October 31st had finally arrived, and the U.A. dorms had undergone a rather dramatic transformation.

The usually ordinary Class 1-A common room was practically unrecognizable. Orange and purple fairy lights were draped across the ceiling, fake spiderwebs stretched between the furniture, and little plastic bats hung from the walls. Carved pumpkins decorated the tables, some with genuinely impressive faces and others looking like they'd been attacked with a kitchen knife. A large banner reading HAPPY HALLOWEEN! hung above the fireplace, although it was currently hanging slightly crooked thanks to Kaminari and Sero's questionable decorating skills.

And, of course, there was the main event.

The 1-A Halloween costume contest.

Mina had taken it upon herself to organize the entire thing, and she had been talking about it for practically the entire month. She'd made posters, organized categories, prepared a judging system, and somehow convinced nearly the entire class to participate.

Even Bakugo.

Though he insisted he was only participating because Mina had been annoying him about it for three consecutive days.

Everyone had gathered in the common room, showing off their costumes, taking pictures, and arguing over who had the best one.

Midoriya stood near the refreshments, wearing an oversized, ragged white sheet covered in little patches and decorations. A spooky face had been designed onto the hood, making him look like a rather adorable homemade ghost. He kept having to lift the front of the sheet to see where he was going.

"Careful, Midoriya!" Iida warned as Izuku nearly walked into a chair. "You must maintain proper visibility during the competition!"

Speaking of Iida, the class representative had gone all out with his Frankenstein's monster costume. Dressed in a black suit and dark shirt, complete with bolts on either side of his head and exaggerated monster features, he looked surprisingly convincing.

"Actually, I believe my costume is quite historically accurate!" Iida explained, adjusting one of his bolts.

"IT'S A HALLOWEEN COSTUME, NOT A HISTORY PROJECT!" Kaminari shouted.

Nearby, Shoto Todoroki looked remarkably composed in his classic vampire attire. His black cape had a rich red interior, paired with a red and gold vest, white shirt, and black trousers. He looked as though he'd stepped straight out of a vampire movie.

He was currently examining a bowl of plastic vampire teeth.

"Do vampires actually need these?" he asked.

"Shoto, that's the point of the costume," Ochako giggled.

Speaking of Ochako, she and Tsuyu had decided to coordinate their outfits. Both wore witch costumes, complete with pointed black hats. Ochako's orange puff-sleeved dress looked adorable alongside Tsuyu's black and purple dress, which featured a little purple band around her hat.

"Ribbit. I think we look pretty good, Ochako," Tsuyu commented.

"We look amazing!" Ochako agreed, striking a little pose.

Not far from them stood Katsuki Bakugo, looking thoroughly unimpressed with the entire event. His werewolf costume consisted of a dark green jacket with furry details around the collar, a fluffy tail, and a pair of wolf ears.

Unfortunately for him, Mina had already noticed how adorable the ears looked.

"BAKUGO! YOUR EARS ARE SO CUTE!"

"CALL THEM CUTE AGAIN AND I'LL—"

"Aw, someone's a grumpy puppy!"

"RACOON EYES!"

Denki, meanwhile, was having the time of his life. Dressed in a loose red shirt, black trousers, plastic devil horns, and holding a little plastic pitchfork, he was matching with Mina, who had her own pair of devil horns and a fake tail attached to her shorts.

"Honestly, we're probably the best-looking duo here," Denki announced, putting an arm around Mina's shoulders.

"Obviously!" Mina agreed, giving him a high five.

Kirishima, dressed in a rather convincing shark costume, was laughing at their antics. His costume had a little fin on the back, and he seemed particularly pleased with it.

"THIS IS SO MANLY!"

Sero, on the other hand, was practically wrapped from head to toe in mummy bandages. A few loose strips hung from his arms, and he had already started using them to lightly annoy anyone who stood too close.

"Hey, Sero, stop wrapping me up!" Kaminari complained.

"Can't. You're my next victim."

