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사랑하는 소년 #1
Lover Boy 1
Eunho war schon als kleiner Junge hoffnungslos in Jaeha verliebt und machte ihm immer wieder Heiratsanträge. Doch für Jaeha war Eunho stets nur der kleine Nachbarsjunge... In den Jahren, die seitdem vergangen sind, hat Jaeha kaum einen Gedanken an den kleinen Eunho verschwendet. Doch plötzlich steht Eunho, mittlerweile ein junger Mann, wieder vor ihm und möchte Teil von Jaehas Leben werden. Wird Eunho für Jaeha immer der kleine Nachbarsjunge bleiben oder wird er ihn endlich als den Mann sehen, der er heute ist?
384 pages, Paperback
Published April 1, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
July 1, 2025
4.5 stars
This is the exact kind of messy angst that I love. It's filled with characters whose love hurts just as much as it heals, characters who make bad choices out of loneliness and confusion. This volume ends in a positive space, but given the length of this series and the wide expanse of issues these characters need to deal with, I know it's going to be a bumpy ride to that happy ending.
This is the exact kind of messy angst that I love. It's filled with characters whose love hurts just as much as it heals, characters who make bad choices out of loneliness and confusion. This volume ends in a positive space, but given the length of this series and the wide expanse of issues these characters need to deal with, I know it's going to be a bumpy ride to that happy ending.
June 15, 2025
put your penis away boy
May 24, 2024
just reread the entire thing in french bc i've basically memorised the english translation. if i ever learn korean it's solely to read this masterpiece in its original language. live laugh love zec i will forever worship you for creating eunho
July 7, 2025
Cuuuuuuuuuuuute 😭 I always struggle with childhood friends to lovers but this was done well! 귀여워!
April 30, 2025
Two stars might be a little harsh, but it's also my projection of how I'd feel if I kept going with this story.
It's not that it's written badly...it's just very much not for me. I might need to cut back on manhwa, honestly, because so much of it seems a lot more...toxic? Dramatic? This one hits both of those elements, hard, and I just have no motivation to keep dragging through the sludge for an eventual happy ending.
The premise is interesting enough. Eunho and Jaeha knew each other when they were young, and Eunho has essentially been in love with Jaeha all his life. He asked Jaeha to marry him when he was three, then repeatedly after that, until he got old enough (teens) to confess to him a little more thoughtfully. Jaeha, throughout all of that, laughed it off or simply told him to quit it....Eunho was like his cute little brother, who tended to be way too clingy with him.
At the start of this volume, I think it's been about five years since they'd seen each other - Jaeha says two, but Eunho corrects him that it hasn't been since the wedding, and the math doesn't add up otherwise, since Eunho would've been 15 at the wedding and is 20 and in college now. Jaeha has been divorced for two months - a coincidental time for them to reunite, considering they've been in the same city/area all these years - and the reason for that is never explained.
Eunho does say something kind of snarky at one point, but he didn't know about the divorce, so I don't know if it could've been targeted to what it sounded like...an implication that Jaeha might've been cheating and that's why they ended things? The tone is weird throughout though, and there's so little true backstory for Jaeha. Most of it comes through connections with Eunho...like Eunho seeing Jaeha with his college (?) boyfriend, whom Jaeha is still sleeping with all these years later.
Hard to tell if that relationship was going on during the marriage, too, or if it just resumed after the divorce. All that's clear is that Jaeha is massively self-destructive...there are an absolute ton of graphic scenes of him having sex with his "ex" in this volume, which honestly is another major nope for me. Most of it seems alright - maybe that was the right relationship for him all along, instead of marrying a woman it's unclear if he was really ever in love with - but the guy gets pretty petty about Eunho and does a couple particularly nasty things, including putting Eunho on speakerphone while he's having sex with Jaeha.
And then. The result. Is Jaeha having sex with Eunho.
After rejecting him for years and talking about how he doesn't see him that way, and then going to Eunho for what feels like exactly the same kind of toxic, self-punishing physicality he'd been going back to his ex for, over and over again.
It doesn't feel like love. It doesn't feel like a good relationship for someone like Eunho, who's patient and thoughtful and really held a torch for this guy for all these years.
Just not into it, and even if they do reach a good, healthy dynamic by the end, I don't see the mess in the middle being worth slogging through.
It's not that it's written badly...it's just very much not for me. I might need to cut back on manhwa, honestly, because so much of it seems a lot more...toxic? Dramatic? This one hits both of those elements, hard, and I just have no motivation to keep dragging through the sludge for an eventual happy ending.
The premise is interesting enough. Eunho and Jaeha knew each other when they were young, and Eunho has essentially been in love with Jaeha all his life. He asked Jaeha to marry him when he was three, then repeatedly after that, until he got old enough (teens) to confess to him a little more thoughtfully. Jaeha, throughout all of that, laughed it off or simply told him to quit it....Eunho was like his cute little brother, who tended to be way too clingy with him.
At the start of this volume, I think it's been about five years since they'd seen each other - Jaeha says two, but Eunho corrects him that it hasn't been since the wedding, and the math doesn't add up otherwise, since Eunho would've been 15 at the wedding and is 20 and in college now. Jaeha has been divorced for two months - a coincidental time for them to reunite, considering they've been in the same city/area all these years - and the reason for that is never explained.
Eunho does say something kind of snarky at one point, but he didn't know about the divorce, so I don't know if it could've been targeted to what it sounded like...an implication that Jaeha might've been cheating and that's why they ended things? The tone is weird throughout though, and there's so little true backstory for Jaeha. Most of it comes through connections with Eunho...like Eunho seeing Jaeha with his college (?) boyfriend, whom Jaeha is still sleeping with all these years later.
