Chapter 26: Physical measurements

“Huff… huff… huff…”

“…Um, Mil-san?”

Inside the dormitory of the magic academy, where I live as a student, the intense groaning of my roommate echoes through the room.

I look towards the source of the sound, and there I see Mil, a girl with blue hair, lying face down on the floor, propping herself up with both hands.

And she’s desperately trying to lift her body using her arms.

“Pant… pant… pant…”

“Why have you been trying to do push-ups when you can’t even do one?”

As I question her, Mil finally collapses with a thud.

Gasping for breath, she looks up at me with teary eyes.

It seems like she’s been attempting push-ups, but she hasn’t been able to do a single one.

She just plants her hands on the ground and shakes her arms, making her upper arms tremble.

Why did she suddenly become so obsessed with strengthening her muscles?

“Because… there’s a ‘physical measurement’ tomorrow.”

“That doesn’t really answer my question, does it?”

Normally, wouldn’t you focus on doing push-ups when there’s a physical measurement? It’s just a measurement of height and weight, so building arm muscles wouldn’t make a difference, right?

Or maybe she thinks she can magically develop muscles overnight.

“Is it because you’re concerned about your weight? If you want to lose weight, wouldn’t running be a better option?”

“If I lose any more weight, I’ll just become skin and bones. No, um, it’s not about my weight…”

Mil suddenly becomes downcast and starts rubbing her chest.

Yes, for a girl her age, she has a modest, cute chest.

“Huh, there? That’s what you’re concerned about?”

“Isn’t it the most pitiful-looking part of me?”

She stands up abruptly, seemingly forgetting about the fatigue from the push-ups, and starts stomping her feet in frustration.

She doesn’t need to get so worked up over it.

I don’t think it’s pitiful at all.

“Um, so you’ve been trying to do push-ups because your chest size will be measured during the physical measurement tomorrow, and you want it to appear slightly larger?”

“Yes, exactly. But please don’t compare it to a balloon.”

But does she really want to make it inflate like a balloon? Mil starts exhaling onto her chest.

It’s somewhat touching.

I don’t want her to make me feel any sadder than I already am.

“I see, so you’ve been pushing yourself with push-ups for that reason. But does it really make your chest bigger?”

“I-I don’t know. I’ve just faintly heard something about it somewhere…”

Well, I guess that’s true.

If push-ups alone could truly enhance breast size, then all women struggling with their chest sizes would have disappeared from this world.

However, Mil seems to have no other option to cling to, so she once again tries to do push-ups, placing her hands on the floor.

But just like before, she fails to do even one and collapses.

Showing a sulking expression, she puffs up her cheeks.

“On that note, Sachi-san is so lucky. She has such a great figure.”

“Huh, really?”

“I’ve never been told that before.”

I wonder if my physique is considered to have a good figure?

I look down at my arms, chest, and stomach, but I don’t really feel a sense of reality.

“You don’t have any excess fat, your stomach is nice and flat, and your breasts are a good size. You also have a healthy skin tone. You’re not too tall or too short, everything is just right!”

“You don’t have to passionately argue like that.”

Or rather, it’s embarrassing to have my body discussed in such detail. As Mil stares at me, I instinctively squirm.

Then, Mil averts her gaze from my body and looks down at herself with drooped shoulders.

“Compared to me, I don’t have much flesh, and even though I’m not binding my chest, it’s flat. It’s probably all because of my luck value of zero. Because of my luck value of zero, I have this childlike figure…”

“That would mean it’s strange that I’m not a super busty beauty, right?”

Mil is saying something nonsensical in front of me, who has a luck value of 999. If proportions change based on luck value, then it wouldn’t make sense for me not to be one of the world’s leading busty beauties.

I try to refute with sound reasoning, but Mil shakes her head and denies it.

“Perhaps Sachi-san’s chest is the truly strongest chest. Not too big, not too small, but a size that can attract the attention of men to some extent and doesn’t hinder daily life. Yes, that’s the ultimate chest of luck value 999.”

“You’re saying that with such a serious face…”

Well, it seems to be important to Mil, and she starts clinging to the prayer beads and bracelets wrapped around her wrists.

She wants to make it bigger to that extent.

I think it’s fine the way it is, though…

“Anyway, I’ll do whatever it takes to make my breasts even slightly bigger by tomorrow. I’m determined to do everything I can.”

“Hmm, so what specifically are you going to do?”

While hoping she won’t do anything too extreme, I ask her.

