Kushida

Biodata

Appearance

Kushida is described as a sweet-looking girl whose bright smile, expressive eyes, and clear, pleasant voice give her an approachable, “angelic” impression 1 3.

• Expressive manner: Uses earnest eye contact and soft appeals when asking for help or negotiating 8 42.
• Swimming attire: Wears a pure white two-piece swimsuit during swimming class 14.
• Contrasting expressions: Her gentle smile disappears when she vents privately, replaced by a grim expression and cold eyes 50.

Personality

Kushida publicly strives to make friends with everyone. Within days of enrollment, she builds friendships both inside and outside Class D, greets others warmly, and generally helps when asked. She maintains this friendliness even toward Kazami Saku after his baffling insistence that she call him “Big Brain” 1 2 3 8.

Her helpfulness coexists with a strong concern for reputation. She recognizes that distributing past exam papers will improve her standing and privately welcomes Kazami’s exaggerated claims about how much she sacrificed for the class. She also restrains her anger toward him because losing her composure in public would undermine her established gentle image 43 47 48.

Her persistence toward Suzune Horikita conceals considerable resentment. Although she repeatedly approaches Horikita with patience and consideration, she privately fumes over the continued rejection. Her late-night outburst reveals hostility toward Horikita’s aloofness, superior attitude, looks, and grades 32 50.

Abilities & Skills

Social Networking and Information Gathering

Kushida maintains a wide network of friends and contacts across the school 8 43.

• Quickly compiles a detailed list of academically struggling first-years, including their contact information, for Kazami’s exam-paper business 43.
• Uses her popularity to help calm Class D and persuade classmates to hear Kazami’s proposals 21.
• Helps Ayanokoji assemble Horikita’s tutoring group when his own recruitment efforts prove insufficient 33.

Persuasion and Negotiation

Kushida uses an appealing expression, gentle speech, and earnest requests to overcome resistance 8 42.

• Persuades Kazami to help her approach Horikita after he initially refuses 8.
• Bargains an upperclassman’s price for past exam papers down from 50,000 to 5,000 points 42.
• Following Kazami’s whispered coaching, obtains the complete set for free 42 43.
• Her friendliness does not win over Horikita, who repeatedly rejects her overtures 8 10 32.

Typing

• Typing Lv3 — Expert: Revealed when Kazami’s Big Brain trait copies her ability during their first meeting. The system identifies Lv3 as expert proficiency on a five-level scale 1.

Stamina

• Keeps pace with Kazami through an all-out 800-meter sprint and the continued pursuit afterward 50.
• Outlasts him and catches him by the collar once he can no longer run 50.

Equipment & Items

• Mobile phone: Has a decorative case, numerous keychains, and cards attached to the back, making it easy for Ayanokoji to identify 49.
• Past midterm papers: Obtains a complete set from an upperclassman, organizes them, and shares them with Class D one week before the exams 43 47.

Relationships

• Kazami Saku — Classmate and collaborator. Their relationship begins with her confusion over his nickname request and develops through favors, teasing, and the exam-paper business. His unsolicited 2,000-point thank-you payment improves her opinion of him, but he later discovers the hostile side she keeps hidden 1 8 43 47 50.
• Suzune Horikita — The persistent exception to her goal of befriending everyone. Kushida repeatedly seeks her company while privately resenting her rejection. Kazami interprets this persistence as romantic interest, but that interpretation is his assumption, not an established relationship 8 32 37 50.
• Kiyotaka Ayanokoji — Classmate who recruits her for tutoring assistance and the past-paper plan. He entrusts her with distributing the papers and allows her to receive the public recognition 33 37 42 43.
• Yosuke Hirata — Fellow class organizer. They help establish classroom rules and study arrangements; Kushida is among the first students to cooperate seriously with his midterm tutoring efforts 24 32.
• Kanji Ike and Haruki Yamauchi — Classmates who openly admire her. They angrily confront Kazami after seeing him holding her hand and later lavish praise on her during swimming class 8 14.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Arrival at Advanced Nurturing High School

Kushida meets Kazami on the bus after he gives his seat to an elderly woman. She thanks him and introduces herself, only to be bewildered when he insists on being called “Big Brain.” Her eventual compliance lets him copy her expert typing skill. Despite her private misgivings, she continues talking to him rather than distancing herself 1 2.

Both enter Class D, where Kushida introduces herself with the wish to make friends with everyone. Kazami’s public repetition of his nickname request leaves her feeling that the awkward bus encounter has followed her into the classroom 2 3.

Attempts to Befriend Horikita

Unable to win Horikita over directly, Kushida asks Kazami to help. She takes his hand and pleads until he agrees; his theatrical, near-hand-kissing farewell then provokes Ike and Yamauchi and leaves her privately furious 8 9.

Kazami arranges a café meeting with Kushida, Horikita, and Ayanokoji. Horikita ignores Kushida’s conversational efforts and leaves after finishing her coffee, ending the attempt in failure. Kushida nevertheless continues approaching her during school breaks 10 32.

When she later overhears Horikita discussing Kazami’s dinner arrangements, Kushida suspects the two may be secretly dating. Ayanokoji secures her help for the following day by promising an explanation 37.

Midterm Preparation and Exam-Paper Sales

Kushida supports Class D’s study efforts and helps assemble Horikita’s short-lived tutoring group, which collapses after an argument between Horikita and Sudo 32 33.

She subsequently joins Ayanokoji and Kazami in obtaining past midterm papers. After securing them for free, she agrees to withhold general distribution until one week before the exams, understanding that the class should still revise rather than depend entirely on a shortcut 42 43.

Kushida also supplies Kazami with a copy and prospective buyers’ contact details, despite worrying about Horikita’s reaction. His sales bring his assets to roughly 450,000 points, and he gives Kushida 2,000 points in thanks. She accepts after initially refusing, having depleted her own funds through loans to classmates 43 47.

Her public distribution earns enthusiastic praise from Class D. After discovering that Kazami understated his proceeds, she confronts him privately but agrees to keep his secret, recognizing that his inflated account of the papers’ cost also benefited her reputation 47 48.

Discovery of Her Hidden Hostility

After Sudo’s celebration, Kushida leaves her phone in Ayanokoji’s room. Kazami takes it to return it and follows her outside, initially assuming her unusual silence stems from jealousy over Horikita 49 50.

Instead, he finds her behind the dormitory angrily insulting Horikita and kicking a railing. A notification from Matsushita sounds on Kushida’s phone, exposing his hiding place. Kazami flees, but Kushida pursues him until his stamina fails and grabs him by the collar 50.