Compared to the disastrous summer that was the training camp ambush, this summer felt really laidback and relaxed. No surprise attacks. No kidnappings. No casualties. And most importantly, the heroes-in-training finally had some time to kick back and enjoy their summer. That is, until it was time for the mandatory work experience to kill the buzz. Upon a suggestion from Tenya Iida, the second-year students went on a school-sponsored summer trip, setting camp at a forest that was quite far from their usual surroundings.

They had only been at the camp for two days, yet the emotional scars from last year's ambush still lingered within the students. In an attempt to alleviate the paranoia and fear of a similar event occurring, Mina took it upon herself to bring a smile back to her friends' faces. And what better way to do so than set up a nightfall campfire and gather her friends around it, one by one? Normally, she would invite Hagakure, Uraraka or one of the girls but she wanted to switch things up. Hence, Midoriya was her first campfire buddy.

'So what exactly do we do, Ashido?' he asked, after staring at the fire for a few minutes. 'Are we supposed to use this as a symbol of contemplation and reflection? Do we just, try searching for food and cook?'

'No, no,' she replied, in a laidback manner. 'The point is, you're supposed to tell a story around the campfire. You know, kind of like what we see in the movies.'

'But I'm not a good storyteller. I don't know what to talk about, I can't make anything up, I have no good ideas.'

'Take it easy. Don't force yourself too much, just think of whatever comes to your head and start from there.'

'OK, picture this. There was a young boy living in a land inhabited by mages, dragons, royal families and the like. There was a catch to this boy; the world he lived in was a superpowered world and he had no powers of his own.'

'Now where have I heard that before?'

'All that changed one day when he met the village strongman, who convinced him that he could be a top mage one day, despite his situation. Following that day, he decided to embark on a life-changing quest.'

'Let me guess. The strongman granted part of his power to the little peasant.'

'Not exactly, but the boy did inherit a small part of his willpower. Thanks to this willpower, his confidence improved, and his will strengthened. This quest allowed him to explore the world like he had never explored it before. He was already familiar with it, but he never really pushed himself outside his comfort zone until that fateful day.'

'Ooh, interesting!'

'During his quest, he met all sorts of people. You had a young mage who defied gravity, a barbarian who played by his own rules, a shapeshifting dragon and so on. He even briefly challenged the prince of a nearby kingdom to a battle of wits, and it was a close one. Because of the new friends and rivals he made, this commoner boy was also introduced to a rather haughty knight with high expectations, a young bartender and many others. Some say these kids would eventually forge a close bond between each other.'

'Almost like our class.'

'Sorry?'

'This story's about you, isn't it? Only you put it in another context.'

'I suppose so. Guess I've been getting too much into the fantasy genre recently. Who knows that Black Clover would trigger such interest?'

'Still, I like what I'm hearing. This could be a great story to tell everyone, if we manage to gather them around the campfire. Keep going.'

'Sorry, but that's all I have right now. I've imagined us in a fantasy setting, but I never thought of telling a story about it until today.'

'Take your time. Keep it in your mind, and who knows? We might even do a play based on your little story for the Cultural Festival. Imagine it. The class who gets all the attention, reciting their story, Black Clover-style.'

'But didn't class B already do a play?'

'That was last year, and from what I heard, their idea was lame as fuck. Completely original, my ass. That Monoma kid probably wishes he had your creativity.'

'Heh, thanks Mina. I try to make them smile.'

'Say that again.'

'I try to make them smile.'

'No, before that.'

'Thanks, Mina.'

She wanted him to repeat what he said, just to be sure. Never before had Midoriya referred to anyone in their class by their first name out of habit, unless it was Bakugo. Tsuyu didn't count, because she still had to correct his mistake of using her surname. This had to be a sign. This had to mean that he was taking it to the next level.

'You just... called me Mina.'

'It was a slip of the tongue, honestly. I didn't mean to say that, I got carried away.'

'No excuses, you knew what you were saying there.'

'Do I look like I'm lying?'

'Er, no.'

'Back on topic. I suddenly thought of something else for my story; would you like to hear the rest?'

The fire was still burning; the moment had grown more intimate.

'Of course I do,' said Mina, grinning slyly. 'Izuku.'

'Hahaha,' Midoriya chuckled, starting to blush. 'Alright then, here it goes. One morning, the young commoner was put to a test where he...'

Midoriya continued his campfire story, as Mina listened attentively. Well, at least both of them had their summer nights planned out from this point. A little campfire story, as told by the green-haired boy, for his friends (and their friends) to take in. All this while the fire was still burning strong.