BL Library - Mental Illness / Mental Health Condition

Manhwa Review | Master’s Pet by Shroomi

Title: Master's Pet

Author(s): Shroomi

Artist(s): Shroomi

Marquess Joseph Howard has been trying to grow out of his gambling and cheating father's shadow. Unfortunately, that becomes immensely more difficult when his younger half-brother, his father's love child, is brought to his home. The mother of the child requests compensation for raising the child, named Collin, as was promised by Joseph's father before his death. Still compelled to escape his father's past promises and debts, Joseph agrees to pay off the woman, who then leaves young Collin behind for Joseph to raise. Joseph isn't interested in his half-brother, but unlike Joseph, who looks nothing like the long history of Howard Marquess before him, Collin is a spitting image of his deceased father. Joseph is immensely jealous and feels Collin is just a physical representation of his inadequacy as the new marquess.

But Joseph is determined to better the Howard name, so he reluctantly takes in his half-brother. Joseph prepares the young man for his noble education but finds that he is traumatized and wild. In order to make things a bit easier, Joseph brings in another servant, an enslaved man named Ein. He intends for Ein to get close to Collin and help him integrate into his new life within the Howard household. But Ein has a painful past, one that still haunts him and that he openly fears. Joseph is willing to help Ein escape his past forever, but at a cost. During the day, Ein serves and teaches Collin, but Ein acts as Joseph's bedmate at night.

Ein wants to serve in hopes of one day finally breaking free from his past, but when young Collin falls for him, an intense love triangle threatens to tear everything apart. Ein is willing to give his body to his masters. But will he end up giving over his heart, too?

Title: No Reason

Author(s): Salty

Artist(s): Salty

Jung-hoon is the right-hand man to the boss of the notorious Sung Jin gang. He's beloved by his underlings, whom he often spends time with and jokes with, though not without strict expectations for them. Though Jung-hoon's primary focus is always the gang and his men, he does enjoy spending his free time bedding beautiful men, and he's particularly weak to a pretty face. Things get a bit more complicated when one of the newest recruits happens to be stunning. Unable to control himself, Jung-hoon talks the young man, Hyunjae, into going back to his place with him, where he begins to try to top him. However, when Hyunjae accepts Jung-hoon's advances, he turns the tables on him and tops Jung-hoon instead.

Though Jung-hoon prefers to top, after doing it with Hyunjae, he is more than willing to bottom, and so begins a casual situationship between the two. After a year of working together, it's clear to everyone under Jung-hoon that he has a soft spot for Hyunjae, but even without the preferential treatment, everyone generally despises Hyunjae, maybe none more than Jung-hoon's right-hand man. It's still unclear where Hyunjae came from and how he became so proficient at killing at such a young age. Jung-hoon's judgment is clouded by the affection he feels for the young man, and he assumes he was made for the business, so he ignores his men's warnings.

Unfortunately for Jung-hoon, by the time he realizes he has put his trust in the wrong place, the entire gang is wiped out, leaving him as the sole survivor. For what reason, he doesn't know until Hyunjae confines him and throws him to his underlings. It's clear Hyunjae wants nothing more than to ruin Jung-hoon, but why? What does he have to gain from it? Jung-hoon can't ponder over it for long as he spirals into neverending darkness.

Title: Bongchon Bride

Author(s): Gaepi

Artist(s): Gaepi

Soongap is enslaved. The child of a concubine, when his mother died, he lost his place in the household, passed on to another master, and was raised by his grandmother. Alongside him, he had a childhood friend, and as they grew up, their friendship evolved into a romantic partnership, which allowed them to plan and hope for the future. They wanted to work and buy their freedom, then move away to have their own farm and home together. Unfortunately, before they ever get the chance, Soongap's lover, who has been chronically ill since childhood, ends up bedridden. No matter how hard Soongap tries to save him, he inevitably passes away.

Depressed and hopeless, Soongap just goes through the motions until he discovers his master's daughter having a secret love affair with another woman. Seeing himself in her, Soongap makes it a point to try and help them be together. Unfortunately, his efforts fail, and he is beaten nearly to death for his actions. Soongap is willing to simply fade away, only to wake up in an unfamiliar house. As it turns out, his master, a miser, sold him to a man who works his fields for fifty sacks of rice. The man is enormous and unkempt, with rumors that he is a murderer or a monster. Yet, he carefully nurses Soongap back to health, resembling a teddy bear more than a monster. His new master is Bongchun, and over time, being doted on and dubbed his ‘darling' to trick Bongchun's ailing mother into thinking Soongap is his bride, Soongap finds himself wanting to live for Bongchun.

Just as his life settles into a comfortable routine, a remnant from his past, back when his mother was still alive, comes to call. It's his younger half-brother, Pilgyeon. Pilgyeon has come to take back Soongap — not as an enslaved person, but as his lover. But Soongap never had any affection for his brother, and that hasn't changed. He has no intention of leaving his new master, and he'll do everything he can to protect his newfound happiness.

