Shunsō Hishida is an art student at Tokyo University of Fine Arts who lives as a freeloader in Ōgai Mori's household. Ōgai invited him after encountering Shunsō passionately painting and serenading a black cat. Despite his prestigious family background, Shunsō chooses this arrangement. He possesses long olive-green hair, typically tied in a ponytail, green eyes, a slim build, stands 170 cm tall, and weighs 58 kg. His standard attire includes a black gakuran uniform with gold trim, leather oxfords, and sometimes a poncho-like cape in cold weather. Casually, he wears a grey nagajuban under a white kimono, a dark green floral-patterned haori, a yellow scarf, grey hakama, and a red heko obi. As an adult, his hair is shorter, and he dons a dark purple kimono with a dark green haori. His personality is typically cold, apathetic, stoic, blunt, and introverted. He resists leaving his comfort zone but reveals a mischievous side through humorous jabs and pranks aimed at the protagonist. When artistically inspired, he enters an intense "artist mode," becoming passionately expressive and speaking in a seductive, exaggerated manner about his subject; he has no memory of these episodes afterward and denies them if questioned. He harbors a strong, concealed affection for cats. Initially dismissive and harsh towards the protagonist, he gradually warms to her, revealing a deeply passionate and devoted nature. He is the third of seven siblings. His central narrative involves a black cat spirit escaping from one of his paintings intended for a major exhibition. Initially indifferent to the protagonist's help in retrieving the spirit due to her ability to see spirits, his involvement deepens as they collaborate. He grapples with jealousy when the protagonist pretends to be Ōgai's fiancée to avoid arranged marriages, leading to a failed beauty contest at the Rokumeikan. Ōgai then publicly declares the protagonist as his fiancée, prompting Shunsō to flee with her, confess his feelings, and share a mutual kiss, beginning their relationship. He later suffers severe headaches and concentration difficulties, concealing a medical condition causing deteriorating vision. Fearful a diagnosis would end his art career and prevent him from seeing the protagonist, he initially resists medical help. Her tearful plea convinces him to seek treatment. The black cat spirit eventually returns to his painting, coinciding with the protagonist's potential return to her era, though she may choose to stay with him. In the sequel *Twilight Kiss*, after the protagonist chooses to remain in the Meiji era, Shunsō behaves uncharacteristically aggressively. Investigation reveals he is possessed by a tsukumogami inhabiting an inkstone he admired. The spirit, fond of his body, resists leaving. To save him, the protagonist offers her body instead. Awakening to find her possessed, Shunsō deduces the spirit's identity and reasons with it, compelling its departure. The spirit agrees to inhabit a new inkstone owned by Shunsō's friend Taikan Yokoyama. The story concludes with Shunsō and the protagonist establishing their own home. In the film *Yumihari no Serenade*, he appears as a supporting character; his escaped black cat spirit is noted as part of a broader investigation into spirit-related disturbances. He assists the protagonist and others in resolving incidents involving kamaitachi and other spirits, though his personal arc is less central compared to other characters. In the anime series, he helps the protagonist navigate the unfamiliar Meiji period after her time travel, participates in events at the Rokumeikan, and contributes to communal efforts addressing spirit-related challenges. His name, Shunsō, meaning "spring grass" (春草), reflects his surname Hishida's components: "diamond" (菱) and "field" (田). His route was adapted into the musical *Kageki Meiji Tokyo Renka: Oborozuki no Chat Noir*, and he won first place in Dengeki Girl's Style Otome Game Awards' "Best Character" category in 2015.