Hard to tell if that relationship was going on during the marriage, too, or if it just resumed after the divorce. All that's clear is that Jaeha is massively self-destructive...there are an absolute ton of graphic scenes of him having sex with his "ex" in this volume, which honestly is another major nope for me. Most of it seems alright - maybe that was the right relationship for him all along, instead of marrying a woman it's unclear if he was really ever in love with - but the guy gets pretty petty about Eunho and does a couple particularly nasty things, including putting Eunho on speakerphone while he's having sex with Jaeha.
And then. The result. Is Jaeha having sex with Eunho.
After rejecting him for years and talking about how he doesn't see him that way, and then going to Eunho for what feels like exactly the same kind of toxic, self-punishing physicality he'd been going back to his ex for, over and over again.
It doesn't feel like love. It doesn't feel like a good relationship for someone like Eunho, who's patient and thoughtful and really held a torch for this guy for all these years.
Just not into it, and even if they do reach a good, healthy dynamic by the end, I don't see the mess in the middle being worth slogging through.
May 11, 2025
3.5🌟
I enjoyed this, but I didn’t love it. Mostly because of Jaeha’s messy relationship with Hanjoon.
Hanjoon is a toxic ass man. The sex scenes between him and Jaeha made me so uncomfortable. They all felt like Jaeha’s own way of self harm by having these sexual encounters with a man who seems to actually care very little about him and his wants. It was all the way worse when Hanjoon made it so that Eunho had to listen to them having sex once. Fucking gross freak!
Jaeha has a lot of stuff to work through, and I don’t know how much he’s going to by jumping into a relationship with Eunho. His sexual encounter with Eunho was also a bit sus because Jaeha kept pushing at this notion that Eunho isn’t “really” queer, and therefore not really interested in him. It seemed like yet again more self harm through sex. Of course, Eunho does actually love him, so he proved him wrong. But it’s all a very rocky start to a relationship
Anyway. My favorite character was Eunho. He seems so sweet and genuine 💖 His intentions have been clear from the start, and he seems to truly love Jaeha for who he is. He doesn’t need him to be anything more than just himself.
I’m still looking forward to continuing the series!
I enjoyed this, but I didn’t love it. Mostly because of Jaeha’s messy relationship with Hanjoon.
Hanjoon is a toxic ass man. The sex scenes between him and Jaeha made me so uncomfortable. They all felt like Jaeha’s own way of self harm by having these sexual encounters with a man who seems to actually care very little about him and his wants. It was all the way worse when Hanjoon made it so that Eunho had to listen to them having sex once. Fucking gross freak!
Jaeha has a lot of stuff to work through, and I don’t know how much he’s going to by jumping into a relationship with Eunho. His sexual encounter with Eunho was also a bit sus because Jaeha kept pushing at this notion that Eunho isn’t “really” queer, and therefore not really interested in him. It seemed like yet again more self harm through sex. Of course, Eunho does actually love him, so he proved him wrong. But it’s all a very rocky start to a relationship
Anyway. My favorite character was Eunho. He seems so sweet and genuine 💖 His intentions have been clear from the start, and he seems to truly love Jaeha for who he is. He doesn’t need him to be anything more than just himself.
I’m still looking forward to continuing the series!
August 4, 2025
I read one of Zec's later works, "The New Recruit", and liked that a lot. Their art was a lot more polished, and Moscareto's writing is a bit better there than Zec's here. But the story in "Lover Boy" is still pretty fun, despite some minor issues, and Zec's art, while less polished, is still quite lovely, especially if you like younger tops.
One frustrating issue is that although this matches what's on Tapas because Tapas supplied the translation to Ize Press, Tapas also removed the honorifics for some reason. This seems to be a pattern, with Yen Press getting the license to an English translation from a Korean company, who keeps all the honorifics out. This happened with their translation of "Semantic Error", where Manta seems to have been the one to make that decision, versus the translation for "Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint", which seem to be an in-house translation (where honorifics are removed). This is particularly glaring given Seven Seas did the translation for "The New Recruit", Zec's other work, which keeps the honorifics in (to some extent, anyway; I'm not sure if Seunghyun says "Mr. Kim" or "Kim-nim" in the original Korean, but he says "Mr. Kim" in the Seven Seas translation). The story works a lot better when the translation is closer to the original. Yen Press knows how to leave honorifics in, they do it for most if not all their Japanese licenses. I'm not sure if this is coming from the Korean side, with them deciding how the final translation works, but it's very frustrating all the same that Yen Press doesn't push to keep the honorifics, either on works they have someone else translate or translate themselves.
Story-wise, the dynamic is enjoyable, and I genuinely enjoy Jaeha's struggles with his desire to be loved, his ache for his ex-wife, his issues with his friend-with-benefits, and his nervousness with Eunho. He's got a lot to deal with. I think some reviewers are kind of weird about his relationship with Hanjoon, and maybe just don't have a lot of experiences of relationships or understand that Jaeha is meant to be a bit unstable and not managing his love well, so his physical relationship will probably reflect that? He had what sounds like a messy divorce, and has complicated feelings about his sexuality (judging by how he talks about same-sex relationships around people who aren't Hanjoon, at least in his youth, and living in a homophobic society). He's also a child of divorcees, which frequently creates commitment issues and fears, which he coped with through smoking and possibly sex. And the way he finally gets physically involved with Eunho echoes his difficult connection with other relationships and physicality. It's not always about love, and he struggles to get that himself. And Eunho won't leave him alone, but has, throughout their lives, persisted in pushing his feelings onto Jaeha. How they get together, in its messy glory, works.
