Kurai slowly opened his eyes, his head throbbing with a dull ache. Blinking to adjust his vision, he realized he was bound tightly with ropes, his surroundings shrouded in darkness. Confusion set in as he attempted to make sense of his predicament.
"Where am I? Why am I tied up? Is this some kind of cave?" Kurai muttered to himself, his voice echoing softly.
As his eyes adjusted to the dimly lit cave, Kurai noticed a group of goblins lurking just beyond earshot. They chattered amongst themselves, their presence both unsettling and intriguing.
A faint whisper reached Kurai's ears, making him realize that the goblins had noticed his awakening. "I think it's waking up," one of them uttered.
Before long, a goblin, seemingly their leader, approached him with a wicked grin on his face. "Wakey, wakey, little human," he sneered, reveling in Kurai's vulnerable state.
Despite his dire circumstances, Kurai's expression remained surprisingly serene, a sweet smile gracing his lips. His innocent and shining visage puzzled the goblins, their confusion evident.
"Oh, hello there, little Goblin," Kurai greeted them cheerfully, his voice laced with warmth. "Yes, I suppose I did take a nap. How kind of you to notice."
The goblins exchanged bewildered glances, uncertain of how to react to Kurai's unexpected demeanor. His innocent charm seemed to disarm them, momentarily halting their malevolent intentions.
The goblins stared at Kurai in disbelief, their twisted expressions a stark contrast to his innocent demeanor. One of them mustered the courage to voice their confusion, "Wha... you're not scared? Or mad?"
A second goblin chimed in, frustration evident in its voice, "Yeah, I don't get it. We should kill this person..."
Interrupting the dark intentions, another goblin interjected with a mischievous grin, "Oh come on, that's no fun. Let's play with him a little bit first, then we'll kill him."
The evil laughter of the goblins filled the cave, reverberating against the stone walls. Kurai watched them intently, his bright smile never wavering.
Observing the group of goblins before him, Kurai counted five in total. Among them, he noticed a small girl goblin who seemed to be their leader, her presence commanding respect from the others.
Unfazed by the sinister atmosphere, Kurai decided to extend a friendly introduction, his voice filled with warmth, "Hi, my name is Kurai Taneshi."
With a wave and a bright smile, Kurai reached out to bridge the gap between himself and the goblins, hoping to find a glimmer of understanding or even a chance to change their hearts.
The goblins couldn't contain their laughter, finding Kurai's words amusing. The cute girl goblin, whom Kurai identified as their leader, shot him an annoyed glare, clearly exasperated.
"Shut up!" she snapped, irritation lacing her voice. "We're not here to introduce ourselves; we're here to kill you."
Her sharp gaze remained fixed on Kurai, her annoyance palpable. The other goblins joined in the laughter, reveling in the tense situation.
However, instead of cowering or growing fearful, Kurai's face turned a shade of blush. His cheerful smile remained unwavering as he addressed the lead goblin.
"Awww, you look so cute," Kurai exclaimed, unable to contain his admiration. "And I think you've already slain me with your cuteness. My heart is racing."
The other goblins erupted into laughter once more, thoroughly entertained by the unexpected exchange. The lead goblin blushed, but quickly averted her gaze, becoming even more agitated at Kurai's words.
"Oh, give me a break!" she retorted, rolling her eyes in an attempt to mask her own embarrassment.
As tension hung in the air, the lead goblin seized a nearby spear, pointing it directly at Kurai. Her voice, though tinged with annoyance, held a hint of curiosity.
"Any final words, human?"
Kurai paused, a mischievous glint in his eyes. Slowly, he reached out and gently held the lead goblin's hand, his cheerful smile never fading.
"Well, my last word would be that I'm glad to have finally met someone who's even cuter than any human in the world," Kurai replied with sincerity.
The goblin gasped softly, her face reddening further. She turned away, attempting to hide her blushing visage.
The other goblins burst into laughter once again, reveling in the unexpected turn of events. "Ohoho, what is this? A love story between a goblin and a human?" they jeered.
The lead goblin's glare intensified, her face flushing with embarrassment. "Oh, please, cut it out," she demanded, still looking away. "This is not the time or place for that."
Kurai directed his attention towards the other goblins, smiling and waving at them with genuine warmth.
"Are those your friends or family?" he inquired, pointing towards the remaining four goblins.
The lead goblin, still blushing and avoiding eye contact, responded, "The little ones are my brothers. Why are you so interested in us?"
Though her anger still simmered, her embarrassment softened her tone slightly.
Ignoring her question, Kurai approached her youngest brother. With a smile, he addressed the goblin child, showing utmost respect.
"Hey, I'm glad to finally meet the family of the most adorable person in the world," Kurai expressed sincerely, bowing his head.
The group of goblins burst into laughter once again, thoroughly amused by Kurai's words.
