Horikita Suzune

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Horikita Suzune (堀北鈴音)
Gender	Female
Affiliation	First-Year Class D
Occupation/Role	Student; Class D planner and study-session organizer
First Appearance	Chapter 2 2

Background / History

Suzune spent much of her childhood alone, later stating that she had been by herself since kindergarten. In middle school, she devoted roughly sixteen hours a day to studying outside of eating and sleeping, while also developing top-tier athletic ability. She enrolled at the school to follow her older brother, Horikita Manabu. 10 31 35

At the start of the school year, she encountered Shikime Natsu on the bus to the entrance ceremony. Her hostility toward him was immediate, and she hoped they would not be assigned to the same class. 2 35

Suzune initially modeled herself after Manabu's aloofness, believing that independence meant refusing friendships and relying only on herself. Her brother later rejects this imitation, judging that she has not gained the qualifications to stand beside him because she has not grown independently. 9 33 50

Appearance

Suzune is a long-haired girl with black hair and wine-red eyes. Her usual expression and demeanor are cold enough that she can pass an entire day without smiling. 30 51

• Long black hair. 30 71
• Wine-red eyes. 30 50
• Usually wears a stern, unapproachable expression. 30 143
• Later performs maid service in a black-and-white maid outfit as part of her agreements with Shikime Natsu. 96 143

Personality

Suzune begins as blunt, proud, and intensely self-reliant. She dismisses the need for friends, refers to many of her classmates as “defective,” and sees little value in accommodating people she considers beneath her standards. 9 10 41

Her desire for Manabu's recognition is her greatest emotional vulnerability. She follows his example so closely that she mistakes loneliness for aloofness; when confronted with this distinction, she gradually accepts that her isolation is a weakness rather than a strength. 31 41 50

She is highly competitive and disciplined. Whether competing academically with Sakayanagi Arisu, attempting to defeat Shikime in cooking, or trying to secure Class D's advancement, Suzune responds to setbacks by becoming more determined. 72 80 85 89

Though initially poor at reading the atmosphere and maintaining conversation, Suzune becomes more considerate over time. She learns to use others' strengths, asks about her friends' interests, and begins interacting with classmates without her earlier sharpness. 33 91 93 162 274

Abilities & Skills

Academic Ability

Suzune is among Class D's strongest students and consistently applies herself to study.

• Placed third in the entrance examination. 80
• Defeated Sakayanagi Arisu by one point during her week as an exchange student in Class A. 85
• Organizes Class D's study preparations and works toward ensuring that the entire class passes its midterms. 89 91

Athletic Ability

Suzune possesses exceptional physical ability for her age.

• Her athletic ability is described as top-tier. 10
• Most average boys are no match for her physically; she could easily defeat Yamauchi Haruki. 10

Observation and Analysis

Suzune can notice concrete inconsistencies in other people's behavior, though she initially struggles with broader social awareness.

• Correctly deduces that Kushida Kikyo had been deliberately watching the café entrance, noting both her line of sight and cold coffee. 34
• Notices the contrast between Class D's disorderly atmosphere and Class A's studious environment. 72
• Initially fails to read the atmosphere around Manabu and Nagumo Miyabi, exposing her weakness in social observation. 33

Cooking

Suzune develops cooking into one of her methods of connecting with others.

• Demonstrates aptitude when she cooks dinner for Shikime during their friendship practice. 51
• Becomes determined to surpass Shikime after tasting his tamagoyaki. 72
• Cooks a meal for Shikime as part of proving her sincerity as a friend. 246 247

Class D Coordination

Suzune increasingly acts for Class D's collective interests rather than relying solely on her own ability.

