Kushida

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Kushida Kikyou (櫛田 桔梗) 2
Alias(es)	Kushida; “Little Kushida” 7 16
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Class D, Advanced Nurturing High School 2 10
Occupation/Role	Class affinity ambassador; cultivates relationships between class groups 10
Status	Active

Appearance

Kushida is presented as a cute, pretty girl whose warm expressions and polished manner make her popular with her classmates. Her appearance and demeanor are central to the harmless persona she projects. 2 5

• Sweet smile and a slightly flushed, pretty face 2 7
• Vibrant red lips 7
• Delicate build and long hair that can obscure her expression 15
• Often uses cute gestures, playful pouts, and a deliberately coquettish manner 7 24 47

Personality

Kushida maintains a friendly, sweet, and highly sociable public image. She makes friends actively, serves as Class D’s affinity ambassador, and can rally the class behind her, as seen when she presents evidence about the class-point situation and urges everyone to work harder. 10 16 19

Behind this persona, she is observant, calculating, and intensely concerned with protecting herself. She recognizes the ugliness of her own past conduct, fears that Horikita may know about it, and considers expelling anyone who threatens to expose her. 5 15 She is capable of gathering secrets, testing others’ sincerity, and suggesting blackmail as a way to neutralize Horikita. 15 17

Kushida is also ambitious and pragmatic. Rather than immediately accepting Byakuya’s offer of an alliance, she evaluates its benefits and asks for time to consider it. After deciding to cooperate, she seeks to build influence within the class and remains attentive to her own standing in Byakuya’s priorities. 15 17 46

Background

Kushida attended middle school with Horikita Suzune. Her “dark history” became known to much of that school, leaving her fearful that Horikita may remember or expose it. 5 15 Byakuya identifies her as unusually capable because she had uncovered the secrets of nearly everyone in her middle-school class and formed acquaintances throughout the school. 15

At Advanced Nurturing High School, she adopts an approachable persona and quickly becomes a social focal point in Class D. Her popularity gives her influence over classmates and makes her useful to Horikita’s efforts to improve the class. 10 14

Abilities & Skills

Social Influence

Kushida is exceptionally adept at making friends, presenting herself favorably, and shaping group attitudes.

• Was elected Class D’s affinity ambassador, responsible for maintaining relationships among groups 10
• Successfully presents the class-point crisis to her classmates and persuades them to take schoolwork seriously 16
• Her credibility is considered valuable enough for Horikita to rely on her to communicate important information to the class 14 15
• Her attention attracts strong devotion from Yamauchi, Ike, and Sudo 7 8

Information Gathering

Kushida has a history of uncovering personal information and uses knowledge as leverage.

• Had learned the secrets of almost every student in her middle-school class 15
• Probes Wang Meiyu’s feelings for Byakuya and quickly recognizes that their relationship is more complicated than a simple crush 6
• Questions Byakuya repeatedly about Horikita and his intentions, testing both his statements and his loyalty 7 17
• Seeks information about Karuizawa’s hidden past from Byakuya 24

Manipulation and Deception

Kushida can switch between a sweet public façade and a cold, direct manner when advantageous.

• Smoothly redirects a classroom misunderstanding by playing along with the gossip surrounding Byakuya 2
• Conceals hostility toward Horikita while persistently attempting to become her friend 5 10
• Proposes recording compromising material to blackmail Horikita, though Byakuya rejects the plan 17
• Uses flirtation and jealousy to pressure Byakuya over his relationship with Horikita 38 46

Relationships

• Jingu Byakuya — Classmate, prospective romantic interest, and eventual cooperative partner. Kushida is drawn to his perceived sincerity and unusual nature, while also testing and pressuring him; he recruits her based on her abilities and offers her future influence. 5 15 17
• Horikita Suzune — Former middle-school acquaintance and perceived threat. Kushida repeatedly tries to befriend her while fearing that Horikita knows her past; their relationship is marked by concealed hostility and rivalry over Byakuya. 5 7 10 17
• Wang Meiyu — Friend. Kushida comforts her over her feelings for Byakuya, offers to help her, and later acts protectively toward her in interactions with Byakuya. 6 20
• Yamauchi Haruki — Admirer whose inappropriate behavior toward her provokes the class into beating him. 7 16
• Ike Kanji — Admirer and member of the group that resents Byakuya’s attention from Kushida. 7 8
• Sudo Ken — Admirer who joins Yamauchi and Ike in viewing Byakuya as a rival for Kushida’s attention. 8 18

Story Role / Major Arcs

Early Class D Social Dynamics

Kushida first appears during the failed self-introduction session, where she deftly handles a misunderstanding that makes it seem as though Byakuya is interested in her. 2 She later observes Byakuya dining with Horikita and becomes suspicious because Horikita, who normally ignores everyone, is interacting with him. 5

Pursuit of Horikita and the Class-Point Plan

Kushida persistently attempts to befriend Horikita, though Horikita finds her behavior irritating and suspects hostility behind it. 7 10 Horikita later brings Kushida into the discussion of the class-point system, hoping to use her social influence to motivate Class D. 14 Kushida reveals the class’s lack of points and successfully convinces the class to change its behavior. 16

Byakuya’s Recruitment Offer

After learning that Kushida may be at risk of expulsion, Byakuya confronts her privately about her past and offers her a place at his side in exchange for becoming his girlfriend. 15 Kushida recognizes the practical value of his proposal, requests two days to consider it, and uses his permission to share the class-point information as an opportunity to strengthen her standing. 15

Cooperation and Rivalry

Kushida tests Byakuya’s sincerity by asking whether he would protect her if she were isolated or bullied. His answer leads her to formally agree to cooperate with him, though she remains wary of Horikita. 17 Her attraction and rivalry become more overt as Byakuya and Horikita’s relationship develops; she sends Byakuya a provocative love letter and continues teasing Horikita. 32 34

Conflict over Byakuya’s Relationship

Kushida grows frustrated by Byakuya’s relationship with Horikita and pressures him to end it, accusing him of “playing house” with her. 46 When he responds by transferring her 300,000 points, she is initially offended before becoming delighted by the windfall. 46 She later thanks him with a kiss on the cheek while continuing to pursue his attention. 47

Notable Quotes

“If everyone isolates me and bullies me in the future, what will you do?” 17

“Are you done playing house with that woman? When are you going to completely take her down?” 46

“I think I’ve struck it rich!” 46

Trivia

• Kushida’s public image is strong enough that Horikita considers her the most effective person to persuade Class D. 14
• She is aware that her attraction to Byakuya conflicts with her self-image and reacts to it with both curiosity and self-disgust. 5
• Byakuya regards Kushida as dangerous because of her willingness to betray others for her own interests. 47