Kushida

Biodata

Background / History

Kushida first encounters Ayanokoji when she returns a dropped brooch to him outside of class 2. Within Class 1-D, she presents herself as an exceptionally sociable and friendly student whose stated goal is to become friends with everyone in the school 3. Despite her cheerful facade, Ayanokoji notices a sense of craftiness hidden behind her smile 3. She frequently attempts to bridge gaps between classmates, particularly trying to get close to Horikita Suzune, though her persistent efforts sometimes make others feel uneasy 10 21.

Beneath her sweet and helpful public persona, Kushida harbors a darker, manipulative agenda and a deep-seated desire to have Horikita Suzune expelled from the school 26. To achieve this goal, she acts as a double agent, secretly meeting with Class C's leader, Ryuen Kakeru, by the river at night to leak information about Class D in exchange for his help against Horikita 26. When a hidden spy from Class A accidentally loses a phone recording their secret deal, the phone is recovered by Ayanokoji, who chooses to keep her secret because he finds the class infighting entertaining 26 27. During the deserted island special exam, she orchestrates political maneuvers within Class D, successfully pushing to nominate Horikita as the class leader while attempting to keep rivals like Karuizawa out of power 49.

Appearance

Kushida is a pretty, above-average looking girl with dark red eyes and golden-orange hair 3 40. She possesses a well-proportioned figure and typically maintains a professional, sweet, and approachable smile that instantly wins over her peers 3 10.

• Pretty and youthful facial features 3
• Dark red eyes 10
• Golden-orange hair 40
• Well-proportioned, feminine physique 10
• Signature sweet, professional smile 3

Personality

Kushida projects a warm, highly empathetic, and angelic personality to the rest of the student body, frequently acting as a peacemaker and social butterfly 3 32. However, this persona is entirely a carefully constructed act 14. In reality, she can be calculating, anxious, and ruthless when pursuing her personal objectives, particularly regarding her grudge against Horikita 14 26. She is a skilled actress capable of playing the bashful maiden or the deeply wronged victim to perfection in order to manipulate those around her 14 27.

Abilities & Skills

Social Manipulation & Acting

Kushida possesses elite social skills and a mastery of deception, allowing her to seamlessly manage public perception and manipulate her classmates and outside parties alike 3 14.

• Maintains a flawless facade of a friendly, well-behaved maiden to win the absolute trust and devotion of her peers 14 19.
• Expertly plays the role of a victim or a bashful romantic interest to deflect suspicion from her underlying motives 14 27.
• Leverages personal charm and favors—privately referred to by Ayanokoji as her "divine artifacts"—to successfully enlist senior students and classmates into helping her 19.

Information Brokerage & Espionage

She acts as an intelligence gatherer and double agent, bridging social circles to acquire valuable school intel 19 26.

• Successfully procures previous years' exam papers and quiz data from upperclassmen to distribute to Class D 19 24.
• Secretly trades inside intelligence regarding Class D to rival leader Ryuen in exchange for assistance 26.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Previous Years' Exam Papers — Acquired via upperclassmen connections to help Class D pass midterms 19 24.

Relationships

• Ayanokoji Kiyotaka — Initial awkward acquaintance turned into an indirect alliance; Ayanokoji recognizes her dual nature and secretly possesses knowledge of her betrayal but chooses to watch quietly 2 10 27.
• Horikita Suzune — Primary target of Kushida's animosity; Kushida is obsessed with getting Horikita expelled, despite outwardly pretending to desire a close friendship with her 10 26 49.
• Ryuen Kakeru — Secret benefactor and co-conspirator; Kushida trades Class D intelligence to him in exchange for his help in eliminating Horikita 26.
• Hirata Yosuke — Classmate and peer leader whom Kushida frequently collaborates with on the surface for class activities 14 19.
• Ike Kanji — Classmate who confesses his romantic feelings to her, which she politely rejects 40.
• Karuizawa Kei — Classmate whose potential rise to leadership Kushida actively maneuvers to block 49.

Notable Quotes

"Hello everyone, my name is Kushida Kikyo. If you don't mind, you can call me Kikyo! My wish is to become friends with every student in the school. I hope we can get along well in the days to come, uh..." 3

"If you have anything you need to talk about, please come find Kikyo-chan! I would be very happy!" 3

"Senior, could you please help me with a small favor...?" 19

Trivia

• She is widely regarded by the boys and girls of Class D as an "angel" due to her helpful and cheerful public demeanor 24 32.
• Ayanokoji mentally rates her social skills a full 9 out of 10, noting only a slight lack of genuine sincerity 3.
• Despite her sweet image, she privately considers ordinary, antisocial students to be a "pain" and despises wasting effort on them 14.