Title: Therapy Game

Author(s): Meguru Hinohara

Artist(s): Meguru Hinohara

This is the sequel series for Secret XXX, and it's highly recommended that you read that title first before coming to this one.

Minato is out for revenge. While out at a gay drag bar, Minato was comforted by a drunken and heartbroken Shizuma. Shizuma, though in tears after being cheated on and dumped, felt compelled to comfort Minato, who was sad that his brother was finding love and moving on in life without him. Charmed by the sweet young man, Minato decided to take care of him, leading to them having a steamy night in bed. The next morning, Shizuma calls out for his ex, only to have Minato respond. The sweet and loving Shizuma is suddenly standoffish and embarrassed, admitting he remembers nothing about their night together.

Feeling bamboozled, Minato is furious and embarrassed. He had been vulnerable with Shizuma, only to be forgotten entirely. His initial goal is to scare Shizuma off. But Shizuma wants to take responsibility for anything he did to Minato, which presents a much more satisfying opportunity for revenge. Minato fully intends to take Shizuma up on his offer of taking responsibility, and over time, he wants to drown him in love and affection, wrap him around his little finger, only to break his heart.

What Minato doesn't anticipate is Shizuma stealing his heart in the process.

Title: Prescription for a Lonely Boy Who Wants Love

Author(s): Long Utsumi

Artist(s): Long Utsumi

Kippei is, essentially, a professional live-in boyfriend. He doesn't necessarily love any of his partners, but they want a boyfriend to have sex with, and he wants a place to live, so it works out for a time. But, inevitably, his partners want more from him, and he can't give that to them. So, they break up. This time is no different, and Kippei's already on the hunt for his next partner. Thankfully, he doesn't have to go very far, as he sees a couple of guys possibly going through a breakup.

Kippei is bisexual, and when he sees one of the men left behind and heartbroken, he swoops in to save the day. The man isn't necessarily Kippei's type, and Kippei even considers him to be a little plain-looking, but Kippei isn't all that picky and plays the field all the same. After a surprisingly short conversation, the two end up in a hotel room where the stranger, Sosuke, turns out to be much more aggressive in bed than his appearance might suggest. After an intense romp, Kippei wakes up in the morning alone in the hotel. He laments that he didn't get Sosuke's number, but with nowhere to go and nothing else to do, Kippei makes his way to his sister's house.

Once there, Kippei ends up catching a cold, and not wanting him to spread the cold to his niece, his sister demands he go to the doctor. After much pushing, Kippei unwillingly goes. As it turns out, this was exactly what he needed. The doctor Kippei ends up seeing none other than Sosuke. Not wanting to miss this chance, Kippei jumps at the opportunity, offering his live-in services in exchange for sex, which he punctuates by having sex with Sosuke in the doctor's office. Sosuke agrees, and Kippei quickly settles into life at his new partner's place. But Kippei soon discovers that Sosuke isn't as needy as his former partners have been, and while this usually might be a plus, when Kippei isn't needed, what good is he?

Title: The Origin of Species

Author(s): Harusari, TanSeom

Artist(s): AshK

Youngjin is a faulty omega. Though he's part of the extraordinary species, due to being born from an ordinary species and an extraordinary species pairing, he's effectively infertile. Not to mention, he's missing the superhuman strength, speed, and other superior qualities found in full-blooded extraordinary species. That wouldn't be so terrible if not for the lonely and dangerous life he's forced to lead. After his grandfather passed, Youngjin was left entirely alone on the island he grew up on, everyone else having moved to the mainland. It isn't until Youngjin is taken in by “sir” that he is given a new purpose. Sir steadily grooms Youngjin, tying him to him with immense debt and helping him become an unstoppable hacker, but oppressing all other aspects of his life.

During an intense mission where Youngjin must hack into a safe at an auction to steal a mysterious, encrypted item, he and his teammates are captured. Youngjin is tied up and presented to an alpha, the item's buyer. He is Seo Seunghyun, president of a large company and a man who has every intention of getting what he wants, no matter what it takes. He has the item, but it's encrypted, and his team just isn't well-equipped to break into it. Having seen Youngjin's skills firsthand, he's sure Youngjin is just what he needs. Youngjin is willing to work with Seunghyun only under a few conditions.

The first is to free his teammates.

Easy enough, but then there's the second condition:

Make a sex tape with Youngjin.

Seunghyun is shocked but even more intrigued, and after a night with Youngjin in bed, he finds himself intensely drawn to the strange omega. If Seunghyun wants Youngjin, he'll get him, and he's willing to do anything to win Youngjin over.

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: 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: 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?

Mental Illness / Mental Health Condition

Manhwa Review | No Reason by Salty

Manhwa Review | Bongchon Bride by Gaepi

Manga Review | Therapy Game by Meguru Hinohara

Manga Review | Prescription for a Lonely Boy Who Wants Love by Long Utsumi

Manhwa Review | Your Wish Is My Command! by Sagold

Manhwa Review | Bye Bye by SORIM

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