Noboru Saruta

"There is something odd about her."

- Noboru describing Mei.

Noboru Saruta is a member of 9th Grade Class 3 in 1998 and a student at Yomiyama North Middle School.

Plot
Noboru wasn't a major fixture of class 3-3, often staying out of the way and not taking part in any of the class's major countermeasures discussions. However, he was among the students of Class 3 to directly welcome Kouichi Sakakibara on his first day. More often than not he quietly sat in class; this does not however, mean he was an especially attentive student, as he slept through Kubodera's lecture on haiku, and spent most of the class time devoted to practice exams goofing off. More often than not he was in the company of his best friend, Makoto, who he played in the school band with.

Noburo was one of the students who went on the class trip. In "Makeup", he and Makoto Ouji left their room to see what all the fuss was about. While they didn't actively seek Mei out as Takako urged, they did leave the possibility open to consideration. Their discussion came to an abrupt end, however, when they smelt something burning. Makoto recalled being warned by Kouichi of a fire, but foolishly chose to open the dining room's doors anyway, ignoring Kouichi's advice. The inferno, given fresh oxygen, burst forth from the dining room, incinerating Makoto instantly. Noboru was shocked and terrified, slumping to the floor beside his friend's charred body, and fainted.

Eventually, however, Noboru was able to pull himself together, as in "Stand By Oneself", he was seen in the Yomiyama hospital with Manabu, Matsuko, Yukito, Yuuya, Kouichi, and later Daisuke, among the few students to survive the hellish night.

Appearance
He has greenish, light brown hair and greenish, light brown eyes. He is seen wearing the school standard male uniform.

Personality and Traits
Noboru was shown to be a sociable and cheerful person. He is a member of the band club along with Makoto and Megumi. He doesn't seem to take class all that seriously, as he can be seen sleeping behind his reader during Kubodera's lecture about haiku and goofing off with a pencil during the practice examinations. He and his best friend Makoto were among the only students who didn't seek Mei out following Takako's broadcast, suggesting he has a calmer mind than the vast majority of his peers.

Gallery
Main article:Noboru Saruta/Image Gallery

Trivia

 * He is ranked C in Another characters ranking.
 * His home address is 3-3 Harakawacho Yomiyama City.
 * His first name, Noboru, means 'ascendant.'
 * Noboru has the distinction of being the only character removed from the anime's opening who didn't actually die.