Meanwhile, the group's little Wonderland-themed squad had gathered together for pictures.

Jirou looked fantastic as the Cheshire Cat, complete with cat ears, a striped outfit, and a mischievous smile. Momo had chosen to dress as the Queen of Hearts, wearing an elegant red, black, and white outfit with a little crown. Hagakure was dressed as Alice, her blue-and-white outfit looking particularly cute despite the fact that most of it was being worn by someone invisible. Ojiro completed the group as the Mad Hatter, complete with a rather oversized top hat.

"Everyone, get closer!" Momo suggested, holding up her phone.

"Wait, wait! My hat's crooked!" Ojiro exclaimed.

"Your hat is supposed to look ridiculous," Jirou teased.

"That's the point, isn't it?!" added Hagakure.

Across the room, Tokoyami stood in a dark reaper costume, his hood covering most of his head and a plastic scythe resting against his shoulder.

"The night welcomes its harvest," he declared dramatically.

Kaminari glanced over.

"Dude, it's literally six in the evening."

Tokoyami slowly turned toward him.

"...The harvest has no schedule."

Shoji had opted for a spider costume, wearing black clothing and arm warmers over his additional arms to give himself a rather convincing eight-legged appearance. He stood quietly near Tokoyami, occasionally helping people fix their decorations.

Kouda and Sato had gone for something considerably cuter. Kouda wore a soft bunny onesie complete with floppy ears and a fluffy tail, while Sato matched him in a brown bear onesie.

"You're both adorable!" Ochako complimented.

Kouda immediately turned a little pink, while Sato simply smiled.

Aoyama, naturally, had chosen a prince costume. His cape was so excessively sparkly that it practically reflected the fairy lights across the entire room.

"Behold! The magnificence of my royal presence!"

"MY EYES!" Jirou complained, shielding her face.

Mineta had gone as a zombie, with green face paint, ripped clothes, and fake blood smeared across his costume. He was currently trying to convince everyone that his makeup was professionally done.

And finally, there was Shinsou.

His costume was perhaps the laziest of them all. A simple black cat-ear headband, a few whiskers drawn onto his cheeks, and absolutely no additional effort.

"That's it?" Kaminari asked, staring at him.

Shinsou shrugged.

"Yeah. I'm a cat."

"YOU COULDN'T HAVE TRIED A LITTLE HARDER?"

"No."

Mina suddenly clapped her hands loudly, grabbing everyone's attention.

"ALRIGHT, EVERYONE! LISTEN UP!"

The conversations gradually died down as she climbed onto the small platform she'd made using a few cushions.

"Welcome to the FIRST ANNUAL CLASS 1-A HALLOWEEN COSTUME CONTEST!"

A few cheers erupted from the group.

"Tonight, we'll be judging everyone in several categories! We've got scariest costume, cutest costume, funniest costume, most creative costume, best group costume, and, of course..." She paused dramatically, holding up a glitter-covered envelope.

"THE GRAND PRIZE FOR BEST OVERALL COSTUME!"

Kirishima cheered, Kaminari whistled, and Bakugo folded his arms.

"Let's just get this over with."

"OH, COME ON, BAKUGO! HAVE SOME HALLOWEEN SPIRIT!"

"I HAVE SPIRIT! IT'S CALLED WANTING TO GO HOME!"

Before Mina could respond, Iida stepped forward, raising one hand.

"ASHIDO! I would like to remind everyone that we must maintain an orderly competition! No pushing, no quirk usage, and absolutely no damaging the decorations!"

"Yeah, yeah, got it, class rep!"

Mina waved him off before turning back toward everyone.

"Now, before we start, I think we're missing someone!"

Her eyes suddenly landed on {User}.

A huge grin spread across her face.

"THERE YOU ARE! GET OVER HERE! YOU CAN'T MISS THE COSTUME CONTEST!"

The entire class turned toward you, some waving excitedly, others already trying to guess what you'd dressed up as.

Kaminari cupped his hands around his mouth.

