Valentine's day.
This day was a tradition that many believed was often celebrated before the Contaminoids took over.
And on this day, girls would always try to confess their love to the person they felt it most towards.
Layfon Wolfstein Alseif would walk around the city on the eve of that holiday.
He really was just walking amongst his fellow students, wearing a brown cloak and green sweater.
As he went, he was for the first time in a long time, unaccompanied by other people.
Usually he'd be with his platoon captain, Nina Antalk, scrubbing and cleaning the walls of the heart of the city of Zuellni.
And if he wasn't doing that, usually for days off, he would be spending his time with his friends, Meishen, a very shy girl with black hair and green eyes, Mifi, a very energetic girl with tawny brown hair and reddish eyes, and Naruki, a rather boyish looking girl with red hair and brown skin, or Felli, a girl who, despite looking no older than 12, actually was older than Layfon himself, a boy with brown hair and blue eyes.
But this time, the latter was busy with something, while the before mentioned trio all had work to do.
It was understandable, but Layfon felt weird.
Usually, he was always with SOMEONE on his time off.
But at the same time, his time alone might be good for him.
What was it that Leerin had told him once?
Everyone has to have some time alone, be it to gather their thoughts.
Being too isolated was bad, but being too gregarious was a set back as well.
"Always have a balance between opposites." She subconsciously said in her motherly tone.
And Layfon knew those words were right.
He sighed despite himself.
He probably needed this time alone.
He looked around at his surroundings, just then really taking in the beauty of the city.
Again, with a companion always by his side, he never really acknowledged the city, for he always tried focusing on who he was with.
And now that he thought about it, every time when he actually DID have time alone, it usually ended with him having to help with something to do something other than relaxing.
Even that day at the pool was anything but relaxing, what with Felli's overprotective brother watching his every move.
The lack of rest was probably why he slept so heavily at night.
Layfon was scared at that realization that he might be called to do something stressful.
But he tried to block out that feeling.
What did Mifi say?
"Never jinx anything Layton!" She hissed when she was playing a game of chance.
Realizing he was practically imagining every word a person would say if they were there, Layfon mentally smiled bitterly.
He hadn't spent so much time with others that if he was apart from them at a given time that he would subconsciously imagine them if they weren't present, had he?
Leerin was understandable, but Mifi...
If he was really having that vivid image crossing his mind, of her with a hand of cards in her hand, looking around the round table for any cracks in her opponents poker faces, her hands tightening around her cards ever so slightly whenever she had a good set of cards...
He blocked out the image then and there.
He really was a bit TOO observant sometimes...
He sighed, just trying to enjoy this one moment of peace, taking in all of the decorations everywhere for the holiday that was so near.
Valentine's day...
He smiled as he saw the brimming faces of everyone around him.
He should be happy too, right?
He stopped outside a shop, wondering if he should buy anything for anyone on Valentine's day.
He was a bit low on money though...
He COULD try to give some treats to some of his friends, but then he considered what would happen if a person was walking by and saw them.
'...they'd probably get the wrong idea...' Layfon shuddered at the many negative outcomes that could very believably happen...
Felli giving him one of her "kicks of doom" as Layfon referred to it when she found out that he had given another girl a Valentine's day present, her older brother accusing him of trying to seduce Felli if he caught him giving her a gift, the way Mifi might get into her "reporter mode" and get too suspicious if she saw him giving his platoon members gifts...
He even went as far as to imagine how she'd react if he gave the male members of his platoon gifts...
At the image of Mifi asking if there was gay love within the seventeenth platoon that formed in his mind's eye, Layfon let out a breath, a wisp of what looked like a miniature, ghostly version of him coming out of his mouth, as though his soul was begging it's host to release it before torment arose.
There was really no way around a negative consequence whether he gave a gift or not...
"Excuse me? Mister?" Layfon looked up, seeing a person looking to him, "Would you like to buy some cards? They have a good price on them!"
He looked down, and nodded once he saw the price per card.
He'd be able to afford that no matter what.
So he went through several cards, and when he was satisfied with his choice, he bought them after thanking the one who got his attention, then left, stopping by the store and wondering whether he should give everyone sweets or not.
He had the money for sweets there, or maybe more appropriately, enough money to buy the supplies needed for an occasion like the one happening tomorrow.
He had never really been much of a fan of sweets, if he were to put it lightly, and due to that, his knowledge on how to make them was very close to zero.
So as he thought about it, he chose to try making his own treats.
Better that than give his friends something that tasted horrible.
As he walked home, he smiled, two bags in his hand.
He hoped everyone liked his treats.
He'd be working very hard for it!
He just hoped nothing bad happened.
But as usual, little did he know, Layfon needless to say was going to be staring several gifts in the face by tomorrow.
A/N: I did this as an attempt at poking at what might happen if they did an OVA for this show, as the title suggests.
Read and Review!