Checkmate

Soohyun doesn't have a "first love," but he definitely has a "first hate"—his high school classmate Eunsung. A smooth-mannered all-star, Eunsung snaps up first place in everything, leaving Soohyun always trailing behind in second place. Winning out over Eunsung is the one thing that motivates Soohyun, but after graduation, Soohyun contents himself with a dull, mediocre life. One day, Eunsung appears on the news, knee-deep in scandal and, for once, not perfectly at ease...lighting Soohyun's inner fires once again. Desperate to see a fallen Eunsung with his own eyes, Soohyun jumps into the fray as a reporter, and gets Eunsung to strike an outrageous deal with him.

(Source: Lezhin Entertainment)

Checkmate is originally a webtoon series released on Ridibooks which has been published in print by Lezhin Entertainment since May 10, 2023. The series has been published digitally in English and Spanish by Lezhin Entertainment, and in French by Delitoon on Le Bontoon. The volumes have been published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment since October 29, 2024.