<Welcome to the Marriage Introduction Agency> Is Real Marriage Possible? [2]

What's your ideal type?

Isn't 'ideal type' one of the most common questions people ask each other when they first meet?

I found this question really difficult to answer.

Because my ideal type kept changing. At first, I thought it would be nice to meet someone taller than me and well-groomed.

I met someone who was tall and well-groomed.

We went to see a movie for the third time, and during a famous airline advertisement that aired before the movie started,

He quietly stared at the screen and muttered softly.

“I'll never be able to ride in first class like that, not in my lifetime.”

I couldn't believe my ears.

Don't most people think ‘it would be nice to ride in it’ or ‘I should try it sometime’?

I let it slide, but it didn't take long to realize that he was generally negative about things.

“I'll never be able to buy something like that.”

“I guess I'll be able to do that in my next life.”

Once something like that gets stuck in your head, it's hard to ignore.

I'm susceptible to emotional contagion, and I realized that I become depressed when I'm around negative people and happy when I'm around positive people.

I rejected his confession to officially start dating and revised my ideal type.

I decided I'd prefer someone tall, well-groomed, and positive.

Was it late autumn...? I got a blind date set up with a man who was about three years older and worked in the construction industry.

He wasn't handsome, but he was average-looking, quite tall, well-groomed, and had a cheerful disposition when we talked.

We had a pleasant time, and thankfully, he seemed interested in me too, and asked me out again.

The problem arose when he got up to put on his coat.

I didn't even know such a color existed, but it was a mint green, stadium jumper coat.

The shocking and horrifying mint green stadium jumper coat dominated my thoughts all the way home.

“How was your blind date yesterday?”

“It was okay. He was good-looking and had a pleasant personality. But…”

“Why? What's bothering you?”

“Well… he was wearing a mint green stadium jumper coat.”

“A mint green stadium jumper coat? Do men even wear that color?”

“I don't know. I've never seen it before.”

My coworkers' general response was that men often don't know how to dress well,

and that it was okay to offer advice and help them improve their style, so it wasn't a big deal.

But, he showed up wearing the same mint green stadium jumper coat on our second and third dates.

Was this what they called a fashion terrorist?

Everyone said I was being too picky about something trivial, and they scolded me for being sensitive about it, when I was hesitant about rejecting him.

'Don't you know that you never know what you might find unless you try? What's wrong with him wearing that coat?'

I tried to convince myself that I was overreacting.

Our fourth date.

He came to pick me up near my workplace, and it seemed like my coworkers had witnessed the scene.

“I thought you were exaggerating about the clothes, but I was shocked when I saw it for myself.”

“Goodness me! Come on, even if you like someone, you don't go out dressed like that to meet a girl in Yeouido. That's just too much.”

I felt relieved by their reaction.

That's right, I wasn't crazy.

I'd prefer someone tall, well-groomed, and positive, who wears normal clothes.

My ideal type continued to upgrade with each blind date.

I said I didn't like smokers, and he ended up drinking a lot.

I said I wanted someone who didn't drink or smoke, and I ended up meeting someone who only cared about work.

I said I wanted someone who enjoyed hobbies, and I met a 'yolo' guy who lived for the moment.

When I said I wasn't hungry and that I was fine without food, a guy said, “I was worried you were going to ask for pasta. I really dislike that.” and disappeared.

He'd send me constant messages, or just send a “Good morning, have a great day!” text every day.

How can someone be so extreme?

“Hey, the hardest person to find is an average person. Didn't you know that?”

My best friend, after listening to my endless complaints about my failed blind dates, spoke seriously.

“Set some non-negotiable standards. If you keep saying you don't like this and you don't like that, it'll never end.”

My final, unyielding line in the sand became: 'someone taller than me, positive, and someone I can have a good conversation with.'