Horikita

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Horikita Suzune (堀北)
Alias(es)	Suzune
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Class D (first year); Class 2-A; Student Council
Occupation/Role	Student; Class D strategist and leader; Student Council Vice President
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 2

Background / History

Horikita entered Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School with one of the strongest academic records among the first-years, placing third on the entrance examination. Despite her interview and grades receiving high evaluations, she was assigned to Class D; she confronted Chabashira Sae to learn why. Chabashira urged her to pursue Class A, solidifying Horikita's initial goal of leading the class upward 24 25.

She initially modeled herself after her older brother, Student Council President Horikita Manabu. Manabu later revealed that this imitation had constrained her growth: the younger Suzune had once been more cheerful and openly affectionate, but had suppressed that side of herself to resemble him 236.

At Manabu's graduation, Suzune arrived with her waist-length hair cut short. Their reunion made her confront both her past mistakes and the loneliness of his departure; Manabu entrusted her care to Shuichi Kanda and asked him to help her reclaim her own personality 236 237.

Appearance

Horikita is introduced as a cold beauty whose appearance and manner make her accustomed to attention from others 2 9.

• Initially had long, straight black hair 78.
• Cut her waist-length hair short on the day of Manabu's graduation 236.
• Is 156 cm tall and weighs under 50 kg 237.
• Often wears a stern or icy expression, particularly when challenged or embarrassed 109 136.

Personality

At the start of the school year, Horikita is aloof, blunt, highly self-assured, and dismissive of classmates she considers unserious. Her belief that ability should determine status makes her academically dependable but socially isolated; she initially struggles to recognize how far ahead classmates such as Hirata were in understanding the school system 18 28.

Her defining weakness is an instinct to solve problems alone and demand that others match her standards. During three-legged-race training, she blamed Onodera for failing to keep up rather than adapting her own pace. Ayanokoji's demonstration forced her to experience the opposite position and confront her lack of consideration for others 128.

Repeated setbacks—especially Ryuen's manipulation during the Sports Festival—make her more flexible and accountable. She begins to value teamwork, accepts responsibility for Sudo's actions, and is capable of deliberately accepting humiliation when it serves a larger strategic purpose 138 141 159.

Abilities & Skills

Academic Ability

Horikita is an elite student academically, with an entrance-exam score nearly identical to the top two first-years. She is later listed with a physical-ability rating of B and is treated as one of her class's key academic assets 24 313.

• Led library study sessions and used her academic standing to pressure underperforming classmates into studying 28.
• Designed score-allocation plans for the final exam, pairing top and bottom performers and setting target-score limits to protect weaker students 154.
• Prepared Class D's final-exam questions alongside other top students and remained confident in their quality despite Ryuen's intimidation 161.
• Monitors Sudō's academic progress and evaluates first-year OAA data when planning team formations 240.

Leadership and Strategy

Horikita develops into a practical class leader who can organize classmates, balance competing interests, and formulate exam-specific plans.

• Proposed an ability-focused Sports Festival roster intended to maximize class points, even when the proposal risked disadvantaging weaker athletes 123.
• Called and directed the Class D meeting after the hidden-camera incident, forcing the class to address Ike and Yamauchi's responsibility 116.
• Recognized the need to replace herself in remaining Sports Festival events after her injury rather than further weaken the class 139.
• Took charge of academic-exam groupings and later sought capable partners for students at risk of failing 154 240.
• Serves as Student Council Vice President by the time Kanda is Student Council President 302.

Athletic Ability

Horikita is physically capable, though not among the school's elite athletes. Her physical ability is rated B, and she can outperform Onodera in a 100-meter dash, but her individualism initially undermines her in coordinated events 128 313.

• Competed in sprinting, hurdles, obstacle races, and relays during the first-year Sports Festival 132 133.
• Was deliberately targeted by Ryuen's Class C during the Sports Festival, including a collision that injured her ankle 135 136.
• Continued to compete after recovering from injury, then withdrew from events when she could no longer produce acceptable results 138 139.
• Formed a doubles-tennis team with Ibuki and advanced to the finals against Kiryuin and Nanase 313.

Cooking

Horikita is a competent cook and can prepare meals under pressure, though she considers Kanda the more skilled cook 55 246.