A relatively minor criticism is that Jaeha (and Eunho) exhibit one thing I struggle with in a lot of manhwa, which is the prevalence of smoking and norms with that in working society there, and what, if anything, the narrative is meant to be saying about it. Obviously, it's popular in modern Korean work culture to smoke, and some authors use this to show how bad this can be for people, with younger office workers often being pressured one way or another into smoking, either to network, show they can fit in, or just find an outlet for stress, though I think only "The Dangerous Convenience Store" really touched on this; "Melting Point" sort of briefly points out smoking is bad for you, and "Jinx" brought it up recently as a health hazard (particularly for athletes), but generally it's just accepted as a thing and not really touched on (this is more understandable in a story involving the mafia, where smoking culture is more common, but this isn't a mafia story, which is funny, given how "The Dangerous Convenience Store" is a mafia story, too, but still brought up the issue in some form). "Lover Boy" walks the line by having Eunho point out that Jaeha started smoking in secret when he was very young, and Eunho finds it disgusting (but still does it anyway because Jaeha, I guess). There's a scene in this volume where Jaeha talks with Eunho in Jaeha's office, with the windows closed, and Jaeha, who believes Eunho doesn't smoke, lights up a cigarette, without apparently asking. Maybe he did ask and we just don't see it, but what we have is him not asking, and smoking indoors, in a closed room, at work, with another - younger - person stuck in the room with him. I'm not sure if this is meant to emphasize Jaeha's lackadaisical and often rude attitude or what, or just part of the decoration of this society. Lots of working people in South Korea smoke. It's life. It's also fascinating in the sense that no one comments on it during kissing. Smokers have awful breath (and typically bad teeth) and that's unavoidable when you're sucking face, not to mention body odor and crackling voices. But it never comes up, other than someone pointing out that Eunho doesn't like the smell of cigarettes, Eunho agreeing... and sticking around the smoking area and smoking himself anyway. It's just... the way people do things. And I wish more manhwa authors either addressed it or didn't include smoking at all, because they don't seem to bother with it much other than just having it there, and if it's there to make the characters look "sexy" or something, obviously to each their own, I'm just not a fan. I'm glad for folks who find that sexy, though!
I don't dislike Eunho as a character or what he gets up to with Jaeha, but what annoys me is another common aspect of university manhwa: this weird fascination with skipping class and not helping group members on projects and expecting to get by anyway. This popped up in at least two other university BL manhwa I've read, notably in "Semantic Error", where it kicks off the plot. I can't say I like Sangwoo all that much as a character, but I fully agree with his point that his peers should get absolutely no credit for abandoning him and making him do all the work. Funnily enough, this pops up in "The New Recruit", when Jongchan did something similar while he was in university. It also came up in "I Have a Boyfriend" by Pibi, where Hyunho sets it up so his and Gyul's absent groupmates get no credit for expecting others to do the work for them. I'm not sure if we're meant to think of Eunho as bad for ducking out on his teammates like this or what, but this seemingly common idea where university students can skip class so often, even their assignments, to the point it's often mentioned in these that at least one if not more people are likely to skip out on important coursework that decides their grades, while expecting others to cover for them, is bizarre. To Eunho's benefit, he at least promises to do the work at home, whereas in other examples, absent teammates just didn't expect to do any work at all.
It's odd to criticize this as someone who hates group projects and believes they shouldn't be as important in coursework on any level, and maybe that's part of the point: the oft-hated upper-level group assignment that's extremely important, everyone hates, and someone is likely to flake out on, putting the burden on their teammates, is a familiar part of high school and university life in particular. Yes, they can teach you how to work with others, which is useful in just about most aspects of life, but group projects are generally terrible, and people, as shown in these different stories, generally suck at them. That being said, I've never run across a cultural issue like this where it's taken for granted that it's likely people will not show up. And this idea that you're meant to be respectful and let people take credit for work they didn't do is just as strange. As a result, it's hard to sympathize with Eunho, who's ducking out to chase a guy.
I appreciate all the desk/office smut, though. That was excellent. The apron scene was really fun, as well.
So much happens this volume that I don't know how the series has at least three more, but I'm looking forward to giving volume 2 a shot!
One frustrating issue is that although this matches what's on Tapas because Tapas supplied the translation to Ize Press, Tapas also removed the honorifics for some reason. This seems to be a pattern, with Yen Press getting the license to an English translation from a Korean company, who keeps all the honorifics out. This happened with their translation of "Semantic Error", where Manta seems to have been the one to make that decision, versus the translation for "Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint", which seem to be an in-house translation (where honorifics are removed). This is particularly glaring given Seven Seas did the translation for "The New Recruit", Zec's other work, which keeps the honorifics in (to some extent, anyway; I'm not sure if Seunghyun says "Mr. Kim" or "Kim-nim" in the original Korean, but he says "Mr. Kim" in the Seven Seas translation). The story works a lot better when the translation is closer to the original. Yen Press knows how to leave honorifics in, they do it for most if not all their Japanese licenses. I'm not sure if this is coming from the Korean side, with them deciding how the final translation works, but it's very frustrating all the same that Yen Press doesn't push to keep the honorifics, either on works they have someone else translate or translate themselves.
Story-wise, the dynamic is enjoyable, and I genuinely enjoy Jaeha's struggles with his desire to be loved, his ache for his ex-wife, his issues with his friend-with-benefits, and his nervousness with Eunho. He's got a lot to deal with. I think some reviewers are kind of weird about his relationship with Hanjoon, and maybe just don't have a lot of experiences of relationships or understand that Jaeha is meant to be a bit unstable and not managing his love well, so his physical relationship will probably reflect that? He had what sounds like a messy divorce, and has complicated feelings about his sexuality (judging by how he talks about same-sex relationships around people who aren't Hanjoon, at least in his youth, and living in a homophobic society). He's also a child of divorcees, which frequently creates commitment issues and fears, which he coped with through smoking and possibly sex. And the way he finally gets physically involved with Eunho echoes his difficult connection with other relationships and physicality. It's not always about love, and he struggles to get that himself. And Eunho won't leave him alone, but has, throughout their lives, persisted in pushing his feelings onto Jaeha. How they get together, in its messy glory, works.
