Kushida Kikyo

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Kushida Kikyo (櫛田桔梗)
Alias(es)	Class D's “Angel”; “Blade of Intelligence” 2 19
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Class D, Advanced Nurturing High School 1 24
Occupation/Role	Student; covert intelligence informant for Natsume Yu 20 24
Status	Active 49
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Background / History

Kushida entered Class D as its hidden social center. She cultivated a reputation for warmth, remembered classmates' names and preferences, and made herself useful by mediating disputes and organizing contacts. Her popularity gave her an extensive network inside and beyond the class. 1 2 9

Her “angel” persona conceals a past built on resentment and exploitation. In middle school, she anonymously posted vicious curses about classmates, spread private information, incited bullying, and helped drive her class into collapse; several students reportedly suffered breakdowns or dropped out. 6 16 22

The Class D point crisis began exposing strain beneath her public image. When classmates rejected her appeals for unity, she maintained her smile while privately viewing them with disgust and impatience. 6 7 12

During the Uninhabited Island Special Exam, Kushida used her cross-class connections to pass information to Class C in an attempt to gain leverage. The intelligence was turned into a trap, resulting in Class C's penalty and leaving her targeted by Ryuen Kakeru's group. 13 17 18 Ayanokoji Kiyotaka then confronted her with knowledge of her middle-school past, shattering her composure while Natsume Yu secretly recorded the breakdown. 15 16

Natsume later proved his knowledge with a screenshot of Kushida's deleted blog, leaving her paranoid and unable to sustain her flawless public performance. Desperate to protect her secret, she accepted his rooftop offer: serve as his informant in exchange for concealment of her past and assistance against Horikita Suzune. 22 23

As Natsume's informant, Kushida converted her social network into a system for extracting students' secrets, weaknesses, family troubles, interpersonal ties, and psychological triggers. Her first report included information from Classes B, C, and D, and she subsequently uncovered Sakayanagi Arisu's Midterm Exam trap. 24 25 29 Following Class D's victory, Natsume acknowledged her true self; this validation led her to accept a more submissive yet empowered role under him. 27 28

During the Sports Festival, she was assigned to isolate Horikita socially, while continuing to preserve her public image. She also protected Mori Nene from Ryuen's intimidation and later received orders to monitor Ryuen and Ichinose Honami. 30 44 49

Appearance

Kushida is consistently described through her carefully maintained “angelic” presentation: a beautiful, approachable girl with a sweet smile and gentle manner that readily wins classmates' trust. 2 10 24

• Her smile is her most recognizable feature and primary social tool. 2 24
• When under pressure, the smile becomes visibly stiff or forced, revealing her fear, exhaustion, or disgust. 6 16 19
• She is noted to have worn a hair clip during the Sports Festival period. 38

Personality

Publicly, Kushida is attentive, helpful, and relentlessly agreeable. She listens to others' problems, offers assistance quickly, and presents herself as self-sacrificing for Class D's unity. 2 10 24 She is highly sensitive to social perception and wants to be seen as indispensable and universally liked. 10 27

Privately, she is resentful, manipulative, and deeply hostile toward people she considers obstacles, particularly Horikita Suzune. Her kindness is often a deliberate performance rather than a reflection of her feelings. 7 12 29

After Natsume exposes her past, fear initially dominates her actions. Over time, his acknowledgement of the side she hides from others gives her a distorted sense of relief and belonging. She remains humiliated by his control, but becomes increasingly attached to the power that access to others' secrets grants her. 23 27 28

Abilities & Skills

Social Networking

Kushida's greatest asset is her ability to make people comfortable and draw them into conversation.

• Remembers classmates' names and preferences, rapidly reducing social distance. 2
• Built one of Class D's largest interpersonal networks. 10
• Can establish rapport with students from other classes while appearing harmless and sincere. 13 24
• Uses a class contact-group initiative to collect information and broaden her reach. 9

Intelligence Gathering

After becoming Natsume's informant, Kushida uses her social connections to acquire sensitive information efficiently.

• Extracts secrets through casual questions, concern, and seemingly accidental encounters. 24
• Compiles intelligence on weaknesses, personal histories, relationships, fears, and exploitable triggers. 20 28 29
• Discovered Sakayanagi Arisu's knowledge of the Midterm Exam's true rules and warned Natsume of her planned trap. 24 25
• Provided Natsume with a file concerning Ichinose Honami's past and alerted him that Sakayanagi was investigating him. 48 49

Social Manipulation

Kushida can use her public persona to redirect conflict and control how others interpret a situation.

• Spread information about a supposed Class D supply cache in a manner designed to sound incidental. 13
• Defused Ryuen's confrontation with Mori Nene by publicly framing Class D as leaderless and positioning herself as Mori's protector. 44
• Preserves her credibility by keeping her “angel” persona intact even while covertly collecting intelligence. 24 29

Limitations

• Her need to maintain universal approval makes visible rejection and suspicion particularly destabilizing. 6 15 22
• Natsume and Ayanokoji's knowledge of her past leaves her vulnerable to coercion. 15 20 23
• Her hostility toward Horikita can compromise her objectivity. 23 28 30

Relationships

• Natsume Yu — Her blackmailer, controller, and eventual “master.” He exploits evidence of her middle-school past to recruit her as an informant; his recognition of her hidden self deepens her submission and attachment. 23 27 28
• Ayanokoji Kiyotaka — Knows of her middle-school history and acts as Natsume's proxy in enforcing her intelligence work. His calm confrontation triggers her initial breakdown. 15 18 20
• Horikita Suzune — A classmate Kushida privately hates. Natsume leverages that hostility by assigning Kushida to investigate, isolate, and undermine Horikita. 23 29 30
• Ryuen Kakeru — Kushida contacts Class C to gain leverage, but the resulting trap leaves her threatened by Ryuen's subordinates. She later frustrates Ryuen by protecting Mori Nene in public. 17 18 44
• Mori Nene — Kushida shields her from Ryuen's intimidation during the Sports Festival, earning public admiration from surrounding students. 44
• Class D — Publicly serves as the class's approachable peacemaker; privately gathers detailed dossiers on its members for Natsume. 2 20 28 29

Notable Quotes

“I saw... true ‘domination’.” 27