Takashi Maeda

Takashi Maeda (前田崇 Maeda Takashi) is a student who wears a beret (implying he is an art student) with a bandaged ear. Some sources indicate he has "tinnitus", which is not usually, but it can be caused by ear trauma.

He wears a beret which is a common fashion/stereotype of artists and Hisao Nakai implies that they don't get along.

Etymology

The name Takashi means "filial piety" (孝), "noble, prosperous" (隆) or "esteem, honor, venerate" (崇).
Takashi's surname Maeda means "previous" (前) (mae) and "field, rice paddy" (田) (ta/da).

Trivia

Vincent Van Gogh famously severed his own left ear after several psychotic episodes that Takashi's look is undoubtedly inspired by this.