On My Command •||• Seventeen AU

✪~~~✷12th✷~~~✪

Author's POV: ☆

Just as you're about to walk away, he speaks up, his voice a bit quieter than before. "You don't really give up, do you?"

You pause, glancing over your shoulder with a sly grin. "Depends. You giving me a reason to?"

Minghao stands up, facing you fully now. There's a glint of something in his eyes, something between intrigue and hesitation. "Maybe," he says, his voice steady but low. "But you'll have to be patient."

Your eyebrow arches at his words, sensing the shift in his mood. "Patience is a virtue... but I'm not sure it's one of mine."

Minghao's face reddens slightly, but he manages to keep his cool. "You're really persistent, aren't you?" he says, trying to deflect the tension with a smirk.

You shrug playfully, leaning back against the wall near him. "Just offering some help. Didn't think you'd be the type to get flustered so easily." Your words are teasing, but there's a glint of mischief in your eyes.

Before Minghao can respond, Mingyu's voice booms across the room, interrupting your moment. "Hey, what are you two whispering about over there?"

You exchange a quick glance with Minghao, whose expression turns neutral again, the moment between you fading. "Nothing, Mingyu. Just talking about the exercises," Minghao says casually, though you can tell he's still recovering from the brief exchange.

You smirk to yourself, feeling the power shift between you two. You're getting to him, and you know it.

"Better be that," Mingyu mutters, more focused on his weights again. You watch as he shifts back into his workout, completely oblivious to the underlying tension in the room.

Minghao, still wiping his sweat, glances your way one more time before standing up. "I've got to go take care of something," he says, clearly needing an excuse to leave before the conversation spirals again.

"Sure thing," you reply with a hint of satisfaction. You know you've left an impression on him, and that's exactly what you intended.

As Minghao walks out of the room, you hear Mingyu's voice again, as he drops his weights with a loud thud. "What was that all about?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

You shrug, nonchalant. "Nothing much. Just some friendly banter."

Mingyu studies you for a moment, but ultimately lets it go. "Alright, well, don't slack off. We still have work to do here." He gestures to the weights, and you nod, preparing to continue with whatever task they have planned for you next.

While you watched Mingyu casually lift a 40-kilogram weight, your mind drifted, staring blankly at the movement. It wasn't until Mingyu snapped his fingers in front of your face that you snapped back to reality, blinking at him in confusion.

"Earth to princess," he mocked, a smug grin creeping across his lips. "Think you can handle these weights? Let's see what you've got." His challenge was clearly aimed at embarrassing you in front of everyone. Wonwoo, who had been watching from the side, raised an eyebrow, waiting to see how you'd react.

You inwardly scoffed at Mingyu's arrogance, a smirk pulling at the corners of your mouth. Of course, you weren't about to let him or anyone else here think you were weak. Not when there was an audience.

With a calm, steady breath, you positioned yourself, gripping the barbell firmly. You lifted it off the ground with practiced ease, raising it above your head in a clean and jerk. The barbell weighed about 50 kilograms, heavy but manageable for someone used to regular gym sessions. The room fell silent as you held it there for a second before setting it down gently.