Chapter 75: Physical Test
Monday came, and so did Ning Chu’s period, right on schedule.
Luckily, she had started drinking warm water a few days earlier and had temporarily given up sodas, which made the cramps far more tolerable compared to last month. However, the mild pain, hormone fluctuations, and the discomfort of wearing a sanitary pad made her mood rather low all day.
“We’ve got gym class next,” Ning Chu muttered as she emerged from the bathroom, looking drained and walking sluggishly behind Wen Yang.
“Want me to help you get a note to skip class?” Wen Yang offered.
“No, it’s fine. Today’s the physical fitness test...”
Up until now, gym classes had mostly been free activity periods, but starting this week, the university’s fitness test began. It involved standard measurements like height, weight, and running tests.
She had just changed her sanitary pad, but because of her choice of underwear, the pad didn’t quite fit properly, and its wings rubbed uncomfortably against her skin. The emotional toll from her period was somewhat eased by being near Wen Yang. Without realizing it, she found herself gravitating toward him, occasionally bumping his shoulder, only to quickly pull back when she realized what she was doing.
“What are they testing today?”
“Height, weight, and a 50-meter dash, I think.”
“Yeah, there’s no way I’ll pass,” Ning Chu muttered, unsure about the school’s rules for failing the fitness test. Even on a good day, she wasn’t likely to meet the male standards for fitness, and now that she had her period, it was even worse.
As they approached the field five minutes before class, most of the students had already gathered, chatting and messing around.
“Ning Chu!”
At the sound of that cheerful call, Ning Chu’s expression darkened. She turned to see Yan Xinya bouncing over to her, sniffing the air around Ning Chu. “Your flow’s pretty heavy, huh?”
“...”
Of course, Yan Xinya would pick up on that right away.
With her face turning red, Ning Chu quickly looked away.
“Remember to change often~”
Ning Chu glanced around nervously, then grabbed Yan Xinya and pulled her away from the group. Swallowing her embarrassment, she whispered, “Do you know of any pads that are more comfortable? This one’s really itchy...”
“That’s because you’re wearing boxers. It’s uncomfortable and probably leaks, right?”
“I don’t have any other choice...”
Asking another girl about these kinds of issues shouldn’t have been embarrassing, but Ning Chu still felt awkward since she wasn’t an “original” girl.
Yan Xinya thought for a moment before recommending, “How about tampons? They’d be perfect for your situation!”
“What’s that?”
“It’s a cotton thing you insert to block the flow...”
Ning Chu’s face flushed even more, and she quickly cut her off. “No thanks, I’ll pass.”
“Aw, tampons are great! They’re really comfortable, and there’s no leakage! You can run and jump all you want.”
“No, no!” Ning Chu’s refusal was even more emphatic.
Although she had become familiar with her new body’s functions, using tampons just felt too uncomfortable and invasive. Besides, the thought of it was... unsettling.
“Well, then just endure it. It’s only a few days each month, anyway.”
The class bell rang, and the gym teacher arrived.
The two quickly returned to their group, where everyone was lined up in four loose rows. Beside the teacher was a height and weight measuring machine, with Wen Yang holding a clipboard next to it.
“The first ones I call, come up for height and weight measurements. If you’re not here, it counts as an unexcused absence.”
Ning Chu glanced at Wen Yang, then turned to Zhang Shaoqing beside her. “Hey, how tall are you?”
“180 centimeters!”
“What about you, Wang Jie?”
“175.”
She pursed her lips, dissatisfied, and turned to ask Lily, “Lily, how tall are you?”
“160.”
Really? Ning Chu eyed Lily up and down, convinced that Lily seemed slightly taller than her. Scanning the rest of the class, most of the girls were around her height, with a few taller, more statuesque ones over 170 centimeters, and some shorter, more petite girls around 150.
As the measurements began, the group turned chaotic, with most students crowding around the measuring station while others loitered around, playing on their phones.
“Zhang Shaoqing.”
“Coming, coming!”
Zhang Shaoqing strutted up, grinning, and as he passed Wen Yang, he whispered, “Make sure you write down 180 for me.”
“...”
“Take off your shoes,” Wen Yang reminded him.
After taking off his shoes, Zhang Shaoqing stepped onto the machine and waited. A moment later, the teacher announced, “178 centimeters.”
“What? No way! I’m 180!”
“Wang Jie, 171...”
Good grief. All lies.
After hearing Zhang Shaoqing and Wang Jie’s actual heights, Ning Chu had to stifle her laughter.
Most men were obsessed with their height, always rounding up... But she was only 160 centimeters tall.
Her smile faded. Among all the boys, she was undoubtedly the shortest.
At least now she was a girl, so 160 was a decent average for women. Not too embarrassing!
“Ning Chu, 159 centimeters, 94 pounds.”
Standing on the machine, Ning Chu tried to discreetly tiptoe, her face filled with hope as she glanced at the teacher. “Could you check again? I’m definitely 160!”
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“159. Off you go.”
“That’s impossible!”
Laughter erupted from the group, led by Zhang Shaoqing, and Ning Chu’s face flushed red with frustration. She stomped off the machine in a huff, embarrassed.
“It’s okay, I’ll write down 160 for you,” Wen Yang whispered as she passed him. “You’ve lost a bit of weight, haven’t you?”
“I guess so.”
“You’re too skinny.” His tone was firm, almost concerned.
Over time, Ning Chu had gotten used to Wen Yang’s quick glances at her chest, but she still rolled her eyes and marched off to sit on the grass, pouting as she watched the commotion around the measuring station.
Next up was the 50-meter dash...
She had a bad feeling that by the time she finished running, her period might start leaking.
“Ning Chu~” Yan Xinya called out as she approached with Lily. “Wanna go to the bathroom together?”
Even though Ning Chu didn’t quite understand the social ritual, going to the bathroom together was an activity close friends often did—whether they were guys or girls.
“Sure, why not.”
At least in the girls’ bathroom, there were stalls, unlike when boys would sometimes compare sizes in the men’s room.
As Ning Chu stretched and got up, she suddenly felt something.
She turned to look at her backside and saw a dark stain.
“!!!”
Oh no! It leaked already? I just changed it!
Yan Xinya quickly stood in front of her, blocking anyone from seeing. “Go back to the dorm and change your pants, quick.”
Panicking, Ning Chu glanced around, relieved that no one seemed to notice. She let out a small breath.
She recalled how, back in the day, she and her classmates had teased a girl who had a stain like this, and now karma had come back to haunt her.
With Yan Xinya and Lily flanking her, Ning Chu hurried back toward the dormitory.
“There’s still the 50-meter dash later. I’ll ask Wen Yang to get me out of it. I’ll say I twisted my ankle or something.”
She was already texting Wen Yang, asking him to explain her situation to the teacher.
“You’re only treating the symptoms, not the cause. It’ll leak again next time.” Yan Xinya kept pushing. “Tampons are really the way to go! I’m serious!”
To be honest, Ning Chu was a bit tempted.
After some internal debate, she nodded reluctantly. “I’ll give it a try sometime.”