Kushida

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Kikyo Kushida (櫛田桔梗)
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Class D, Advanced Nurturing High School
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 5

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Correction progress: 1%	7	Xia Mu identifies her exhaustion from pursuing universal popularity, producing the first recorded correction progress.
Correction progress: 3%	7	Further discussion of the strain caused by maintaining friendships raises the recorded progress.
Correction progress: 2%	10	After being pressured into completing Xia Mu’s homework and surrendering her lunch, her progress is shown to have declined; Xia Mu concludes she can “self-repair” her correction.
Correction progress: 35%	11	Xia Mu uses Hypnosis and psychological suggestion, briefly making her question whether popularity and constant performance are worthwhile.
Correction progress: 40%	18	Xia Mu’s repeated demands—including having her feed him and wash his clothes—are stated to have raised her correction value to 40%, despite her tendency to recover psychologically.

Appearance

Kushida is described as an attractive girl with a bright, beautiful face, red lips, white teeth, and a full figure. She commonly presents herself with a radiant, sweet smile. 5

• Bright, “angelic” facial expression when performing her public persona. 9 11
• Uses cute gestures such as tilting her head or resting a finger against her chin. 7
• Her expression becomes cold, gloomy, or sinister when her façade breaks. 6 20 27
• On the cruise ship, she is seen standing at the railing and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. 43

Personality

Kushida cultivates an outward image of kindness, beauty, and universal goodwill. She readily offers help, mediates conflicts, defends others in public, and frames her actions as voluntary—even when she privately resents them. 9 10 11

Behind this façade, she is intensely attention-seeking and wants to be the most popular and dazzling girl around. She becomes hostile toward people who overshadow her, resents the exhaustion of maintaining her image, and particularly values possessing other people’s secrets as leverage. 6 7 26

Her public composure is unusually resilient: after showing anger or receiving criticism, she can quickly restore her sweet demeanor. Xia Mu identifies this tendency as a form of psychological “self-repair,” making lasting change difficult. 7 10

Once Xia Mu openly exposes and rejects her, Kushida abandons pretense around him. She reacts with panic, malice, wounded pride, and an explicit desire for revenge. 26 27 43

Abilities & Skills

Social Façade

Kushida can convincingly present herself as gentle, selfless, and approachable.

• Defuses class outrage after Xia Mu takes her lunchbox by insisting that she gave it willingly. 10
• Maintains polite speech and a smiling expression while internally cursing Xia Mu and resenting his demands. 6 9
• Quickly returns to her public persona after moments of visible anger or darkness. 7
• Her performance is convincing enough that Xia Mu believes others would see her as “a little angel” without knowledge of her hidden side. 11

Information Gathering and Leverage

Kushida is highly interested in learning and controlling other people’s secrets.

• Approaches Xia Mu after his fight with Yamada under the guise of concern, while privately wanting to uncover his secrets. 26
• Seeks to use compromising information against people she dislikes. 26
• Appears aware of Xia Mu’s exercise routine, leading him to suspect that she has been watching him. 26

Psychological Resilience

Her fixation on popularity allows her to withstand pressure that would normally force a change in behavior.

• Endures being sent around campus to help strangers, despite physical exhaustion and growing anger. 6
• Resists Xia Mu’s arguments that popularity brings exhaustion and little genuine reward. 7 11
• Retains a strong desire to be liked even after Hypnosis briefly persuades her to question that goal. 11

Relationships

• Xia Mu — Initially approaches him to befriend or manage him, then becomes the target of his “Correction” task. He repeatedly exploits her desire to be seen as helpful, exposes her hidden nature, and tells her he was only using her; she vows revenge. 5 9 11 26 27 43
• Hirata — Hirata asks Kushida to approach Xia Mu after Xia Mu rejects his own attempt at conversation. Xia Mu considers Hirata and Kushida similarly two-faced. 5
• Ken Sudo — Sudo is fiercely protective of Kushida’s public image and nearly attacks Xia Mu over his treatment of her. 9 10
• Horikita Suzune — Kushida privately resents Horikita, viewing her as someone who receives a cold attitude despite Kushida’s efforts and as a person she finds detestable. 11 27
• Shiina Hiyori — Shiina witnesses Kushida acting closely with Xia Mu and misinterprets the interaction as romantic, causing her discomfort. 26

Story Role / Major Arcs

Xia Mu’s Correction Target

Kushida approaches Xia Mu in the cafeteria after Hirata’s failed attempt to connect with him. A system task immediately identifies her psychological issues as a target for “Correction.” 5

Xia Mu tests her by ordering her to help strangers across campus. Though she complies to preserve the prospect of becoming his friend, she becomes physically exhausted and inadvertently curses at him, exposing the strain beneath her cheerful persona. 6

Exploitation and Hypnosis

Xia Mu exploits Kushida’s need to remain liked by others, coercing her into doing his homework, giving him her bento, preparing meals, and later performing other tasks. She complies outwardly but grows increasingly resentful. 9 10 13 18

On the rooftop, Xia Mu uses Hypnosis on her while confronting her reliance on popularity. The suggestion brings her correction progress to 35% and briefly makes her consider living more honestly, but she regains awareness and ultimately refuses his advances. 10 11

Breakdown and Hostility

During swimming class, Kushida attempts to preserve their friendship after Xia Mu has dismissed her usefulness. After he rejects her, she vents privately and begins plotting revenge. 20

She later approaches Xia Mu after his fight with Yamada, offering a bento and feigning concern while trying to obtain information about him. Xia Mu confronts her in an elevator, rejects the bento, and confirms that he sees through her mask. 26

After Xia Mu admits that he only used her and declares that she has no value to him, Kushida openly reveals her malice and promises to make him regret it. She renews this threat when they meet aboard the cruise ship. 27 43

Notable Quotes

“Trash, shut up!” 6

“I will make you regret this.” 27

“Next, prepare to welcome my frantic revenge!” 43