My mom was upset thinking that if things worked out, we would get married.

My sister and brother-in-law, who had been celebrating my brother's relationship and drinking imaginary kimchi soup, apologized awkwardly and offered condolences.

They said they didn't like the idea of my sister dating someone who had mental problems.

Even my dad, who never interfered with my dating life, seemed to be watching me.

“Everyone seems to be mistaken, I didn’t like him that much.

Of course, I liked him. He treated me like a princess because he liked me.

Ah, I thought I could try dating him, but things turned out this way.”

I wasn’t sad, I was just dumbfounded and annoyed.

No, I was pissed off.

More than half a year later, the matchmaker told me the truth about the incident.

As expected, she said that they had a bad fortune reading and that’s why things turned out that way.

She said she couldn't tell me the truth right after it happened because she was worried that I would be too hurt.

I laughed out loud for a long time because I was so dumbfounded.

Let's just say it was a blessing in disguise. What if we had dated longer and developed deeper feelings before this happened?

Even with a referral from a trusted friend, this kind of person can appear.

“So, you came here.”

“Yes, I thought it wouldn't hurt to try a verified introduction service.”

The woman with long hair, who sat across from me at a small table and listened to my story, let out a small sigh.

“You must have been through a lot.”

Why Did You Come Now?

Marriage information company. Also known as a matchmaking service. It's a mysterious world that many people are still curious about.

Even though there is a considerable demand, it's hard to find clear reviews for this market. It seems that even this market is struggling these days.

This is because the number of young people who choose to live a single life and enjoy life instead of struggling to find a partner is increasing.

Even so, many people want to find a partner and open the door to this place, but they can't easily make a decision.

It might feel like a self-loathing feeling to have to pay money to meet someone,

and it might feel like you're going against the natural flow of people meeting each other.

To be honest, the biggest reason is that it's embarrassing.

In the winter, when I thought I would be single for the rest of my life, I was in my mid-thirties.

After a ridiculous breakup, the thing I regretted most was that my dating cells had just woken up, and I was single again.

Rather than begging my friends to introduce me to someone and creating awkward situations,

I thought it wouldn't hurt to get a formal, verified introduction.

I decided on that, but where should I go?

There were surprisingly many marriage information companies in our country.

From large companies that you can see ads for anywhere to small companies.

I searched for a long time to find out which one to go to, while searching for "marriage information company reviews," something that everyone else has done.

For women, age is everything, and for men, it’s their job and wealth. It’s not a bad idea to go before it’s too late.

I don’t recommend it unless you’re ready for your mental breakdown.

It’s okay if you have a good understanding of yourself.

Instead of paying that money, just join a club.

There were half recommendations and half not, and most of them were just advertisements, making it difficult to find objective reviews.

However, I came to the conclusion that the more members there are, the more average people I could meet.

I excluded the large companies preferred by those in their early twenties and thirties. I felt like I would just get hurt.

I made a reservation and visited one of the large companies that mainly had members in their thirties and forties.

As soon as I entered the office, a uniformed employee checked my name and led me to a small counseling room.

“Please wait a moment.”

I fiddled with the warm mug in front of me and looked around the counseling room. It was clean, quiet, and ordinary.

I was thinking about how I could avoid being swayed by them and pay a reasonable membership fee when

the counseling manager came in with a friendly greeting. She was a kind-looking woman with a pretty smile.

“How did you come to visit?”

She was most curious about my reasons for joining and why I chose this place.

It would be too long to tell her everything, so I briefly summarized my brutal dating history,

and the counseling manager listened with empathy, even adding in interjections as if she were listening to her own sister's story.

It seems like their role is to get close to you psychologically and make you feel like you're confiding in a kind of advice center.

The words that impressed me were, “You’ve just been unlucky.”

She said that the reason why I haven't had a proper relationship yet and have met so many crazy people is simply because I've been unlucky.

It hit me hard when she said that it wasn’t because I’ve been living wrong or that I’m not good enough, but simply because I’ve been incredibly unlucky.

I didn't come here to think about whether to join or not.

Once she realized that I had already made a decision and was just looking into which service to join, the counseling manager became more serious.

“Why did you come now? You should have come sooner.”

I chuckled at her words, but actually, I had joined a matchmaking service when I was twenty-seven or twenty-eight.

I had heard rumors that the list of female college graduates was being sold to marriage information companies, but I was surprised when I actually received a call.

The offer was quite good and tempting, so I discussed it with my mother and joined, but in the end, it was a scam.

The company didn't complete the promised number of introductions and things just fizzled out, and then they stopped answering my calls.

Looking back, I wonder if the people I met weren't actually members but just part-timers.

I experienced the bitter taste of life and decided I would never be fooled by such a scam again.

So, her words about me joining sooner and finding a good person are wrong.

The membership application form doesn't ask for anything amazing, just basic personal information with an added economic section.

I write down roughly how much I have saved and whether my parents' retirement is secured.

Then came the counseling about the kind of man I wanted.

No religion. Someone who lives close by, with an age difference of six years or less.

For occupation, I said I’d prefer a regular employee over someone who is self-employed or freelance.

As I explained this, the counseling manager clapped her hands excitedly.

She said that most gold-digger women in their late thirties and forties have very high standards, making it difficult to match them, but that someone like me, who has average standards in every way, is very easy to match.

In other words, I was in the know.

The reason I liked this company was that no one except the manager could see the photos.

I had many experiences where I would see someone's picture first and then develop a strong preconceived notion about them, so

I wanted to meet face-to-face and see their face for a genuine blind date, if possible.

After much deliberation, I decided on the "number of introductions" plan, which seemed the most reasonable.

I signed the contract and received a credit card statement that would serve as strong motivation for me to go to the company.

They said that after I submit a work certificate, graduation certificate, etc. to verify my identity, the review team would check if everything is okay and then

start the matching process.

The die is cast. What kind of people will I meet? Will I find a soulmate among them?

Excitement and nervousness intertwined.