Biodata
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Kushida Kikyo (栉田) 3 |
| Alias(es) | “Little Stem,” Hasebe Haruka’s nickname for her 348 |
| Gender | Female 6 |
| Affiliation | Initially Class D; later Class A 3 227 |
| Occupation/Role | Student; a widely connected source of information for her classmates 86 |
| First Appearance | Chapter 3 3 |
Background / History
Kushida attended the same middle school as Horikita Suzune. She was popular there, as she later became at their new school, but an incident involving the exposure of classmates’ secrets caused her middle-school class to collapse. Horikita’s knowledge of that past becomes a persistent source of anxiety for Kushida 150 122.
At the start of school, Kushida declares that she wants to befriend everyone in her class. She approaches Shuichi Kanda after their encounter on the bus, but he is wary of her invitation. They later exchange contact information, and her extensive network makes her useful to him when he needs information about other students 3 14 27.
Appearance
Kushida is described as attractive and adept at presenting a cute, approachable image 6.
- She wears a blue dress, thin green jacket, and red shoulder bag on an outing with Kanda and Sakura Airi 49.
- She begins growing her hair out after Horikita cuts hers short 295.
Personality
Kushida maintains a gentle public persona and builds friendships across classes. In private, she can be resentful, competitive, and protective of her reputation. Kanda witnesses her venting angrily about Horikita, while her fear that others will learn about her past drives much of their conflict 38 39 122.
Her social warmth is not entirely an act: she looks after Kanda during his hospital stay, helps arrange a classmate’s birthday celebration, and calms frustrated visitors at the cultural festival. She also uses that same social skill to gather information and influence people 30 99 327.
Abilities & Skills
Social networking and information gathering
- Kushida knows students across the first-year classes and can quickly supply Kanda with information, including Ryuen’s photograph and basic details 27 150.
- Ayanokoji approaches her for information about Karuizawa because of her broad connections 86.
- She befriends Hashikura while investigating the senior’s attitude for Kanda, and later helps contact first-years for an exam 99 249.
Persuasion and public-facing work
- Her friendly presentation helps her win others’ attention and trust; Kanda recognizes how deliberately she appeals to boys their age 3 14.
- She helps rally support for Sudo as Sports Festival leader and eases customers’ irritation at the cultural festival café 127 327.
Academics and memory
- Her academic ability is rated B+ during the second-year partner exam 244.
- She accurately memorizes ten pages for her contest with Horikita, though she acknowledges that Horikita is stronger than her in ordinary test-score comparisons 157 159.
Relationships
- Shuichi Kanda — An initially wary acquaintance who learns about her private behavior and uses a recording as leverage. They later cooperate closely; Kushida openly says she likes him 3 39 41 315.
- Horikita Suzune — Former middle-school schoolmate and long-standing rival. Kushida fears Horikita will expose her past; their dispute culminates in a memorization contest and Horikita’s apology 122 157 159.
- Kamuro Masumi — A romantic rival in Kushida’s eyes, though the two later grow close enough for Kushida to bring Kamuro along to socialize with her friends 186 218 245.
- Yosuke Hirata — Fellow class representative in exam discussions and collaborator in supporting Sudo’s Sports Festival leadership 81 127.
- Ryuen Kakeru — Kushida teams up with him while seeking to defeat Horikita, despite Kanda’s warning that Ryuen may betray her 121.
- Yagami Takuya — A first-year who claims to know her from middle school. Kushida later says she does not know him and interprets his claim as a threat to reveal her past 244 245.
Story Role / Major Arcs
- Early school year: Kushida establishes her “friends with everyone” image and becomes a contact for classmates seeking information. After Kanda sees her venting about Horikita, their attempts to gain leverage over each other leave him holding a backup recording 3 14 38 39.
- Sports Festival: She secretly allies with Ryuen against Horikita, while publicly helping organize her class and running in Horikita’s place during the final relay 121 129 140.
- Paper Shuffle: Horikita suspects Kushida leaked the Sports Festival roster and discusses her past with Kanda and Ayanokoji. Kushida demands Horikita’s expulsion, but their mediated contest ends with Horikita kneeling to apologize and promising not to reveal more about her. Kushida’s mood subsequently improves. The class traitor was Karuizawa, not Kushida 149 150 157 159 160.
- Second-year partner exam: Yagami’s claim to know Kushida’s past alarms her. On Kanda’s advice, she agrees to team up with him while they investigate his identity 244 245.
- Later class activities: She assists with first-year contacts for an exam, handles visitors at the cultural festival café, and tries to defuse a confrontation involving her ski-trip groupmate Miki Yamamura 249 327 348.