A    C U R E    F O R    H I C C U P S

Kim Myungsoo    |    you

I inwardly groaned, half in frustration and half in embarrassment. Why, of all times, did I have to get them now? As I hiccupped for the millionth time that night, I cursed silently.

Really? REALLY? In front of Myungsoo? Just great…

If it was under different circumstances, I would have happily opened my mouth to amplify the sound, just to annoy everyone within hearing range. But this was Kim Myungsoo, the top student in the school, visual of INFINITE, and my boyfriend of 3 months.

No matter how busy he was with his schedules, he always got great grades, and somehow managed to study enough, (more like overstudy) all the time. I was the complete opposite, to the point where I sometimes wondered why he noticed me in the first place. My grades were cringe-worthy, and even if I was given all the time in the world to prepare for a test, I wouldn't give a care.

But today, Myungsoo had a free afternoon and night, and since he had to study for the upcoming test, he suggested we study together. With his multiple personalities, I wasn't even sure whether he was being sweet and spending his rare time with me, or whether he was being cheeky and making me study.

However, I hadn’t seen him in quite a while as he had been preparing for a performance, so I jumped at the idea within minutes of his text. So here I was, trying not to embarrass myself or be a nuisance as my diaphragm acted up.

I had thought that it would pass within a few hics. It always seemed to be the case; they stopped right after I had finally started getting on people's nerves. They never seemed to last a minute. Yet right now, it seemed like I'd had them for the past 10 minutes.

For countless times, I'd tried holding my breath, up to the point where I thought I was going to faint. But every time I let the oxygen back into my lungs, the hiccups would still be there. I'd tried slowing my breathing as well, but to no avail. I would get a drink of water, but that was too big of a movement and it would attract my boyfriend's attention, which was exactly what I was avoiding.

I had my legs stretched out, and a few minutes ago, he had decided to lie his stomach across them, trapping me on the bed. I didn't dare disturb his concentration, and so I was helplessly trying to think of other ways that could possibly work.

I sighed and flipped the page in my textbook, even though I hadn't even started reading it. If only I had brought a drink bottle. I creased my eyebrows, wondering whether I had miraculously filled one up absent-mindedly, and was sitting in my bag waiting for me to take a drink.

Maybe...just maybe.

It wouldn't hurt to take a look in my bag. It wasn't like I had a lot of other options, apart from waiting the hiccups out. I glanced around from under my fringe, spotting my bag an arm's length away to my right. I pretended to stretch my arms ever so subtly in its direction.

I grabbed the soft material, and dragged it slowly towards me, wincing at the jingle of my keys. I peeked inside, hoping for the best, and was greeted with the sight of my blue bottle, with a sticky note on it.

Figured you wouldn't bring one.

Drink plenty of water and study hard!

• Love, mum

It took all the self control I could muster to stop myself from jumping up and pumping my fists in joy. THANK YOU MUM! At least I had some luck today.

I took a couple of sips, nearly spilling the water all over myself. I was utterly convinced that my hiccups would stop now. Giddy with relief and happiness, I even attempted to read the open textbook on my lap.

My boyfriend let out a snort, and his weight shifted, but I kept my eyes down, ignoring him. Right at that moment, a hiccup escaped through my open mouth, and I clasped my hands over my lips in horror. They weren't gone. And I just let it out in front of my boyfriend.

This finally set Myungsoo off, and he broke out into his rare and adorable laughter. When he finally calmed down, I looked at him.

"...Did you know, the whole time?"

"Did you really think I didn’t notice? Common sense tells us that no matter how hard someone studies, their ears still work. But of course, you wouldn't know that, would you?"

"What do you mean -hic- by that?!"

He shrugged, stifling his laughter.

"I'm not sure, why don't you ask your grades?"

"Are you suggesting I'm dumb?"

I tried to sound angry, but I too was trying to supress my laughter. Having a grinning boyfriend and the hiccups is the worst remedy when it comes to arguing.

"Maybe. But it doesn't mean I won't like you any less, cause you're cuter that way. Even when you're angry."

I'm not angry. I was tempted to tell him. But I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks, and I looked down, tucking a strand of loose hair behind my ear.

"I know a way to stop your hiccups. Foolproof. But you have to admit that you're a cute goofball."

I looked up, ready to give him a piece of my mind, but he swallowed my words before I even got them out.

His lips were soft against mine, and it warmed my body inside out. My heart pounded inside my chest, and I blinked, my eyes wide.

Even though it was brief, it felt like the world had stopped revolving.

He pulled away and looked at me for a while. I was still trying to process what had just happened, and I looked back at him blankly.

"Well that stopped your hiccups, didn't it?" He smirked before settling himself back on my legs, leaving me shocked and dumbfounded, the feeling of the kiss still tingling on my lips.

When the butterflies in my stomach finally settled down, I buried my head into my textbook and tried to act like nothing happened. I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks from just the pure thought, and it doesn’t help when he chuckles at me.

A few more minutes passed without a word from either of us, and I started to think that he was back in his own little algebra world, and I could keep pretending I was studying (when I really was just admiring his side view). But when it came down to my luck, it was obviously too much to ask for.

-hic-

He looked up, another smirk on his face.

"Looks like we need round two."

And he leaned in to capture my lips once again.