Kushida

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Kushida Kikyo (櫛田)
Alias(es)	Kikyo; “Little Kushida”; Kushida-chan
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Class D, Advanced Nurturing High School 1
Occupation/Role	First-year student; Class D social butterfly and information gatherer 2 34
Status	Active 49
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Background / History

Before entering Advanced Nurturing High School, Kushida was popular in middle school because of her cute appearance and gentle manner. Her classmates entrusted her with their secrets, leaving her unable to confide in anyone without fearing that she would be seen as untrustworthy. She eventually vented about classmates’ behavior on a blog; after being exposed, she revealed their secrets in class. The resulting accusations, violence, and betrayals caused the entire class—including Kushida—to take leave from school. 27

Her past left her determined to be a universally liked “good person,” but also burdened by resentment, powerlessness, and fear of being betrayed again. Nagami later identifies that she suppresses her true feelings by tolerating wrongdoing and urges her to think more selfishly about her own well-being. 16 28

On her first day at Advanced Nurturing High School, Kushida objects when Koenji refuses to surrender his bus seat to an elderly woman. After Chang Shui Jing gives up his own seat, she introduces herself and discovers that they are both assigned to Class D. 1

Appearance

Kushida is a petite student described as 155 cm tall, with brown, long, well-maintained hair. She is noted for her carefully cultivated presentation and usually wears a headband. 1 30 36

• Her usual headband can leave faint pressure marks on her scalp. 36
• She dresses up conspicuously for a café meeting with Nagami, wearing a pale-purple dress, white cardigan, reddish-purple headband, and low heels. 30
• During the wilderness exam, classmates see her disheveled and sleep-deprived after a night in a tent. 41

Personality

Kushida initially presents herself as cheerful, considerate, and eager to befriend every student. She approaches classmates for contact information, defends Nagami’s character during a dispute, shares old exam papers with Class D, and repeatedly attempts to befriend Horikita despite Horikita’s rejection. 2 4 5 14

Behind that persona, Kushida is exhausted by trying to please everyone. Her middle-school experience makes her wary of trust and prone to suppressing anger until it becomes resentment. Once she begins opening up to Nagami, she becomes noticeably more direct: she stops pursuing Horikita’s friendship, bluntly refuses Ike’s request to pair with her, and admits that constantly pleasing others is exhausting. 23 27 29

Nagami’s support helps her view herself less as the cause of her middle-school class’s collapse. She remains sharp-tongued and retaliatory when provoked, including biting Nagami after he hugs her without warning. 28

Abilities & Skills

Social Influence

Kushida’s friendliness and popularity allow her to sway Class D’s reactions and quickly form connections.

• Her endorsement immediately helps de-escalate a conflict involving Nagami and Class C. 5
• She distributes upperclassmen’s past exam papers, earning praise from Class D shortly before the midterms. 5
• She is recognized as a “social butterfly” whose words can influence a group’s attitude. 5
• She can make others comfortable enough to disclose sensitive information, including securing Kinoshita’s confession for Nagami. 34

Information Gathering

Kushida is capable of acquiring and handling sensitive class information.

• Nagami uses information from Kushida concerning the VIP identities in the Zodiac Group Special Exam, including her own role as the Snake Group’s VIP. 15
• Her role as the traitor during that exam is later confirmed by Nagami. 34
• At Nagami’s request, she tails injured Class C students and helps obtain evidence of Ryuen’s staged injury scheme. 34

Academic and Athletic Ability

Kushida considers both her grades and Nagami’s grades sufficient for them to pair safely in the Paper Shuffle exam. 27 She considers her athletic ability only barely passing and views communication as her primary strength. 23

Relationships

• Nagami Kagami / Chang Shui Jing — Her closest confidant and the person she trusts with her middle-school trauma. His confrontation with her “good person” persona changes her behavior, and she develops romantic feelings for him despite his playful rejections. 16 27 28 44
• Horikita Suzune — Kushida initially persistently tries to become Horikita’s friend. After confronting her own need to please everyone, she abandons that effort and becomes openly colder toward her. 4 23 29
• Ayanokoji Kiyotaka — Ayanokoji encourages her to follow her own heart when deciding whether to testify in Sudo’s case. Later, he notices her change and investigates Nagami’s role in it. 7 23 34
• Class D — She begins as one of the class’s most socially connected students, but her pressure to support everyone becomes a source of personal strain. She still defends Nagami when Ayanokoji accuses him of abandoning Class D during the Trust Game. 5 16 48
• Ryuen Kakeru — Ryuen learns that Kushida was the Snake Group VIP and benefits from her betrayal during the Zodiac Group exam; Nagami later uses evidence gathered through Kushida to force Ryuen’s cooperation. 17 34

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Class D’s opening months — Kushida establishes herself as a popular, friendly classmate, provides old test papers before the midterms, and struggles to maintain her kindness while classmates run out of points. 2 4 5
• Zodiac Group Special Exam — Her information assists Nagami’s VIP analysis, while her betrayal of Class D is exposed through Ryuen’s knowledge of her Snake Group role. 15 17 34
• “Darkened Kushida” and recovery — Nagami deliberately presents her with fabricated confessions to expose her habit of tolerating wrongdoing. She later recounts her middle-school breakdown and begins accepting his support. 16 27 28
• Sports Festival and Paper Shuffle — She supports Nagami during his injury, stops forcing a friendship with Horikita, and chooses Nagami as her Paper Shuffle partner despite the class’s strategic objections. 23 29
• Primeval Forest Trust Game — Kushida stays close to Nagami’s group, grows increasingly attached to him, and refuses to accept Ayanokoji’s claim that Nagami betrayed Class D for a transfer ticket. 37 44 48 49

Notable Quotes

“I can only be a listener and help my classmates. I'm not powerful enough to save others.” 16

“I decided from the very beginning that I would only group with Kagami.” 29

“There's no need to get along well with everyone. That's just too exhausting.” 23