A relatively minor criticism is that Jaeha (and Eunho) exhibit one thing I struggle with in a lot of manhwa, which is the prevalence of smoking and norms with that in working society there, and what, if anything, the narrative is meant to be saying about it. Obviously, it's popular in modern Korean work culture to smoke, and some authors use this to show how bad this can be for people, with younger office workers often being pressured one way or another into smoking, either to network, show they can fit in, or just find an outlet for stress, though I think only "The Dangerous Convenience Store" really touched on this; "Melting Point" sort of briefly points out smoking is bad for you, and "Jinx" brought it up recently as a health hazard (particularly for athletes), but generally it's just accepted as a thing and not really touched on (this is more understandable in a story involving the mafia, where smoking culture is more common, but this isn't a mafia story, which is funny, given how "The Dangerous Convenience Store" is a mafia story, too, but still brought up the issue in some form). "Lover Boy" walks the line by having Eunho point out that Jaeha started smoking in secret when he was very young, and Eunho finds it disgusting (but still does it anyway because Jaeha, I guess). There's a scene in this volume where Jaeha talks with Eunho in Jaeha's office, with the windows closed, and Jaeha, who believes Eunho doesn't smoke, lights up a cigarette, without apparently asking. Maybe he did ask and we just don't see it, but what we have is him not asking, and smoking indoors, in a closed room, at work, with another - younger - person stuck in the room with him. I'm not sure if this is meant to emphasize Jaeha's lackadaisical and often rude attitude or what, or just part of the decoration of this society. Lots of working people in South Korea smoke. It's life. It's also fascinating in the sense that no one comments on it during kissing. Smokers have awful breath (and typically bad teeth) and that's unavoidable when you're sucking face, not to mention body odor and crackling voices. But it never comes up, other than someone pointing out that Eunho doesn't like the smell of cigarettes, Eunho agreeing... and sticking around the smoking area and smoking himself anyway. It's just... the way people do things. And I wish more manhwa authors either addressed it or didn't include smoking at all, because they don't seem to bother with it much other than just having it there, and if it's there to make the characters look "sexy" or something, obviously to each their own, I'm just not a fan. I'm glad for folks who find that sexy, though!
I don't dislike Eunho as a character or what he gets up to with Jaeha, but what annoys me is another common aspect of university manhwa: this weird fascination with skipping class and not helping group members on projects and expecting to get by anyway. This popped up in at least two other university BL manhwa I've read, notably in "Semantic Error", where it kicks off the plot. I can't say I like Sangwoo all that much as a character, but I fully agree with his point that his peers should get absolutely no credit for abandoning him and making him do all the work. Funnily enough, this pops up in "The New Recruit", when Jongchan did something similar while he was in university. It also came up in "I Have a Boyfriend" by Pibi, where Hyunho sets it up so his and Gyul's absent groupmates get no credit for expecting others to do the work for them. I'm not sure if we're meant to think of Eunho as bad for ducking out on his teammates like this or what, but this seemingly common idea where university students can skip class so often, even their assignments, to the point it's often mentioned in these that at least one if not more people are likely to skip out on important coursework that decides their grades, while expecting others to cover for them, is bizarre. To Eunho's benefit, he at least promises to do the work at home, whereas in other examples, absent teammates just didn't expect to do any work at all.
It's odd to criticize this as someone who hates group projects and believes they shouldn't be as important in coursework on any level, and maybe that's part of the point: the oft-hated upper-level group assignment that's extremely important, everyone hates, and someone is likely to flake out on, putting the burden on their teammates, is a familiar part of high school and university life in particular. Yes, they can teach you how to work with others, which is useful in just about most aspects of life, but group projects are generally terrible, and people, as shown in these different stories, generally suck at them. That being said, I've never run across a cultural issue like this where it's taken for granted that it's likely people will not show up. And this idea that you're meant to be respectful and let people take credit for work they didn't do is just as strange. As a result, it's hard to sympathize with Eunho, who's ducking out to chase a guy.
I appreciate all the desk/office smut, though. That was excellent. The apron scene was really fun, as well.
So much happens this volume that I don't know how the series has at least three more, but I'm looking forward to giving volume 2 a shot!
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October 26, 2025I feel like getting mad at this book, even after reading the synopsis, is lowkey one of the stupider things that I’ve done in life. Like I knew what I was getting into… and then got frustrated over it anyways? And then kept reading? Like… okay LMAO.
I like the premise, I don’t really care for the execution. Specially, I don’t really like that they do end up together - at least sexually (for now). I thought there was a lot of complex themes happening especially around the middle, but them ending up together just felt so off putting to me! I promise I can separate fiction from reality, but the way they talk about their age gap and Jaeha’s brotherly sort of love for Eunho… it makes me uncomfortable with how things resolved. I really loved the part after Eunho confesses in the present, and Jaeha is not interested, and this causes a rift that Jaeha wants to mend. That subsequent phone call was so raw and full of complex and earnest emotions, Eunho saying he can’t continue on like this right now because of his feelings, and that things can’t go back to how they were. I loved that angst! And then everything takes a sharp pivot for what feels like no particular reason, other than Eunho is steadfast in his love and Jaeha stupidly decides to test that? Like please… we know how that’s gonna work out for him, and I don’t understand his motivation in doing this. He has now clearly stated multiple times that he has brotherly love for Eunho and cared about him in that way, and not romantically, because he still views him as this younger brother/ child. Like what are we doing here. You say he has the same childlike face, but with an adult body. That is offputting. Idk I’m probably the only person reading this and actively rooting against them getting together lol.