• Works with Hirata Yosuke, Yukimura Teruhiko, and Kushida Kikyo to address Class D's failing students. 89
• Chooses to purchase upperclassmen's test papers to help the class pass and gain one hundred Class Points. 90 91
• Accepts Kushida's help despite distrusting her, recognizing that Kushida's influence improves the likelihood of securing the papers. 91
• Admits that she could not have obtained the papers through her own efforts alone. 93

Items & Cards

• Copy of Crime and Punishment — A book she frequently reads and later discusses with Sakura Airi. 30 162
• “Ingredient Supply” Skill Card — Received after tasting Shikime's tamagoyaki. 72
• Friend Card — Obtained after completing Shikime's “good friend” assessment. 248

Relationships

• Horikita Manabu — Her older brother and the person she originally came to the school to follow. His approval strongly influences her choices, though his harsh assessment of her isolation forces her to confront her shortcomings. 31 33 274
• Shikime Natsu — Initially an antagonistic acquaintance who sells her information and repeatedly provokes her. He becomes her friendship instructor under an agreement with Manabu, and Suzune eventually earns his recognition as a genuine friend. 35 41 247 248
• Sakura Airi — One of Suzune's first genuine friends. Airi's effort to understand Suzune's love of literature motivates Suzune to begin learning about others in return. 89 162 244
• Wang Meiyu — A classmate Suzune views as sincere and without obvious ulterior motives; Suzune chooses her as one of her intended friends. 89 214
• Kushida Kikyo — A tense and distrustful classmate relationship. Suzune rejects Kushida's attempts at friendship but later makes pragmatic use of her popularity and connections for Class D's benefit. 34 91 94
• Sakayanagi Arisu — Participates in Suzune's early “friend-making practice” and exchanges introductions with her, though Suzune remains suspicious of Arisu's involvement in Shikime's wager. 73 80 81
• Komami — One of the friends Suzune states she has made by the time she resumes her friendship assessment with Shikime. 244

Story Role / Major Arcs

Learning the School's Rules

Suzune spends private points to obtain information from Shikime about the school's point system. She learns that students will not automatically receive 100,000 Private Points every month and that points can be used to purchase almost anything within the school. 9 10 30

Seeking Manabu's Recognition

After delaying contact with Manabu out of fear and pressure, Suzune finally meets him through Shikime. Manabu judges that she has not grown beyond chasing his shadow, then makes Shikime a one-million-point offer: make Suzune genuinely acknowledge three friends within one semester. 31 33 35

Friendship Practice

Shikime begins forcing Suzune to confront her lack of social skills through conversation exercises, smiling practice, cooking, and introductions to other students. She initially treats friendship as a task to complete for Manabu's sake, but gradually learns that sincerity and interest in the other person are necessary. 41 49 50 51 73

Quiz Wager and Maid Service

Suzune challenges Shikime to a quiz duel, offering friendship if she wins and 100,000 Private Points if she loses. After being misled about Shikime's academic standing, she accepts a condition that places her in maid service if she cannot pay the debt. 80 81

She fulfills the resulting service despite considerable humiliation, using her continued access to Shikime to seek information and strategies for Class D. 90 96 108 109

Class D Midterm Crisis

To prevent failing classmates from damaging Class D's advancement, Suzune coordinates study sessions and decides to buy upperclassmen's test papers. She relies on Hirata's leadership and Kushida's connections, marking a major shift from her former lone-wolf approach. 89 91 93

Becoming Shikime's Friend

Suzune's later friendship efforts become more personal. After discovering that Airi has learned about her interests, Suzune begins asking about Airi's and Shikime's hobbies, gathers information on Shikime's preferences, and cooks for him as a sincere return gesture. 162 163 245 246

Shikime ultimately accepts her meal, prepares food for her in return, and recognizes her as a friend. Suzune completes the “good friend” assessment and receives a Friend Card. 247 248

Manabu's Acknowledgment

Manabu later recognizes that Suzune has changed significantly: she can communicate with others and show kindness, even if only toward certain people. He credits Shikime's friendship with enabling her growth. 274

Notable Quotes

“I refuse. I have no need to make any friends.” 9

“My name is Horikita Suzune. Can I be friends with you?” 50

“Friends made with that kind of objective aren't genuine at all.” 71

Trivia

• Suzune's favorite recurring reading material is Crime and Punishment. 30 162
• She initially struggles so severely with conversation that Shikime assigns her a daily quota of three sentences. 73
• Suzune once believed a strict lack of point deductions would guarantee her nearly 100,000 Private Points, underestimating how Class D's overall performance affected the system. 74 80
• Her first friendship goal was to gain three people she genuinely acknowledged as friends before June. 35 71