1995, Tokyo. By day, Shu Kitagawa checks badges at Kodansha's gate; by night, he hides a manuscript that could vault him from anonymity to the Gunzo shortlist. A young editor discovers his pages and pulls him into a world of whispered favors, office politics, and a prize that crowns—and crushes—careers. But the book that dazzles them all carries a dangerous secret about its origins. As his ex—now an ambitious intern—maneuvers behind closed doors and deadlines close in, Shu must decide how much truth he can afford before the wind that lifts him becomes the storm that ends him.