"COME ON! WE WANNA SEE!"

Mina practically bounced on her feet, holding up her glittery microphone.

"ALRIGHT! LET'S GET THIS HALLOWEEN SHOW STARTED!"

Porch lights glowed orange and purple, carved pumpkins sat outside nearly every house, and fake spiderwebs decorated windows and fences. Children dressed as ghosts, witches, vampires, and all sorts of monsters wandered from house to house with little buckets and bags, eagerly collecting as much candy as possible.

And, naturally, Class 1-A wasn't going to miss out.

After weeks of planning, arguing over costumes, and Mina practically begging Aizawa to let them go, the class had finally received permission to spend Halloween evening trick-or-treating together.

There were, of course, conditions.

They had to stay in groups, remain in the designated neighborhood, avoid causing trouble, and return to the dorms at a reasonable hour.

Aizawa had repeated those rules approximately four times.

Nobody was listening anymore.

The entire class had gathered outside the dorms, looking like a rather questionable collection of Halloween characters.

Midoriya stood near the entrance, his oversized, ragged white ghost sheet swaying around his legs. The little spooky face decorating his hood made him look surprisingly adorable, although he kept having to lift the fabric to see where he was going.

"Midoriya, you might want to be careful walking around in that," Iida advised, adjusting the bolts on either side of his head. His Frankenstein costume looked remarkably convincing, especially with the exaggerated monster features and dark suit.

"I-I know! I've just been having a little trouble seeing..."

"Then perhaps you should have considered a costume with better visibility!"

"Tenya, it's fine," Ochako giggled.

She stood beside Tsuyu, the two witches looking particularly cute together. Ochako's orange dress with its puffed sleeves contrasted beautifully with Tsuyu's black and purple dress, and both wore pointed black hats.

"Ribbit. I think we're ready," Tsuyu commented.

"Definitely! I can't wait to get candy!"

Nearby, Todoroki adjusted the red interior of his black vampire cape. His red and gold vest made him look surprisingly elegant, although he seemed much more interested in the possibility of getting free food than the actual holiday.

"Do people usually give out chocolate?" he asked.

"Yes, Shoto," Midoriya answered.

"What about soba?"

"...Probably not."

Bakugo stood a little further away, looking thoroughly unimpressed with the entire situation. His dark green werewolf jacket, furry collar, fluffy tail, and wolf ears made him look surprisingly convincing.

Mina, however, was having a difficult time taking him seriously.

"LOOK AT THE LITTLE WOLF!"

"RACOON EYES, I'M WARNING YOU."

Denki, dressed as a devil with plastic horns and a little pitchfork, burst out laughing. His matching partner, Mina, had her own little horns and a fake tail attached to her shorts.

"Aw, come on, Bakugo! Give us a little howl!"

"TRY ME, DUMBASS!"

"That's a yes!" Mina cheered.

Kirishima, wearing his shark costume, laughed so hard that his little fin wobbled.

"Bro, you actually look pretty cool!"

"SHUT UP, SHARK BOY!"

Sero, who was practically wrapped from head to toe in mummy bandages, casually waved at them.

"Can we hurry up? My bandages keep getting caught on things."

"That's because you keep walking into people," Jirou pointed out.

Speaking of Jirou, she was standing with the rest of the Wonderland group. Her Cheshire Cat costume looked fantastic alongside Momo's Queen of Hearts outfit, Hagakure's Alice costume, and Ojiro's Mad Hatter ensemble.

Hagakure was particularly excited, practically bouncing on her feet.

"THIS IS GOING TO BE SO MUCH FUN! I WANT ALL THE CANDY!"

"Please remember to thank the homeowners," Momo reminded everyone with a polite smile.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Jirou teased.

Ojiro adjusted his oversized Mad Hatter hat.

"Do you think they'll recognize the costumes?"

"They'd better," Jirou replied.

A little further back, Tokoyami stood silently in his black reaper hood, his plastic scythe resting against his shoulder.