Then Mil starts pondering, placing her hand on her chin and squeezing out ideas.

“For dinner, I’ll try to consume as many dairy products as possible, and in the bath, I want to try the massages I know of. Also, I’ll go to bed as early as possible today and be in the best condition for the physical measurement.”

Well, there isn’t much else we can do, is there?

If it gives Mil even a little peace of mind, I definitely want her to give it her all.

Quietly cheering her on, Mil unexpectedly glances at me.

“Oh, and I remember hearing that having someone massage you can make them grow…”

…

I can guess what she’s trying to say.

She probably wants me to try massaging her. If it were the usual Mil, she would be too embarrassed and avoid excessive physical contact.

But now, it seems she has forgotten about her sense of shame, indicating that she’s quite desperate.

It’s not like her usual self.

In the first place, it’s impossible to make them bigger overnight, and it’s unlike Mil to still hold onto that hope.

Let me wake her up as a friend.

I spread both my hands wide and strike a bear-like pose.

“Alright, then let me knead you like pickles! Even if you burst, I won’t mind!”

“N-No, that’s rejected!”

Oh well, I wanted to try an all-nighter for her sake.

The next day.

As Professor Lezan said, there was a general physical measurement for all grade levels.

The official purpose seems to be simply to assess the students’ physical and mental states, but rumors say that they provide information to an institution that studies mage bodies.

In return, they receive research results and information on magical beast ecology and such. I can’t imagine what kind of research would use that information.

In any case, we measured our height, weight, and other numbers in order.

Among them, the students each showed their joy or sadness, and Mil’s face turned pale as she looked at her own results.

Since I can’t understand that feeling, I simply proceeded with the measurement as instructed, recording everything without any issues.

Finally, we were told to gather in the schoolyard, and I reluctantly made my way there, feeling somewhat bothered.

Since we needed to change from the measurement attire back into our uniforms, I headed to the changing room where I saw a girl with brown long hair.

It was Maron-san, a gentle and fluffy beauty who exudes an elegant atmosphere.

“Ah, Sachi-sama, are you done already?”

“Yeah, I just need to go to the schoolyard.”

I occasionally have conversations like this with Maron-san.

We’re not particularly close since we sit far apart in the classroom, but when our eyes meet, we exchange a few words.

Considering that I had turned down her lunch invitation once, I feel a bit guilty talking to her. However, she doesn’t seem to mind at all.

One could say she has a broad heart or is the embodiment of kindness.

Thanks to her tolerance, I’ve started initiating conversations with her more often.

I hope that someday we can all get together, including Mil, and have lunch or something.

“The physical measurement seems to be ending sooner than I thought. It wasn’t too difficult, and it felt much more relaxed compared to regular classes.”

“I-Is that so? Well, if it’s Sachi-sama, you don’t seem to have any worries. But I was quite nervous.”

“Huh, nervous?”

I look at Maron, who is in the middle of changing her clothes, and furrow my eyebrows.

Specifically, I see her massive bosom that seems like it could overflow from her underwear at any moment.

“Maron-san, there’s nothing for you to be nervous about, right? You’re not my roommate, but I think you’re clearly at the top of all grade levels.”

“Uh, well, what I meant was about my weight…”

Ah, I see. That’s what she meant.

Due to my misunderstanding caused by Mil last night, I made an incorrect assumption.

Since last night, Mil has been devoting her time and effort to make her breasts bigger.

In the end, she went to bed reciting prayers with her own prayer beads and bracelets, but the gods didn’t smile upon her.

Unlike Mil, Maron seems to be concerned about her weight.

But I don’t think she needs to worry about that either.

Maron shows a clearly dejected expression.

So, I quickly try to correct my misunderstanding.

However, Maron seems to have known from the beginning that I was mistaken, as she smiles with composure and says, “It was just a joke.”

Ah, I was surprised.

Feeling relieved, I change into my uniform and tilt my head.

“But what are we going to do in the schoolyard? I don’t think there’s anything else to measure.”

I believe we have already revealed most of our physical information.

So, what else could they measure in the schoolyard?

I casually bring up the topic, and to my surprise, Maron responds with unexpected words.

“Oh? Don’t you know, Sachi-sama?”

“Huh?”

“The final measurement in the physical examination is the measurement of ‘magical power.’ We gather in the schoolyard and perform practical exercises for that.”

“Measuring… magical power?”

At that moment, I think I had the same expression of despair, as if the world were about to end, just like Mil a while ago.