This internationally bestselling and award-winning novel is an exploration of Japan’s cutthroat work culture, as six applicants fight for a life-changing position, the competition unraveling with backstabbing, betrayal, and secrets exposed.

Everyone has a secret, and Shogo Hatano is desperate to leave his past behind. His ticket to freedom comes in the form of the perfect job: Out of thousands of applicants, he’s earned a coveted spot among six top candidates at Japan’s more exclusive tech company, Spiralinks.

Yet Shogo’s desperation is taken to new heights when, the night before the last interview, the applicants receive an email that raises the stakes: Only one of them will be hired, and the final six must determine who deserves the coveted position.

As deliberations begin, Shogo uncovers six envelopes containing a shocking secret for each candidate—blackmail meant to threaten them into dropping out of the competition. A traitor is in their midst. Shogo knows that if their lies are exposed, it could ruin more than just their careers . . . it could destroy lives.

In this taut thriller of desperation and lies, author Akinari Asakura explores the psychological repercussions of how far one will go for success and what happens when the truth comes to light.