The lead goblin blushed even deeper, yet continued to avert her gaze.
One of the goblins, still chuckling, remarked, "Ohoho, you're quite the flatterer, aren't you? Haha! But I must agree, she truly is cute."
He turned towards the lead goblin and teased, "Looks like you have an admirer!"
This comment elicited laughter from the goblins, further teasing their leader.
The goblin who had spoken then continued with a mischievous grin, "So, are you going to marry her?"
The lead goblin's face flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and irritation. She glared at her companions, her voice carrying a trace of exasperation.
"Enough with your nonsense!" she snapped, her tone attempting to conceal her own inner turmoil. "We have more important matters to attend to than discussing romance."
Kurai responded to the goblin's teasing about marriage with a lighthearted tone, "Marry her? Well, I think we're a bit far from that. After all, I don't even know her name yet."
His words carried a sense of normalcy, not deterred by the goblins' laughter. However, his determination shone through as he added, "But if she wants to, then I will!"
The goblins erupted into laughter once more, thoroughly entertained by Kurai's earnestness. The lead goblin, her face now even redder with embarrassment, looked away from the commotion.
Breaking through her bashful facade, she smiled slightly, her interest piqued. "Well then," she began, her voice softer, "What's your name?"
Kurai met her gaze, his cheerful smile brightening further. "Huh? Did you forget it already?" he asked, a tinge of sadness coloring his voice as he looked down.
The lead goblin's blush deepened, her face turning a shade of crimson. "N-No, I didn't forget," she stammered, looking away. "I just wanted you to repeat it."
"Ohoho, this is so cute!" one of the other goblins chimed in, their smile widening at the adorable exchange unfolding before them.
The rest of the goblins joined in, their own smiles mirroring the lead goblin's unusual display of emotions. They had never seen her react this way before.
Kurai's expression transformed from a sad demeanor to a cheerful smile as he looked at the lead goblin, his eyes brimming with warmth.
"Well then, my name is Kurai Taneshi. It's a pleasure to meet you," Kurai introduced himself with a sense of genuine enthusiasm, eager to establish a connection that transcended their initial circumstances.
The lead goblin, continued to glance away, her face still flushed. However, a small smile began to form on her lips as she approached Kurai.
"The pleasure is mine," she replied, her voice carrying a hint of bashfulness.
"Now, how about you tell me, why exactly were you trespassing in our tribe?" She asked, still harboring a touch of anger, though it was evident that she was trying to suppress it.
Kurai met her gaze with sincerity, his expression open and honest.
"Well, honestly, I didn't know either. I was just wandering through the forest when suddenly, I fell into a hole and lost consciousness. When I woke up, I found myself here," he explained.
One of the goblins averted their eyes, realizing they were responsible for the trap that had led to Kurai's arrival.
The lead goblin couldn't help but giggle, finding amusement in the situation. "Aww, you fell into one of our traps in the forest? Hahaha! Well, at least our traps worked."
She smiled warmly and introduced herself, "My name is Irene, Irene Gobte, the Princess of the Goblin Kingdom. It's nice to meet you!"
The other goblins joined Irene in smiling, their initial hostility giving way to curiosity and friendliness.
Irene then inquired, "Now, how do you feel? Did we tie you up too tightly?"
Kurai's cheeks burned with embarrassment as he realized the misunderstanding caused by his own thoughts. He hastily covered his blushing face with both hands, desperately trying to stop his mind from wandering.
"Oh my? You enjoy doing something like that, Irene?" he asked, his voice betraying his flustered state as he glanced at her, his thoughts going in a completely different direction.
The other goblins couldn't contain their laughter, finding the situation highly amusing. Even Irene's face turned even redder in response to their teasing.
"What!? No, you pervert!" she exclaimed, her tone filled with both annoyance and embarrassment. She shot the other goblins a disapproving look before refocusing her attention on Kurai. "No, I don't!"
The goblins continued to exchange mischievous glances, clearly not convinced by her denial.
Realizing the awkwardness of his statement, Kurai quickly tried to rectify the situation. "Oh? Maybe I just misunderstood," he said, his voice returning to a more composed tone. He scratched the back of his head, hoping to alleviate some of the tension.
As he glanced down, he noticed the remnants of a broken rope still wrapped around his wrists, evidence of being tied up by the goblins when he fell into the trap.
"Sorry for the misunderstanding," Kurai apologized with a tinge of sadness in his voice, his gaze fixed on the ground.
Irene's small smile grew wider as she reassured Kurai, her amusement evident in her eyes.
"No, don't worry," she said, chuckling softly, "we were just messing with you!"
The other goblins joined in on the laughter, clearly enjoying the lighthearted exchange.
However, Irene's laughter quickly subsided when she noticed the broken rope on Kurai's wrists. Surprise flickered across her face, causing her to step back a bit.
