Finished
“Second-place Soohyun reignites rivalry with scandal-hit former classmate Eunsung, becoming reporter to witness his downfall.”
Checkmate
체크 메이트
7.92
2,807 readers · 69 favorites
Psychological
Boys Love
Drama
Erotica
Would You Love or Hate This?
AI-powered analysis tailored to your taste
Based on your preference for character-driven stories with layered emotional arcs, this title's exploration of identity and belonging would deeply resonate. The pacing mirrors series you've rated highly, and its thematic depth aligns with your appreciation for nuanced storytelling...
However, the slow initial episodes might test your patience given your history of dropping shows that don't hook you early. The art style shift in the middle arc could also be a concern...
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Synopsis
Second-place Soohyun reignites rivalry with scandal-hit former classmate Eunsung, becoming reporter to witness his downfall.
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)
What people say
Community consensus
Derived from 4 sampled reviews
8.5
/10
What 4 readers settled on.
100%
recommend
Score distribution
median 8.5
mode 8
σ 0.50
Agreement
Strong agreement
σ 0.50 · scores cluster tight
The polarity gap
—
Not enough recommend signal yet
Score over time
↑ 0.50
Running avg · Nov 2023 → Apr 2026
Snap verdicts
· shortest highly-rated reviews
- 8 “I still don't know what's the exact meaning of the genre angst, but this manhwa has themes of psychology, morality and emotional/complicated relationships, so I'm pretty sure it's close, lol. MC...”
- 8 “It was actually an interesting ride! This BL is incredible if you're the kind of person who enjoys good dialogues and overanalyzing characters rather than sex scenes that happens every two chapters...”
- 9 “Damn, this was a great read.. I found it to be actual art and more than just a senseless BL sex scroll. Honestly I have kept so many screenshots from this manhwa. The characters are stunning -...”
Verbosity
Short · 50%
Medium · 50%
Long · 0%
Read Order & Related
Explore the Checkmate universe
Cast
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A Manhwa Publication
- Format 115 ch ch × vol
- Total read 15h 20m approx
- Published Aug 2020 – Sep 2023
- Source Manhwa media type
- Ref. BS-M70430 catalog