Checkmate Vol. 02

Checkmate Vol. 02

LIKE PIECES ON A BOARD

After spending years competing against the handsome and popular Eunsung, Soohyun graduated high school filled with anger, never achieving first place or even catching Eunsung’s interest. Years later, finding Eunsung embroiled in scandal, Soohyun weaves a complicated web of manipulation to ensnare Eunsung. The bait: Park Moon-seob, Eunsung’s mentor and…ex?

A malicious rumor started by Park leads to Eunsung being ostracized from the art scene. Soohyun, now a reporter, promises to help repair Eunsung’s reputation–so long as he obeys Soohyun’s every command. Wary of the other man’s intentions, Eunsung decides to go along with this, and the two form an uneasy alliance. However, Soohyun doesn’t realize that beneath Park Moon-seob’s quiet demeanor lurks a dangerous predator. Just who is hunting who? Find out in this erotically charged psychological drama.

Series Overview: Detached. Disinterested. Dispassionate. All words used to describe Soohyun and his uneventful, mediocre life. He’s nothing like he once was. As a teen, he had a fire, a passion burning within, all thanks to one person: bright-haired and brilliant Eunsung. Throughout high school, Soohyun obsessively competed with Eunsung for the top spot in all things, only to consistently come in second place. And as high school ended without victory, so did his passion for anything. But all this changes when, as an adult, he suddenly sees Eunsung again—except the other man is in the news, embroiled in scandal!

Seeing Eunsung in a state of shame ignites something in Soohyun. Fiery hate, long thought dead, comes alive within him once more.

Biographical Notes:

TAN is a webtoon and manhwa (Korean comics) creator best known for their works Checkmate and Stalker’s Game.

Title Notes:

Already released online in English on the Lezhin webtoon platform; this will be its first print edition in English. Also available in French, Chinese, Spanish, and Arabic.

Popular in Genres of Boys’ Love with sexual content (a very popular genre right now), psychological drama, rivals-to-lovers.

COLOR WEBTOON/WEBCOMIC MANHWA, READS LEFT TO RIGHT: Korean comics (manhwa) have exploded online in the last decade in the “webtoon” format optimized for smartphones. Webtoons have expanded into multiple languages (including English) and attracted huge global audiences on a number of platforms.

The biggest webtoons have print editions, such as the English-language release of the hits Killing Stalking and The Dangerous Convenience Store.

This Adult title is rated Mature with a [Parental Advisory] note and will be shrinkwrapped.