"The night is young. The darkness shall guide our path."

Kaminari glanced at him.

"Bro, we're going to get candy, not fight the forces of evil."

"One can do both," Tokoyami replied solemnly.

Shoji, dressed as a spider with black arm warmers covering his additional arms, simply shook his head in amusement.

Meanwhile, Kouda and Sato stood together in their matching animal onesies. Kouda's bunny ears flopped whenever he moved, while Sato's brown bear costume made him look like a giant teddy bear.

"Do you think people will give you extra candy because your costumes are cute?" Kaminari asked.

Kouda quietly blushed and shrugged.

"We're definitely getting extra!" Sato chuckled.

Aoyama, naturally, was practically glowing in his prince costume. His excessively sparkly cape reflected the streetlights, making him impossible to miss.

"Tonight, I shall collect only the finest and most luxurious sweets!"

"You're going to get chocolate like the rest of us," Jirou muttered.

Mineta, dressed as a zombie with green face paint and fake blood decorating his ripped clothes, was already holding an empty candy bucket.

"Does anyone think we should split the candy equally?"

"No," Bakugo answered immediately.

Shinsou, wearing nothing more than black cat ears and drawn-on whiskers, stood beside him with his hands in his pockets.

"I'm just here for the candy."

"YOU DIDN'T EVEN TRY WITH YOUR COSTUME!" Kaminari protested.

"I'm a cat. What more do you want?"

Before anyone could continue arguing, Mina suddenly jumped into the middle of the group.

"ALRIGHT, EVERYONE! LISTEN UP!"

She held up a bright orange bucket decorated with little ghosts.

"OUR FIRST DESTINATION IS THAT STREET OVER THERE! I HEARD THEY GIVE OUT HUGE CHOCOLATE BARS!"

"CHOCOLATE BARS?!" Sato immediately perked up.

"WHERE?!" Kirishima exclaimed.

"WE'RE GOING!" Kaminari cheered, practically dragging Sero along.

"WAIT!" Iida shouted, raising both hands. "WE MUST WALK IN AN ORDERLY FASHION! AND NOBODY IS TO RUN AHEAD!"

Mina was already halfway down the pavement.

"TOO LATE!"

"ASHIDO!"

Aizawa stood near the dorm entrance, watching the entire class begin to scatter.

He slowly rubbed his temples.

"Remember. No quirks, no property damage, and no wandering off."

"YES, SIR!" several students answered.

"AND COME BACK BEFORE TEN!"

"YES, SIR!"

Aizawa watched them disappear around the corner.

"...They won't be here back by 10."

Meanwhile, the class had reached the first decorated house. It was covered in fake cobwebs, glowing pumpkins, and little skeleton decorations. A large bowl of candy sat beside the front door.

Mina practically skipped up the pathway, followed by Denki, Kirishima, and the others.

"Okay, everyone! On three!"

She raised her hand.

"ONE!"

"Two!" Ochako joined in.

"THREE!"

The entire group shouted together.

"TRICK OR TREAT!"

The door slowly opened, revealing an elderly homeowner dressed as a witch.

She blinked at the enormous group of costumed teenagers standing on her doorstep.

"...Well, aren't you all a lively bunch?"

"Happy Halloween!" Momo greeted politely.

The woman laughed, reaching for a large bowl of sweets.

"Well, let's see what we've got here..."

She began handing out candy, and within seconds, everyone was eagerly examining their little collections.

"YES! CHOCOLATE!" Kaminari cheered.

"HEY! I GOT GUMMIES!" Mina exclaimed.

Todoroki stared down at his candy.

"What's this one?"

"That's a caramel," Kirishima explained.

Todoroki nodded thoughtfully.

"I see."

Then he quietly placed it in his pocket.

As the group began moving toward the next house, Mina suddenly stopped and turned around.

"WAIT! We need a group picture!"

"Oh, come on," Shinsou muttered.

"NO EXCUSES! EVERYONE GET TOGETHER!"

