Chapter 72: A Measure of Embarrassment

‘How could it take them so long to come out?’ Imeline was growing impatient.

Though she hadn’t deliberately timed it, she roughly estimated that seven or eight minutes had passed since Lucia entered.

Surely, merely taking off clothes and using a tape measure shouldn’t require such an extensive duration?

‘Could it be… that woman, Lovelenica, finally couldn’t resist making a move?’

At this thought, Imeline’s pupils contracted. She immediately reached for the fitting room door, eager to discover what Lovelenica might have done to Lucia.

“Miss, your friends are still changing inside,” the Shop assistant interjected.

“Entering without permission might startle them.”

Noticing Imeline’s attempt to open the door, the Shop assistant quickly stepped forward to stop her.

It was their duty to protect every customer’s privacy, and even friends were not permitted to enter without consent.

“They’ve been in there for ages; they should have finished measuring by now,” Imeline countered, her voice laced with concern.

“What if something unexpected has happened to them inside?”

“Well…”

Seeing the Shop assistant momentarily at a loss for words, Imeline placed her hand on the doorknob, preparing to pull open the fitting room door.

The very moment Imeline intended to pull, she felt a push from the door.

Lovelenica and Lucia had coincidentally pushed it open from the inside.

*Thump!*

“Ouch!”

The door panel struck with a dull thud, and an unprepared Imeline was bumped on the head by Lucia, who had emerged from the fitting room.

“Imeline? Are you… alright?” Lucia exclaimed, her eyes wide with alarm.

“Why were you standing so close to the door? Did I hurt you? I’m so sorry!”

Lucia had felt herself collide with something when pushing the door open.

Upon seeing Imeline crouched on the floor, clutching her forehead, she finally realized she had bumped into her friend.

She quickly knelt to check on Imeline. Imeline shook her head, and after a moment to compose herself, slowly rose from the floor.

“Hiss… that really hurt,” Imeline grumbled, rubbing her head.

“What were you two doing in there? Why did it take you so long to come out?”

Imeline conceded that Lovelenica was well-endowed; compared to her, Imeline felt like nothing more than a ‘landing strip.’

Still, even with Lovelenica’s impressive figure, it shouldn’t have prolonged the measurement time, should it?

She lifted her gaze, glancing at Lucia, then at Lovelenica, and immediately sensed an unusual atmosphere.

Both their faces were tinged with a faint blush, and their eyes seemed to avoid meeting each other’s.

Imeline’s gaze sharpened instantly.

Something must have transpired between the two of them during those few minutes in the fitting room.

“It was just a measurement; did it really need to take this long?”

“Uh…”

Lucia stammered, while Lovelenica looked away as if she hadn’t heard anything.

Ultimately, it was Lucia who spoke.

“Teacher’s measurements were a bit difficult to take, so it took a little longer… I apologize, Imeline, for making you wait.”

“Is that truly all it was?”

“Really,” Lucia insisted.

“Mainly, I’ve never measured anyone else before, so I was a bit clumsy the first time.”

“…Lovelenica didn’t do anything to you?” Imeline asked, still half-believing.

“Wh-what are you talking about!” Lucia exclaimed, flustered.

“What could Teacher possibly do to me?”

Imeline had been asking if Lovelenica had done anything harmful or inappropriate to her.

Lucia, however, had interpreted it quite differently.

Within the enclosed fitting room, isolated from external sounds, it was certainly plausible for two girls with a close relationship to engage in ‘strange activities.’

Lucia had assumed Imeline was teasing her.

In truth, Imeline was merely concerned for Lucia’s safety.

Given Lucia’s reaction, Imeline could only conclude that nothing untoward had occurred in the fitting room.

“Alright then,” Imeline conceded.

“Did you manage to get the measurements?”

“They’re done,” Lucia confirmed.

With that, Lucia turned to the Shop assistant.

“Sister,” Lucia said, addressing the Shop assistant kindly, “please show us some styles that are comfortable for exercise.”

“Certainly, young ladies,” the Shop assistant replied.

“Please follow me this way.”

In reality, Lucia and Lovelenica had spent seven or eight minutes in the fitting room not only due to the initial awkward misunderstanding.

Lucia’s method of measurement had also contributed to the delay.

Just as Lucia had told Imeline, she had only ever measured herself.

This was her first time assisting someone else, so naturally, she was a little unpracticed.

Moreover, Lovelenica was indeed well-endowed, with measurements indicating a D-cup.

During the process, however, Lovelenica kept fidgeting, much like a kitten whose tail had been stepped on.

Lovelenica also continuously prevented Lucia from looking around freely, which significantly slowed down the measuring process.

Lovelenica, however, had her own side of the story.

She couldn’t tell if Lucia was deliberately or accidentally letting the tape measure brush against her in odd places, which was what provoked her strange reactions.

In any case, after the measurements were complete, Lovelenica couldn’t bring herself to meet Lucia’s gaze.

She knew her dignity as a mentor had utterly shattered.

****

Barely two steps later, the Shop assistant led the trio to the section where Lucia’s previously specified styles were located.

Since they were looking for athletic undergarments, there were no elaborate or flashy designs.

They were predominantly made of solid-colored, breathable, and elastic fabric, devoid of frills, lace, or other fussy embellishments.

Lovelenica found these types of undergarments much more acceptable.

She was already quite unaccustomed to the black lace she was currently wearing.

Honestly, Lovelenica couldn’t fathom the original owner’s thought process.

Even if she didn’t care about the size of her underwear, she should at least choose comfortable styles. What was the point of constantly picking such flashy designs? Were they simply for aesthetics?

The original owner hadn’t found them bothersome or uncomfortable when wearing them.

It seemed she truly had no understanding whatsoever of undergarments.

Based on the recent measurements, Lovelenica casually selected a few plain sports bras and some well-fitting panties.

Lucia did much the same, choosing a few items of the same style.

However, Lucia was an A-cup, noticeably smaller than Lovelenica.

As for Imeline, she bought nothing at all.

After all, she hadn’t felt any recent ‘development’; she was, regrettably, still an A-cup.

Upon hearing Lovelenica’s size, Imeline was utterly astonished.

It was visually apparent that Lovelenica’s size was undoubtedly large, but Imeline hadn’t expected it to be *that* big, reaching a D-cup.

This filled Imeline with intense envy.

However, it only deepened her prejudice against Lovelenica; women with overly large breasts were generally ‘bad women,’ with Lucia being the sole exception.

After much ado, the trio finally emerged from the shop.

Having resolved the most challenging aspect—the undergarments—everything else proved effortless. Lovelenica, joining the other two, casually purchased some everyday casual wear before bidding them farewell.

Of course, after saying goodbye, Lucia didn’t forget to double back.

She returned to buy a few more children’s style undergarments and clothes for herself.

After all, once she reverted to her Bloodkin form, she had virtually no signs of development.

There was no need for measurements; even Lovelenica knew how ‘flat’ she was.