Kushida

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Kushida Kikyo (Kushida; original: 櫛田)
Alias(es)	“Saintess”; “Saint Kushida” 7 25
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Kodo Ikusei Senior High School; Class D 1 40
Occupation/Role	Student; Class D representative 40
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Background / History

Kushida first meets Yuto Tsukishima on the bus to Kodo Ikusei Senior High School. After he gives up his seat to an elderly passenger, she thanks him and introduces herself; the two quickly become acquainted as incoming classmates. 1

At school, Kushida establishes herself as an exceptionally friendly and sociable Class D student. Her classmates view her as a considerate “saintess,” and she is able to gather information and earn goodwill through her broad social connections. 2 8

Tsukishima later overhears Kushida privately venting intense resentment toward numerous classmates, including Yamauchi, Ike, Horikita, Karuizawa, and members of the girls’ clique. He records the outburst and confronts her, exposing the gap between her public persona and private feelings. To keep the recording and her real temperament secret, Kushida agrees to cooperate with him. 7

Their arrangement initially centers on Tsukishima using her as a model for his figure-drawing practice. Although Kushida repeatedly attempts to regain leverage—including trying to record him for blackmail—Tsukishima anticipates and counters her schemes. Over time, his room becomes one of the few places where she can drop her public mask and vent freely. 8 11 16 27

Kushida becomes heavily involved in Class D’s internal affairs: she helps obtain information on the school’s point system, fields requests from students facing expulsion, and later acts as a guarantor for classmates borrowing points. 8 21 42 She is elected Class D representative after the class begins restructuring its leadership. 40

Following Horikita’s warning that her association with Tsukishima could undermine her credibility, Kushida publicly performs romantic interest in him. Her stated objective is to make Horikita underestimate her and create an excuse to approach her more closely. 45 46 Tsukishima deduces that Kushida fears Horikita may know about a serious middle-school incident connected to her placement in Class D, though the incident itself remains undisclosed. 47

Personality

Kushida maintains an impeccably sweet, approachable public demeanor. She speaks warmly, remembers social expectations, and makes herself appear available and helpful to nearly everyone around her. This image gives her considerable influence in Class D, but also leaves her burdened by other students’ demands. 1 2 21

In private, she is impatient, cynical, and easily overwhelmed by the effort required to maintain her reputation. Her resentment is particularly focused on classmates she considers intrusive, incompetent, or dependent on her emotional labor. 7 11 15

She is also calculating and protective of her secrets. Kushida attempts to create evidence against Tsukishima, negotiates for leverage, and later engineers the appearance of a relationship with him to pursue her own objective regarding Horikita. 8 27 46

Despite her hostility and distrust, Kushida gradually shows moments of vulnerability around Tsukishima. She apologizes after losing control in his room, continues returning to speak with him, and eventually seeks a more balanced exchange of secrets and influence. 16 47 48

Abilities & Skills

Social Networking and Persona Management

Kushida can quickly build rapport and sustain a highly favorable public reputation.

• Befriends Tsukishima immediately after meeting him on the school bus. 1
• Is recognized as kind, popular, and able to get along with virtually anyone in Class D. 2
• Uses her connections to obtain information from Class B about the school’s point system. 8
• Brings a group of friends to Sweet Talk Dessert Shop to support Tsukishima’s sales. 33
• Maintains her “saintly” image even when pressured by classmates to persuade Tsukishima to tutor them. 21

Deception and Social Manipulation

Kushida actively manages how others perceive both herself and Tsukishima.

• Attempts to lure Tsukishima into incriminating himself through hidden recording equipment, but is exposed before she can use it. 8
• Records Tsukishima’s story about his past in an attempt to obtain blackmail material; he reveals that she was manipulated into recording false information. 27
• Uses a public performance of affection toward Tsukishima to redirect class opinion and approach Horikita from a position of apparent vulnerability. 45 46
• Plans to use Tsukishima’s sketches and manga drafts to control rumors surrounding their supposed relationship. 49

Class Leadership

As Class D representative, Kushida functions as a visible intermediary between the class’s factions.

• Represents the remaining students in Class D’s representative structure. 39
• Takes over as class representative during the class’s reorganization. 40
• Acts as a guarantor for classmates seeking to borrow points, preserving her image as someone who sacrifices for others. 42
• Continues organizing and managing study-group issues ahead of the midterm examinations. 48

Items

• Mobile phone — used for messaging, attempted recordings, and coordinating with Tsukishima. 7 27 48
• Glasses and mask — carried when leaving Tsukishima’s room after a late-night visit. 16

Relationships

• Yuto Tsukishima — Initially friends, then unwilling partners after Tsukishima discovers her private persona. Their relationship develops into a tense alliance built on mutual leverage, art modeling, private venting, and a publicly staged romance. 1 7 11 46 49
• Horikita Suzune — Hostile rivals. Kushida seeks to get close enough to determine whether Horikita knows about her middle-school secret, while Horikita questions Kushida’s reliability as class representative. 44 45 46 47
• Kiyotaka Ayanokouji — A source of concern after Tsukishima warns Kushida that Ayanokouji may have recognized her two-faced nature. 43
• Kazuya Hirata — A classmate who repeatedly relies on Kushida’s popularity and social influence to mediate disputes and persuade others to help Class D. 21 22
• Yamauchi and Ike — Classmates Kushida openly tolerates but privately despises; she hires Tsukishima to deal with their unwanted attention. 7 25
• Sudo Ken — Another classmate whose poor academic performance and behavior add to Kushida’s responsibilities during the study sessions. 21 26

Notable Quotes

“Smiled all day... my face is cramping. Why do I have to work so hard? Why do I have to deal with those idiots!” 7

“I don't need her trust. Just her contempt.” 46

Trivia

• Kushida’s public role as the class “saintess” is directly contrasted with her private habit of using Tsukishima as a place to vent her frustrations. 7 16
• She is Tsukishima’s first documented model for manga and figure-drawing practice. 11
• Kushida’s purported relationship with Tsukishima begins as a deliberate strategy rather than a confirmed romance. 46