It's not always like that || Treasure Fanfiction

Chapter 3: Friendly Faces

It was a lazy Saturday afternoon, and Solar was sprawled out on the living room couch, flipping through her favorite manga when the doorbell rang. She looked up, startled, as Junkyu's voice called from the kitchen.

"Solar! Can you get that?"

Sighing, she dragged herself up and opened the door to find Hyunsuk and Jihoon standing on the porch, grinning like they owned the place. Junkyu's childhood friends, they had been a regular part of her life since she could remember. Hyunsuk, with his wild dark-brown hair, and Jihoon, with his relaxed but mischievous smile, were both looking as lively as ever.

"Sol! Long time no see!" Jihoon exclaimed, giving her a friendly shove as he stepped inside.

"More like a week, Hoonie," Solar shot back, rolling her eyes but smiling. "You two still crashing at our place like you own it?"

"Why knock when we know we're always welcome?" Hyunsuk chimed in, flashing her a grin as he kicked off his shoes. "It's tradition at this point. Where's Junkyu?"

Junkyu appeared in the doorway to the kitchen, arms folded and leaning casually against the wall. "Took you guys long enough," he teased. "You miss me or something?"

"Not all of us live five minutes away like you do, Junkyu. Besides it's more like we miss your mom's cooking," Jihoon joked, heading into the living room with Hyunsuk following behind.

Solar went back to her place on the couch, squeezing herself into a corner to make room as the guys flopped down beside her. Junkyu nudged her with his elbow, grinning. "Enjoying the break from school, miss I'm-not-a-trainee?"

"More than you're enjoying your exhausting practice life, I bet," she shot back. "At least I can eat snacks without worrying about a strict diet."

"Is that why you hid all the junk food in the top cabinet?" Hyunsuk asked with a laugh. "Nice try, Solar, but we found it."

"Wait, you guys went through my stuff?" Solar exclaimed, looking horrified and impressed.

Jihoon smirked, reaching behind a cushion to pull out a half-eaten bag of chips. "Let's just say, your hiding skills need work."

Junkyu rolled his eyes, trying to look annoyed but clearly amused. "Really, guys? We spend hours working on choreography, and you're raiding my house for snacks?"

Solar couldn't help but laugh at her brother's indignant expression. "Oh, please. Someone has to look out for you guys."

Hyunsuk grinned and nudged her playfully. "See, Solar's already showing trainee dedication. I bet she'd outlast you all if she joined us!"

Junkyu turned to Solar, feigning shock. "Is that so, little sis? Because I bet you couldn't last through one dance session with us."

Solar crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at him. "Is that a challenge?"

Jihoon and Hyunsuk's eyes lit up, thrilled at the sibling rivalry. Jihoon leaned forward, egging her on. "Sounds like one to me, Solar. Think you could keep up?"

Solar shrugged, feeling confident. "Fine. Next time you're practicing, show me the routine. I'll prove you wrong."

Junkyu smirked, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "Don't say I didn't warn you. You'll be begging for a break before the warmup's over."

"Is that right?" Solar shot back, grinning. "Just don't get too embarrassed when your little sister shows you up."

Jihoon and Hyunsuk burst into laughter, high-fiving each other. "This is gonna be good!" Hyunsuk said, clutching his stomach. "We've got to see this challenge."