Kushida

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Kushida Kikyo (櫛田 桔梗)
Alias(es)	“Little Angel”; “Little Kikyo”; “Kikyo-chan”
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School; Class D
Occupation/Role	Student; social networker and intermediary within Class D
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 2

Background / History

Kushida meets Dongfang Yi on the bus to Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School. Mistaking him for an upperclassman, she attempts to learn his identity, club affiliation, and connections while presenting herself as an innocent, considerate junior. Her attempt to carry his backpack—actually filled with dumbbells—ends with her falling into him and triggering rumors before enrollment even begins. 2 3 4

She initially sees the school as a place to expand her network and become the “queen” of campus. During club recruitment, she uses charm and friendliness to obtain information from Archery Club captain Hashigaki, hoping to identify the mysterious upperclassman from the bus. She incorrectly concludes that Nagumo Miyabi is the man she seeks, then abandons the search when she realizes open pursuit could damage her public image. 24 26 27

Kushida eventually realizes that Dongfang was never a senior; he merely allowed her to draw that conclusion herself. Humiliated by the deception, she resolves to make him “pay the price,” but her hostility gradually turns into an increasingly possessive attachment as she continues visiting him at Palette Cafe. 41 42

Dongfang begins supplying Kushida with food, desserts, tutoring, and later regular support, making her less dependent on Class D’s point economy. She assists him with gathering information and persuading classmates to attend Horikita’s study session, though she becomes increasingly unwilling to let Class D’s problems consume her time. 45 92 104 109 110 180

During the island exam, Horikita Suzune suspects Kushida and Sakura Airi of leaking information to Dongfang and confines them in a tent under the pretext of protecting Class D’s leader card. The incident leaves Kushida bitter toward Horikita and the classmates who fail to defend her. Dongfang’s intervention and exposure of Horikita’s leadership restore Kushida’s standing within the class. 196 201 202 203 213

Appearance

Kushida is a petite, orange-haired girl whose deliberately sweet presentation supports her “Little Angel” image.

• Orange hair. 80 104
• Bright, clear eyes and a jade-like face. 2
• Baby-faced cheeks and an outwardly cute, gentle expression. 43
• Wore a pure white skirt when she first met Dongfang. 2

Personality

Kushida publicly presents herself as a universally kind, friendly girl who wants to be friends with everyone. She actively maintains this persona through affectionate speech, helpful behavior, and careful control of how others perceive her. 26 43

Behind that image, she is observant, calculating, and easily frustrated by people who exploit her friendliness. She is willing to manipulate others for information or social advantage, and she privately resents classmates whose demands threaten her plans or reputation. 26 110 114 145

Her relationship with Dongfang exposes a more emotionally volatile side. She becomes suspicious of his lies, tracks his movements, and develops possessive feelings toward him, while also trusting him to articulate frustrations she normally suppresses. 42 104 110 115

Skills & Methods

Social Persona and Networking

Kushida uses her “Little Angel” persona to gain trust, collect contacts, and establish herself as a central social figure.

• Easily persuades others to exchange contact information or share gossip with her. 26
• Frames her ambitions as a desire to “be friends with everyone.” 27 43
• Recasts potentially embarrassing behavior into considerate, selfless conduct to preserve her reputation. 27
• Her reputation is vulnerable to romance rumors and to situations where classmates demand too much of her. 3 27 110

Observation and Information Gathering

Kushida closely scrutinizes people’s words, motives, and behavior, particularly Dongfang’s.

• Notices inconsistencies in Dongfang’s claims from their first meeting. 2
• Attempts to deduce a person’s background and affiliations through physical details, such as the weight of Dongfang’s backpack. 3
• Tracks Dongfang and Ichinose’s movements through contact-location information, leading her to arrive at Dongfang’s dorm immediately after his return. 104
• Provides Dongfang with observations about Ayanokoji and Horikita when he seeks information. 80 82

Academics

Kushida is a capable student, though her social commitments interfere with consistent study.

• Her grades are described as having a floor of 80 points, exceeding Kamuro Masumi’s results. 106
• Receives strict tutoring from Dongfang alongside Sakura. 92 109
• Falls behind during the first-half final exams because of her numerous social activities. 166

Point Management

Kushida’s generosity with points becomes a liability when Class D’s finances deteriorate.

• Receives 30,000 points from an unknown benefactor in exchange for information about Ayanokoji and Horikita’s study session. 113
• Lends a total of 8,400 points to classmates for meals. 145
• Becomes concerned that delayed class-point distributions will prevent her borrowers from repaying her. 145 166

Relationships

• Dongfang Yi — Initially mistakes him for an upperclassman and becomes determined to uncover his identity. After learning he deceived her, she becomes hostile and possessive, but later relies on him for food, tutoring, support, and protection. 2 41 104 115 202
• Sakura Airi — A friend and fellow student whom Kushida studies and spends time with. Sakura recognizes Kushida’s distress around Class D’s demanding students and supports her during the island-exam confinement. 92 115 196 201
• Horikita Suzune — Their relationship deteriorates as Horikita excludes Kushida from the study group, suspects her of betrayal, and confines her during the island exam. Kushida ultimately sees Horikita as an enemy who threatens her security and standing. 113 180 196 201
• Ayanokoji Kiyotaka — Enlists Kushida to persuade Ike and Yamauchi to attend Horikita’s study session. Kushida helps, but resists being drawn into the tutoring itself. 109 110 111 114
• Hasebe Haruka — Attends club recruitment with Kushida and later remains present during the island-exam conflict. Hasebe is sympathetic to Kushida’s public self-blame after Dongfang exposes Horikita’s leader card. 24 26 203
• Ichinose Honami — Shares a subtle rivalry with Kushida over Dongfang’s attention. Ichinose offers to lend points to Kushida and Sakura, while Kushida briefly considers allowing Ichinose’s generosity to backfire. 166
• Ike Kanji, Yamauchi Haruki, and Sudo Ken — Classmates who repeatedly pressure Kushida to tutor them. Their behavior makes her feel cornered and exploited, despite her public attempt to remain agreeable. 110 114 115
• Hashigaki — Archery Club captain whom Kushida charms into sharing information about notable upperclassmen. 26
• Nagumo Miyabi — Initially mistaken by Kushida for the bus stranger, though she quickly loses interest after seeing him and hearing warnings about his reputation. 26 27

Notable Quotes

“Yes, I do. I want to be friends with everyone.” 43

“I will definitely make this bastard who lied to me pay the price!” 41