Character Profile: Noboru Yoshikawa

The means by which Onizuka and Yoshikawa met can be considered surprising. First, Onizuka enlisted Yoshikawa to help carry his stuff to his new digs (on the top floor of the school building). That night, they met again...when Onizuka saved this kid from committing suicide! Noboru Yoshikawa is the "runt" of class 3-4. He's short for his age, and he doesn't want to be involved in the conspiracy, so he's constantly picked on and abused by the rest of the class, especially the girls. This was why he had wanted to throw himself from the roof of the building.

After Onizuka saves him and cleans him up, he takes him home (and covertly, too). Startled to encounter a teacher so concerned for his welfare (and as much of a game freak as he is), he becomes the first student of class 3-4 to side with Onizuka. More importantly, Onizuka becomes his friend, and the two begin to look out for each other. As a result, Yoshikawa begins to gain that much needed vein of confidence he needs to pick himself up from the floor.