Ikuo Takabayashi

Ikuo used to be quite a quiet and shy boy, who didn't have many friends. He reveals in "Rough Sketch" that he wants to be a runner, but has a heart condition that makes that dream impossible. He also shows great courage: he is willing to tell Kōichi Sakakibara the reason why everyone was ignoring him and Mei, even though he knew what would likely happen if he did.

Ikuo was a thin, fair-skinned boy of below average height, being one of the shortest boys in class. He had short greenish-brown hair, which was divided into two large locks between his forehead, green eyes, and freckles on his nose bridge. As a high school student, Ikuo does not usually wear the men's school uniform jacket; instead, wearing a dark blue vest over a long white shirt. He has some feminine features, such as curvy hips and long eyelashes; his voice is even a bit high-pitched. His design in the manga is completely unknown, since he was never seen, just mentioned by his classmate and good friend. alt=|thumb|Ikuo suffers a cardiorespiratory arrest.