"W-Wait!? H-How did you break that?" she stammered, her eyes widening in astonishment.
Kurai looked at her with genuine curiosity and glanced at the rope still in his hands.
"Oh, this?" he replied casually, a hint of innocence in his voice. "Well, it kind of hurt, so I broke it a little."
He then looked directly at Irene, unaware of the implications of his question, and asked, "Do you want to tie me up?"
Irene's face flushed even deeper, her embarrassment reaching new heights. She immediately blurted out, "Wha-what!? Of course I don't! And please stop asking weird questions!"
The other goblins burst into laughter once more, enjoying Irene's flustered reaction. Irene shot them a warning look, her cheeks burning.
"Stop laughing or else!" she threatened, attempting to regain some control over the situation.
Then the other goblins quickly stop laughing as Irene becomes more serious. She then says, "Now, I think it's best if you leave. If you don't, you might meet an unfortunate end here with us."
Confused, Kurai tilts his head and asks, "What do you mean by that?"
Irene glares at Kurai and replies, "You're a human who has fallen into our trap. Do you know what we usually do to humans who trespass in our territory?"
Curious, Kurai ponders the question and then responds, "I've heard many stories about goblins before. They often depict you as bad, heartless, and rude, using every negative word in the world."
His voice carries a tinge of sadness as he slowly looks at the ground, realizing the impact of those stories.
"I think you got that all about right, hahaha!" Irene says while giggling a little bit.
All the other goblins also seem to agree with her.
"So, what are you going to do?" she asks, her voice serious. "Are we going to have to kill you or not?"
Kurai looks down at the ground, feeling scared and trembling. He covers his ears, trying to block out what he heard and the laughter from the goblins and not believing it.
"So... you're going to kill me?" he asks, his voice trembling and tears welling up in his eyes.
Irene raises her spear, pointing it towards Kurai's neck. Her face remains serious and determined.
"That's up for you to choose," she says, her tone firm.
She glares at Kurai, waiting for his response as the spear hovers threateningly close to his neck.
"Well? What is it going to be?"
"But... you're so cute... and kind... You all... were different earlier, but I didn't know you were like this," Kurai says slowly, holding his heart as he breathes heavily and looks at the ground.
Irene's smile fades when she hears your words. She asks, "What are you going to choose?" with a more serious tone and a serious expression as she holds the spear up towards you. The other goblins remain silent, watching you with anticipation, waiting for your decision.
As Kurai continues to kneel down, Irene's little brother steps forward and helps Kurai stand. He looks at his sister and says, "Big sister, maybe we can spare this one for now." He holds onto Kurai's arms gently, showing a glimmer of kindness.
Irene looks at her little brother and then back at Kurai, her expression softening slightly. She lowers the spear and takes a step back.
"Fine," she says, her voice less harsh. "But this is your only chance. Leave now and never come back. If you ever trespass into our territory again, we won't hesitate to end your life."
The other goblins nod in agreement, and Irene's little brother lets go of Kurai's arms. It seems like they have made a decision, giving you a chance to leave unharmed.
"Now, go," Irene says, her voice a mix of warning and relief.
As Kurai reaches the entrance of the cave, he nods and slowly walks away, wiping his tears. He continues walking until he is outside in the open forest once more. The morning light has now turned into the gentle glow of the evening sun.
Feeling exhausted from the events of the day, Kurai lets out a sigh. However, he quickly regains his cheerful demeanor and looks back at the tunnel with a joyful face. He waves at Irene and smiles, much to her annoyance.
"Hey!! Can I come back again!?" he calls out with a cheerful tone.
She gives Kurai a mad glare as he waves at her while exiting the tunnel.
"What are you, some kind of idiot!?" she shouts at him, "Of course not!!"
This elicits laughter from a few of the goblins, who exchange amused glances.
"What are you so happy about?" she continues, "Are you just as dumb as you are cute?"
Kurai can see her face growing redder and redder as she speaks, which only makes him smile even more.
His eyes light up with excitement upon hearing her words, and he can't help but shout back at her with a cheerful tone.
"Did you just call me cute?"
Irene blushes heavily, her face turning as red as a tomato.
"N-No! I was not calling you cute! Idiot!"
She tries to hide her face in embarrassment, but her attempt fails.
All the other goblins burst into uncontrollable laughter, thoroughly enjoying this banter.
Kurai can't help but smile back at her innocently.
"Oh? Okay then! See you again!"
He turns to leave, and Irene gives him an annoyed look while shouting, "Don't you dare!"
The laughter from the goblins intensifies, finding the entire situation highly entertaining.
Irene then turns to the other goblins, who are still laughing, and yells, "SHUT UP!!! All of you!!!"
Taking on a more serious tone, she adds, "Never come back again, you idiot!"
Kurai chuckles and waves at them one final time before continuing on his way, leaving the goblin cave behind.