, and he's agreed to meet the young man's brother. Seoyu doesn't expect to meet a very dominant alpha, and a hot one at that.

There's no way this guy would ever be attracted to a recessive omega like him, but that doesn't stop Seoyu from imagining it. How surprising it is when those dreams come true, and he is actively pursued by the hot alpha Sunghoon Choi. But is he deserving of such love from someone like Sunghoon?

Title: My Suha

Author(s): Chahyun

Artist(s): Chahyun

As his name “Suha” suggests, Lee Suha is a phenomenal secretary for the talented and dependable Director Park Jiwoon. Unfortunately, no matter how good Director Park is at his job, his role within the family that runs the company prevents him from obtaining the accolades and positions he should. Suha knows just how hard it would be for his boss to fight his way up, having been raised alongside the Director as a family friend. Though it seems impossible, Suha is happy to work alongside the Director and makes every effort he can to ensure his boss can succeed.

When Suha isn't working, though, he's on the hunt for sex partners. Due in part to a toxic sexual relationship he had when he was younger, Suha is wary about getting into anything serious. However, finding new casual partners to meet his needs becomes more challenging over time. One night, while out on the prowl in a gay bar, Suha ends up with another disappointing hookup in the men's bathroom. Ready to leave and call the night a wash, he bumps into someone he never expected: Director Park.

With their secret night lives exposed, Director Park opens up to his most trusted secretary, suggesting that they should fulfill their needs with each other. Suha has always thought Director Park was attractive, and this offer is almost too good to pass up. But Suha knows mixing business and pleasure isn't the best idea. Can Suha control his urgers? Or will lust and curiosity get the better of him? And if it does, what does that mean for his job and relationship with Director Park?

Title: My Demon Cry Baby, Maria

Author(s): Yukihiko Sano

Artist(s): Yukihiko Sano

Satoru is in mourning. His unrequited love, Jun Mariya, has passed away before Satoru ever got the chance to talk to him, much less confess to him. In the throes of sorrow, Satoru crumples up and marks all over the love letter he had intended to give to Jun someday before throwing it aside. Then, he lies there, expressing his want to die. Out of nowhere, a voice calls out to him, offering to take his life. It is a fluffy little black smoke cloud, claiming to be a demon, having been summoned from Satoru's inadvertent scribbling of a summoning circle.

Satoru is surprised, of course, but intrigued, as the demon offers him a wish in exchange for his life span, which the demon will steadily feed on for the remainder of Satoru's life. Satoru can only think of one wish: to see Jun. The demon takes this opportunity to lure Satoru even further, suddenly shifting into Jun's exact likeness. Satoru is shocked but is more than happy to make this deal so he can be with Jun. Similarly, the demon is delighted to make such an easy deal.

What the innocent demon doesn't realize is that Satoru has some depraved plans for this demonic lookalike, and he has every intention of acting on them until his dying breath.

Title: Love is an Illusion! - The Queen

Author(s): Fargo

Artist(s): Fargo

Seung-ah has been tied to alpha Do-gyeom, one of his best friends and first love, for twenty years, all by choice, initially as her friend but ultimately as her secretary. Unfortunately, this has given Seung-ah a front-row seat to all of Do-gyeom's sexual conquests and escapades. Seung-ah does his best to keep his longing for Do-gyeom under wraps. His only comfort is that Do-gyeom has no intention of getting into a relationship or marrying, meaning he can always be the closest one to Do-gyeom, even when he feels he has no right to be.

He's pretty content with this arrangement until Do-gyeom, after seeing her brothers getting married and starting families, decides that she wants to start her own family, too. Suddenly, it's not enough that Seung-ah has to chase away one-night stands; now, he has to chase away the one-night stands and try to find her a worthy spouse. To his surprise, that person manifests in an unrelenting female omega, an employee of Do-gyeom, and a one-night stand. Seung-ah was willing to give Do-gyeom over to a worthy omega of the same class and power, but this was just too much for him to bear.

Unable to see his long unrequited love get married to someone beneath her, who isn't Seung-ah himself, he runs to their longtime friend Mujin, who is happy to comfort Seung-ah in any way he can.

Title: A Painter Behind the Curtain

Author(s): MUNAMU

Artist(s): MUNAMU

Ian is a prolific artist, but no one knows it. His artwork is sold for high prices, prized in exhibitions, and hanging on the walls of some of the most powerful nobles in the kingdom. Yet, Ian lives in squalor, starved and frail. He is a prolific artist, but he doesn't even know it. Ian has had a talent for art since childhood but was forbidden from pursuing his passion due to his family's low standing and poverty. Unfortunately, his work is noticed by a noble, the head of the Bardi family, a family of prolific artists. Bardi wants Ian and is willing to pay a premium for the child.

Unable to decline his offer, Ian's family sells him off to the Bardi family; all the while, Ian is being lured with promises of being able to paint to his heart's content. Ian sees this as a dream come true until the reality of his situation comes crashing down on top of him. Ian has been enslaved. He's kept in a closet where he is broken and beaten, trained relentlessly in the techniques of painting until he can do so without any reference. Once he's completed a painting, the second son of the Bardi family, without any talent for the arts, signs his name to the piece, passing it off as one of his own.

Ian can't even dream of anything beyond this torturous horror he's trapped in, the only comfort being that he can still paint. That is until a mysterious and eager merchant named Raymond comes by, requesting a portrait from the Bardi family. Raymond's coin is all the Bardi family cares about, but once Raymond sees Ian, Ian is all Raymond seems to care about.

Love Triangle

Manga Review | Return of the Prince by Junko

Manhwa Review | Your Wish Is My Command! by Sagold

Manhwa Review | Bye Bye by SORIM

Manga Review | My Demon Cry Baby, Maria by Yukihiko Sano

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