On My Command •||• Seventeen AU

✪~~~✷11th✷~~~✪

Author's POV: ☆

"Where's the girl?" Seungcheol asked, his voice low but laced with frustration. The tension in the room was palpable, and the added complication you caused didn’t help his mood.

"She's in her room," Hoshi replied cautiously, sensing the dangerous edge in Seungcheol's tone. "She’s been on her best behavior the past few days. Maybe we don’t need to push it any further." His attempt to defuse the situation was clear; he didn’t want to see you hurt.

Seungcheol slumped into his chair, rubbing his temples. “If we let her off too easily, she'll keep testing us,” he muttered. He took a deep breath, trying to contain the storm brewing inside him.

Hoshi didn’t argue further. He knew Seungcheol wasn’t wrong, but could he really stand by and let you get hurt? Especially after last night when you had confided in him about your past—how you'd never met your parents, how your relatives passed you around like a burden no one wanted to carry, eventually sending you off to Korea. You were abandoned, left to fend for yourself, with Heeseung being your only saving grace. Or so you thought.

In reality, Heeseung hadn’t saved you out of kindness. It was his job, nothing more. But you didn’t know that, even though you had your suspicions. Something felt off, but you chose to ignore it. For now.

---

Hoshi’s heart ached as he replayed your story in his mind. As much as his job required him to be ruthless, your vulnerability had hit him hard. He knew better than to let emotions cloud his judgment, but your tearful eyes and soft, hesitant smile made it impossible not to feel something. Maybe it was the way you tucked a loose strand of hair behind your ear as you talked, or the way your gaze lingered just long enough to make him question everything.

“I guess I was stupid for not figuring out what Heeseung really does,” you said, with a small chuckle, lightly knocking your knuckles against your head. “He told me he worked for a small company, and I believed him. Silly, right?” You smiled as your eyes met Hoshi’s, but there was something in your look—something deliberate. You weren’t as naive as you appeared.

“I even tried bringing him lunch once. Thought I’d surprise him. Ended up getting scolded instead.” You let out another laugh, but Hoshi could tell it wasn’t genuine. He was trying not to get sucked into your story, but he found it harder to remain distant. Even Wonwoo, who sat silently in the corner, seemed to be affected, his usually cold demeanor softening slightly.

“Thank you for trusting us with that,” Hoshi finally said, patting your shoulder gently. He wasn’t sure what else to say. He wasn’t even sure if you were telling the truth.

For the past three days, you had done nothing but talk—constantly. You couldn’t act out, not with them watching your every move. So, you shared your story, laying your past bare before them. It was all part of your plan. You’d done this countless times before—tugged at the heartstrings of those around you, made them feel sorry for you, manipulated them. You didn’t do it because you wanted their pity. You did it to gain control.

They were criminals, after all. Kidnappers. Murderers. Manipulating them was the least of your worries. You didn’t feel bad about it. In fact, you were starting to enjoy it.

"Okay, enough for tonight," Wonwoo said, standing up from the edge of the bed. "Just... don’t give us any more trouble, alright?" He looked at you with an unreadable expression, but you knew. You had already started to get to him.

Three down, ten to go. You were making progress faster than you’d anticipated.

---

After they left your room, Hoshi and Wonwoo found themselves in the kitchen, cracking open cans of beer. The silence between them was heavy, and Hoshi was the first to break it.