Magia Record Story A Bouquet for Tomorrow's Happiness
The following is a summary posted on 4chan's /pmmm/ general.
Part 1
The event opens with Mitama finishing up Aimi's Coordination at the shop. As Aimi comes to, Mitama confesses that she got a taste of Aimi's fantasies during the Coordination, and with her usual smile, asks: so Aimi wants a chapel weddings, huh? Aimi stammers and Mitama, good-naturedly, apologizes for prying; her curiosity got the better of her. Aimi explains that, being who she is, she fantasizes about marriage a lot. For the longest time, she's been dreaming of the classic white Western wedding dress and ceremony, but these days, she's had the traditional Japanese white wedding kimono on her mind, too - which necessitates a shrine ceremony rather than a chapel... It's a hard choice! But before she falls into fantasy again, she reminds herself that before any of that, she has to confess first!
Coincidentally (or not), Masara and Kokoro arrive at the shop just then, looking worn out. Masara explains they came late due to some trouble along the way, and we learnt hat they've been scouted as models for a beachside wedding shoot! Mitama and Aimi are delighted, but quickly observe that their friends aren't feeling so hot...
Upon prompting, Kokoro explains that she's not unhappy with it, it's just...well, things are complicated. Her parents broke up before, after all. Though she and Masara tried turning down the shoot, the photographer was very insistent, saying that this job was made for them - no other models can do this! Mitama says, well, doesn't that just go to show how suited they are for the role? Aimi agrees, and Kokoro says it'd be nice if that were true. At the very least, Mitama points out it'll be a great memory for the duo, and Masara remarks that yes, this is a rare, unusual opportunity.
Kokoro and Masara find their energy again. Since they've accepted the job, they've got no choice but to put their hearts into it. In light of that, Aimi says they need to get in the mindset of marriage! She starts gushing about how she'd been torn between a chapel or shrine wedding, but now a beach wedding sounds lovely, too - and she quickly falls into yet another fantasy about her and Hayato being wedded on the beach! Kokoro pulls Aimi back to reality, but Mitama says yes, weddings and marriage are all about love - so to get the girls in the proper mindset, they're all going to have a little chat!
First up is Mitama. To her, "marriage" is about love and romance, but also about becoming a family. While Mitama wants romance, of course, she also has to consider practicality when it comes to choosing a partner... A couple needs their values to align, and compatible lifestyles...but you mustn't forget finances! So after factoring in both romance and reality, Mitama concludes that her ideal spouse would thefore be...an oil magnate! (C'mon, knowing Mitama, do you really think she would be honest and vulnerable here? :p) (And Masara, deadpan, basically says "good luck finding one")
Kokoro and Aimi think about practicalities like money, but Aimi decides that as long as you're in love, you can be happy even if you're poor, hence why she puts love first! Mitama giggles, saying that's a wonderful philosophy. Kokoro adds that, well, Aimi will be marrying Hayato, right? But of course; Aimi gets blushy and giggly at the thought.
And that bridges them onto the subject of proposals. Aimi says she'd be happy with anything, as long as it was from the one she loved. Her *ideal* proposal, however...well, she plummets back into fantasyland again, describing the classic "down on one knee with a ring" proposal, on Christmas night at a beautiful cafe...but also says it doesn't have to be a grand occasion as that - Hayato could propose to her on one ordinary day like any other, milling around in their home together... (Her fantasies are great because in reality you see her running back and forth to mime out her and Hayato's parts)
After returning to earth, Aimi asks what Kokoro wants. Kokoro admits that when it comes to marriage...it's hard for her to imagine herself in that position. Mitama suggests that Kokoro work backwards - what kind of family would Kokoro like to have? That prompts Kokoro to think back to her core memory of her childhood hiking trip, the scene where her parents "identify" flowers together. Aloud, Kokoro says she'd like a close-knit family that spends holidays together, happy and smiling. Masara quietly listens, while Mitama chuckles, saying "How lovely!"
Aimi remarks yes, when you fall in love, you get married, you become a family, and...maybe you even have kids together. Kokoro (perhaps deflecting) says Aimi would be a great mom, getting Aimi in another flustered fit.
Finally, there's one person who's been quiet all throughout this discussion, so Mitama asks (and Kokoro urges Masara on): what does Masara dream of in a marriage and love? Nothing, Masara says. She's not being evasive out of shyness, of course, but it's her honest thought, because in her eyes, marriage is merely a contract and nothing more. Masara explains further, rattling off a detached, legal/dictionary-like view of marriage and its benefits, ending by saying that sharing one's life with another carries both advantanges and disadvantages. Ultimately, Masara has no sense of romance towards the idea, and furthermore, while it is said that many people marry for love, how do you get solid evidence of something as vague and ambiguous as "love"? Can you truly make the right choice for something as major as marriage with an emotion as shaky as love?