Kaminari immediately threw an arm around Kirishima, Sero leaned into the frame, and Aoyama dramatically positioned himself where the streetlight could best reflect off his cape.

"Make sure my good side is visible!" he declared.

"You have a good side?" Jirou teased.

"ALL OF ME IS MY GOOD SIDE!"

Mina held up her phone, laughing.

"ALRIGHT! EVERYONE SAY HALLOWEEN!"

The camera flashed.

And just like that, the Class 1-A Halloween adventure had officially begun.

There were still dozens of houses to visit, mountains of candy to collect, and absolutely no guarantee that the class would make it back to the dorms without some sort of ridiculous incident.

Mina turned toward {User}, grinning mischievously.

"HEY! COME ON! No standing in the back!"

Kaminari waved his plastic pitchfork excitedly.

"LET'S GO GET SOME CANDY!"

Bakugo scoffed.

"Can you idiots hurry up? We're wasting daylight."

"It's nighttime, Katsuki," Todoroki casually corrected.

"SHUT UP!"

It was well past nine in the evening when Class 1-A finally returned to the U.A. dorms after their Halloween adventure.

And what an adventure it had been.

The entire class had spent hours wandering around the neighborhood, knocking on doors, collecting ridiculous amounts of candy, taking pictures, and occasionally getting distracted by particularly impressive Halloween decorations.

Now, however, they were back where they belonged: the common room.

A few students were arguing about who had collected the most candy.

"I'M TELLING YOU, I HAVE THE MOST!" Kaminari declared, dumping his enormous candy collection onto the coffee table.

"NO WAY!" Sero protested, dropping his own bag beside it. "I've got at least twice as much chocolate as you!"

"That's because you kept taking mine!"

"Finders keepers, dude!"

"YOU STOLE IT!"

"PROVE IT!"

"OH MY GOD, YOU TWO!" Jirou groaned from the sofa.

The common room had been rearranged for the occasion. Most of the overhead lights were switched off, leaving only the orange and purple fairy lights illuminating the room. A few candles, battery-operated of course, flickered on the tables, while the television displayed a fireplace surrounded by animated pumpkins.

The coffee table was practically buried beneath Halloween snacks.

There were bowls of popcorn, chocolate bars, gummy worms, candy corn, cookies, caramel apples, and enough sweets to last the entire class several weeks.

Mina had also brought out a few extra blankets and pillows, insisting that everyone needed to sit together for the evening.

"OKAY, EVERYONE! FIND A SPOT!"

She practically threw herself onto the carpet, grabbing a handful of candy and settling between Ochako and Tsuyu.

"Tonight, we're having a HALLOWEEN SCARY STORY NIGHT!"

A few students cheered.

Others looked considerably less enthusiastic.

"Scary stories?" Midoriya repeated, sitting down with his ghost costume gathered around him. "Like actual horror stories?"

"Obviously!" Mina grinned.

"That sounds fun," Kirishima agreed, settling down beside Sero.

"Depends how scary," Kaminari muttered, already reaching for a chocolate bar.

Bakugo dropped onto the sofa, arms crossed.

"You're all acting like children."

"You're literally wearing wolf ears!" Mina pointed out.

"SHUT UP, RACCOON EYES!"

Todoroki quietly sat beside him, still wearing his vampire cape.

"Are we telling stories about vampires?"

"We're telling scary stories, Shoto!" Kaminari exclaimed.

"Vampires are scary."

"Fair enough."

Meanwhile, Iida had taken it upon himself to distribute the snacks fairly.

"Everyone must receive an equal amount! We cannot have unnecessary disputes over candy!"

"Tenya, it's Halloween," Ochako giggled.

"That doesn't mean we should abandon basic principles of fairness!"

Momo smiled as she placed another bowl of sweets on the table.

"I made sure there would be enough for everyone."

"You're an angel, Momo," Mina sighed dramatically.

"Actually, I'm the Queen of Hearts," Momo corrected with a teasing grin.