I also always feel like in bl there’s a very thin line between caring deeply for someone over a long period of time, and that love turning into obsession or stalking that’s been romanticized. I personally feel that line blurs a little too much here, as Eunho is genuinely obsessive, both in his actions and thoughts, over a long period of time. That definitely is my subjective opinion, and other people will probably feel differently. But for me that also adds to why I don’t really root for their romance.
Also I just hate love triangles. I really don’t think there’s a single thing wrong with Hanjoon, so far, but I could tell that they were going to set up a jealous/ possessive storyline for him - or just *something* to make it so he’s not good for Jaeha and they need to end things. But like. I genuinely ship it, so far. They’ve been on and off together for years at this point, and he seems to really care about Jaeha, and for more than just for flings. You don’t check in on a person regularly, and take care of them when they’re sick like that, if you don’t care about them on a deeper level. I really like them together, and I don’t really see Eunho realistically getting with Jaeha while he’s with Hanjoon. If anything I presume Eunho’s persistence will just drive a wedge between them and make Hanjoon act crazy or give up on Jaeha, which… hate that!
Like I just don’t understand the point of this I guess. There is not plot outside of the romance. It’s angsty, and I do want to know what happens, but I can’t say I’m excited to continue reading. I’m nervous more than anything, and I’m sure I’ll get more mad as I keep reading lmao.
I like the premise, I don’t really care for the execution. Specially, I don’t really like that they do end up together - at least sexually (for now). I thought there was a lot of complex themes happening especially around the middle, but them ending up together just felt so off putting to me! I promise I can separate fiction from reality, but the way they talk about their age gap and Jaeha’s brotherly sort of love for Eunho… it makes me uncomfortable with how things resolved. I really loved the part after Eunho confesses in the present, and Jaeha is not interested, and this causes a rift that Jaeha wants to mend. That subsequent phone call was so raw and full of complex and earnest emotions, Eunho saying he can’t continue on like this right now because of his feelings, and that things can’t go back to how they were. I loved that angst! And then everything takes a sharp pivot for what feels like no particular reason, other than Eunho is steadfast in his love and Jaeha stupidly decides to test that? Like please… we know how that’s gonna work out for him, and I don’t understand his motivation in doing this. He has now clearly stated multiple times that he has brotherly love for Eunho and cared about him in that way, and not romantically, because he still views him as this younger brother/ child. Like what are we doing here. You say he has the same childlike face, but with an adult body. That is offputting. Idk I’m probably the only person reading this and actively rooting against them getting together lol.
I also always feel like in bl there’s a very thin line between caring deeply for someone over a long period of time, and that love turning into obsession or stalking that’s been romanticized. I personally feel that line blurs a little too much here, as Eunho is genuinely obsessive, both in his actions and thoughts, over a long period of time. That definitely is my subjective opinion, and other people will probably feel differently. But for me that also adds to why I don’t really root for their romance.
Also I just hate love triangles. I really don’t think there’s a single thing wrong with Hanjoon, so far, but I could tell that they were going to set up a jealous/ possessive storyline for him - or just *something* to make it so he’s not good for Jaeha and they need to end things. But like. I genuinely ship it, so far. They’ve been on and off together for years at this point, and he seems to really care about Jaeha, and for more than just for flings. You don’t check in on a person regularly, and take care of them when they’re sick like that, if you don’t care about them on a deeper level. I really like them together, and I don’t really see Eunho realistically getting with Jaeha while he’s with Hanjoon. If anything I presume Eunho’s persistence will just drive a wedge between them and make Hanjoon act crazy or give up on Jaeha, which… hate that!
Like I just don’t understand the point of this I guess. There is not plot outside of the romance. It’s angsty, and I do want to know what happens, but I can’t say I’m excited to continue reading. I’m nervous more than anything, and I’m sure I’ll get more mad as I keep reading lmao.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2025
I can't stand when a characters argument for you to see them in a romantic light / go out with them. Is that they liked you first or liked you longer. If someone says that they should be punched in the throat. THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS! Pining for someone for years doesn't mean you are entitled to their affection / they have to give you a chance. To me it just means you're a goofy goober for holding a torch for years, for someone that more often than not told you straight up they weren't interested in you.
Now with that off my chest. This shit is messy and not in a kicking my feet and giggling messy. But messy in a can't tear your eyes from the gruesome trainwreck messy.
Eunho has always had a crush on Jaeha. There's a 8 year age gap between them. He asks Jaeha to marry him when he's a child (like 3 or 4). Jaeha obviously turns him down.
(*Mini side rant: When Eunho "proposes" Jaeha's mom asks him to just agree with Eunho and also says 'Oh, Eunho. How are going to live without Jaeha?' which makes me SO MAD. I get Eunho is barely outta babyhood. Plus he's crying because he was turned down. And at his age he more than likey he'll grow outta this crush as most kids with crushes at that age do. But telling someone to just agree / go along with someone else's crush simply to not upset them also needs to be punched in the neck. Mini side rant over*)
Years pass, they live their lives. Jaeha gets married Eunho is at the wedding it's been a few (5?) years since they've seen each other. More time passes and it's 2 months after Jaeha's divorce. The interaction is kinda tense (on Eunho's end) for an unknown reason. We'll eventually find out that Jaeha has a boyfriend he's been messing with since college. And Eunho saw them in a parking lot kissing.