Aimi stammers for a response. Masara apologizes, saying she didn't mean to invalidate Aimi's opinion, and adds that this is why she had kept silent until now. Mitama and Kokoro apologize as well, saying they shouldn't have pushed Masara to speak if she wasn't comfortable with it. Masara says no, Kokoro (and Aimi and Mitama) aren't at fault here.
There's a bit of an awkward silence, which Mitama salvages by asking if the girls have told their parents about the photo shoot yet. They'll want to see their daughters' wedding photos, yes? Kokoro stammers in response, but Masara does point out that they'll need permission from their parents/guardians in order to participate. Speaking of parents, Aimi proposes that Kokoro ask her parents about their relationship - how did they meet, and how did they get married?
Kokoro points out that it's a bit of a...hard question, considering, and Aimi quickly apologizes for her inconsideration. But Kokoro says not to worry; it's better to be too blunt than to be forced to be too sensitive. And Aimi is right, anyway; Kokoro ought to try asking, even if just once. She'd been avoiding this topic for longer than was right. She's curious as to how her parents used to be... In that case, Masara will ask her parents the same.
With that, Kokoro thanks Mitama and Aimi for hearing them out - she feels much better about the photo shoot now. Mitama, though, asks them to stay a little while longer - she has an "interesting" Coordination she wants to try out on them. Masara is wary when she hears "interesting," but Mitama assures them it's nothing to worry about. Ultimately, since Kokoro is game, then Masara will participate, too.
After the Coordination, Kokoro transforms, but...her outfit is the same as always? Asked what's up, Mitama says she gave them a new costume. Aimi asks if it's a wedding dress? Mitama explains she doesn't know, actually - the form the costume takes will change depending on Kokoro and Masara's emotions (ex. consider how the alt outfits and powers work in the NayuMii and RikaRen events - both parties need to be in sync in order for the outfits and powers to manifest, and the outfits are born from each girl's subconscious). Kokoro is nervous but excited to see how it'll turn out in the end, and Masara supposes likewise. Before departing, Mitama says she and Aimi will be attending the shoot as well - they'd love it if MasaKoko could show off their new costumes there! Kokoro laughs it off, embarrassed but smiling.
That evening, MasaKoko head their separate ways home. Kokoro, alone, contemplates marriage: she thought ill of it in the past, given her parents, but hearing everyone's thoughts today gave her a different idea. Well, Masara was the same as ever, but still - she's beginning to feel a little excited about modeling, and wonders what she and Masara will be wearing at the shoot...
Her spirits are crushed the moment she enters her home. She hears her parents have a row right in the living room, and kicks herself for getting her hopes up for even a moment. The screaming match playing out in the background, she wonders if she gets married, is this the inevitable result? She flashes back to her discussion with her friends earlier today, to Aimi waxing romantic, Mitama talking about love and romantic ideals, and Kokoro's own dream of a loving family...but now Kokoro is slammed against the cruel reality again. She starts to think, when you get married, you make a family, and maybe you even have children...
Kokoro's parents suddenly notice her, stammering and quieting down, clearly feeling embarassed by their display. Kokoro says it's fine. Kokoro's mom plays dumb, but Kokoro points out how they obviously stopped fighting only once they noticed Kokoro was home. Kokoro remarks bitterly how children are said to be the fruit of their parents' love. Kokoro's dad says yes, that's true - that applies to Kokoro too, of course. "Of course," Kokoro mimics - he says that so brazenly just after he had a screaming match with her mom?
Her parents don't have any response to that. Kokoro, sagging, tears in her eyes, asks - "What am I? Why was I born?" She quickly apologizes; she didn't mean to ask it aloud, but...she's just so *tired* of this...and she bolts out the door. The screen fades to black, and Kokoro narrates - if children are the fruit of their parents' love, then...what does that make her, the child of two people who don't love each other?