A few giggle.

On the other side of the room, Tokoyami had settled into a particularly dark corner, his reaper hood still covering his head. Dark Shadow occasionally poked out from behind him, seemingly excited about the prospect of frightening everyone.

"Finally," Tokoyami began solemnly. "An evening dedicated to tales of darkness and despair."

Kaminari stared at him.

"Bro, you sound like you're about to summon a demon."

"Perhaps I already have."

"WHAT?!"

Jirou burst out laughing.

Shinsou, meanwhile, was lying across one of the sofas, his black cat ears still on his head.

"Can we just get started? Some of us want to sleep eventually."

"You're literally a cat. Go take a nap," Sero joked.

Shinsou gave him a completely unimpressed look.

"...Funny."

Mina suddenly grabbed a flashlight from beneath the coffee table.

"ALRIGHT! Here's how this works! We take turns telling scary stories. And nobody is allowed to interrupt, unless they get too scared!"

"That's a stupid rule," Bakugo muttered.

"YOU'RE A STUPID RULE!"

"WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?!"

"IT MEANS SHUT UP!"

Kirishima laughed, nearly spilling his popcorn.

"Man, this is already great."

Mina clicked on the flashlight and held it beneath her chin, dramatically illuminating her face.

"Once upon a time..."

She lowered her voice.

"...there was a group of students who lived in a dormitory. Every night, exactly at midnight, they heard three knocks coming from the door."

A few students leaned closer.

"Knock."

She tapped the coffee table.

"Knock."

Another tap.

"Knock."

She paused dramatically.

"And every time they opened the door..."

Mina suddenly raised her voice.

"THERE WAS NOBODY THERE!"

Kaminari jumped.

"WHAT THE HELL?!"

Sero immediately started laughing.

"THAT WAS SO BAD!"

"HEY! I WAS BUILDING SUSPENSE!"

Tsuyu blinked.

"That's actually pretty creepy, Mina."

"THANK YOU, TSUYU!"

Mina dramatically handed the flashlight to Tokoyami.

"YOUR TURN!"

Tokoyami accepted it with great seriousness.

"Very well. I shall share a tale worthy of this night."

Dark Shadow emerged behind him.

"OOOH! A SCARY STORY!"

Tokoyami began speaking in a low voice, describing a mysterious shadow that wandered the hallways of an abandoned school. It followed unsuspecting students, appearing behind them whenever they turned their backs.

Even Bakugo seemed to be listening.

"...And when the final student finally reached the exit, they looked down..."

Tokoyami paused.

"...Only to discover that their shadow was no longer attached to them."

There was a brief silence.

Then Todoroki raised his hand.

"Could the shadow have just been standing somewhere else because of the lighting?"

"DUDE!" Jirou exclaimed.

"What?!"

Everyone burst into laughter.

Mina practically fell sideways onto Ochako.

"HE'S SO BAD AT THIS!"

Even Tokoyami seemed mildly offended.

"The atmosphere has been ruined."

"Sorry," Todoroki replied, completely unbothered.

After that, the stories became increasingly ridiculous.

Kaminari told a supposedly terrifying story about a haunted vending machine that only accepted exact change. Sero followed with a story about a mummy who couldn't stop getting tangled in its own bandages.

Kirishima attempted a zombie apocalypse story, although he kept making heroic sound effects and somehow turned it into an inspirational speech.

Momo told a surprisingly convincing ghost story, while Jirou tried to scare everyone with a tale about a mysterious creature hiding underneath someone's bed.

"Wait," Midoriya interrupted nervously. "Is that based on something that actually happened?"

Jirou grinned.

"Maybe."

Midoriya immediately pulled his ghost sheet closer around himself.

"That's not reassuring..."

Meanwhile, Shoji and Koda quietly listened, occasionally exchanging amused glances. Sato was busy eating his way through an entire bowl of cookies, while Aoyama kept interrupting to insist that his story needed more dramatic lighting.

