Summary
Born on March 3, Shizuka Doumeki is a classmate of Kimihiro Watanuki whom the latter considers a rival. A member of the school's kyūdō club, Doumeki frequently dominates school competitions. His cool and calm demeanor has made him highly popular among the female students. He resides in a shrine belonging to his late grandfather, a priest who shared numerous stories about folklore and shinto practices during Doumeki’s childhood. Despite this heritage, Doumeki possesses almost no innate ability to see ghosts or spirits, though he retains the capacity to exorcise them. He can sense spiritual pressure and detect their presence vaguely, having once seen the Lady in the Park that Watanuki often visits. The Ame-Warashi described Doumeki as having a pure or refreshing scent, while Kohane referred to him as beautiful or pretty, likely referring to his spirit or aura. This observation bewildered and agitated Watanuki. Doumeki is unable to enter Yuuko's Store, a limitation explained in volume 8. His method of exorcising spirits involves shooting them with an invisible arrow composed of pure energy, a technique first revealed in volume 2. Doumeki’s personality contrasts sharply with Watanuki’s. He maintains a cool, calm, and often sarcastic attitude, speaking rarely unless explaining folklore or requesting impossible bento lunches, such as out-of-season or hard-to-find foods. He possesses a deadpan sense of humor that is dark and fatalistic, which annoys Watanuki, especially when Doumeki appears around him, particularly when Watanuki is with Himawari. He often responds with one-word phrases like "Hn" or "Oh." Although he does not show it, Doumeki is highly observant and protective of Watanuki, as seen in volume 5 when he stood in the rain for hours to ensure Watanuki’s safety, and in volume 6 during the incident with the spirit in the park. Volume 9 reveals through Doumeki’s New Years dream that he resembles his late grandfather, Haruka. Haruka knows more about Doumeki’s past and bears an uncanny resemblance to his grandson, although Watanuki notes that Haruka smiles much more.
