On My Command •||• Seventeen AU

✪~~~✷10th✷~~~✪

Jeonghan snickered, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth, clearly entertained by your reluctant confession.

Joshua, however, wasn't about to let you have the last word. "If you had just stayed in your room, none of this would've happened," he said, his voice firm, his brows furrowed in frustration.

"Yeah, but why did you have to kiss me?" you shot back, a devilish grin forming on your lips. Joshua's eyes widened in disbelief—what you said was far from the truth.

You had been the one to pull him into that kiss, taking advantage of the moment while he was tying your wrists. He had planned to secure you in place, then leave to retrieve his laptop from the office so he could interrogate you about what you knew. But instead, you'd ruined everything with that kiss, using your charm to throw him off balance.

Joshua knew your version of events would be more believable—after all, who would trust him over you in this situation? So, he simply glared at you, his brows knit together in frustration.

The others were stunned by what they heard, but they weren't naive enough to take your words at face value. They knew Joshua wasn't reckless—though he did have a tendency to act impulsively at times.

"So, Joshua, I'm guessing that's true?" Jeonghan asked, his tone teasing, though his eyes were sharp.

"It doesn't matter whether I explain or not. You won't believe me anyway," Joshua replied, shrugging in resignation. "But what she said is the exact opposite of what happened."

Joshua's gaze locked onto you, filled with frustration as you met his stare with narrowed eyes and that same small, knowing grin.

"You really put on a show for us," Jeonghan remarked, clearly amused by the spectacle that had unfolded.

Jeonghan’s amused smirk deepened as he leaned back, crossing his arms. "You two are something else," he said, shaking his head as if he couldn't believe the mess unfolding before him.

Joshua sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “Look, this is not how I planned it, okay? She—”

You cut him off, tilting your head slightly, your eyes sparkling with mischief. "Planned what, Joshua? You planning on tying up all your problems from now on?" The playful jab sent Hoshi into a fit of laughter, his hands slapping his thighs.

“Oh, that’s rich!” Hoshi managed between laughs. “What were you planning to do next? Feed her? Maybe brush her hair?”

Joshua shot Hoshi a withering look, though a tiny smirk tugged at his lips. “You’re enjoying this way too much.”

“Well, we were worried about her,” Jun chimed in, “but now I’m more worried about you. This isn’t exactly normal behavior, Josh.”

You couldn’t resist adding fuel to the fire. “It’s fine, Jun. Maybe Joshua just has some... unique hobbies.” You winked, and this time even Deokyeom couldn’t hold back a chuckle.

Joshua threw his hands up in surrender. “Okay, okay, laugh it up. But in my defense—” He stopped mid-sentence as if realizing that no defense would really hold up. “You know what? I’m done. You all can think whatever you want.”

Jeonghan leaned forward, his voice dropping an octave, making the atmosphere feel suddenly more serious. “In all seriousness, Joshua, what were you really thinking? Tying her up? Kissing her? You know Seungcheol’s going to find out, right?”

Joshua groaned, rubbing his temples. “I was trying to keep her here long enough to ask some questions. I didn’t expect her to... to do that.” He waved a hand vaguely in your direction, clearly flustered.

“Do what?” Jeonghan pressed, a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

You smiled sweetly, enjoying how flustered Joshua had become. “Oh, just a little something to keep him on his toes. Can’t let these boys get too comfortable, right?”

Wonwoo, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke up. “Comfortable? You’re giving everyone heart attacks. Including Joshua.”

“And me!” Deokyeom added. “I had to run here, and you know how I feel about running.”

“Wow, are we really talking about your lack of cardio right now?” Joshua deadpanned, though the corner of his mouth twitched upward.

Deokyeom shrugged. “Just saying. It’s relevant.”

Jeonghan finally stood, clapping his hands to get everyone’s attention. “Alright, enough joking around. We still have a situation to deal with. Mei—uh, I mean, you—” he corrected himself, catching your eye with a grin, “are clearly not going anywhere.”

You shrugged nonchalantly. “Guess not. But don’t think I’m done trying.”

Jun raised an eyebrow. “Oh, really? You’ve got more tricks up your sleeve?”

You leaned back, stretching your arms as if completely relaxed despite the chaos you’d caused. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“Actually, no,” Wonwoo cut in dryly. “I’m good not knowing.”

“Same,” Jun agreed.

Jeonghan chuckled, shaking his head. “Well, good luck trying to escape now. With Joshua on high alert, I doubt you’ll have much luck.”

Joshua smirked. “Yeah, just try it. I’m ready this time.”

You narrowed your eyes playfully at him. “We’ll see about that.”

As you and Joshua exchanged a challenging look, the others shared glances filled with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

“Looks like we’ve got a new game in the house,” Hoshi said, grinning.

“A very dangerous game,” Wonwoo muttered under his breath.

Deokyeom, always the optimist, clapped his hands together. “Well, as long as no one gets hurt, it should be fun, right?”

Joshua shot him a glare. “No promises.”

“Just keep the ropes to a minimum, Josh,” Jun teased, earning a few chuckles.

Jeonghan stepped in, finally taking charge. “Alright, everyone, back to your posts. And Joshua, maybe... try talking next time before resorting to, uh, restraints?”

Joshua sighed but nodded. “Yeah, yeah. Noted.”

As the group began to disperse, you remained seated, watching them leave with a satisfied smile. You caught Jeonghan’s eye as he turned to follow the others, and he raised an eyebrow, clearly curious about what you were planning next.

You simply winked at him, your expression one of pure mischief. “Don’t worry, Jeonghan. I’m full of surprises.”

He chuckled, shaking his head as he walked out. “I’m counting on it.”

The room finally emptied, leaving you alone with your thoughts—and the thrill of knowing you’d managed to shake things up once again. Joshua might think he’s ready for you, but you had a feeling this was just the beginning of a very entertaining battle of wits.

—i made sure this was long to make up for my long update. ;)) hope y'all liked this one. and it might take me another while before i post the next chapter. (definitely (not) getting writer's block)