On the other side, Masara comes home to a peaceful household. She fetches the newspaper for her mom, and she notices a card fallen on the floor - an invitation to a school reunion. Masara's mom says she's not sure if she's going. Masara points out the beautiful penmanship on the card, and her mom, speaking fondly, explains the writer used to be her old class representative. Masara's like "Oh, so you were good friends," but with a chuckle, the mom explains no, they were, in fact, old flames! Her mom tells Masara not to breathe of word of this to her father; he'll get jealous! (NB: the writing goes out of its way to keep the old date's pronouns ambiguous; draw your own conclusions from that)
Masara asks - did her mom love her old date? The mom isn't sure, really. Does she love her husband? Of course she does! But she still doesn't know if she loved her high school flame? Her mom hums, saying it's a hard question! Masara asks, "So is love just a mood/fleeting emotion after all?" Her mom says it's not quite the same thing. You see, it was a very long time ago, so they were young kids. She can't say if it was affection, romantic love, or neither - but whatever it was, even if it wasn't "real" love, it still mattered. (The discussion plays out with this lovely sense of compassion and patience that makes it clear that the mom has plenty of experience with helping Masara with these questions)
She hopes that wherever her old flame is and whatever they had, that they're living well and happily now. She loves Masara and her husband, but also thinks that because of what she used to have, she was able to meet her husband and find this happiness now. Masara asks for clarification, and the mom says it's hard to explain, but...everything is a step that leads to the present day. Masara's mom seems to remember something and wants to show Masara, but they're interrupted by the doorbell. Masara says she'll head out for some shopping, telling her mom to explain the rest later, and is out the door before her mom can object.
We jump back to Kokoro, some ways from home, catching her breath. She might be worrying her parents now, but she has a lot on her mind that she needs to untangle. Her parents fell in love, got married, she was born, then her mom abandoned the family, so Kokoro made a wish to force her parents back together, which just revealed their fundamentally broken dynamic, and...Kokoro feels herself getting worked up and tries calming herself down.
Normally, when she needs to process things, she takes a hike in the mountains, but...she's understandably not up for that right now, especially so late in the day. Instead, she opts to head to the beach, where she listens to the soothing sound of the waves...and to the sounds of a nearby wedding. She hears the couple making their vows, which brings her back to her parents, who made the very same promises to each other, thinking marriage would make them happy. And, thinking back to her hiking core memory, she remembers them all being happy together when she was a kid... So how did things turn out this way? Why did they marry to begin with? What was their life like before the wedding?
The wind blows, carrying a handkerchief. She finds it came from a different couple, looking sad, and goes to return it, where she overhears that their engagement is in dire straits - the man has been transferred overseas, and the woman is hesitant to uproot her entire life to join him, despite wanting to stay with him. Kokoro flinches as she hears this, but the man points out that that's still okay; they can still get married - they can live separately, but still be together.
Still, the woman isn't okay with this. She wants to be a family with him because right now, they're "strangers" (where it matters the most) - if one of them died tomorrow, the other wouldn't know. The man understands - the way things are, if the worst happened, they wouldn't be able to hold each other's hands, or hear each other's last words. And he goes on - "I want to be a place where you can come home and feel at peace. I want us to be a family that heals each other after a hard day of work. Isn't that too much to ask of her, the woman points out? The man chuckles, saying he can ask this, because he loves her. Smiling, the woman says none of this makes a lick of sense, but laughs too.
Despite the poor start, things actually worked out, it seems! They seem to be ready to figure things out together, at least. Kokoro snaps out of observation mode and goes to interrupt so she can give them back the handkerchief. After doing so, she thinks about what she just witnessed, and feels even more confused now. Even if they're not physically together, they still love each other...does that make a happy couple? But aren't families supposed to be together?
Kokoro thinks back to the "I want to be a family with you, because right now, we're just strangers" line - in a way, marriage is one way to allow two strangers to become a family. And as she thinks about the man's declaration of being a refuge for his fiance...is that what it means to be a family? Of course, everyone and every family is different...
Cue the event CG with Kokoro looking at the beach. Kokoro gazes across the beach at all the lives playing out - an old man walking his dog; a mom and her kid; a lone person gazing out at sea; friends chatting together; an old couple walking along the shore... Are all of them happy? And what is happiness, anyway? Will she be happy if she gets married? If she gets together with someone? If she stays alone? If she has children?
She doesn't understand. And maybe the reason she doesn't is because of her core memory - the day that shaped her feeling of "happiness." For the longest time, that was the meaning of happiness to her...but in light of all this, she doesn't even understand that anymore.
Her phone pops with various notifications, sensational news - a woman stabbing her ex-boyfriend; rumors of a celeb couple's infidelities...
Family, love, and marriage. As much as she'd like for them to embody happiness - as much as she literally wished to make that happen - it didn't come to be. Maybe she was just naive as to how the world worked. Normally, this line of thinking would be so sad that she'd avoid it, but...she can't avoid it anymore. She wonders, wanly, what Masara would say to this now...
Masara, meanwhile, happens to be at the beach herself! She gets the same phone notifications as Kokoro, and remarks to herself on how dangerous the world is. Love is so vague and strange that we mustn't allow ourselves to be driven by it, or else you become the subject of these bleaker stories. She thinks on her conversation with her mom about love, and in the present thinks about how emotions are fleeting and inscrutable - and yet people are still driven by them.