Eunho still has feelings for Jaeha. Jaeha isn't giving him the time of day. Jaeha's relationship with his boyfriend can be seen as toxic but honestly we don't really see them interact outside of their hookups, so who's to say what their actual relationship dynamic is. Not really sure if Jaeha is out. He does still wear his wedding band. He says it feels weird without it. Eunho joins the art class that Jaeha teaches in the 'I'm going to insert myself into your life and make you love me trope'. / Possibly also the 'I'm going to force you outta the closet or force you to be honest with yourself and be with me trope'.
Jaeha and his boyfriend are "going at it" Eunho calls and the bf answers the call so Eunho can hear them going at it. Sometime after that. Jaeha and Eunho are having a conversation which Eunho lets Jaeha know he's serious about him and Jaeha doesn't believe him asks him if he truly means it and would he be able to sleep with him. Yhey end up Eunho place where they sleep together. They are lovely dovey the next morning and in the days after that.
And the volume ends with Jaeha and Eunho as a couple? I don't know if it'll be smooth sailing l from here on out or not but because I have to see how this trainwreck clears itself up I'll be reading the next volume.
I really just want some yaoi that's not toxic and messy as fuck. I understand that the genre is build on toxic and messy relationships/dynamics but come on there HAS to be ONE decent and healthy relationship in one of these series.
Now with that off my chest. This shit is messy and not in a kicking my feet and giggling messy. But messy in a can't tear your eyes from the gruesome trainwreck messy.
Eunho has always had a crush on Jaeha. There's a 8 year age gap between them. He asks Jaeha to marry him when he's a child (like 3 or 4). Jaeha obviously turns him down.
(*Mini side rant: When Eunho "proposes" Jaeha's mom asks him to just agree with Eunho and also says 'Oh, Eunho. How are going to live without Jaeha?' which makes me SO MAD. I get Eunho is barely outta babyhood. Plus he's crying because he was turned down. And at his age he more than likey he'll grow outta this crush as most kids with crushes at that age do. But telling someone to just agree / go along with someone else's crush simply to not upset them also needs to be punched in the neck. Mini side rant over*)
Years pass, they live their lives. Jaeha gets married Eunho is at the wedding it's been a few (5?) years since they've seen each other. More time passes and it's 2 months after Jaeha's divorce. The interaction is kinda tense (on Eunho's end) for an unknown reason. We'll eventually find out that Jaeha has a boyfriend he's been messing with since college. And Eunho saw them in a parking lot kissing.
Eunho still has feelings for Jaeha. Jaeha isn't giving him the time of day. Jaeha's relationship with his boyfriend can be seen as toxic but honestly we don't really see them interact outside of their hookups, so who's to say what their actual relationship dynamic is. Not really sure if Jaeha is out. He does still wear his wedding band. He says it feels weird without it. Eunho joins the art class that Jaeha teaches in the 'I'm going to insert myself into your life and make you love me trope'. / Possibly also the 'I'm going to force you outta the closet or force you to be honest with yourself and be with me trope'.
Jaeha and his boyfriend are "going at it" Eunho calls and the bf answers the call so Eunho can hear them going at it. Sometime after that. Jaeha and Eunho are having a conversation which Eunho lets Jaeha know he's serious about him and Jaeha doesn't believe him asks him if he truly means it and would he be able to sleep with him. Yhey end up Eunho place where they sleep together. They are lovely dovey the next morning and in the days after that.
And the volume ends with Jaeha and Eunho as a couple? I don't know if it'll be smooth sailing l from here on out or not but because I have to see how this trainwreck clears itself up I'll be reading the next volume.
I really just want some yaoi that's not toxic and messy as fuck. I understand that the genre is build on toxic and messy relationships/dynamics but come on there HAS to be ONE decent and healthy relationship in one of these series.
July 18, 2025
This is my first experience with ZEC’s work, and manwha adapted from web comics (?) in general. So I fully admit to having some bias when it comes to feeling like the characters don’t have as distinct a look, and the backrounds seem a little sparse and empty. However, the overall emotion of the story and the compelling pairing at the center of Lover Boy 1 propelled it forward to me. There were several dalliances from the plot’s rather simple main arc that wound up feeling a little unnecessary, as the motivations of some of the characters, especially Jaeha’s previous relationships, felt muddy and unclear. It didn’t feel like I learned enough more about Jaeha or why he found himself in those positions to truly feel like those bumps in the road were doing anything aside from prolonging the inevitable. However, ultimate payoff was good and I found myself very invested in how the main characters came together. There were a few inventive moments in the explicit scenes that I quite enjoyed, but in general if you read a lot of BL then this doesn’t offer any real surprises.
I liked that Eunho borderline toxic and overly persistent in his affections. If you don’t like that kind of thing, or relationships with a large age gap that connected as children (even if they don’t pursue anything until adulthood), then this won’t be for you. It’s not a standout or argument for any of its tropes and clearly meant for those who already enjoy it. I d
I’ll be looking forward to reading more about Eunho and Jaeha, as I feel there are still a lot of unanswered questions about who they are and how they operate in the world. Right now I feel as if I don’t fully understand a lot about Jaeha’s feelings.
The feeling of this book was quite premium in the hand with its lovely matte cover, however, the glossy paper allowed for several issues with transferring between the pages. I’d rather pay for something a little less premium if it’s going to have issues like that.
I liked that Eunho borderline toxic and overly persistent in his affections. If you don’t like that kind of thing, or relationships with a large age gap that connected as children (even if they don’t pursue anything until adulthood), then this won’t be for you. It’s not a standout or argument for any of its tropes and clearly meant for those who already enjoy it. I d
I’ll be looking forward to reading more about Eunho and Jaeha, as I feel there are still a lot of unanswered questions about who they are and how they operate in the world. Right now I feel as if I don’t fully understand a lot about Jaeha’s feelings.