Mineta attempted to tell a zombie story, but nobody could take him seriously because of the way his fake blood makeup had started smudging.

And Shinsou?

He simply refused to participate.

Until Mina threatened to give his entire candy collection to Kaminari.

"...Fine."

He sat up, took the flashlight, and stared at everyone.

"There's a reason you shouldn't fall asleep with your bedroom door open."

The room gradually quieted.

"One night, someone woke up because they heard footsteps outside their bedroom. They assumed it was their roommate, so they called out."

Shinsou paused.

"Nobody answered."

A few students leaned closer.

"They checked the hallway. Nothing. They went back to bed."

He slowly lowered the flashlight.

"Then they heard a voice from inside their wardrobe."

A pause.

"'You shouldn't have opened the door.'"

Silence.

Then—

"NOPE!" Kaminari immediately grabbed a pillow and held it against his chest.

Sero burst out laughing.

"DUDE! YOU ACTUALLY SCARED HIM!"

"THAT WAS GOOD!" Kirishima exclaimed.

Bakugo scoffed, although he had stopped eating his candy for a moment.

"Pathetic."

Mina grinned, turning toward him.

"OH? YOU THINK YOU CAN DO BETTER, WOLF BOY?"

"Obviously."

"THEN TELL US ONE!"

Bakugo stared at her.

"...No."

"BOOOOO!"

"SHUT UP!"

The laughter continued, filling the common room as everyone reached for more candy.

Eventually, Mina turned toward {User}, holding out the flashlight with a mischievous grin.

"ALRIGHT! YOUR TURN!"

Ochako smiled encouragingly.

"Come on! You must have a good one!"

"Make it scary!" Kirishima added.

"Or funny," Sero suggested.

"Preferably short," Shinsou muttered.

Mina ignored him.

"THE FLOOR IS YOURS! GIVE US YOUR SCARIEST HALLOWEEN STORY!"

Twenty pairs of eyes turned toward you.

Well... technically nineteen pairs, considering Hagakure was invisible.

The flashlight was waiting.

And judging by the way Kaminari was already hiding behind Kirishima, the audience was ready.

It was getting late at the U.A. dorms.

Class 1-A had returned from trick-or-treating hours ago, eaten an unreasonable amount of candy, and spent most of the evening telling scary stories. However, Mina apparently wasn't satisfied with the amount of Halloween chaos they'd caused.

"GUYS! I HAVE ANOTHER IDEA!"

Bakugo groaned from the sofa.

"Can you ever shut up?"

"WE SHOULD USE A OUIJA BOARD!"

Kaminari immediately sat upright.

"A WHAT?!"

Mina grinned, holding up a small wooden box.

"A Ouija board! We can try contacting a ghost!"

Iida nearly dropped his drink.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT! That is not an appropriate recreational activity!"

"It's Halloween, Iida!" Mina protested. "Live a little!"

Tokoyami slowly raised his head, his reaper hood casting a shadow over his face.

"Perhaps the spirits of the departed wish to speak with us."

Dark Shadow popped out excitedly.

"LET'S TALK TO A GHOST!"

"Why are you encouraging this?!" Kaminari squeaked.

Eventually, Mina managed to convince everyone to gather around the coffee table. Even Bakugo stayed, although he insisted it was only because he wanted to prove that the entire thing was ridiculous.

The common room lights were switched off, leaving only the orange and purple fairy lights glowing in the darkness.

Mina placed the board in the center of the table, setting the little planchette on top.

"Okay! Everyone put one finger on it!"

One by one, the students placed their fingertips on the wooden piece.

"Now..." Mina lowered her voice dramatically. "Is there anybody here?"

Nothing happened.

Sero glanced around.

"Maybe the ghosts are busy."

"Maybe they don't like your personality," Jirou replied.

"HEY!"

Mina tried again.

"Is there anybody here who wants to talk to us?"

For several seconds, the planchette remained completely still.

Then...

It moved.

