On the Run with a Ghoul!

An Otherworldy First Meet

"You three! What do you think you're doing?" a strange woman yelled as she stormed towards Tom, Yulia, and Erdwin. The three of them turned around to see who was causing such a commotion.

Tom frowned and asked, "Who are you?"

Erdwin groaned, "She's a squad commander from another division. Nice, huh?"

Yulia's eyes widened in shock, "Why is she here? Where's Mr. Black?"

Erdwin grumbled, "Mr. Black is out of town sightseeing, so HQ assigned her to us. Great, just great."

The woman, who introduced herself as Ms. Emiko, had a stern look on her face. She didn't seem to be too pleased with the trio. "I am your new superior. And from now on, you will refer to me as 'Squad Commander Emiko.'"

Tom raised an eyebrow, "Okay, Squad Commander Emiko. Why are you here?"

Squad Commander Emiko crossed her arms, "I was sent here to assess your performance and make sure that you are fulfilling your duties properly. I heard that there were some...incidents that occurred during your last mission."

Erdwin groaned again, "Of course there were. It's not our fault that things always go wrong."

Yulia quickly added, "But we were able to handle the situation and complete the mission, Squad Commander Emiko."

Squad Commander Emiko's eyes narrowed, "Is that so? Well, I will be the judge of that. From now on, I will be accompanying you on all missions and making sure that everything is done by the book."

Tom sighed, "Great. Just what we needed. More rules."

Squad Commander Emiko gave Tom a warning look, "Don't get smart with me, young man. I will not tolerate any insubordination."

Erdwin whispered to Yulia, "Looks like we're in for a long ride."

Yulia nodded in agreement, "Definitely not a fun one."

As Squad Commander Emiko started to lay down the rules and regulations, Tom couldn't help but think that their next mission was going to be a real challenge with their new superior on board.

Tom, Yulia, and Erdwin were deep in the depths of a school bathroom, trying to rid the area of a soul beast infestation. It was a tedious job that was made even more frustrating by the constant criticisms from their new squad commander, Ms. Emiko.

"This is not how a professional team should behave," Ms. Emiko scolded, pointing out the smallest mistake. "You should be taking this seriously."

As they worked, several students walked past the bathroom, seemingly unaware of the chaos that was happening inside. They merely stared in confusion at the three grown adults seemingly playing with the air.

"What are they doing?" one of the students whispered to their friend.

Tom couldn't help but let out a sigh of annoyance. It was bad enough that they had to deal with Ms. Emiko's criticisms, but the fact that normal humans couldn't see the soul beasts made it even more irksome.

After finally finishing the job, the trio decided to treat themselves to some ice cream. However, their well-deserved break was cut short when Ms. Emiko scolded them for taking a break instead of immediately returning to headquarters.

"I can't believe this," Yulia grumbled, holding her ice cream cone dejectedly. "We can't even enjoy a simple treat without being criticised."

Erdwin nodded in agreement, looking equally disappointed. "I thought working for the Ghoul Capture Team was going to be fun, but with Ms. Emiko around, it's starting to feel like a chore."

Tom simply shook his head, feeling a headache coming on. He had a feeling that this was going to be a long day.

Tom and Yulia walked hand in hand, excited to buy Yulia's very own loofa at the mall. They were shopping, trying on new outfits and having a great time. Suddenly, they heard a familiar voice shouting and they turned around to see Erdwin, who was trying to buy concert tickets from a shady-looking man.

"Hey guys!" Erdwin yelled, "I'm trying to buy tickets for the concert, but this guy is trying to scam me!"

Tom and Yulia walked over, laughing as they approached. "What's the matter Erdwin? Can't handle a little bargaining?" Yulia teased, giggling.

"Yeah man, you need to learn to be a little more street-smart," Tom added, playfully punching Erdwin's arm.

The shady-looking man looked at them, his expression hostile. "Hey, I don't want any trouble here. If you're not interested in buying tickets, then just leave," he growled.

Erdwin looked at Tom and Yulia, his expression apologetic. "I'm sorry guys, I didn't mean to get us involved in this."

Just then, they heard a familiar voice. "What is going on here?" It was Ms. Emiko, disguised as the shady-looking man.

Tom and Yulia's eyes went wide as they saw Ms. Emiko's disguise. They started to giggle, as Erdwin looked at them, confusion written all over his face.

"Ms. Emiko, what are you doing here?" Erdwin asked, bewildered.

"I was assigned to keep an eye on you guys, and make sure you weren't getting into any trouble," Ms. Emiko said, looking sternly at the trio.

Tom and Yulia started to laugh even harder, as Erdwin's face turned red with embarrassment. Ms. Emiko looked at them, her expression stern. "This isn't a laughing matter. You three are supposed to be professional Soul Beast Hunters, and yet you're acting like a bunch of kids!"

As they walked past, a group of students from earlier saw them and started to whisper amongst themselves. "Is that their mom?" one of them asked, and the others nodded in agreement.

Tom, Yulia, and Erdwin looked at each other, trying to stifle their laughter. They knew they had a long way to go before they could become professional Soul Beast Hunters, but for now, they were just happy to be able to enjoy each other's company.

Tom sat at the kitchen table, spooning cornflakes into his mouth as the cat soul beast slept soundly on the counter next to him. Suddenly, the door swung open and in walked Ms. Emiko, ready to start another one of her infamous lectures.

"Tom, what do you think you're doing? You should never leave a soul beast outside of its talisman, it gets very cold," she scolded as she marched over to the counter and wrapped the cat in a warm blanket.

Tom couldn't help but roll his eyes. He was used to Ms. Emiko's constant criticisms, but this time she was making a valid point. He hadn't considered the temperature and how it could affect the soul beast.

"Thanks, Ms. Emiko," he said sheepishly, grateful for her guidance.

"It's my job, Tom. I have to make sure you're all taking proper care of these creatures," she replied sternly, but with a hint of compassion in her voice.

Tom couldn't help but smile as he watched her tend to the sleeping cat. Despite her tough exterior, it was clear that she truly cared about their well-being. He made a mental note to keep the cat inside its talisman from now on, even if it meant putting up with Ms. Emiko's criticisms.