The feeling of this book was quite premium in the hand with its lovely matte cover, however, the glossy paper allowed for several issues with transferring between the pages. I’d rather pay for something a little less premium if it’s going to have issues like that.
June 2, 2025
Eigentlich eher 3,5 Sterne:
Die Geschichte ist echt schwer an manchen Stellen und es fällt mir schwer, Eunho vollkommen zu verstehen. Er selbst scheint keine Form von Selbsterhaltungstrieb zu haben. Er hängt sich immer nur voll in seine Gefühle für Jaeha. Das wirkt für mich eher wie eine ungesunde Form von Bezugsperson.
Jaeha hingegen konnte zwar den Nachbarsjungen nie vergessen und auch nie dessen Liebeserklärung, aber ernst hat er diesen nie genommen. Kann er wirklich den kleinen Jungen von damals als erwachsenen Mann sehen, der ihn immer noch liebt?
Doch Jaeha ist ehrlich gesagt kein einfacher Mensch und um tatsächlich einen Cut zu setzen, ist er viel zu zaghaft. Ja, der normale Mensch ist so. Aber würde ihn Eunho echt etwas bedeuten, hätte er sich meiner Meinung nach schon längst zurückgezogen und ihm mehr als nur eine klare Ansage gemacht. So wirkt es auf mich, als wenn er diesen bisher nur an der langen Leine hält, um ihn als Häppchen für später zu haben.
Die Gestaltung dieses Manwhas in untypischem Schwarz-Weiß war für mich zudem echt gewöhnungsbedürftig. Gerade weil Jaeha ein kleines Atelier betreibt, hätte ich hier gern einige Bilder in Farbe gehabt. Die Zeichnungen sind schön. Der Spice-Level von 4/5 ist für mich nicht erreicht. Dafür sind die erotischen Szenen nicht wirklich erotisch-ästhetisch. Und die Zensierung trägt dazu dieses Mal durchaus seinen Anteil bei.
Die Geschichte ist echt schwer an manchen Stellen und es fällt mir schwer, Eunho vollkommen zu verstehen. Er selbst scheint keine Form von Selbsterhaltungstrieb zu haben. Er hängt sich immer nur voll in seine Gefühle für Jaeha. Das wirkt für mich eher wie eine ungesunde Form von Bezugsperson.
Jaeha hingegen konnte zwar den Nachbarsjungen nie vergessen und auch nie dessen Liebeserklärung, aber ernst hat er diesen nie genommen. Kann er wirklich den kleinen Jungen von damals als erwachsenen Mann sehen, der ihn immer noch liebt?
Doch Jaeha ist ehrlich gesagt kein einfacher Mensch und um tatsächlich einen Cut zu setzen, ist er viel zu zaghaft. Ja, der normale Mensch ist so. Aber würde ihn Eunho echt etwas bedeuten, hätte er sich meiner Meinung nach schon längst zurückgezogen und ihm mehr als nur eine klare Ansage gemacht. So wirkt es auf mich, als wenn er diesen bisher nur an der langen Leine hält, um ihn als Häppchen für später zu haben.
Die Gestaltung dieses Manwhas in untypischem Schwarz-Weiß war für mich zudem echt gewöhnungsbedürftig. Gerade weil Jaeha ein kleines Atelier betreibt, hätte ich hier gern einige Bilder in Farbe gehabt. Die Zeichnungen sind schön. Der Spice-Level von 4/5 ist für mich nicht erreicht. Dafür sind die erotischen Szenen nicht wirklich erotisch-ästhetisch. Und die Zensierung trägt dazu dieses Mal durchaus seinen Anteil bei.
December 14, 2025
Yeah WOW, that is not what I expected from this BUT I LOVE IT! I’m addicted. It’s messy, complicated, and tender all in one. I was concerned in the beginning on how and where this may end up, but I think the author did a phenomenal job marrying the messy nature of the relationships swirling. Two childhood friends link back up after so many years with one wanting more from the other. Manhwa can be toxic and rife with cishet fantasies that can make queer relationships not be realistic or come of safe. This one to me so far is safe, especially as I’m queer myself with emphasis on being transmasc. Personally not happy with the censorship, especially since I have to flash my ID to verify my age and buy it. I know this originally started out as a webtoon and most cases with those they always put the NSFW behind a pay wall because webtoon just doesn’t have a way (like practically everywhere I guess) to keep kids out of seeing and interacting with NSFW content. But it’s like if I’m buying something hard copy AND it’s going to have NSFW in it AND I have to show my ID, like don’t carry the webtoon logic to print. Otherwise, this was delicious and I can’t wait for volume 2.
March 19, 2025
Received a copy for review via Edelweiss.
Overall, an enjoyable first volume. Definitely for fans of Tied to You from the same publisher. Eunho has loved Jaeha since he was 3 years old in a classic childhood friends (though this does have an 8-year age gap) to lovers. I'm worried there will be some more drama with either Hanjoon or Jaeha's ex-wife, especially as this is only the first volume. It would be refreshing if there wasn't. The art was good, though I admit to having just a bit of confusion here and there when there were time skips. I usually figured it out with a quick re-read. I also admit a bit of confusion over Jaeha's reluctance for a relationship with Eunho. It wasn't clear if it was just the age gap/still seeing him as a child or more to do with his recent divorce. I also think we need to know more about his relationship with his ex-wife. I assume we'll find out more in later volumes. Ultimately, subsequent volumes might affect how I feel about the story overall. Will look forward to volume 2!
