Synopsis

The protagonist Ozawa Hiromi is a girl with multiple personality disorder (split personality). Hiromi’s mother became pregnant with her boyfriend’s child while in high school, but was abandoned by that man. Despite her parents’ warnings, Hiromi’s mother gave birth to Hiromi as an illegitimate child. Later, for certain reasons, she committed suicide by drowning, leaving baby Hiromi behind. This becomes a deep wound, and the grandmother raises the orphaned Hiromi with cold strictness.

 

Due to the grandmother’s verbal abuse and physical punishment that criticized and denied Hiromi’s mother, Hiromi strongly suppresses her own emotions. As a result, triggers for her transformation include the sound of breaking glass or pottery (which reminds her of her grandmother’s punishment), being hit herself (or even witnessing someone else being struck), and the smell of incense (or other “smoke-producing odors” that Hiromi finds unpleasant). These triggers cause two personalities – Hiromi and Yumi – to appear alternately