Though it is late in the evening, there are still many people at the beach. In her equivalent event CG, Masara watches the couples go by. Their relationships are just a moment in time, however - even people who pledge to love each other forever often find themselves breaking apart, like Kokoro's parents. People in love and marriage can betray each other so easily, too, and so often do feelings fade away, or even turn to hate. It's irrational for us to make major life decisions based on something so fickle and unprovable as emotions. Despite what her mom tried saying, Masara still believes that feelings are nothing more than that - fleeting moods.
She thinks back to the big scene from her/Kokoro's MGS - the "I don't care if I die; if I'm gone, either no one will notice or they'll get over it in time" exchange, if you recall - and thinks now, even if she dies, her family will be fine. They'll inherit the money from her wish, and with time, both their love and grief will fade to nothing.
The wind blows, distracting Masara, and she notices a young girl out in the water - moving from the shallows to the heavy waves, fully clothed... Masara immediately dives into action and swims over to the girl, checking for a Witch's Kiss and finding nothing. Out in the water, she warns the startled girl that it's dangerous to swim in clothing (as Masara herself swims in her school uniform :p). She tells the girl to go find a swimming shop to get properly suited up, but the girl stammers, clearly having something to say...
Back at shore, the girl apologizes for all the commotion. Masara bluntly asks if the girl was trying to commit suicide, then Masara had interrupted her, but Masara couldn't idly stand by once she saw the girl. The girl quickly clarifies no no no, she wasn't trying to commit suicide! In fact...she's a bit embarrassed to admit it, but...she swam out to scream at the ocean in order to vent her anxiety, and ended up getting caught up in the waves.
Specifically, the girl is anxious because she's getting married right out of high school. Masara asks, what's the problem, then? Is she dissastisfied with her fiance? The girl quickly says no, not at all - she's really happy to get to marry the guy she loves! But she's worried that even though things are going well now, someday, his feelings might change, and they'll break up... The thought of it fills her with anxiety, so she needed to vent.
To herself, Masara thinks that even if the worst future outcome occurs, time will solve it, and she'll get over it. ...But she knows that won't be a helpful answer to the girl, and so she keeps silent. Perhaps feeling awkward in the long silence, the girl apologizes again, and her boyfriend runs into the scene, having been trying to find her. The girl explains that she was just goofing around and accidentally fell in the water, but Masara here saved her, and they thank her for her help before making their way home.
Alone, Masara thinks over the scene. In her eyes, people are built to ensure they can overcome sadness and grief. This girl has no reason to be so anxious over a future that doesn't exist. But she again thinks back to her MGS, about Kokoro's response to Masara's "it'll be fine if I die" talk - that it's not about money or the aftermath, but that if Masara dies, how will her loved ones feel?
After a pause, Masara affirms again that emotions are hard. What would Kokoro say to all this? And just then, of course, she and Kokoro bump into each other...
They catch each other up on what happened, leaving them with the central question: What do they make of love and marriage? Kokoro recaps how after talking to Mitama and Aimi about love, she was starting to turn around on it, but after seeing her parents, she knows it's all just a fantasy. Marriage is a promise easily broken - as she's always known. And as Masra points out again, marriage is just a contract, and love is just a fleeting mood. Kokoro echoes it, saying she's the product of a simple mood...
Masara pauses when Kokoro says this. Kokoro continues, returning to the day they first met, the scene in the MGS - at the time, she was very upset with how dismissive Masara was towards her own life, with how easily she said "my family will get over it eventually". But now...she gets it. If she dies, her parents will be sad, but...they'll be fine in the end. Because she's the product of two people who don't love each other. If she dies, they won't be bothered.
Masara starts to object, but Kokoro laughs, saying not to worry about it - given her feelings now, she was just being a hypocrite back then, yeah?
Masara, thinking to herself, says she was trying to tell Kokoro - "Don't say that." Because...if Kokoro were to disappear...would Masara get over it? She doesn't want to think about it. After everything she'd declared, after how clear and clean everything was...she can't bear the thought of losing her. Frankly, she's the hypocrite now.
Kokoro pipes up, asking - what'll they do about the wedding shoot? Neither of them have gotten permission yet. And Kokoro isn't sure if this is the right job for her anyway. She's thinking love is fickle and trivial; she's not the right person to model for wedding stuff. She decides she'll turn down the job, and Masara says if that's what Kokoro wants, alright. So Kokoro pulls out her phone...only for a call to beat her to the punch. It's from her mom, and she's thinking it's about her storming off, only for it to be far more dire - her dad was in an accident, and he's in an ambulance as they speak.