Hiccup
author:anonymous

A lead in a musical play was a huge thing for Tiffany. She was not ready to be honest. Singing was her strong part but
not acting and she was a blank paper to theatrical drama, so she asked Jessica, her fellow member who had been
experiencing acting on stage, for advice. Jessica had been kind enough to teach her everything she knows. The problem
was, Jessica fell asleep rather quickly before she could explain anything. It wasn’t her fault, Tiffany thought, they
could only practice in the night, deep in the night, because their hectic schedule.

That night, like the night before, Jessica fell asleep after she explained a little bit of how to cover your mistakes
on stage. It was way pass midnight and the girl was already soft snoring at Tiffany’s bed. Tiffany tucked Jessica in,
also like the night before and left her room. She needed a break.

The living room was empty, surely her members had gone to bed already. She walked to the kitchen and yelped like a
scared puppy when she found a person sitting crossed leg in the kitchen.

“Taetae?” Tiffany said.

Taeyeon, sitting at the dining table with a pen in her hand and a piece of paper in front of her, turned to Tiffany.
The rim of her reading specs flashed in the dim kitchen light. “Hey.”

“You scared me,” Tiffany rubbed her chest, “I thought you were a gremlin or something,” she said as she walked pass
her leader to reach the refrigerator.

Taeyeon rolled her eyes, “Thank you. I’m getting bored of gnome.”

Tiffany rummaged the refrigerator, giggled at Taeyeon’s reaction. “You’ll earn more names later. What are you doing in
the dark?”

Taeyeon took off her glasses and put it down on the table, “Yoona’s going to London, I’m listing things she should be
packing.”

“Ah, she might have done it herself,” Tiffany took a bottle of cold drink and a mug, she walked to the dining table,
joining Taeyeon, “Or maybe Seohyun had done it for her. Or Hyoyeon.”

“Yeah, probably,” Taeyeon nodded, “Just in case they forget something.”

Tiffany smiled.

“What?” Taeyeon sneered.

“Nothing,” Tiffany shrugged, “Mom.”

“Yah!” Taeyeon kicked her friend and they giggled together. “What are you doing up anyway?”

“I was reading my script,” Tiffany sipped her cold water.

“Ah…,” Taeyeon sighed, “For the play?”

“Yes.”

“With Jessica….”

“Yes,” Tiffany noticed a change in Taeyeon’s expression.

“And she’s in your room?”

“Uh huh.”

“I see,” Taeyeon put her glasses back on and doodled on the paper.

Tiffany felt a sudden embarrassment from her own delusional thought. Was Taeyeon just showed a sign of jealousy? For a
long time now, Tiffany had been hiding her feelings toward Taeyeon. It was not like she could help it, they were
together for so long now, and they were practically the closest members in the group. Taeyeon was the member who cares
for her the most and Tiffany liked that about her. Tiffany could swear that deep down inside, Taeyeon had the same
feeling for her, but she just didn’t show it and Tiffany was too scared to confess or even to ask. All she ever did
was throwing hints. Some were returned and some were ignored. Tiffany was confused, she needed to know for sure. So
that night, she threw another bait for Taeyeon.

“Taetae,” Tiffany said in a low voice, almost flirty, “Are you jea….”

Taeyeon cut Tiffany’s sentence with a hiccup. “Hic.”

Tiffany lost the moment because of that but then she quickly captured it again, “Are you jea….”

“Hic.”

Tiffany’s words lost in again. “What….”

“Hic.”

“Yah! I’m trying to say something here!” Tiffany whined.

“Sorry,” Taeyeon raised her arms like she was surrendering to an armed robber, “I got hiccups.”

“Oh, so that’s why you’re still awake?” Tiffany leaned closer to Taeyeon.

“Yeah, I can’t sleep,” Taeyeon rubbed the back of her head.

“Oh, poor you. Have you tried drinking from the outer side of the glass?”

“No, and I will not, it’s stupid.”

“Maybe you need a good surprise,” Tiffany smiled.

“Stop giving me stupid ideas,” Taeyeon ended her sentence with a hiccup again.

Tiffany cackled. Then something struck her mind. She could use this.

“I have a bright idea, actually, but I’m afraid you won’t like it,” she said.

“Then don’t.”

“Yah, you haven’t even heard it!”

Taeyeon laughed and stood up from her chair, “I guess I’ll try to close my eyes again. Hic….”

Tiffany nodded, sighed a bit, “Okay.”

“Good night. Don’t stay up too late,” Taeyeon softly brushed her fingers against Tiffany’s hair. A sensation that will
last so long in Tiffany’s heart.

“I won’t,” Tiffany closed her eyes and leaned her head to Taeyeon’s side before letting the latter girl walked to her
room.

Tiffany was alone with her mug then. “Well, what do you think? Did she jealous? Or not?” she asked her mug. “What am I
doing talking to a mug? Ah! I’m going crazy!” she banged her head to the table a few times.

“Fany?” a voice said.

Tiffany turned to the voice, “Taetae!?”

“What are you doing? Killing yourself?” Taeyeon frowned.

“No! Nothing! I’m…,” Tiffany blushed, “I’m…,” she sighed, “Don’t mind me. I thought you were going to sleep.”

“I am,” Taeyeon walked to the table and took her list she just made a few moments ago, “I left this.”

“Ah, I see…,” Tiffany nodded.

“Good night.”

“Good night.”

Taeyeon waited until Taeyeon’s door closed on her and all she could hear was her fading hiccups sound. “Ah, stupid,
stupid, stupid,” Tiffany bashed her head to the table again.

**

The morning came too fast for Tiffany, she had trouble falling asleep because Jessica was on her bed and she was
sleeping so peacefully that the owner of the bed had no heart to move her. So she waited until Jessica shifted a
little bit and gave her a small space before she could tuck in beside her and sleep.

Tiffany opened her eyes to Jessica, still