Kushida Kikyo

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Kushida Kikyo (櫛田桔梗)
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Class D, Advanced Nurturing High School 1 2
Occupation/Role	Student; information gatherer and second-hand-platform operator 24 50 51
Status	Active 63
First Appearance	Chapter 1 1

Background & History

Kikyo first meets Uesugi Hara on the school bus to Advanced Nurturing High School. Maintaining an earnest smile despite having no seat herself, she asks other passengers to give up a priority seat for an elderly woman and warmly thanks Hara when he does so. She then introduces herself and begins asking him about the school. 1

She is assigned to Class D alongside Horikita Suzune and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka. Although disappointed that she and Hara are placed in different classes, she accepts his reassurance that Class D contains hidden talents. 2

Kikyo repeatedly tries to become Horikita's friend, including approaching her at Palette café. Horikita rejects her advances outright and accuses her of pretending, leaving Kikyo frustrated but unwilling to abandon the attempt. 20

Her friendly image is exposed when Hara follows her to a secluded lakeside area and secretly records her violent outburst against her classmates. Kikyo vents hatred toward Horikita, Sudo Ken, Ike Kanji, and others, revealing how exhausting she finds her public role. 21 Her fear of exposure stems from a previous school incident involving secrets, a blog, and retaliatory revelations that left her isolated as the class's “villain.” 23

Hara uses the recording and other evidence to force Kikyo into cooperation. She agrees to monitor Ayanokoji and Horikita, report information to Hara, and protect Sakura Airi; in return, Hara promises to protect her reputation and initially offers to help target Horikita. 23 24 Although Kikyo initially regards Airi as socially burdensome, spending time with her gradually becomes one of the first relationships in which Kikyo acts with less calculation. 24 34

After Hara withdraws support for expelling Horikita, Kikyo redirects her ambitions toward accumulating private points and expanding her influence within Class D. 39 Their alliance becomes increasingly personal but remains explicitly transactional: Kikyo seeks a reliable backer and resources, while Hara relies on her social reach and intelligence work. 40

Kikyo proves highly effective at monetizing information. After receiving past exam papers through Ayanokoji, she sells them to Classes B and C for 500,000 points each, using upperclassmen as intermediaries to avoid direct involvement. 42 43 She later partners with Hara and the Student Council on a campus second-hand platform, taking operational control while publicly posing as a hired assistant. 50 51

Appearance

Kikyo is usually presented in her school uniform with curled hair tips, a soft voice, and a warm smile that often makes her eyes curve into crescents. 20 40

• Hair curls noticeably at the ends. 20
• Frequently carries a bag and uses gentle, socially inviting body language. 20
• Her expression changes sharply when her façade slips, exposing anger, panic, resentment, or calculation. 21 39 43

Personality

Kikyo cultivates a sweet, approachable image and actively seeks connections with classmates. She is willing to listen to others' problems and views being needed—even as an emotional “trash can”—as preferable to being shut out. 20 34

Behind that persona, she is intensely resentful, competitive, and afraid of social rejection. Her fixation on Horikita comes from humiliation, envy, and the belief that Horikita's existence threatens her standing among others. 21 23 39 When cornered, Kikyo can become openly hostile and willing to threaten mutual destruction rather than let her secrets be exposed. 23

Her experiences with Hara and Airi gradually redirect these traits. Rather than focusing solely on Horikita, she becomes ambitious about points, influence, and business opportunities. She remains calculating, but she begins recognizing that some connections—particularly with Airi—can be sincere. 34 39 43

Abilities & Skills

Social Networking

Kikyo's public persona and interpersonal confidence make her effective at entering social circles, gathering gossip, and influencing classmates.

• Presented herself as friendly and concerned for others from her first appearance. 1
• Successfully inserts herself into Class D activities, including Horikita's study group. 35
• Builds a genuine rapport with Sakura Airi, who trusts her with her identity as a gravure idol. 34
• Can use charm and intimacy as tools to strengthen alliances or secure her position. 40 63
• Her social façade is less effective against Horikita, who openly recognizes and rejects it. 20

Information Gathering and Brokerage

Kikyo collects secrets and converts information into leverage, either for herself or for Hara.

• Assigned to monitor Ayanokoji and Horikita and provide regular reports to Hara. 24
• Receives and distributes past exam papers within Class D before passing information to Hara. 42
• Sells exam papers to Classes B and C for 500,000 points per class. 43
• Uses hired upperclassmen as intermediaries, reducing the risk of being directly tied to her transactions. 43
• Her work for Hara depends on accurate reporting; he warns her against altering or withholding information. 24

Point-Making Schemes

Kikyo is resourceful and unusually aggressive in devising ways to earn private points.

• Maintains a notebook of business ideas, ranging from second-hand trading to selling information and operating betting pools. 46
• Works with Hara to develop a campus second-hand platform and its transaction rules. 46 50
• Receives operational authority for the completed website because of her social connections and suitability for the role. 51
• Agrees to a profit arrangement in which the Student Council receives half of platform profits and the remaining half is divided between herself and Hara. 50

Negotiation and Strategic Adaptation

Kikyo can quickly shift priorities when a former objective becomes impractical.

• Makes cooperation with Hara conditional on his helping her expel Horikita. 23
• Redirects her attention from Horikita to wealth, influence, and winning over Class D after Hara refuses to act against Horikita. 39
• Treats her partnership with Hara as a calculated arrangement rather than an ordinary friendship. 40
• Her jealousy over Ichinose's apparent closeness to Hara motivates her to seek a more secure position in their alliance. 63

Equipment / Items

• Unregistered Terminal — Given to Kikyo by Hara after her exam-paper sales; intended to support future transactions while keeping her identity insulated. 43
• Point-making notebook — Contains her proposals for earning points, including legitimate business ideas and high-risk schemes. 46
• Second-hand platform administrative access — Granted operational control of the platform while maintaining the cover story that she is only a hired helper. 51

Relationships

• Uesugi Hara — Initially blackmails Kikyo with recordings of her true nature, then turns her into an intelligence asset. Their relationship develops into a mutually beneficial, increasingly intimate partnership built on leverage, points, and guarded trust. 21 24 40 63
• Sakura Airi — Ordered to protect and befriend Airi, Kikyo initially considers her inconvenient but comes to value their quiet friendship and Airi's sincerity. 24 34
• Horikita Suzune — Kikyo's main rival and former obsession. Horikita rejects Kikyo's attempts at friendship, while Kikyo repeatedly seeks ways to have her expelled. 20 23 38 39
• Ayanokoji Kiyotaka — Classmate whom Kikyo is ordered to observe for Hara. Ayanokoji also entrusts her with circulating past exam papers in Class D. 24 42
• Ichinose Honami — Kikyo becomes suspicious and jealous after seeing Ichinose leave Hara's room, prompting her to challenge Hara about their connection. 63

Notable Quotes

“I collect secrets and hide my past just so I won't be trampled into the mud again!” 23

“Perhaps... I am no longer obsessed with that matter from the past.” 43