• Cooked dinner for Kanda in exchange for his help withdrawing her stay-at-school form 55.
• Prepared further meals as part of their arrangement before the Uninhabited Island exam 55.
• Has knowledge of complex dishes, including Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish 246.

Relationships

• Horikita Manabu — Her older brother and former Student Council President. Suzune spent years trying to imitate him, but reconciles with him before his graduation; he regrets how that imitation limited her growth 129 236 237.
• Shuichi Kanda — Classmate, frequent strategist, and uneasy source of support. He helps her enter the Uninhabited Island exam, assists during crises, and pushes her to become less reliant on others; Suzune later admits she has feelings for him, though she is unsure whether they are love 55 136 241 345.
• Kiyotaka Ayanokoji — Classmate and occasional partner in handling Class D's problems. He teaches her the importance of adapting to others during three-legged-race practice and works with her during the hidden-camera crisis 128 114 116.
• Kushida Kikyo — Former middle-school acquaintance and bitter rival. Kushida openly hates Horikita, while Horikita suspects her of betrayal; Horikita deliberately loses their memory contest to contain the conflict and honor the resulting agreement 122 150 159.
• Sudō Ken — Classmate whom she tutors and motivates. He develops feelings for her, but she rejects his confession after revealing that her feelings are directed toward Kanda 143 345.
• Ryuen Kakeru — Primary rival during the first-year examinations. Ryuen exploits her pride and attachment to Manabu during the Sports Festival, but she ultimately refuses his demand to kneel and apologizes 135 136 141.
• Ibuki Mio — Athletic rival who repeatedly challenges Horikita in Sports Festival events. They later cooperate as a doubles-tennis team 309 310 313.
• Chabashira Sae — Homeroom teacher who challenges Horikita's pride and explains that academic ability alone did not determine her placement in Class D 24 25.
• Kayano Onodera — Athletic classmate and three-legged-race partner. Their early clashes expose Horikita's inability to accommodate another person's pace 128.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Class D Placement

Horikita challenges Chabashira over being assigned to Class D despite placing near the top of the entrance exam. Chabashira reveals that she was also once in Class D and challenges Horikita to reach Class A 24 25.

Uninhabited Island Exam

After initially deciding to remain at school, Horikita seeks Kanda's help withdrawing her form. She cooks for him in exchange, then joins the exam despite becoming ill during the trip; Kanda ensures she rests and receives care 55 57 58.

Hidden-Camera Incident

Horikita discovers Ike and Yamauchi's remote-controlled camera in the girls' changing room and tries to protect the class from exposure. When Kamuro obtains the memory card and demands twenty million Private Points, Horikita is forced to weigh the class's interests against the students responsible; she later admits that she had selfishly hoped to use the evidence against them 113 115 116.

First-Year Sports Festival

Horikita leads Class D's roster planning and takes the anchor position in the 1,200-meter relay in hopes of competing against Manabu. Ryuen exploits the leaked participation order, has her targeted in multiple events, and engineers an ankle injury and false accusation against her 123 129 133 135 136.

The experience becomes a turning point. Horikita recognizes that her self-centered approach left her vulnerable, chooses to bring Sudō back to support the class, and refuses to kneel before Ryuen despite their agreement. She later kneels before Kanda to apologize for the consequences of Sudō's disqualification 138 141.

Final Exam Against Class C

Horikita organizes Class D's score-management strategy and helps submit the class's exam questions. When Kushida challenges her to a memory contest over their dispute, Horikita intentionally recites part of the material incorrectly, accepting defeat to prevent the conflict from escalating 154 159 161.

Second Year

As a Class 2-A student and Student Council Vice President, Horikita continues handling exam preparation and class operations. She assesses first-year academic data, seeks ways to protect weaker students, and becomes more willing to delegate rather than insist on solving every problem herself 240 302 303.

Hokkaido School Trip

Sudō confesses to Horikita, but she rejects him and acknowledges that she has feelings for Kanda, though she remains uncertain of their exact nature 345.

Trivia

• Horikita initially had no direct way to contact Manabu despite wanting to confirm whether he would run the Sports Festival relay's final leg 130.
• She has performed a formal kneeling apology more than once: first to Kanda over Sudō's consequences, then to Kushida after intentionally losing their bet 141 159.
• Kanda's ability to predict her behavior repeatedly irritates her, including during her recovery on the cruise ship 58.