Overall, an enjoyable first volume. Definitely for fans of Tied to You from the same publisher. Eunho has loved Jaeha since he was 3 years old in a classic childhood friends (though this does have an 8-year age gap) to lovers. I'm worried there will be some more drama with either Hanjoon or Jaeha's ex-wife, especially as this is only the first volume. It would be refreshing if there wasn't. The art was good, though I admit to having just a bit of confusion here and there when there were time skips. I usually figured it out with a quick re-read. I also admit a bit of confusion over Jaeha's reluctance for a relationship with Eunho. It wasn't clear if it was just the age gap/still seeing him as a child or more to do with his recent divorce. I also think we need to know more about his relationship with his ex-wife. I assume we'll find out more in later volumes. Ultimately, subsequent volumes might affect how I feel about the story overall. Will look forward to volume 2!
August 13, 2025
It was such a good read! Eunho was by far the best character and I loved him from the start. Jaeha was a very frustrating character throughout the entire book but I ultimately felt like all of his emotions and doubts were very understandable and very important to his development as a person. His constant bad decisions and habits led the story in ways that made me want to throw my book across the room yet hug him just so he could feel a little better. I hated and still hate Hanjoon.
The topics within this book as well just felt so perfectly placed and written and executed. The age gap and growing up together haunting Jaeha to the point of not even being able to see Eunho as his own person was so important to shine light on. And Eunho’s confession at the end was so powerful for me.
I loved the push and pull between Jaeha and Eunho and am so excited to see where their storyline goes and how it evolves throughout vol. 2! Not to mention how good the art is! So stunning.
The topics within this book as well just felt so perfectly placed and written and executed. The age gap and growing up together haunting Jaeha to the point of not even being able to see Eunho as his own person was so important to shine light on. And Eunho’s confession at the end was so powerful for me.
I loved the push and pull between Jaeha and Eunho and am so excited to see where their storyline goes and how it evolves throughout vol. 2! Not to mention how good the art is! So stunning.
April 19, 2025
I was given a digital copy of this book to review.
College student Eunho Jung has been in love with his former neighbor, Jaeha Yoo, since he was a child. The two lost touch for a while, but during a random encounter we find out that Jaeha is recently divorced from his wife. The two end up staying in contact and we see where things go from there.
This volume is mostly just messy and angsty and frustrating. I have previously read the entire series, though it's been a while, and I don't want to spoil anything, but I do want to say that this relationship changes and evolves a lot throughout the series and the mess and angst now is worth it in the end.
College student Eunho Jung has been in love with his former neighbor, Jaeha Yoo, since he was a child. The two lost touch for a while, but during a random encounter we find out that Jaeha is recently divorced from his wife. The two end up staying in contact and we see where things go from there.
This volume is mostly just messy and angsty and frustrating. I have previously read the entire series, though it's been a while, and I don't want to spoil anything, but I do want to say that this relationship changes and evolves a lot throughout the series and the mess and angst now is worth it in the end.
March 29, 2025
Messy messy messy.
Classic story of a kid who fell in love with someone older who treated them nicely as a kid. But bam, they're both males and one is "married".
This was an interesting read and I'm glad it's not just one volume because...the ending surprised me. I did not think Jaeha would give in. I hope we get to see more development since this felt mostly one sided.
Thanks so much to Edelweiss and Yen Press for the DRC!
Classic story of a kid who fell in love with someone older who treated them nicely as a kid. But bam, they're both males and one is "married".
This was an interesting read and I'm glad it's not just one volume because...the ending surprised me. I did not think Jaeha would give in. I hope we get to see more development since this felt mostly one sided.
Thanks so much to Edelweiss and Yen Press for the DRC!
March 26, 2025
I almost DNF’d this. I was really annoyed with how Jaeha was reacting and treating Eunho. The younger guy may have had a childhood crush, but it felt almost like he was leading him on. I don’t know. I’m glad I held on, because once he dumped the toxic guy, he started seeing Eunho as more than a baby brother. It got much better.
August 3, 2025
You know, I don’t care that the author shows Jaeha with someone else… Most series I read, make it seem like the characters are too pure and haven’t been with anyone before the love interest. Jaeha obviously uses Hanjoon to feel better though. Eunho is a sweetheart and just follows Jaeha around even after seeing (or hearing) him with someone else. He’s got it so bad lol.
March 4, 2025
This was painful. The relationships are messy and the characters are messy. I don't know how to feel about any of it, but I'm interested in how everything will end up and I want to know all the secrets.
September 1, 2025
3.5
That annoying situationship Jaeha has is so messed up for picking up the phone and having Eunho listen on call when they were having sex.
Eunho is such a sweetheart. He has always been so devoted to Jaeha.
That annoying situationship Jaeha has is so messed up for picking up the phone and having Eunho listen on call when they were having sex.
Eunho is such a sweetheart. He has always been so devoted to Jaeha.
September 12, 2025
Thank you to Edelweiss and the Publisher for the Digital Review Copy.
Messy, messy, messy. It’s decent, but it’s not for me. I think the writing and the art is good, but I don’t feel drawn in by the characters enough to earn how messy they all are.
Messy, messy, messy. It’s decent, but it’s not for me. I think the writing and the art is good, but I don’t feel drawn in by the characters enough to earn how messy they all are.
Read
June 1, 2024
March 17, 2025
I...think I liked it? Definitely needs a second volume to decide.
Read
April 23, 2025DNF 32%
June 8, 2025
I started this at 8 and now finished it I love love this manga they are so so cute can’t wait for vol 2
July 21, 2025
2,6 von 5
Es waren zu viele Wiederholungen und alles zog sich.
Es waren zu viele Wiederholungen und alles zog sich.
August 11, 2025
lowkey mid but the boys are pretty
November 23, 2025
2017 Cam would not believe me if I said I bought this at work and now own a physical copy
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