Slowly, it slid across the board and stopped on YES.

Everyone froze.

Kaminari's eyes widened.

"OH, COME ON!"

"WHO MOVED IT?!" Bakugo demanded.

"Nobody!" Ochako whispered.

Iida immediately looked concerned.

"Perhaps we should discontinue this activity."

"WAIT!" Mina insisted. "We just got a response!"

Todoroki tilted his head.

"Hello, ghost."

Everyone stared at him.

"...What?"

Mina took a deep breath.

"Okay. What's your name?"

The planchette began moving again.

One letter at a time till it finally spelt a name:

{User}.

Mina blinked.

"{User}?"

The planchette moved toward YES.

A chill seemed to settle over the room.

Midoriya leaned closer, his homemade ghost costume slipping slightly over his shoulder.

"Th-that's actually a name..."

"Are you friendly?" Ochako asked cautiously.

The planchette swayed between YES and NO, not quite settling between either.

Tsuyu blinked.

"Well, that's not really reassuring. Ribbit"

"How old are you?" Kaminari asked.

Iida immediately raised his hand.

"THAT IS NOT A POLITE QUESTION TO ASK A SPIRIT!"

"Sorry!"

Momo leaned forward.

"Perhaps we should ask where they're from."

Mina nodded.

"Okay! Where are you?"

The planchette moved again.

But instead of spelling out a location, it slowly traveled toward the letters.

H.

E.

R.

E.

Then it stopped.

Everyone stared.

"...Here?" Sero repeated.

Tokoyami's expression grew serious.

"The spirit is among us."

Kaminari grabbed Kirishima's arm.

"DUDE."

Dark Shadow suddenly appeared behind Tokoyami's shoulder.

"WHERE?!"

"Don't ask me!" Tokoyami replied.

Shinsou, who had been quiet throughout the entire thing, glanced toward the empty space around the table.

"Maybe it's not in the room the way we are."

That made everyone pause.

Mina swallowed.

"Okay... one more question."

She looked down at the board.

"Can you see us?"

The planchette immediately moved.

YES.

Kaminari slowly pulled his blanket over his shoulders.

"Okay, that's enough for me."

Bakugo scoffed.

"You're all idiots. It's probably some stupid prank."

Then the planchette moved again.

This time, it spelled something unexpected.

I SEE YOU.

The room went silent.

Even Bakugo stopped talking.

Mina stared at the board before slowly looking around the common room.

"Okay... that's actually kind of creepy."

Todoroki raised his hand.

"Can you see my vampire costume?"

Jirou slapped a hand over her face.

"SHOTO, NOW IS NOT THE TIME!"

A few nervous laughs broke the tension.

Then Mina leaned toward the board again.

"{User}? Can you tell us something about yourself?"

The planchette moved.

I AM A GHOST.

"WAIT, WHAT?!" Kaminari shouted.

Midoriya practically leaned halfway across the table.

"A real ghost?! As in, an actual spirit?!"

Tokoyami slowly nodded.

"The veil between worlds has opened..."

Dark Shadow cheered.

"WE MADE A FRIEND!"

Iida looked horrified.

"WE DID NOT ESTABLISH THAT THIS WAS A SAFE OR EVEN REAL ACTIVITY!"

Mina, meanwhile, looked absolutely fascinated.

"Okay, okay! So you're really here with us?"

The planchette slid toward YES.

Ochako smiled nervously.

"Well... hello, {User}."

Tsuyu nodded.

"Nice to meet you, ribbit."

Shinsou rested his chin in his hand.

"Never thought I'd spend Halloween talking to an actual ghost."

Bakugo crossed his arms.

"Ask it why it's bothering us."

"BAKUGO!" Kirishima exclaimed.

"What?!"

Mina ignored the argument and looked down at the board again.

"Okay, {User}! We've got SO many questions! Like, how did you die?!"

And somewhere beyond the ordinary world, {User} had a whole classroom of curious, slightly terrified teenagers waiting to hear from them.